26 Mar Are There Two Creation Stories?
Sometimes people believe that the book of Genesis is confused… that is, the Bible is wrong, because they point out that there are two versions of how creation happened in Genesis 1 and 2.
What is sometimes called the first creation story happens in Genesis 1 and finished in verse 4 of Genesis 3. The second story as it is sometimes called begins in verse 4 and continues for the rest of the second chapter.
Some people have tried to make the point that these stories are different to each other and thus exclusive. They have suggested that rather than being accurate and divinely inspired, that Genesis is a book gathered together by an editor, which explains why we have two apparently differing stories, rather than one telling of how it happened.
Not so fast!!!
Do you have married parents? If so, have you ever asked your mother to describe her wedding day? If she is still alive, maybe do that, and you will hear a version of events that describes how she felt, the highs and maybe also the lows of the day. Now, if your father is still alive, ask him the same question. His answer will be different, prbably more masculine and focused on detail and the events and how things occurred.
Are these two stories mutually exclusive? Does having two stories mean that one of them is wrong? Does it mean that either of the version is a lie or inaccurate? The obvious truth is that both stories of the wedding go together to give a fuller picture of what that day was like.
The Lord in His great wisdom has given us two stories of creation, from two different perspectives. The first is the transcendent view, from high above, describing creation in granduer. The second is personal and close by and tells of creation from a more human viewpoint. These two stories go together like a hand in a glove, to show us both what happened, and what it was like, when God created everything.
Here is a full commentary we made on Genesis 2, part of which covers this topic of the two creation stories.
No Comments