The Book of Beginning
 Genesis is written with the presuppositions that God
  exists and that He has revealed Himself in word and
  deed to Israel's ancestors. The book does not argue for
  the existence of God; it simply asserts that" everything
  exists because of God.
 (Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament.)
 Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and
    the earth.
    God never gives an apologetic for His existence.
   Ps 14:1 The fool says in his heart,    "There is no God.“
   Ps 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies
    proclaim the work of his hands.
   Rom 1:18-20 The wrath of God is being revealed from
    heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men
    who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what
    may be known about God is plain to them, because God has
    made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the
    world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and
    divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood
    from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
 The Truth; Either God exists, or God does not exist
 Two ways to live; Live as if God exists, or Live as if God
  does not exist

                           God does not    God does exist
                           exist
        Live as if God does Lose nothing   Lose everything
        not exist           (AIDS)
        Live as if God does Lose nothing   Lose nothing, gain
        exist                              everything
 Dr. Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., L.L.D., Litt.D., The
 Defenders Study Bible, notes, Gen. 1:1, Pg.3
 There are 5 elements/aspects that a proper
    Cosmology/Cosmogony should address;
   #1 Space
   #2 Time
   #3 Matter
   #4 Motion
   #5 Forces (Energy)
 These 5 elements/aspects are addressed in Gen. 1:1-2;
 #1 Space
 #2 Time
 #3 Matter
 #4 Motion
 #5 Forces (Energy)
 Gen 1:1-2 In the beginning (#2 Time) God (#5 Forces
  (Energy) created the heavens (#1 Space ) and the earth (#3
  Matter). 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness
  was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was
  hovering (#4 Motion) over the waters.
 If anything exists (and it does);
 Why does it exist;
 I only know of 4 possibilities;
 #1 Illusion
 #2 Eternally existent
 #3 Self existent
 #4 Created by Someone who is Eternally existent, Self
  existent, not part of creation, greater than creation.
 Larry Vardiman, PhD. says regarding Gen. 1:1, “The
 transcendent, omnipotent Godhead called into
 existence the mass-space-time universe.”
 If you believe this you should not have any trouble
 with a floating ax head.
 Bereshith (beginning)
 Bara (Latin, Ex-Nihilo)
 Elohim (God)
 Shamayim (Plural/Dual, 1st. & 2nd. Heavens)
 Erets (earth)
 Bereshith (beginning)
 Time had a beginning
 2 Tim 1:9…This grace was given us in Christ Jesus
    before the beginning of time…
   Titus 1:2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of
    eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised
    before the beginning of time,
   Time had a beginning, so it will end
   Matt 13:39…The harvest is the end of the age…
   Matt 13:49…This is how it will be at the end of the age…
 Time itself is a variable property
 Affected by mass, acceleration, and gravity
 Gen 1:1-4
 In the beginning God created the heavens and the
 earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty,
 darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the
 Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was
 light.
 Many have backed up their theological dump trucks
  up to that gap.
 Dinosaurs, fossils, Neanderthal man, Pre-Adamic
  hominids, fall of Satan
 Genesis 1:1-2
 Some have seen a middle stage of Creation here, that is, an unfinished work of
  Creation (v. 2) that was later developed (vv. 3-25) into the present form. But
  this cannot be sustained by the syntax or the vocabulary.

 Others have seen a "gap" between the first two verses, allowing for the fall of
  Satan and entrance of sin into the world that caused the chaos. It is more likely
  that verse 1 refers to a relative beginning rather than the absolute beginning
  (Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament. 2 vols. Chicago:
  Moody Press, 1981, 1:5). The chapter would then be accounting for the Creation
  of the universe as man knows it, not the beginning of everything, and verses 1-2
  would provide the introduction to it. The fall of Satan and entrance of sin into
  God's original Creation would precede this.

 It was by the Spirit that the Lord God sovereignly created everything that exists
  (v. Genesis 1:2 b). In the darkness of the chaos the Spirit of God moved to
  prepare for the effectual creative word of God…..
 Deut 32:11
 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
 and hovers over its young,
 that spreads its wings to catch them
 and carries them on its pinions.
 2 Peter 3:3-7 First of all, you must understand that in
 the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following
 their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this
 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died,
 everything goes on as it has since the beginning of
 creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago
 by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was
 formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters
 also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are
 reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment
 and destruction of ungodly men.
 Gen 1:1-3
 In the beginning God created the heavens and the
  earth. [This is the broad overview, now we are
  going to be given the details] 2 Now the earth was
  formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of
  the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
  waters.

