Scripture Chapter 3

The text marks a difference between "natural life" and "supernatural life." The Book of Revelation states, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (21:8). If there is a "second death," there must be a "first death." Using the terminology from the textbook, what is the "first death"?

"First death" is physical/natural death.

What does it mean in Hebrew to say, "I swear a covenant"?

"I seven myself"

What is the "second death"?

"Second death" is spiritual death.

What are four negative consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve?

-painful childbirth -relationships marred by sin -work will be toil -physical death

What were some of the benefits that Adam and Eve had before they sinned?

Adam and Eve had sanctifying grace, dominion over their passions as well as Earth, perfection of mind, and freedom from death and sickness.

Having sinned against God, what did Adam and Eve do?

Adam and Eve ran and hid.

How did Adam respond when caught in his sin?

Adam blamed God for putting Eve there with him, and Eve herself.

If all of God's creation is meant to be a temple, who was the priest?

Adam was the priest.

Someone might say that if we sin sexually with our bodies, that the body is evil. Others might say that some things in the created order (like money) are evil. What does the Book of Genesis say about this way of thinking?

After God had seen what he had created, He pronounced it to be good. His creation and everything in it is good. What we do with it may be evil, which is not God's fault, but ours. We can do evil acts, but not be evil.

What gives our work dignity?

Bearing the image of God

The woman told the serpent that she and her husband may not eat of the tree in the middle of the garden or they would die. The serpent said that they would not die. Who was telling the truth, and what does this tell us about the nature of temptations in general?

Both are telling the truth- they will die spiritually instead of physically. Temptation can sometimes appear to be good and true.

Why did Cain kill Abel?

Cain killed Abel out of jealously.

What is the effect of the Sabbath rest on God's creation?

Due to the effect of the Sabbath rest on God's creation, all of creation is a place of worship.

How did Eve respond for her part in the sin?

Eve blamed the serpent.

What are some terms that describe the very nature of marriage?

Fruitful, permanent, and indissoluble

How exactly does God go about creating? What are his raw materials

God created from nothing- He speaks creation into existence by His word.

What does God create to rule life, and how is this to be accomplished

God creates man and animals to rule over land and vegetation.

We saw earlier in the chapter (Understanding Time as a Part of Creation), that God is in all places at all times. If God was present when Adam and Eve sinned, why did he ask, "Where are you?"

God is giving Adam and Eve a chance to confess to what they had done.

What do we mean when we say that God is eternal?

God oversees everything and is always present- he has always been present and will continue to be present.

What is the significance of the Sabbath rest?

God sevens Himself. This was a day of rest for God when He finished His creation. God invited us to rest- the rest represent the relationship that is established with His creation.

Is the theory, or are the theories of evolution necessarily in conflict with the Bible?

Hebrew history was not written in the same way our history is today- sacred writers use literary forms. It is to tell us the truth about our relationship with God.

Why can human beings not dissolve a marriage?

Human beings cannot dissolve a marriage because God is the one who creates marriage.

How do the Sacraments of the Church reinforce God's pronouncement that creation is good?

In the Sacraments, we use water, wine, bread, oil, etc. to convey God's grace to us. We use material things for spiritual ends.

What is it about human nature that makes us most like God?

Intelligence, free will, and the capacity to love

What is the mistake we often make in placing value on people? What is the basis of our value as persons?

Often when we value people, we do so according to what they can do for society. We believe that every person is sacred due to everybody being created in God's image.

In Genesis 3:15, we find the first hint of the coming of the Messiah. In Latin, the name of this "First Gospel" is

Protoevangelium

Explain fully God's part in the consequences of Original Sin that we received from the sin of Adam and Eve.

Regarding painful childbirth, we still continue to carry out God's wish for us to "be fruitful". When relationships will be marred by sin, God's image of love will still be present. The designed joy of work will not always be fruitful, but instead bring forth thorns and thistles- labor being carried out with difficulty, in sweat. Physical death is inevitable, as life itself will end in suffering.

In our day there is a lot of discussion about whether the Bible's account of creation can be believed as true. How would you answer this?

Science does not back up the Bible- the Word of God and teachings conveyed through the message of the Holy Spirit do.

The textbook describes God's Word with a capital "W". What does this mean? (For more enlightenment, see John 1:1-5.)

That same Word had become flesh and had dwelt among us - Jesus himself.

We have seen in Genesis 3 the true nature of sin and temptation. Commonly (and sometimes comically) we see in movies, television, and cartoons, a little devil standing on someone's left shoulder enticing them to do evil, and a little angel on the person's right shoulder trying to persuade them to do good. While this makes for lively entertainment, it has very little to do with real life. Explain how all temptation to sin is similar to the temptation suffered by Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.

The devil tempts us every day- in Genesis 3, the devil tempted Eve through lies and convincing. Our conscience helps override the temptation provided through the devil.

What does Genesis describe as the rulers of space?

The fish as well as the birds ruling the air.

What does Genesis describe as the rulers of time?

The sun, moon, and stars mask off the seasons.

What does the Hebrew term nahash tell us about the nature of the serpent who tricked Adam and Eve?

The term "nahash" implies something much deadlier or threatening than the snake.

Where is one of the areas where the theory of evolution is in conflict with our Faith, and why is it a point of conflict?

Theory of evolution believes that the universe was created from a big bang, whereas our faith believes that God created the universe in its entirety and everything in it. This is a point in conflict because there are clashing perspectives and views between the two theories.

The text tells us that God first creates forms and then fills them with inhabitants. Someone unfamiliar with Hebrew poetry might say that the creation story makes no sense because light is created three days before the sun. Understanding that Scripture uses different literary forms, how would you answer this?

This isn't anything related to science, but religious truths. God has created a world fit for us to live in, and created the inhabitants for each realm.

What are the three forms that God created in the first three days of his work?

Time, Space, and Life

Jesus says, "What you do to the least of my brethren, you do for me." How can this be literally true? Apply who you have learned about God's eternal nature. We

We can put this into literal context by interpreting it as such- what we would do for God Himself, we should do for those who are looked down upon. God is omnipresent- He is present within all of us.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (404) what exactly do we inherit from Adam and Eve?

We inherit Original Sin from Adam and Eve.

When did God create marriage?

When he created Adam and Eve, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply."

When the name "Elohim" is being used to describe God, which of his attributes did the biblical writer wish to emphasize?

When the name "Elohim" is being used to describe God, the attribute of having power as a creator is what the biblical writer wished to emphasize.

When the name "Yahweh" or "Lord" is being used to describe God, which of his attributes did the biblical writer wish to emphasize?

When the name "Yahweh" or "Lord" is being used to describe God, the attribute of covenantial love is what the biblical writer wished to emphasize.