CSB Disciple's Study Bible

By Robby Gallaty and CSB Bibles by Holman

The CSB Disciple’s Study Bible is designed to help you follow Jesus and disciple others. It features discipleship-themed articles and study notes by pastor and author Robbie Gallaty, the Foundations 260 Reading Plan, journaling space to use the H.E.A.R. method (Highlight-Explain-Apply-Respond), and more. With additional articles on discipleship from the team at Replicate Ministries, this resource-rich discipleship Bible will help foster daily engagement and practical application of God’s Word in the life of readers.

FEATURES

• Discipleship-themed study notes

• F260 Reading Plan with commentary and H.E.A.R journaling space

• Discipleship articles from the team at Replicate Ministries

• Book introductions featuring timelines

• Outlines and contribution to the Bible

• Center-column cross-references

• Topical subheadings

• 2-column text

• Concordance

• Smyth-sewn binding

• Presentation section

• Full-color maps and more

• 10-point type

• Silver-gilded edges

The CSB Disciple’s Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB captures the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781462753727

Robby Gallaty

Robby Gallaty (PhD, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) is the Senior Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN. He was radically saved out of a life of drug addiction on November 12, 2002. In 2008, he founded Replicate Ministries to educate, equip, and empower believers to make disciples who make disciples (replicate.org). He is the author of Rediscovering Discipleship, Growing Up, Firmly Planted, and Bearing Fruit. Robby and his wife Kandi are the proud parents of two sons, Rig and Ryder.  

Book preview

REVELATIONRv

INTRODUCTION TO THE

CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE®

The Bible is God’s revelation to humanity. It is our only source for completely reliable information about God, what happens when we die, and where history is headed. The Bible reveals these things because it is God’s inspired Word, inerrant in the original manuscripts. Bible translation brings God’s Word from the ancient languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) into today’s world. In dependence on God’s Spirit to accomplish this sacred task, the CSB Translation Oversight Committee and Holman Bible Publishers present the Christian Standard Bible.

TEXTUAL BASE OF THE CSB

The textual base for the New Testament (NT) is the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th edition, and the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 5th corrected edition. The text for the Old Testament (OT) is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 5th edition.

Where there are significant differences among Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek manuscripts, the translators follow what they believe is the original reading and indicate the main alternative(s) in footnotes. The CSB uses the traditional verse divisions found in most Protestant Bibles.

GOALS OF THIS TRANSLATION

•Provide English-speaking people worldwide with an accurate translation in contemporary English.

•Provide an accurate translation for personal study, sermon preparation, private devotions, and memorization.

•Provide a text that is clear and understandable, suitable for public reading, and shareable so that all may access its life-giving message.

•Affirm the authority of Scripture and champion its absolute truth against skeptical viewpoints.

TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY OF THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE

Most discussions of Bible translations speak of two opposite approaches: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. This terminology is meaningful, but Bible translations cannot be neatly sorted into these two categories. There is room for another category of translation philosophy that capitalizes on the strengths of the other two.

1.Formal Equivalence:

Often called word-for-word (or literal) translation, the principle of formal equivalence seeks as nearly as possible to preserve the structure of the original language. It seeks to represent each word of the original text with an exact equivalent word in the translation so that the reader can see word for word what the original human author wrote. The merits of this approach include its consistency with the conviction that the Holy Spirit did inspire the very words of Scripture in the original manuscripts. It also provides the English Bible student some access to the structure of the text in the original language. Formal equivalence can achieve accuracy to the degree that English has an exact equivalent for each word and that the grammatical patterns of the original language can be reproduced in understandable English. However, it can sometimes result in awkward, if not incomprehensible, English or in a misunderstanding of the author’s intent. The literal rendering of ancient idioms is especially difficult.

2.Dynamic or Functional Equivalence:

Often called thought-for-thought translation, the principle of dynamic equivalence rejects as misguided the attempt to preserve the structure of the original language. It proceeds by extracting the meaning of a text from its form and then translating that meaning so that it makes the same impact on modern readers that the ancient text made on its original readers. Strengths of this approach include a high degree of clarity and readability, especially in places where the original is difficult to render word for word. It also acknowledges that accurate and effective translation may require interpretation. However, the meaning of a text cannot always be neatly separated from its form, nor can it always be precisely determined. A biblical author may have intended multiple meanings, but these may be lost with the elimination of normal structures. In striving for readability, dynamic equivalence also sometimes overlooks and loses some of the less prominent elements of meaning. Furthermore, lack of formal correspondence to the original makes it difficult to verify accuracy and thus can affect the usefulness of the translation for in-depth Bible study.

3.Optimal Equivalence:

In practice, translations are seldom if ever purely formal or dynamic but favor one theory of Bible translation or the other to varying degrees. Optimal equivalence as a translation philosophy recognizes that form cannot always be neatly separated from meaning and should not be changed unless comprehension demands it. The primary goal of translation is to convey the sense of the original with as much clarity as the original text and the translation language permit. Optimal equivalence appreciates the goals of formal equivalence but also recognizes its limitations.

Optimal equivalence starts with an exhaustive analysis of the text at every level (word, phrase, clause, sentence, discourse) in the original language to determine its original meaning and intention (or purpose). Then, relying on the latest and best language tools and experts, the nearest corresponding semantic and linguistic equivalents are used to convey as much of the information and intention of the original text with as much clarity and readability as possible. This process assures the maximum transfer of both the words and the thoughts contained in the original.

The CSB uses optimal equivalence as its translation philosophy. In the many places throughout the Bible where a word-for-word rendering is understandable, a literal translation is used. When a word-for-word rendering might obscure the meaning for a modern audience, a more dynamic translation is used. The Christian Standard Bible places equal value on fidelity to the original and readability for a modern audience, resulting in a translation that achieves both goals.

THE GENDER LANGUAGE USE IN BIBLE TRANSLATION

The goal of the translators of the Christian Standard Bible has not been to promote a cultural ideology but to translate the Bible faithfully. Recognizing modern usage of English, the CSB regularly translates the plural of the Greek word ανθρωπος (man) as people instead of men, and occasionally the singular as one, someone, or everyone, when the supporting pronouns in the original languages validate such a translation. While the CSB avoids using he or him unnecessarily, the translation does not restructure sentences to avoid them when they are in the text.

HISTORY OF THE CSB

After several years of preliminary development, Holman Bible Publishers, the oldest Bible publisher in North America, assembled an international, interdenominational team of one hundred scholars, editors, stylists, and proofreaders, all of whom were committed to biblical inerrancy. Outside consultants and reviewers contributed valuable suggestions from their areas of expertise. Working from the original languages, an executive team of translators edited, polished, and reviewed the final manuscript, which was first published as the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) in 2004.

