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The New Testament is built on the foundation of truth established in the Old Testament. Some versions
of the Bible make special note when the Old Testament is quoted directly. When you realize how much
of it is there, the Old Testament is illuminated by the revelation of Jesus in the New.
The God of the Old Testament is the same just and merciful God that Jesus needed to reintroduce to the
Jews. The Law of the Old Testament is the same in the New Testament with a new view of the
Sabbath. And the Messiah of the Old Testament appears among men, and we find His Name is Jesus.
The people and events of the Old Testament are remembered, and used to teach us important lessons.
We can usually determine the lesson by the life experience of the patriarchs, but the New Testament
spells things out plainly that we may have otherwise missed.
And it repeats and expounds upon the history we received. It's easy to find people like David, and
Abraham, and even Adam. All of these are brought to out attention for a reason. And when they are
mentioned, the testimony of those who are writing are added to the written record which we received as
the inspired Word of God.
CREATION OF MAN
MAT 19:3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, Is it lawful for a man to divorce
his wife for any reason at all? 4 And He answered and said, Have you not read that He who created
them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, FOR THIS REASON A
MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO
SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has
joined together, let no man separate.
This was perfect teaching. But it was as strange to those who heard it as it would be if it were to
became the law in our day. Look at how it was received by the disciples themselves:
10 The disciples said to Him, If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to
marry.
They immediately understood this to be quite different from the world they lived in. But where did
Jesus get this revolutionary teaching? Was it delivered to His brain solely by the power of the Holy
Spirit, to be announced by Jesus alone?
No, He began by asking, Have you not read... because He was teaching from God's Word. This was
something they had heard many times, but they were acting as if they had not. Then he quotes from
Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 as the basis of His reasoning. If you want to know how men and women
should be in marriage, go back and look where marriage came from.
This was a real event in the real world, recorded to teach us how to live. This was the basis of Jesus'
teaching. The New Testament tells us this is why these things were remembered in writing, but Jesus
knew that all along. This is key to understanding what Jesus was teaching.

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If Genesis was merely composed of ancient myths, then Jesus' teaching was not rooted in the real
world, and was merely one man's thinking, and can be discarded as easily as the myth itself. However,
if Jesus' thinking was based on mankind's encounters with the Living God, we do well to pay attention
because we live in the same world.
If we believe scripture is a real record written by honest men inspired by the Spirit of God, then it is
more important than most things in our lives. If scripture is a just another collection of fables, then it's
just another source of amusement for our spare time.
Jesus clearly thought Genesis was important enough to quote word for word, and Jesus clearly believed
that we should live according to what we learn there. If we want to follow Jesus, and if we want to be
like Jesus, then we need to think and to do like Jesus did.
Jesus is witness to these things is most important, but we have other inspired sources to draw from.
The apostle Paul tells us:
1TIM 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived,
but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
Paul also goes back to the Genesis account, and he regards it as a reason for gender-based behaviors.
God created gender, and scripture gives us gender-based roles to play. Men are to act like men, and
women are to act like women.
It is unfair to add anything beyond what is said, but Paul reserved teaching as an activity for men. And
he provides the basis for this instruction based on two observable facts from Genesis: the man was
created first, then the woman was created as a suitable partner; and it was the woman who fell into
transgression because she was deceived.
Paul refers to Genesis again in 1 COR:
1COR 11:9 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but
the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for
indeed man was not created for the womans sake, but woman for the mans sake.
Paul is teaching this as real history, from which we do well to pay attention. Given what we know
about human experience, we can deduce proper behavior. Paul gives us every indication that Genesis is
to be taken seriously, and is nothing like the old wives tales that others teach.
The apostle Peter also uses the historical facts laid out in Genesis as the basis for reasoning:
1Pe 4:19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a
faithful Creator in doing what is right.

