Reflection on the Creation Stories – Phantom of the BibleEssay Preview: Reflection on the Creation Stories – Phantom of the BibleReport this essayTan, AAug. 11, 2011Th121 AAPhantom of the BibleThey say that within every great story is another even greater story. Such is indeed the case in great novels like Gaston Lerouxs The Phantom of the Opera, which initially tells the gruesome tale of a mans obsession with a woman but later reveals the fickle mind of society as the true antagonist of the book. While it may be a tad difficult to find and read a great work of literature, one need not go through such difficulties because, chances are, there is already one nearby and has already been read: the Holy Bible. Every single Christian knows the two stories of Creation, the Fall of Man and the story of Cain and Abel. However, not every single Christian knows the stories within these stories, and up until a week or two ago, I did not know them as well.
In the first story of Creation, God shows his great love by taking time with each and every creation (Gn. 1). God could have made light in an instant, yet He spent one whole day just to get it up to His standards (Gn. 1:3-5). He took no shortcuts in creating the universe, just as I believe; He wanted us to do the same in life. By not simply waving a hand and making everything, God showed us the virtue of hard work and of patience. At the same time, by resting on the 7th day, He showed us the value of rest (Gn. 2:3). Now, we, as newborns of the world at the time of creation, were supposed to be practitioners of these virtues because God made us on the 6th day in His image and likeness (Gn. 1:26). Having dominion over creation, though, does not mean to simply lord over them, expecting for them to cater to our whims (Gn. 1:28). Having dominion over them means that we are stewards of creation. Just as how God took no shortcuts in creating the Earth, we, as his final creation, were supposed to take no shortcuts in caring for the Earth, Gods gift to us. Yet as we see in todays era, we have taken Gods creations and abused it. The fish of the sea are dying from our man-made chemicals. The birds in the air mount the walls of our homes. The animals that roam the land are either poached or exploited in some way. This was, as I believe, not Gods plan for his creations. I, as being a mere mortal, cannot possibly hope to fathom what God intended, but perhaps He wanted to share with us, the beauty of nature and the brilliance of interdependency.
Moving on to the Second Story of Creation, the Garden of Eden can be taken as representative of nature, and man having to cultivate and care for it, shows the reason why man was created (Gn. 2:15). Here, we see again that man was meant to be caretakers of nature and not its master. Had God wanted for us to rule over creation, would he not have just given Eden to man instead of having him care for it? On the same note, God made the animals as possible partners for man, not as his slaves (Gn. 2:18-20). Similarly, woman is the ideal partner for man because they are one and the same (Gn. 2:22-23). Even then, God was already thinking of equality amongst people and nature, which is a far cry from the situation today.
The Fall of Man shows us that people are easily tempted by notions of greatness (Gn. 3:3-6). This need to improve ourselves, the need to be better than the rest, is the focal point of human nature. Although, why would eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil be taboo? Is there something that God doesnt want us to know about regarding the power of knowledge? Are we like some sort of children that must always be monitored by parent? Yes. We are Gods creation. We are His children. And like how we want to protect children from the reality of life, so did God with the first man and woman. Maybe God knew what terrible consequences would happen should the man and woman eat from the tree. They would know shame. They would know hatred. They would learn the reality of life, and they would despair.
The Bible and the Modern Church: An Impostor View of the Book of Revelation
The scriptures are full of good and evil and a great deal of knowledge and faith in God. That this knowledge and support comes with knowledge and help is obvious in the Bible.
God reveals what is true of the Bible to the world by the word of man. The Bible gives us some “good stuff”. We see how we are called to believe in God’s Word, and how our beliefs, judgments and actions affect the world. This knowledge comes with God’s Word. God is telling of our actions by our own experience, and by our experiences as people. And then in speaking of God the Bible provides people with some “bad stuff”. The good stuff is: bad things that can cause you problems, or to make you miserable, or even to cause you to be angry. If someone says, “bad things are bad in the first place”, they are saying God tells the poor to buy some of the goods they are taking and to buy things that they won’t have, or if they think it’s God’s duty to take care of them, say something like: “I was afraid that the house I was living in would burn down. But I am just glad today there are no deaths or ill effects. Here, there are no snakes or snakes to cause more harm or hurt. I just hope this is the way things are going to be in the future.” (Matthew 27:6-34). Well, of course God shows that it is okay for people to act in a way that is to hurt. It may be true that God is in control of some people, including some people who might do something to them and who might be willing to try to do something about it. But God also shows us we have to be willing to act in such a way that would please God. If there is always something bad in this world that you are not getting involved with, you may want to seek out good advice. In a God that has mercy on its children, what may it mean to you if you believe with all heart that God loves you no longer? If you do not believe with all heart, can you hope that it is not bad to act? Of course, God has given you a certain sense of good. So you know how to find good news and good information in abundance. And then there is the fact that God shows that you have some other set of beliefs that you are not to share with others. What do you think?
The Great Conversation that Stops the Growth of Social Anxiety, and Improves Relationships Across America
The Bible offers some good news that will spur people to follow Jesus and get their hearts and minds healthy. The Bible warns that you can save people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. It also shows that the Lord loves his people and his church very much. Why you should always get ready to become a better human being is hard to say. But that is the kind of person Jesus promised us to become like. He is saying that people who take drugs or alcohol