A standing committee was also formed to maintain the HCSB translation and look for ways to improve readability without compromising accuracy. As with the original translation team, the committee that prepared this revision of the HCSB, renamed the Christian Standard Bible, is international and interdenominational, comprising evangelical scholars who honor the inspiration and authority of God’s written Word.

TRADITIONAL FEATURES FOUND IN THE CSB

In keeping with a long line of Bible publications, the CSB has retained a number of features found in traditional Bibles:

1.Traditional theological vocabulary (for example, justification, sanctification, redemption) has been retained since such terms have no other translation equivalent that adequately communicates their exact meaning.

2.Traditional spellings of names and places found in most Bibles have been used to make the CSB compatible with most Bible study tools.

3.Some editions of the CSB will print the words of Christ in red letters to help readers easily locate the spoken words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4.Descriptive headings, printed above each section of Scripture, help readers quickly identify the contents of that section.

5.OT passages quoted in the NT are indicated. In the CSB, they are set in boldface type.

HOW THE NAMES OF GOD ARE TRANSLATED

The Christian Standard Bible consistently translates the Hebrew names for God as follows:

FOOTNOTES

Footnotes are used to show readers how the original biblical language has been understood in the CSB.

1. Old Testament (OT) Textual Footnotes

OT textual notes show important differences among Hebrew (Hb) manuscripts and ancient OT versions, such as the Septuagint and the Vulgate. See the list of abbreviations on page XIII for a list of other ancient versions used.

Some OT textual notes (like NT textual notes) give only an alternate textual reading. However, other OT textual notes also give the support for the reading chosen by the editors as well as for the alternate textual reading. For example, the CSB text of Psalm 12:7 reads,

You, LORD, will guard us;

you will protect usB from this generation forever.

The textual footnote for this verse reads,

B 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him

The textual note in this example means that there are two different readings found in the Hebrew manuscripts: some manuscripts read us and others read him. The CSB translators chose the reading us, which is also found in the Septuagint (LXX), and placed the other Hebrew reading him in the footnote.

Two other kinds OT textual notes are

2. New Testament (NT) Textual Footnotes

NT textual notes indicate significant differences among Greek manuscripts (mss) and are normally indicated in one of three ways:

Other mss read ______

Other mss add ______

Other mss omit ______

In the NT, some textual footnotes that use the word add or omit also have square brackets before and after the corresponding verses in the biblical text. Examples of this use of square brackets are Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53–8:11.

3. Other Kinds of Footnotes

In some editions of the CSB, additional footnotes clarify the meaning of certain biblical texts or explain biblical history, persons, customs, places, activities, and measurements. Cross references are given for parallel passages or passages with similar wording, and in the NT, for passages quoted from the OT.

ABBREVIATIONS IN CSB BIBLES

LISTING OF DOCTRINES IN STUDY NOTES

Christian Ethics

Church, The

Church Leaders

Creation

Discipleship

Education

Election

Evangelism

Evil and Suffering

Family

God

History

Holy Scripture

Holy Spirit

Humanity

Jesus Christ

Last Things

Miracle

Missions

Ordinances

Prayer

Proclamation

Revelation

Salvation

Sin

Stewardship

Worship

From Genesis to Revelation, God established his purposes in his Word. In Genesis 1, the text repeats, "God said, ‘Let there be light’; God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters’; and God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place’ (Genesis 1:3,6,9; emphasis added). Repeatedly throughout the Old Testament, we witness the word of God coming to men and women, commanding and empowering them to do amazing things. The word of God came to Abraham in Genesis 12. It’s impossible to overemphasize just how obedient Abraham was to leave his surroundings and travel to an unknown destination at the mere word from God. He obeyed a voice from heaven and it was credited . . . to him as righteousness" (Gn 15:6).

Moses heard the same voice calling out to him from the burning bush to approach Pharaoh, the ruler of the land at that time, with a request to relinquish God’s people. Again, the word of God broke through the thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20 with the commandments for the people to follow. With Moses’s passing, God instructed Joshua, Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go (Jos 1:7).

The prophet’s job in the Old Testament was to recite the words of God to the people with perfect clarity and lucidity. Isaiah begins his book with these words: Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, for the LORD has spoken (Is 1:2). In chapter 55, God promises, My word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do (Is 55:11). Sixty times in the book of Ezekiel we find the phrase, The word of the Lord came to me. The same phrase is used by the prophets Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah.

John the Baptist broke nearly four hundred years of silence when he came as a voice of one crying out in the wilderness (Mk 1:3), preaching the Word of God. In his Gospel, the apostle John clarifies Jesus’s identity by stating, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created…. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:1-3,14).

Paul instructs the Romans that faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ (Rm 10:17) — from hearing the Word. In his final letter to Timothy, Paul emphasizes the importance of studying the Word: Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth (2Tm 2:15). Likewise, the apostle Peter states, Because you have been born again — not of perishable seed but of imperishable — through the living and enduring word of God, for all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever (1Pt 1:23). Jesus’s half-brother James, an unbeliever during Jesus’s earthly ministry, penned these words years after Jesus’s death: By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures (Jms 1:18).

The author of Hebrews continuously cites the importance of the Word as well. Right out of the gate, he explains the source of all things saying, The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb 1:3). Hebrews 4:12 explains the convicting nature of God’s Word: For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It’s no wonder the Mishnah, a collection of the Jewish oral traditions, encourages followers of God to Pore over it [the Scripture] again and again, for everything is contained in it; look into it, grow old and gray over it, and do not depart from it, for there is no better pursuit for you than this.¹

It is Scripture’s position that if change is going to happen, we must get into the Word until the Word gets into us! Any time invested in the reading the Bible will yield eternal rewards. Our prayer is that you would be challenged and changed by reading and journaling through the Disciples Study Bible.

1 Mishnah, Pirke Avot 5:27. Quoted in Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), Kindle Location 4183.

HOW TO USE F-260

I.  Using the F-260

The F-260 is a Bible-reading plan for busy believers. In the F-260, the Bible has been broken up into 260 days’ worth of reading that will guide the reader through the entire meta-narrative of Scripture in just one year. It does not contain every chapter of the Bible, but rather chronologically highlights the major points in the narrative of Israel leading to the coming of the Messiah, the accounts of his works during his ministry on Earth, and the instructions first century apostles left for us in order to know and follow him better.

