Chapter 1

Introduction

For centuries, kings and peasants, nobles and common folk, scholars and the uneducated have searched for the meaning of life. For those who believe in the Bible, the first 2 chapters of Genesis explain how mankind came into being, the initial roles for mankind, our relationship with God, with one another and with other things on earth. It laid the foundation for many of our customs today, such as the 7-day week, marriage, etc.

Questions for discussion

1. According to the Bible, who was/were involved in creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1-5)? Is there anything on earth and in heaven that was not created (Revelation 10:6, Colossians 1:15-17, Psalm 104:30)?
2. What did God create on the first day? Which came first: the creation of the heavens and the earth, or the making of the light? How long was the first day?
3. What does “first” day mean (or, what time was it before the first day)?
4. Read Genesis 1:6-8. What happened on the second day? What is the “firmament” (NKJV) or “expanse (NIV)”? What happened to the water? How long was the second day?
5. Read Genesis 1:9-13. What happened on the third day? How long was the third day?
6. Does the Bible explain how plants reproduce?
7. Do you agree that plants only reproduce “according to its kind”? Are there any exceptions that you know of?
8. Read Genesis 1:14-19. What happened on the fourth day? How long was the fourth day?
9. What were the reasons for putting lights in the firmament/expanse? Did God mention the sun and the moon? Do you think the “light” being created on the first day was the sunlight?
10. Read Genesis 1:20-23. What happened on the fifth day? How long was the fifth day?
11. Do you agree that things that live in the water and things that fly reproduce “according to its kind”? What was God’s blessing to them?
12. Read Genesis 1:24-28. What happened on the sixth day? How long was the sixth day?
13. Do you agree that things that move on the ground reproduce “according to its kind”? Can you give a definitive answer to the proverbial question now: “Which one came first: the chicken or the egg?”
14. How did God
    a) create light on the first day (Genesis 1:3)?
    b) divide the waters on the second day (Genesis 1:6)?
    c) collect water into seas, make dry land appear with vegetation on the 3rd day (Genesis 1:9,11)?
    d) make the sun, moon and stars on the 4th day (Genesis 1:14-15)?
    e) create the fish, birds and creatures on the 5th and 6th day (Genesis 1:20,24)?
    What does this tell us about God’s word? What else is (are) called the word of God (John 1:1-4, Deuteronomy 4:2, 2 Timothy 3:16)? Do you think God’s word is important to us (Matthew 4:4, Colossians 1:16-17)?
15. When we buy expensive pieces of equipment, they all come with an Instruction Manual or Owner’s Manual (likely available online today). Why?
16. When we fully pay for a new car, the car belongs to us, so technically and legally we can do anything we want to the car. So the question is: What kind of fuel should we put in our car’s fuel tank? We know that water is important to us, so should we put water into the fuel tank? How about coffee for the car of a coffee-lover? How about milk that is full of nutrition? Does a car owner have
    freedom or the right to have the final say about this matter? Why not?
17. If God made us, would He be so mean as to not leave us with an Instruction/Owner’s Manual so we can live our lives in a safe, secure, blessed and meaningful manner? Where is it (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21)?
18. Many people in the world do not have access to the Bible or Bible teachings. Can they know that God exists and what He is like (Romans 1:18-23)? How else can one know that God exists and what God wants us to do (Romans 2:13-16)? Did you know that evolutionists have no answer as to how conscience, love, compassion, mercy and grace evolve?
19. The controversy between Creation vs. Evolution can be a confusing issue to many people, as many churches and church leaders subscribe to the theory of evolution, at the expense of the reliability of the word of God. Read Romans 1:18-23 again and consider the complexities of all the living things and non-living things around us, especially the human body and emotions. Discuss
    how “the invisible attributes of God that are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made”?
20. Some Christians argue that the controversy between Creation vs. Evolution is only a matter of semantics, i.e. whether God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days, or over a long period of time, like billions or hundreds of millions of years. Consider the table of comparisons:

Creation & Evolution – Reconcilable Models?

Postscript

This is an exploratory course designed for interactive, small group study to investigate God’s message to mankind and the claims of Jesus. If you would like to get access to the full study, please use the Contact Us form and we will put you in touch with the author.