Genesis Creation Story

The five part pattern to the creation story

1. Introducing the day 2. Expressing the command 3. Obeying the command 4. Rejoicing the result 5. Identifying the day

The three ways the second story of creation compliments the first

1. The intimacy between God and humans 2. The power God shares with humans 3. The intimacy and equality of the sexes.

Four Truths

1. There is only one God 2. God planned everything 3. God created everything good 4. God made the Sabbath holy

Three fold pattern of the week of creation

1. Three days of separation 2. Three days of population 3. One day celebration

Literalist reader

Fundamentalists; takes the bible at face value. They says it means exactly what it says. Just need to read the text to understand it.

Contextual reader

Less simplistic view. The text is not always enough. Sometimes we must consider its context, we need to know something about the times to understand what the biblical authors wrote.