II. Ways to Use it

The F-260 works well in three different areas: (1) helping someone who has never read through the Bible see the bigger picture of Scripture, (2) providing an avenue for church-wide alignment, and (3) even outlining a schedule for preaching through the entire Bible in a year. We will examine each of these options (which can be used all at once) here.

A. First-Time Readers

Because the F-260 does not entail an intense or demanding reading schedule, it makes it possible for someone who has never read through the Bible to see the metanarrative of Scripture in a relatively short amount of time. Each week contains five days’ worth of reading, with each day usually consisting of one to three chapters.

Because the readings are short, journaling through Scripture is encouraged. Each day’s reading has been designed to provide the reader with passages that communicate deep biblical truth that can be effectively mined and directly applied by writing it out (see section on HEAR Journals, pp. XVIII, 2042).

B. Church-Wide Alignment

The simplicity of the F-260 makes church-wide scriptural alignment not just possible, but simple. As a church body dives into the same passages of Scripture week-in and week-out, the tone of their conversation begins to shift. People from all walks of life will have spent their weeks reading the same passages of Scripture, uniting them around the Word of God.

It is inevitable that as different people encounter Christ in his Word during the week, different things will resonate with them. When they share what God is saying through his Word, the church-wide conversation about Scripture will deepen—and it will be centered on the Word of God.

C. From the Pulpit Down

The F-260 is not just a plan to read through Scripture in a year, but it is also a tool preachers can use to shepherd their flocks through the entire Bible in a year, as well. Because there are five different sections of reading a week and they are all highlighting both the deep truths of God and the grand narrative of Scripture, there are also five sections of text in which a faithful expositor of God’s Word can plant himself to expose its truth to the church body.

For examples of how to preach through the Bible using the F-260, visit http://www.longhollow.com/theword.

SAMPLE H.E.A.R. ENTRY

Sample H.E.A.R. Journal

Read: Philippians 4:10-13 Date: 12-22-15 Title: Secret of Contentment

H (Highlight) I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me (Php 4:13).

E (Explain) Paul was telling the church at Philippi that he has discovered the secret of contentment. No matter the situation in Paul’s life, he realized that Christ was all he needed, and Christ was the one who strengthened him to persevere through difficult times.

A (Apply) In my life, I will experience many ups and downs. My contentment is not found in circumstances. Rather, it is based on my relationship with Jesus Christ. Only Jesus gives me the strength I need to be content in every circumstance of life.

R (Respond) Lord Jesus, please help me as I strive to be content in you. Through your strength, I can make it through any situation I must face.

SAMPLE PRAYER LOG

SAMPLE SCRIPTURE MEMORY CARD

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

2 Timothy 2:1-2

F-260 BIBLE READING PLAN

WEEK 1

❏Genesis 1–2

❏Genesis 3–4

❏Genesis 6–7

❏Genesis 8–9

❏Job 1–2

MEMORY VERSES:

Genesis 1:27

Hebrews 11:7

WEEK 2

❏Job 38–39

❏Job 40–42

❏Genesis 11–12

❏Genesis 15

❏Genesis 16–17

MEMORY VERSES:

Hebrews 11:6,8-10

WEEK 3

❏Genesis 18–19

❏Genesis 20–21

❏Genesis 22

❏Genesis 24

❏Genesis 25:19-34; 26

MEMORY VERSES:

Romans 4:20-22

Hebrews 11:17-19

WEEK 4

❏Genesis 27–28

❏Genesis 29–30:24

❏Genesis 31–32

❏Genesis 33; 35

❏Genesis 37

MEMORY VERSES:

2 Corinthians 10:12

1 John 3:18

WEEK 5

❏Genesis 39–40

❏Genesis 41

❏Genesis 42–43

❏Genesis 44–45

❏Genesis 46–47

MEMORY VERSES:

Romans 8:28-30

Ephesians 3:20-21

WEEK 6

❏Genesis 48–49

❏Genesis 50–Exodus 1

❏Exodus 2–3

❏Exodus 4–5

❏Exodus 6–7

MEMORY VERSES:

Genesis 50:20

Hebrews 11:24-26

WEEK 7

❏Exodus 8–9

❏Exodus 10–11

❏Exodus 12

❏Exodus 13:17–14

❏Exodus 16–17

MEMORY VERSES:

John 1:29

Hebrews 9:22

WEEK 8

❏Exodus 19–20

❏Exodus 24–25

❏Exodus 26–27

❏Exodus 28–29

❏Exodus 30–31

MEMORY VERSES:

Exodus 20:1-3

Galatians 5:14

WEEK 9

❏Exodus 32–33

❏Exodus 34–36:1

❏Exodus 40

❏Leviticus 8–9

❏Leviticus 16–17

MEMORY VERSES:

Exodus 33:16

Matthew 22:37-39

WEEK 10

❏Leviticus 23

❏Leviticus 26

❏Numbers 11–12

❏Numbers 13–14

❏Numbers 16–17

MEMORY VERSES:

Leviticus 26:13

Deuteronomy 31:7-8

WEEK 11

❏Numbers 20; 27:12-23

❏Numbers 34–35

❏Deuteronomy 1–2

❏Deuteronomy 3–4

❏Deuteronomy 6–7

MEMORY VERSES:

Deuteronomy 4:7; 6:4-9

WEEK 12

❏Deuteronomy 8–9

❏Deuteronomy 30–31

❏Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34

❏Joshua 1–2

❏Joshua 3–4

MEMORY VERSES:

Joshua 1:8-9

Psalm 1:1-2

WEEK 13

❏Joshua 5:10-15; 6

❏Joshua 7–8

❏Joshua 23–24

❏Judges 2–3

❏Judges 4

MEMORY VERSES:

Joshua 24:14-15

Judges 2:12

WEEK 14

❏Judges 6–7

❏Judges 13–14

❏Judges 15–16

❏Ruth 1–2

❏Ruth 3–4

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalm 19:14

Galatians 4:4-5

WEEK 15

❏1 Samuel 1–2

❏1 Samuel 3; 8

❏1 Samuel 9–10

❏1 Samuel 13–14

❏1 Samuel 15–16

MEMORY VERSES:

1 Samuel 15:22; 16:7

WEEK 16

❏1 Samuel 17–18

❏1 Samuel 19–20

❏1 Samuel 21–22

❏Psalm 22; 1 Samuel 24–25:1

❏1 Samuel 28; 31

MEMORY VERSES:

1 Samuel 17:46-47

2 Timothy 4:17a

WEEK 17

❏2 Samuel 1; 2:1-7

❏2 Samuel 3:1; 5; Psalm 23

❏2 Samuel 6–7

❏Psalm 18; 2 Samuel 9

❏2 Samuel 11–12

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalms 23:1-3; 51:10-13

WEEK 18

❏Psalm 51

❏2 Samuel 24; Psalm 24

❏Psalm 1; 19

❏Psalms 103; 119:1-48

❏Psalm 119:49-128

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalms 1:1-7; 119:7-11

WEEK 19

❏Psalms 119:129-176; 139

❏Psalms 148–150

❏1 Kings 2

❏1 Kings 3; 6

❏1 Kings 8; 9:1-9

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalms 139:1-3; 139:15-16

WEEK 20

❏Proverbs 1–2

❏Proverbs 3–4

❏Proverbs 16–18

❏Proverbs 31

❏1 Kings 11–12

MEMORY VERSES:

Proverbs 1:7; 3:5-6

WEEK 21

❏1 Kings 16:29-34; 17

❏1 Kings 18–19

❏1 Kings 21–22

❏2 Kings 2

❏2 Kings 5; 6:1-23

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalm 17:15; 63:1

WEEK 22

❏Jonah 1–2

❏Jonah 3–4

❏Hosea 1–3

❏Amos 1:1; 9

❏Joel 1–3

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalm 16:11

John 11:25-26

WEEK 23

❏Isaiah 6; 9

❏Isaiah 44–45

❏Isaiah 52–53

❏Isaiah 65–66

❏Micah 1; 4:6-13; 5

MEMORY VERSES:

Isaiah 53:5-6

1 Peter 2:23-24

WEEK 24

❏2 Kings 17–18

❏2 Kings 19–21

❏2 Kings 22–23

❏Jeremiah 1–3:5

❏Jeremiah 25; 29

MEMORY VERSES:

Proverbs 29:18

Jeremiah 1:15

WEEK 25

❏Jeremiah 31:31-40; 32–33

❏Jeremiah 52; 2 Kings 24–25

❏Ezekiel 1:1-3; 36:16-38; 37

❏Daniel 1–2

❏Daniel 3

MEMORY VERSES:

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Daniel 4:35

WEEK 26

❏Daniel 5–6

❏Daniel 9–10; 12

❏Ezra 1–2

❏Ezra 3–4

❏Ezra 5–6

MEMORY VERSES:

Daniel 6:26-27; 9:19

WEEK 27

❏Zechariah 1:1-6; 2; 12

❏Ezra 7–8

❏Ezra 9–10

❏Esther 1–2

❏Esther 3–4

MEMORY VERSES:

Zephaniah 3:17

1 Peter 3:15

WEEK 28

❏Esther 5–7

❏Esther 8–10

❏Nehemiah 1–2

❏Nehemiah 3–4

❏Nehemiah 5–6

MEMORY VERSES:

Deuteronomy 29:29

Psalm 101:3-4

WEEK 29

❏Nehemiah 7–8

❏Nehemiah 9

❏Nehemiah 10

❏Nehemiah 11

❏Nehemiah 12

MEMORY VERSES:

Nehemiah 6:9

Nehemiah 9:6

WEEK 30

❏Nehemiah 13

❏Malachi 1

❏Malachi 2

❏Malachi 3

❏Malachi 4

MEMORY VERSES:

Psalm 51:17

Colossians 1:19-20

WEEK 31

❏Luke 1

❏Luke 2

❏Matthew 1–2

❏Mark 1

❏John 1

MEMORY VERSES:

John 1:1-2,14

WEEK 32

❏Matthew 3–4

❏Matthew 5

❏Matthew 6

❏Matthew 7

❏Matthew 8

MEMORY VERSES:

Matthew 5:16; 6:33

WEEK 33

❏Luke 9:10-62

❏Mark 9

❏Luke 12

❏John 3–4

❏Luke 14

MEMORY VERSES:

Luke 14:26-27,33

WEEK 34

❏John 6

❏Matthew 19:16-30

❏Luke 15–16

❏Luke 17:11-37; 18

❏Mark 10

MEMORY VERSES:

Mark 10:45

John 6:37

WEEK 35

❏John 11; Matthew 21:1-13

❏John 13

❏John 14–15

❏John 16

❏Matthew 24:1-31

MEMORY VERSES:

John 13:34-35; 15:4-5

WEEK 36

❏Matthew 24:32-51

❏John 17

❏Matthew 26:47–27:31

❏Matthew 27:32-66; Luke 23:26-56

❏John 19

MEMORY VERSES:

Luke 23:34

John 17:3

WEEK 37

❏Mark 16

❏Luke 24

❏John 20–21

❏Matthew 28

❏Acts 1

MEMORY VERSES:

Matthew 28:18-20

Acts 1:8

WEEK 38

❏Acts 2–3

❏Acts 4–5

❏Acts 6

❏Acts 7

❏Acts 8–9

MEMORY VERSES:

Acts 2:42; 4:31

WEEK 39

❏Acts 10–11

❏Acts 12

❏Acts 13–14

❏James 1–2

❏James 3–5

MEMORY VERSES:

James 1:2-4; 2:17

WEEK 40

❏Acts 15–16

❏Galatians 1–3

❏Galatians 4–6

❏Acts 17–18:17

❏1 Thessalonians 1–2

MEMORY VERSES:

Acts 17:11,24-25

WEEK 41

❏1 Thessalonians 3–5

❏2 Thessalonians 1–3

❏Acts 18:18-28; 19

❏1 Corinthians 1–2

❏1 Corinthians 3–4

MEMORY VERSES:

1 Corinthians 1:18

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

WEEK 42

❏1 Corinthians 5–6

❏1 Corinthians 7–8

❏1 Corinthians 9–10

❏1 Corinthians 11–12

❏1 Corinthians 13–14

MEMORY VERSES:

1 Corinthians 10:13; 13:13

WEEK 43

❏1 Corinthians 15–16

❏2 Corinthians 1–2

❏2 Corinthians 3–4

❏2 Corinthians 5–6

❏2 Corinthians 7–8

MEMORY VERSES:

Romans 1:16-17

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

WEEK 44

❏2 Corinthians 9–10

❏2 Corinthians 11–13

❏Romans 1–2; Acts 20:1-3

❏Romans 3–4

❏Romans 5–6

MEMORY VERSES:

Romans 5:1

2 Corinthians 10:4

WEEK 45

❏Romans 7–8

❏Romans 9–10

❏Romans 11–12

❏Romans 13–14

❏Romans 15–16

MEMORY VERSES:

Romans 8:1; 12:1-2

WEEK 46

❏Acts 20–21

❏Acts 22–23

❏Acts 24–25

❏Acts 26–27

❏Acts 28

MEMORY VERSES:

Acts 20:24

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

WEEK 47

❏Colossians 1–2

❏Colossians 3–4

❏Ephesians 1–2

❏Ephesians 3–4

❏Ephesians 5–6

MEMORY VERSES:

Ephesians 2:8-10

Colossians 2:6-7

WEEK 48

❏Philippians 1–2

❏Philippians 3–4

❏Hebrews 1–2

❏Hebrews 3–4

❏Hebrews 5–6

MEMORY VERSES:

Philippians 3:7-8

Hebrews 4:14-16

WEEK 49

❏Hebrews 7

❏Hebrews 8–9

❏Hebrews 10

❏Hebrews 11

❏Hebrews 12

MEMORY VERSES:

Galatians 2:19-20

2 Corinthians 5:17

WEEK 50

❏1 Timothy 1–3

❏1 Timothy 4–6

❏2 Timothy 1–2

❏2 Timothy 3–4

❏1 Peter 1–2

MEMORY VERSES:

2 Timothy 2:1-2,15

WEEK 51

❏1 Peter 3–4

❏1 Peter 5; 2 Peter 1

❏2 Peter 2–3

❏1 John 1–3

❏1 John 4–5

MEMORY VERSES:

1 Peter 2:11

1 John 4:10-11

WEEK 52

❏Revelation 1

❏Revelation 2–3

❏Revelation 4–5

❏Revelation 18–19

❏Revelation 20–22

MEMORY VERSES:

Revelation 3:19; 21:3-4

THE

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50

INTRODUCTION

GENESIS

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The book of Genesis is the great book of beginnings in the Bible. True to the meanings of its Hebrew and Greek names (Hb Bere’shith, In Beginning [based on 1:1]; Gk Geneseos, Of Birth [based on 2:4]), Genesis permits us to view the beginning of a multitude of realities that shape our daily existence: the creation of the universe and the planet earth; the origins of plant and animal life; and the origins of humans, marriage, families, nations, industry, artistic expression, religious ritual, prophecy, sin, law, crime, conflict, punishment, and death.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF WRITING

AUTHOR: Since pre-Christian times authorship of the Torah, the five books that include the book of Genesis, has been attributed to Moses, an enormously influential Israelite leader from the second millennium BC with an aristocratic Egyptian background. Even though Genesis is technically anonymous, both the Old and New Testaments unanimously recognize Moses as the Torah’s author (Jos 8:35; 23:6; 1Kg 2:3; 8:9; 2Kg 14:6; 23:25; 2Ch 23:18; 25:4; 30:16; 34:14; 35:12; Ezr 3:2; 6:18; Neh 8:1; 9:14; Dn 9:11,13; Mal 4:4; Mk 12:19,26; Lk 2:22; 20:28; 24:44; Jn 1:17,45; 7:19; Ac 13:39; 15:21; 28:23; Rm 10:5; 1Co 9:9; Heb 10:28).The Holy Spirit guided other ancient scribes as they made minor additions to the text. Examples include the mention of Dan (14:14), a city that was not named until the days of the judges (Jdg 18:29), and the use of a phrase that assumed the existence of Israelite kings (Gn 36:31).

BACKGROUND: The Torah (a Hebrew term for law or instruction) was seen as one unit until at least the second century BC. Sometime prior to the birth of Christ, the Torah was divided into five separate books, later referred to as the Pentateuch (lit. five vessels). Genesis, the first book of the Torah, provides both the universal history of humankind and the patriarchal history of the nation of Israel. The first section (chaps. 1–11) is a general history commonly called the primeval history, showing how all humanity descended from one couple and became sinners. The second section (chaps. 12–50) is a more specific history commonly referred to as the patriarchal history, focusing on the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants: Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons. Genesis unfolds God’s plan to bless and redeem humanity through Abraham’s descendants. The book concludes with the events that led to the Israelites being in the land of Egypt.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIBLE

Genesis lays the groundwork for everything else we read and experience in Scripture. Through Genesis we understand where we came from, how we got in the fallen state we are in, and the beginnings of God’s gracious work on our behalf. Genesis unfolds God’s original purpose for humanity.

Genesis provides the foundation from which we understand God’s covenant with Israel that was established with the giving of the law. For the Israelite community, the stories of the origins of humanity, sin, and the covenant relationship with God helped them understand why God gave them the law.

STRUCTURE

Genesis is chiefly a narrative. From a narrative standpoint, God is the only true hero of the Bible, and the book of Genesis has the distinct privilege of introducing him. God is the first subject of the first verb in the book and is mentioned more frequently than any other character in the Bible. The content of the first eleven chapters is distinct from the patriarchal stories in chapters 12–50. The primary literary device is the catchphrase these are the family records. The phrase is broader in meaning than simply genealogy and refers more to a narrative account. This was a common practice in ancient Near Eastern writings. This phrase also serves as a link between the key person in the previous narrative and the one anticipated in the next section. Genesis could be described as historical genealogy, which ties together creation and human history in one continuum.

OUTLINE

I.Creation of Heaven and Earth (1:1–2:3)

A.Creator and creation (1:1-2)

B.Six days of creation (1:3-31)

C.Seventh day—day of consecration (2:1-3)

II.The Human Family Inside and Outside the Garden (2:4–4:26)

A.The man and woman in the garden (2:4-25)

B.The man and woman expelled from the garden (3:1-24)

C.Adam and Eve’s family outside the garden (4:1-26)

III.Adam’s Family Line (5:1–6:8)

A.Introduction: Creation and blessing (5:1-2)

B.Image of God from Adam to Noah (5:3-32)

C.Conclusion: Procreation and perversion (6:1-8)

IV.Noah and His Family (6:9–9:29)

A.Righteous Noah and the corrupt world (6:9-12)

B.Coming judgment but the ark of promise (6:13–7:10)

C.Worldwide flood of judgment (7:11-24)

D.God’s remembrance and rescue of Noah (8:1-14)

E.Exiting the ark (8:15-19)

F.Worship and the word of promise (8:20-22)

G.God’s covenant with the new world (9:1-17)

H.Noah’s sons and future blessing (9:18-29)

V.The Nations and the Tower of Babylon (10:1–11:26)

A.Table of nations (10:1-32)

B.Tower of Babylon (11:1-9)

C.Family line of Abram (11:10-26)

VI.Father Abraham (11:27–25:11)

A.Abram’s beginnings (11:27-32)

