Forum 1 - Creation

Forum 1 - Creation

Forum 1 - Creation

by Brenda Norton -
Number of replies: 7

Forum 1 – Creation

When I first read the question for this forum at the beginning of the week, previewing class assignments, prior to rereading Genesis 1, and clarifying the stopping point of the creation account content before chapter 2 begins, I had predetermined I wanted to present something related to the serpent in the garden. After completing my rereading Genesis 1, I realized chapter 1 creation accounts end after day 6 of creation. As I reflected on my reading solely related to chapter 1 of Genesis, I think I would like to have more detailed documentation about the presence of the trinity concept of God in creation connected to supporting that which is presented in the NT Gospel of John, (John 1:1-2 NIV, 2018).

Digging deeper into this idea, in effort to learn more about how much the Bible specifically says in Genesis 1 regarding characteristics related to God in verse 2, I looked at both the Harper Collins Study Bible ESV, and the NIV Study Bible.  Genesis 1:2c, in ESV states, “… while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” with the footnote reference on verse 2 which says, “1.2, ‘The wind from God is the only divine substance and seems to indicate the incipient ordering of this chaos (cf. the role of God’s wind in initiating the reversal of water chaos in 8.1)’ (ESV Study Bible, 2006).  This ESV footnote references wind in verse 2, identifying it as God’s power in the wind. Coincidentally, cross referencing with the NIV, I found it interesting that it reads “… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Gen 1:2c NIV, 2018). The footnotes in the NIV study Bible related to this direct reference of the Spirit of God include such different content in comparison to the ESV. The NIV Study Bible asserts this in reference to Genesis 1:2: “’Spirit of God was hovering over’ The Spirit hovers over all potential threats as God prepares to create life. Spirit, identical to the word for ‘wind’ in both the OT and NT, God’s Spirit appears at this first act of creation” (Gen 1:2c, NIV, 2018). This footnote reference in the NIV directly references the Spirit of God’s presence in creation in verse 2 whereas the ESV wording choses to say wind instead not directly identifying it as the Holy Spirit element of God. The NIV footnote also conveniently ties in the reference to the word wind is elsewhere used as reference to God’s Spirit, whereas the ESV leaves this element out of the wording of the verse and its footnotes. It would be helpful to support the trinity of God present at creation as declared in the Gospel of John, if the Genesis 1:2 translated wording was not vague and or conflicting from one translated version wording to the next, (John 1:1-2 NIV, 2018).

 

 


In reply to Brenda Norton

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Heather Bunce -
Brenda,
You have asked an incredibly astute question with some serious comparison, on your part, between two English translations.
I'd love to have some background information about you so I can engage with you more effectively in this course. Would you mind sharing your age and former education?

In regards to your question, you have identified one of the key problems with reading the Biblical text from English translations rather than from the original Greek (NT) or Hebrew (OT)--translators must sometimes make theological decisions when the decide how to translate from the original language into English. As you noted, in both Greek and Hebrew, the word for "spirit" and "wind" (or even "breath") are the same--pneuma (Greek) and ruach (Hebrew). Thus, translators must decide which is indicated in Gen. 1:2.

Those who choose to use the word "wind" or "breath" in Gen. 1:2 generally hold the theological view that the Trinity, as it is described in the New Testament, does not appear in the Old Testament. Therefore, New Testament authors who use Old Testament references to support New Testament ideas (such as in John 1) are re-appropriating material in a way it was not originally understood. The practice of re-appropriating earlier Scriptures or prophecies by later Biblical authors was a common practice and was not considered misuse of the original text. The thinking was that God could use previous texts in new ways as situations called for new interpretations.

Translators who choose to translate "ruach" in Gen. 1:2 as "spirit," choose to see more divine foresight in earlier texts, such that an author who knew nothing of the Trinity at the time of writing may have still been referring to that theology without knowing about it.

As you might discern from the length of my descriptions of each translation practice, I tend toward the first. Although I believe that God could have, and in some cases did, provide prophets with information to share with Israel that they did not yet understand, my studies have led me to believe that re-appropriating earlier texts was a common way in which later Biblical authors made their points. They started with scenarios and beliefs that the people were already familiar with and used those to expand the people's understanding of other circumstances.

In my opinion, the writer of Gen. 1:2 did not likely intend to insert Trinity language into the creation context. However, John, in writing his gospel, found the ambiguity of the word "ruach" helpful as he attempted to explain to first century Christians the relationship between God--the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