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His subject is those who suffer for doing what is right. He appeals to the fact that we were created by
the specific act of their Creator God, and their Creator approves of their actions. And our Creator is
faithful, and will reward them as surely as He created them. Our faithful Creator can raise us from the
dead as surely as God created Adam by the expression of His Divine power.
NEW CREATION
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them.
In Adam, all men are the workmanship of God. But Paul has moved on to the new creation. We are
now a work of God that was created in Jesus. We were born with strong similarities to Adam, but in
association with Jesus, we are re-created with strong similarities with Jesus.
Eph 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth.
This is the familiar new self, which we wear like a new set of clothes, but Paul tells it has been created
in the likeness of God, which is how Adam was created, and is exactly what Jesus what Jesus has
become. Our new self was created in the likeness of God.
Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and
for Him.
This verse is a challenge for those who think creation is an allegory or myth limited to the opening
chapters of Genesis. Everything in the heavens was created by God. The common theme of the
scriptures from beginning to end is that our God created everything we see, even down to the petty
rulers of men. The lesson is that God has absolute power over everything, and everything will be
brought in accordance with His will.
If you were to unplug this simple fact, we would have no reason for our hope, and ALL religion would
be in vain. But in fact, the fact of God's creative power is repeated again and again so that believers
will never forget.
Col 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the
image of the One who created him
Even though we put on Christ at baptism, our new self needs to be continually renewed. There is more
than one way to be renewed, but here Paul points to a true knowledge. This is the knowledge and
wisdom of God commonly known as The Gospel which has the power to change lives. True
knowledge of Christ compels us to become new people.
The universal truth of false gospels is that they are without power. It's like feasting on Styrofoam or
filling your belly with cardboard. It does nothing to meet people's needs and it prevents them from
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getting fed. The gospel of the scriptures is true bread, and every substitute are worthless.
Rom 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is arguing that nothing can keep us from the love of God. But in particular, he mentions every
created thing. It stands to reason that the creator God would not create obstacles in His own path. The
God who created all things has not created anything to stop us from knowing His love.
THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS
Mar 13:19 For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning
of the creation which God created until now, and never will.
This is Jesus speaking about the last days. He know uses the creation as a specific time from which we
can measure the experience of mankind. And the tribulation He warns is coming has never occurred
before within the totality of human experience.
Eph 3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the
unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which
for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
Here Paul acknowledges that previous ages did not know what God has revealed to us, namely Christ
Jesus. And again he acknowledges that all this comes from the Creator God responsible for providing
all that we see. It is our Creator who provided the gospel preached across the globe. And that is why it
is important.
This is the same God who is praised in Revelation 4:
Rev 4:11 Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You
created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.
Praising and glorifying God includes remembering and acknowledging His wonderful works. This is
how He is magnified in the praises of angels.
Rev 10:5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to
heaven,6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS
IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that
there will be delay no longer,
When a divine angel swears by Him who lives forever, it's time we pay attention. And when this is the
God who created the heavens and the Earth, we recognize the Creator God of Genesis. This is the God
we worship. This is the God Jesus worships. This is the same Creator God at the end who was there
from the beginning.

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THE JUDGMENT OF MANKIND
Rom 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather
than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
This is the ultimate judgment on mankind. The race of Adam was created by God to tend and care for
his creation, but his descendants refused to give God the honor He deserved. And their false Gods were
merely a pretext for serving themselves.
HEB 12:26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, YET ONCE MORE
I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN. 27 This expression, Yet once
more, denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those
things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Here the contrast is between those things which are passing and those things which are eternal. God
will shake the Earth and the heavens that the eternal things may be revealed. Creation here is
recognized as something temporary, something changing, and something which can be moved or
removed according to Gods will.
Rev 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the
sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be
blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.
When all is said and done, we are reminded God is the Creator when everything and everyone gives
praise to God the Father and to Jesus, His Son. Even though the Revelation is separated from the
creation by historical ages of time, God is still honored as the God who created us all.
So what can we say about these references?

The New Testament is built on the foundation of truth established in the Old Testament.
Many people whose lives are recorded in the Old Testament are key figures in the teaching of
the New Testament, from the first man Adam to the prophet Malachi.
Jesus, Paul, and Peter based lessons for living on the history of creation as recorded in Genesis.
We are intended to learn from man's experience with the Living God throughout the Bible.
The actions of God in this world will result in a New Creation that we understand through
parallels to the creation narrative in Genesis.
And, even after events yet unknown in all human history, our God will be praised for the
creation of all things, including us.

What does this mean to Jesus?