B.The promissory call and Abram’s obedience (12:1-9)

C.Abram and Sarai in Egypt: Blessing begins (12:10–13:1)

D.Abram and Lot part: Promises recalled (13:2-18)

E.Abram rescues Lot: Abram’s faithfulness (14:1-24)

F.Covenant promises confirmed (15:1-21)

G.Abram’s firstborn son, Ishmael (16:1-16)

H.Covenant sign of circumcision (17:1-27)

I.Divine judgment and mercy (18:1–19:38)

J.Abraham and Sarah in Gerar: Promises preserved (20:1-18)

K.Abraham’s promised son: The birth of Isaac (21:1-21)

L.Treaty with Abimelech (21:22-34)

M.Abraham’s test (22:1-19)

N.Family line of Rebekah (22:20-24)

O.Sarah’s burial site (23:1-20)

P.A wife for Isaac (24:1-67)

Q.Abraham’s death and burial (25:1-11)

VII.Ishmael’s Family Line (25:12-18)

VIII.Isaac’s Family: Jacob and Esau (25:19–35:29)

A.Struggle at birth and birthright (25:19-34)

B.Isaac’s deception and strife with the Philistines (26:1-35)

C.Stolen blessing and flight to Paddanaram (27:1–28:9)

D.Promise of blessing at Bethel (28:10-22)

E.Laban deceives Jacob (29:1-30)

F.Birth of Jacob’s children (29:31–30:24)

G.Birth of Jacob’s herds (30:25-43)

H.Jacob deceives Laban (31:1-55)

I.Struggle for blessing at Peniel (32:1-32)

J.Restored gift and return to Shechem (33:1-20)

K.Dinah, deception, and strife with the Hivites (34:1-31)

L.Blessing and struggle at birth (35:1-29)

IX.Esau’s Family (36:1-8)

X.Esau, Father of the Edomites (36:9–37:1)

XI.Jacob’s Family: Joseph and His Brothers (37:2–50:26)

A.The early days of Joseph (37:2-36)

B.Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)

C.Joseph in Egypt (39:1-23)

D.Joseph, savior of Egypt (40:1–41:57)

E.The brothers’ journeys to Egypt (42:1–43:34)

F.Joseph tests his brothers (44:1-34)

G.Joseph reveals his identity (45:1-28)

H.Jacob’s migration to Egypt (46:1-27)

I.Joseph, savior of the family (46:28–47:12)

J.Joseph’s administration in Egypt (47:13-31)

K.Jacob’s blessings (48:1–49:28)

L.The death and burial of Jacob (49:29–50:14)

M.The final days of Joseph (50:15-26)

GENESIS TIMELINE

2200 BC

Earliest pottery in South America 2200

Construction of Ziggurat at Ur in Sumer 2100

Abraham moves from Haran to Canaan. 2091

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah 2085

God’s covenant with Abraham 2081?

Ishmael born 2080?

2000 BC

12TH DYNASTY OF EGYPT 1991–1786

Contraceptives are developed in Egypt. 2000

Chinese create first zoo, Park of Intelligence. 2000

Babylonians and Egyptians divide days into hours, minutes, and seconds. 2000

Mesopotamians learn to solve quadratic equations. 2000

Code of medical ethics, Mesopotamia 2000

Courier systems of communication are developed in both China and Egypt. 2000

1900 BC

Benjamin is born; Rachel dies. 1900

Potter’s wheel is introduced to Crete. 1900

Use of the sail in the Aegean 1900

Egyptian town of El Lahun gives evidence of town planning with streets at right angles. 1900

Mesopotamian mathematicians discover what later came to be called the Pythagorean theorem. 1900

1800 BC

JOSEPH 1915-1805

Joseph sold into Egypt 1898

Khnumhotep II, an architect of Pharaoh Amenemhet II, develops encryption. 1900

Musical theory, Mesopotamia 1800

Multiplication tables, Mesopotamia 1800

Babylonians develop catalog of stars and planets. 1800

Book of the Dead, Egypt 1800

Horses are introduced in Egypt. 1800

Wooden plows, Scandinavia 1800

Genesis 2 »

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THE CREATION

1In the beginning a God created the heavens and the earth. A,b

² Now the earth was formless and empty, c darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. d ³ Then God said, Let there be light, e and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

⁶ Then God said, Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water. f ⁷ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. g And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse sky. B Evening came and then morning: the second day.

WEEK 1

1//GENESIS 1–2

MEMORY VERSES: GENESIS 1:27; HEBREWS 11:7

A person’s worldview is defined by how they see or think about the world. The first two chapters of the Bible establish the biblical worldview all Christians should have when it comes to how they think about the natural world, human identity, and human relationships. These chapters affirm God as a sovereign, loving Creator, speaking the natural world into existence for his glory. He made humans in his image, linking our identity to his own. He also made male and female as partners who complement one another and model unity within the diversity that is found in the body of Christ.

As you read the Bible this week . . .

HIGHLIGHT the verses that speak to you.

Write out the name of the book:

Which chapter and verse numbers stand out to you?

EXPLAIN what this passage means.

To whom was it originally written? Why?

How does it fit with the verses before and after it?

What is the Holy Spirit intending to communicate through this text?

APPLY what God is saying in these verses to your life.

What does this mean today?

What is God saying to you personally?

How can you apply this message to your life?

RESPOND to what you’ve read.

In what ways does this passage call you to action?

How will you be different because of what you’ve learned?

Write out a prayer to God in response to what you read today:

⁹ Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, a and let the dry land appear." And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the water he called seas. And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. b And it was so. ¹² The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ Evening came and then morning: the third day.

¹⁴ Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs c for seasons A and for days and years. d ¹⁵ They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth." And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night — as well as the stars. e ¹⁷ God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, ¹⁸ to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. f And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

²⁰ Then God said, "Let the water swarm with B living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." ²¹ So God created the large sea-creatures C and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, g according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them: Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth. h ²³ Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

²⁴ Then God said, Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. ²⁵ So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

²⁶ Then God said, "Let us i make man D in E our image, according to our likeness. j They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, F and the creatures that crawl G on the earth." k

²⁷So God created man in his own image;

he created him in H the image of God;

he created them male and female. l

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, a and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls A on the earth." ²⁹ God also said, "Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, b ³⁰ for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth — everything having the breath of life in it — I have given B every green plant for food." c And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. d Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Genesis 2 »

1:1 GOD ETERNAL—The first verse of the Bible simply presents us with God. The rest of the Bible is an expansion on the theme of who God is, what he is like, and what he is doing. God has no beginning—he is eternal; he is without beginning and without ending. He brings about the beginning of all else through his power as Creator. The eternity of God is difficult for the human mind to understand since we are so rooted in time and are accustomed to measuring life by the passage of time. Eternity is not simply unlimited time, forever extending backwards and forwards. Eternity is another dimension of existence and belongs solely to God. Time itself is a creation of God. Time is the experience of a succession of events and experiences for a created being. God existed in the dimension of eternity when he had not created time. As eternal, God stands above time just as he stands above matter and persons whom he also has created. But he may also choose to interact with persons or things within time. In this passage, we see the beginning of all things, but not the beginning of God, for he was already living when time came into being. If God had a beginning, he too would be a creature, and we would want to worship the one who brought him into existence. We human creatures cannot explain the existence of God. His existence will always be a mystery to the human mind.