 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was
  light.
 Isa 45:7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring
  prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these
  things. NIV
 Read the email/urban legend;
 “…Darkness is not something; it is the absence of
  something. You can have low light, normal light,
  bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light
  constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness,
  isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word.
  In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able
  to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

Genesis, ch 1, #1b, 2012, pascal’s wager, 5 elements aspects, cosmology cosmogony, gap theory, create darkness

  • 1.
    The Book ofBeginning
  • 3.
     Genesis iswritten with the presuppositions that God exists and that He has revealed Himself in word and deed to Israel's ancestors. The book does not argue for the existence of God; it simply asserts that" everything exists because of God.  (Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament.)
  • 4.
     Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  God never gives an apologetic for His existence.  Ps 14:1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God.“  Ps 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Rom 1:18-20 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
  • 5.
     The Truth;Either God exists, or God does not exist  Two ways to live; Live as if God exists, or Live as if God does not exist God does not God does exist exist Live as if God does Lose nothing Lose everything not exist (AIDS) Live as if God does Lose nothing Lose nothing, gain exist everything
  • 6.
     Dr. HenryM. Morris, Ph.D., L.L.D., Litt.D., The Defenders Study Bible, notes, Gen. 1:1, Pg.3
  • 7.
     There are5 elements/aspects that a proper Cosmology/Cosmogony should address;  #1 Space  #2 Time  #3 Matter  #4 Motion  #5 Forces (Energy)
  • 8.
     These 5elements/aspects are addressed in Gen. 1:1-2;  #1 Space  #2 Time  #3 Matter  #4 Motion  #5 Forces (Energy)  Gen 1:1-2 In the beginning (#2 Time) God (#5 Forces (Energy) created the heavens (#1 Space ) and the earth (#3 Matter). 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering (#4 Motion) over the waters.
  • 9.
     If anythingexists (and it does);  Why does it exist;  I only know of 4 possibilities;  #1 Illusion  #2 Eternally existent  #3 Self existent  #4 Created by Someone who is Eternally existent, Self existent, not part of creation, greater than creation.
  • 10.
     Larry Vardiman,PhD. says regarding Gen. 1:1, “The transcendent, omnipotent Godhead called into existence the mass-space-time universe.”
  • 11.
     If youbelieve this you should not have any trouble with a floating ax head.
  • 12.
     Bereshith (beginning) Bara (Latin, Ex-Nihilo)  Elohim (God)  Shamayim (Plural/Dual, 1st. & 2nd. Heavens)  Erets (earth)
  • 13.
     Bereshith (beginning) Time had a beginning  2 Tim 1:9…This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…  Titus 1:2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,  Time had a beginning, so it will end  Matt 13:39…The harvest is the end of the age…  Matt 13:49…This is how it will be at the end of the age…
  • 14.
     Time itselfis a variable property  Affected by mass, acceleration, and gravity
  • 15.
     Gen 1:1-4 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
  • 16.
     Many havebacked up their theological dump trucks up to that gap.  Dinosaurs, fossils, Neanderthal man, Pre-Adamic hominids, fall of Satan
  • 17.
     Genesis 1:1-2 Some have seen a middle stage of Creation here, that is, an unfinished work of Creation (v. 2) that was later developed (vv. 3-25) into the present form. But this cannot be sustained by the syntax or the vocabulary.  Others have seen a "gap" between the first two verses, allowing for the fall of Satan and entrance of sin into the world that caused the chaos. It is more likely that verse 1 refers to a relative beginning rather than the absolute beginning (Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament. 2 vols. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981, 1:5). The chapter would then be accounting for the Creation of the universe as man knows it, not the beginning of everything, and verses 1-2 would provide the introduction to it. The fall of Satan and entrance of sin into God's original Creation would precede this.  It was by the Spirit that the Lord God sovereignly created everything that exists (v. Genesis 1:2 b). In the darkness of the chaos the Spirit of God moved to prepare for the effectual creative word of God…..
  • 19.
     Deut 32:11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest  and hovers over its young,  that spreads its wings to catch them  and carries them on its pinions.
  • 20.
     2 Peter3:3-7 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
  • 21.
     Gen 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [This is the broad overview, now we are going to be given the details] 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
  • 22.
     Isa 45:7I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. NIV  Read the email/urban legend;  “…Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

Editor's Notes

  • #4 (from Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.)
  • #18 (from Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.)
  • #23 See the email/urban legend after the last slide