Jesus did not have the New Testament to guide him. The scriptures from which Jesus taught were all
contained in the Old Testament. No wonder so much of the New Testament is quoted from the Old! To
the Jewish hearers, this part was the Word of God.
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Jesus specifically used Old Testament people in His teaching. He taught from the lives of real people
like Adam, Abraham, Jonah, Abel, and Zechariah. Paul was working from the same book, and he
taught us from the lives of even more people.
Jesus never gave us any reason to doubt what was written. In fact, He presented the Biblical account as
fact, and knew how we should be as a result. These were His most powerful teachings! If Jesus
regarded the Genesis account as fact, we need to approach it the same way. The same way Paul, Peter,
and John regarded the Old Testament creation as fact, not fiction.
We can learn what we are supposed to teach from what they taught. We can learn to think like they did
by learning from their testimony. That is what Jesus had in mind for them, and that is what Jesus has in
mind for us. For each of us to understand.
The details of the creation are each recorded for a reason. And many of them map to the creative work
of God today. The New Creation began when Jesus came into the world. It begins with Him as the
light of the world, it spreads to people everywhere including us, and finally encompasses the whole
Earth. Our Creator God is creating something new in the Earth.
Jesus knew that God created man out of the dust by a specific and deliberate action. And Jesus knew
better than we do that God can raise people from the dead. He had seen it with His own eyes with the
resurrection of Lazarus. That means that even if Jesus returned to the dust from which Adam was
made, our God was completely capable of raising Him to His feet again. There was never any question
about God creating a man out of dust.
And that is our hope: that God will raise His chosen ones even from the dust of the Earth, and stand
them on their feet again.

And, even after events yet unknown in all human history, our God will be praised for His
creation of all things, including us.

What does this mean to us?

The world claims to know more than God has revealed.

...Genesis is directly contradicted by science, which has amassed a huge body of evidence in
favour of ...an evolutionary origin of the species.

In other words, we know science is true, so we have good reason to abandon the creation account in
scripture. Evolution proposes that random processes improved upon the animal kingdom until it
produced the race of me.
There are many problems with this, without asking for physical evidence for the evolution of species.
But the big problem is when we begin with the idea that scripture is wrong, so let's go study something
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else. In their own words, Genesis is directly contradicted by science. You be the judge!
What else do they teach?

The genomic and fossil evidence... flatly refutes the belief that every human alive descends
exclusively from two people.
human descent from Adam is... untenable, and should be abandoned.

Having removed Genesis from consideration, they dispute all New Testament teaching that builds on
the earlier accounts of creation. Yet, it is simple to prove that Jesus, Paul, and the apostles all regarded
sacred history as our basis of understanding God, and as our basis for defining right behavior.
When we were baptized, we confessed that we were changed from death which reigned from Adam
until now to life with Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul named Adam at least a dozen times. Could the
New Testament wrong about this? Of course not!
Scripture is woven together into an integrated whole, and every book draws from the others and
supports everything else that is written. Once we start picking and choosing which parts we like, the
entire book collapses into myths and stories. The New Testament is built on the foundation of truth
established in the Old Testament.

The people whose lives are recorded in the Old Testament are key figures in the teaching of the
New Testament, starting with Adam. The only issue is whether we accept the authority of the
scriptures, or whether we pursue something else.

Jesus, Paul, and Peter based lessons for living on the history of creation as recorded in Genesis.
If we were to abandon the Bible account of creation, we would have to unravel all the New
Testament passages that teach us lessons from creation.

We are intended to learn from man's experience with the Living God throughout the Bible.
From the opening chapters of the scriptures, we are seeing how the lessons learned played out
in the lives of men who should have known better. This goes all the way back to Cain, who
should have known about proper sacrifice. The Law of Moses is a commentary on the history
that came before. The Kings succeeded or failed by whether they followed the Law. Jesus
expanded on the Law of Moses, and the apostles elaborated on Jesus' teachings.

The actions of God in this world will result in a New Creation that we understand through
parallels to the creation narrative in Genesis. Everything God is doing started in Genesis, and
Genesis points to everything God is doing. And we want to be a part of this new creation, and
teach others to prepare for it!

And, even after events yet unknown, our God will be praised for the creation of all things,
including us. God created man in His own image according to the scriptures, and God provided
a man, Jesus the Christ, so that His creation might be redeemed.
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