1:1-2 HOLY SPIRIT, Creation—The Spirit of God participated in the creation of the world. The Hebrew word ruach may refer to God’s Spirit, the spirit of a person, breath, or wind. Scholars are divided about whether the reference here is to the Spirit of God creating or to God’s breath blowing across the waters. The eternal Spirit of God was certainly present at the creation. The Spirit is everywhere associated with power and life, both of which are important in creation. This reference to the Spirit should not conceal the metaphor used here. God’s breath-like Spirit moved or hovered over the waters that covered the earth. God’s Spirit thus kept the chaotic forces in check. Only a few verses associate the Spirit with creation. He is more often associated with individual persons. Other references to the Spirit creating include Jb 33:4; 34:14-15; Ps 33:6; 104:30.

1:1 CREATION, Personal Creator—The world came into being through the perfect will of a free, personal, self-existing Spirit (Jn 4:24). Creation included the entire material world we experience—the earth on which we live and all the space of the heavens with the heavenly bodies. God’s creative acts are introduced by a special verb (Hb bara’) of which God is always the subject. The verb separates God’s way of creating from all human experiences and comparisons. Creation is a uniquely divine act that humans cannot perfectly imitate. The verb never has an object naming material out of which God creates. He creates from nothing. Other verbs are used to describe God’s shaping preexistent materials into new forms. Creation is God’s sovereign act motivated only by his will and done with neither help nor hindrance from any other power or being. See note on Dt 32:6.

1:1-3 EVIL AND SUFFERING, Divine Origin—God created a good world. God did not create any part of the world to be intrinsically evil but left evil as a possibility, since he wanted humans to be free to love and serve him. Such freedom required the possibility of sin and its evil consequences. As Creator, God is responsible for the world in which evil occurs. He allows evil; but being good, he does not act in an evil way. Evil is whatever or whoever disrupts the goodness of God’s world. The direct cause of evil and suffering may be human beings, Satan, or demons. These are all created beings who can cause evil and suffering. Evil and suffering were not part of the original creation but are a perversion of that created order. Evil is not an eternal power or person equal to God.

1:2 CREATION, Earth—The world was at first formless and empty. The deep (Hb tehom), the frightening chaotic waters covered in darkness, posed no threat to God as chaotic elements did to the creator gods in the myths of Israel’s neighbors. His Spirit hovered over them in complete control. The Hebrew text involves a wordplay. Spirit (Hb ruach) also means breath and wind. God’s Spirit is pictured as God blowing the wind over the troubled waters. The deep, dark elements of life that humans fear have been under God’s control since creation began.

1:2 REVELATION, Author of Creation—The Maker of life disclosed in the acts of creation his very nature. He is a God of order and purpose who moves in all the created order to direct what he makes. As Author of all that is made, he is like an inventor hovering over his creation, shaping it to conform to his designs. The beauty, order, and majesty of the created world show God is a God of order, power, and design.

1:3–2:25 GOD, Creator—This extended passage is the Bible’s primary account of God’s work as Creator of the universe. God has both the sovereign power and the purposeful intelligence to bring forth creation in an orderly, designed fashion, so that it is pleasing to him. When God created, he got what he wanted. Nothing is said in this passage about how God created the world and all of its creatures. Genesis only says that God spoke and it happened. The word of God was the effective tool or instrument of God for creating, blessing, or chastising. This passage gives us a religious truth, that God created through his word. In creating, God brought things into existence out of nothingness. He did not take previously existing matter and transform it into new kinds of material objects. He began with nothing and ended with the whole of existence brought into being out of his powerful word.

1:3–2:1 CREATION, Progressive—God moved from the general to the specific and from the lower to the higher in his creative process. He was active for six days and rested on the seventh. Many contend the day (Hb yom) should be understood as meaning an unspecified period of time rather than a twenty-four hour period. The sun and the moon, which mark the change from evening to morning, were not created until the fourth day. Day means hours of light contrasted to night’s hours of darkness (1:5). In the Hebrew Bible, day (yom) can refer to a longer, unspecified period (2:4; 35:3; Lv 14:57; 2Sm 22:1; Ps 137:7; Jr 18:17; Hs 10:14; Nah 3:17). Differences of opinion here often turn on the reference to evening and morning as well as on yom. Taking these words figuratively, the account can more easily be harmonized with theories of a vast age for the earth. Taken literally, the account would point to a much younger universe and a more rapid origin of life. In either view the creation of the universe and of life is a miraculous act of love by the sovereign God. God as an orderly, purposeful Creator is the central emphasis.

1:12,18,21,25,31 CREATION, Good—The recurring phrase it was good stands in contrast with accounts of creation from pagan cultures that picture the world as a dangerous place to be escaped. The biblical record portrays a world that can be enjoyed because of the many wonderful things God has provided for his creatures. Anything that might threaten humans stands directly under God’s control (vv. 2,21). God did not create an evil world. Human rebellion led to the introduction of hardship and pain.

1:22,28 SALVATION, Blessing—God’s salvation is his blessing. God blessed the creatures of the sea, the birds of the air, and the man and woman whom he had created. He told them to be fruitful and multiply. An added blessing to the man and woman was to fill the earth and subdue it. They were given stewardship over the rest of God’s creation. Compare 5:2. Saved persons are stewards of God’s blessings.

1:26-29 HUMANITY, Image of God—Human beings are created to be like God. Some degree of physical likeness is implied by the use of identical terms to describe likeness between Adam and his son Seth. See 5:3. The divine image is of far more significance than this, however. It clearly includes authority and responsibility insofar as the natural world is concerned. The image of God may also be revealed in the male-female relationship of love and commitment. God is revealed through the loving commitment of one human being for another.