What do you think of all this?
In reply to Heather Bunce

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Brenda Norton -
Hello back to you Heather,
First let me respond to your question to me about background information on me and my education. Thank you for asking. I am a mother of nine with five grandchildren. Uniquely, I enrolled in full-time college education for the first time the year I turned fifty-five. I gained two years of full-time education while also enjoying being a student athlete on the MSJC Women's Golf Team and a student worker at the campus book store. I dual majored in physical education and liberal arts humanities and then transferred to California Baptist University while a few courses short of each degree. After my first semester as a kinesiology physical education major, after abnormal normal bloodwork came back and a bone marrow biopsy was done, I was diagnosed with Leukemia (CML) after merely going to get quarterly lap work done for a routine follow up medicated remission of my Lupus condition. Two types of oral chemo were ordered overlapping initially that winter which caused me to be so weak and fatigued, I had to change spring registration classes and my major at CBU because I had become physically unable to participate in the next prerequisite courses of underwater rescue and logging in internship hours in the gym with the athletic trainer necessary to remain in the kinesiology major. My second semester at CBU, I stayed in the education field but changed the major focus to be vocal music education. After three semesters in this major concluding with University of Michigan, again due to ongoing oral chemo side effects of early evening fatigue and weakness, my major had to change because I am physically unable to put in the night time practice hours and multiple evening ensemble course requirement attendance to maintain academic progression in a vocal education music major. I resorted to transferring to Michigan State University for unexpectedly three semesters of online only COVID restricted learning as a Human Development and Family Studies major but hit a wall at senior year registration requiring daytime internship with concurrent night time labs three nights per week each semester (which would be close to impossible with my ongoing oral chemo side effects) to complete the major as recommended by course and sequence while also struggling to fit in as a Christian believer in support of marriage and family conventional beliefs.
I became a born again believer back in 1994 attending a Harvest Crusade while already attending a Calvary Chapel Bible teaching church a few months prior and participating in a JEMs (Joyfully Encouraging Moms) program there. I got to grow in my faith leading children's worship while my children were young as God showed the need at our church and was blessed to be one of the nursing moms Bible study discussion group leaders for a brief time prior to moving from California to Michigan.
In reply to Brenda Norton

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Heather Bunce -
Thank you for this! You have had quite the educational adventures. I'm deeply sorry that your health has prevented you from completing all the fabulous programs you started. But I am delighted that you have kept at your education--adapting as necessary to achieve a degree. Well done!

Also uniquely, my own grandmother enrolled in college for the first time in her 50s, after her youngest child of five had nearly finished his bachelor's degree. Her youngest drew out his degree completion by changing majors and transferring to another school. My grandmother ended up graduating in the same class as my uncle with her first bachelor's degree. (He ended up returning to his first school to complete one more class that was needed for completion of his program.) She went on to complete a second bachelor's degree in a different major when I myself was in college at Great Lakes Christian College in the late 90s. She graduated with her second degree in the same class that her oldest granddaughter (me) completed her first bachelor's degree. She created quite the legacy and left us with many rich stories for sharing.
In reply to Heather Bunce

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Brenda Norton -
Heather, Thank you for your reply and for sharing about your grandmother. Excitedly, I spent the spring semester completing the courses needed at the community college to finish one of the associates degrees and graduated in May alongside my two youngest boys, identical twins who graduated in May too. I am taking anatomy and physiology over this summer too in hopes of finishing the physical education degree, my second associates from dual enrolling when I started by college education. My step daughter and I both intend to complete degrees in 2023 and have a trip to Disneyworld planned in celebration.
In reply to Brenda Norton

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Heather Bunce -
Your story is beautiful and exciting. You have so much planned! God bless you in all your efforts.
In reply to Heather Bunce

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Brenda Norton -
Heather, You provided a lot to think about and several perspectives. . I do myself currently believe the viewpoint of the NIV translation from the opening of John chapter one to be referencing creation and Jesus’ presence there in the Genesis creation account with God in chapter one. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:1-4 NIV). While I am not yet a Bible scholar, I do think that the writer of Genesis is fully inspired by God and while the trinity concept of Jesus himself as the Son of God and the Holy Spirit were not common references attributed to God during the timelines of the writing of the Genesis creation account, the writer was inspired by God in the written words of Genesis. Elements such as Jesus’ existence in the Genesis account of creation is linked for us in John 1. The Genesis account of the creation from the standpoint of the NIV translation indicating the Holy Spirit present in creation by the words translated as “… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Gen. 1:2c NIV) are where I currently place my confidence of belief of the presence of the trinity at creation even though Jesus is not specifically named as being present since I have John chapter one from the New Testament to reference.
In reply to Brenda Norton

Re: Forum 1 - Creation

by Heather Bunce -
Brenda,
I am enjoying the depth of our written interactions. As your teacher, I believe my job is to provide you with ways to think about the Biblical text that you may not have encountered before. I do not intend to sway you one way or another when astute minds over the ages have come up with different ways to interpret Scripture. I hope only to give you further information and possibilities so you can come to your own conclusions.

I believe that the author of Genesis may have been God-inspired to write Gen. 1:2 in a way that could later be interpreted as a nod to the fact that the Trinity--the fullness of God--was present at creation. I believe the author could have written about the "breath of God" in a way that could be understood as the "spirit of God" whether he understood the possibility of a Trinity or not. And I believe that John, as he wrote his gospel, took no unwarranted liberties in reading the Holy Spirit back into Gen. 1 as he attempted to help his audience understand the breadth and depth of the character of God and the Son and the Spirit.

I am also skeptical that the author of Genesis would have had that specific connection in mind at the time he wrote. But it is definitely possible! You have as much right to believe that the concept was fully understood and intended in Genesis by direct God-given insight to an author who would have had such understanding before his time.