1:26-28 REVELATION, Author of Life—The creation of human beings was God’s crowning work. He bestowed upon them the unique characteristics of God, by making them "in his own tselem" (likeness, image). Thus man and woman reflect and reveal the Creator’s characteristics. God took control of creation (from void to order and form, v. 2). Likewise he created humans to take an unfinished and untamed creation and direct and subdue it as God would.

1:26-31 STEWARDSHIP, Management—All of creation is God’s work and reflects his character. Therefore, it is good. All people are special, for he made us in his image to represent him in the world. As humans, we hold a special place of importance and service in God’s perfect plan. God placed humans in charge of his material world to manage and care for it. Under God’s authority we must fulfill his purpose in our lives. Being a manager for God is the foundation of stewardship. See note on 39:2-6. Sin, however, corrupts God’s perfect order. It distorts our likeness to God. It causes us to try to take over God’s primary ownership and authority. See note on Ps 24:1. Material possessions are neither good nor bad in themselves. Selfish misuse of possessions is sinful (Mt 25:4).

1:27 FAMILY, Personhood—The image of God is the basis for defining human personhood. We are created with the capacity for relationship with God as Creator and with each other as fellow humans. This makes family life possible. The divine image makes human beings different from all God’s other earthly creations.

1:27-28 FAMILY, Sexual Nature—In God’s creative purpose, human life is inherently gendered, since maleness and femaleness define the physical nature of humans. Sexuality is ideally expressed in the marriage of one man and one woman for the purposes of procreation and mutual support. Sexuality also refers to the various ways—right and wrong—in which sexual desires are expressed in human relationships. Numerous Bible passages celebrate the gift of sexuality as a blessing to human life. Other passages illustrate how one’s sexual nature can be expressed in perverted, exploitative, and sinful ways. Doctrinally, sex ought not to be considered evil based on God’s judgment on the wrong uses of it. Human sexual nature is God’s sacred gift and is to be used in accordance with his design and purposes for it. See note on 4:1-2.

a 1:1 Ps 90:2; 102:12; Is 40:21; Jn 1:1-3; Eph 3:21

b Neh 9:6; Is 40:12-14; 43:7; Jr 10:12-16; Am 4:13; Rm 1:25; 1Co 11:9; Col 1:16; Rv 4:11

c 1:2 Jr 4:23

d Jb 26:13; 33:4; Ps 33:6; 104:30

e 1:3 2Co 4:6

f 1:6 Is 44:24; Jr 10:12

g 1:7 Ps 148:4

a 1:9 Jb 38:8-11; Ps 33:7; 136:6; Jr 5:22; 2Pt 3:5

b 1:11 Ps 65:9-13; 104:14

c 1:14 Jr 10:2

d Ps 104:19

e 1:16 Dt 4:19; Ps 136:7-9; Is 40:26

f 1:18 Jr 31:35

g 1:21 Ps 104:25-28

h 1:22 Gn 8:17; 9:1

i 1:26 Gn 3:22; 11:7

j Gn 5:1,3; 9:6; Rm 8:29; 1Co 11:7; 15:49; 2Co 3:18; 4:4; Eph 4:24; Col 1:15; Jms 3:9

k Gn 9:2; Ps 8:6-8; Jms 3:7

l 1:27 Gn 5:2; Mt 19:4; Mk 10:6

a 1:28 Gn 9:1,7

b 1:29 Gn 9:3; Ps 104:14-15; 136:25; 145:15-16

c 1:30 Ps 147:9

d 1:31 1Tm 4:4

A 1:1 Or created the universe

B 1:8 Or heavens.

A 1:14 Or for the appointed times

B 1:20 Lit with swarms of

C 1:21 Or created sea monsters

D 1:26 Or human beings ; Hb ‘adam, also in v. 27

E 1:26 Or as

F 1:26 Syr reads sky, and over every animal of the land

G 1:26 Or scurry

H 1:27 Or man as his own image; he created him as

A 1:28 Or and all scurrying animals

B 1:30 I have given added for clarity

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2So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. e ² On the seventh C day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested D on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. f ³ God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested g from all his work of creation. E,h

MAN AND WOMAN IN THE GARDEN

⁴ These are the records i of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation. At the time F that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, ⁵ no shrub of the field j had yet grown on the land, G and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground. ⁶ But mist would come up from the earth and water all the ground. ⁷ Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground k and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, l and the man became a living being. m

⁸ The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, n and there he placed the man he had formed. ⁹ The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, o as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. p

¹⁰ A river went H out from Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became the source of four rivers. I ¹¹ The name of the first is Pishon, which flows through the entire land of Havilah, J,q where there is gold. ¹² Gold from that land is pure; K bdellium L and onyx M are also there. ¹³ The name of the second river is Gihon, which flows through the entire land of Cush. ¹⁴ The name of the third river is Tigris, a which runs east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. b

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, c ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." d ¹⁸ Then the LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding e to him. ¹⁹ The LORD God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. f And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man A no helper was found corresponding to him. ²¹ So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, g and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. ²² Then the LORD God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. h

²³ And the man said:

This one, at last, is bone of my bone

and flesh of my flesh;

this one will be called woman,

for she was taken from man. i

²⁴ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. j ²⁵ Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

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2:4 HISTORY, Linear—Biblical history is an account of the created world and its generations. Records (Hb toledoth) gives the literary and theological pattern to Genesis (5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10,27; 25:12,19; 36:1,9; 37:2). Toledoth means both an account of a people’s history and the generations of people who participate in the history. The Bible focuses on earthly activities rather than heavenly ones as did many of Israel’s neighbors. The Bible points to God’s new acts to relate to new generations of people, whereas other religions focused on repeated acts in the divine world that determined the fate of the human world. Thus creation is not a mythical fight among the gods but an earthly action by the one God to prepare a place for the human creatures with whom he wished to relate in freedom and love.

2:4-17 FAMILY, Environment—The first chapters of Genesis introduce the theme of appreciation for the physical environment. Contrary to later philosophies that taught that matter was evil, the Bible positively identifies God as the Creator of the earth and all that is within it. Human life has been given an environment conducive to growth and entrusted with responsibility for using it well. This stewardship of the land and its resources is even more essential today for families to be able to survive materially and economically. See 1:28-31.

2:7 HUMANITY, Physical Nature—People are distinguished from the rest of God’s animal kingdom in that they are in his image. See note on 1:26-29. The terms used here to describe humanity, however, are the same words used in 1:20,24 to describe other forms of animal life. Furthermore, since God formed his people from dust, any basis for human pride in creation is eliminated. What makes human dust live is God’s breath. Life comes as his gift and not as our right.

2:8-24 GOD,