1. What does the Bible teach in its doctrine of creation?
 
 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" - Genesis 1, 1.

 In its majestic simplicity, the opening verse of Holy Scripture sets forth the Bible's teaching that God - not evolution, not chance, not organic development - has brought this earth and all on it into being.

2. For what purpose did God create heaven and earth?

 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handywork." - Psalm 19, 1.

 The whole creation shows the glory of God.  By His creation, God manifested particularly
 a. His goodness (Psalm 136)
 b. His power (Psalm 115)
 c. His wisdom (Psalm 136, 5-9)

3. What order did God observe in His creation?

 The first chapter of Genesis shows that God, in creating all things, proceeded from the lower to the higher, until He finally made man as the crown of His creative work.

 This order of creation does not, however, denote an evolutionary process, for according to Scripture the world was brought into being by the creative power of God.

4. Why do we reject the theory of evolution?

 Because it contradicts the clear statements of the Old and New Testaments regarding the creation of the world.  Scripture tells us that the earth and all in it was brought into being by God's creative power.

5. Did God the Father alone create the world?

 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." - Saint John 1, 1-3.

 "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water!." - Genesis 1, 2.

 The creation of this world and everything in and on it is, by the clear statement of Holy Scripture, the work of the triune God.

6. What are the six days of creation?

 "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is." - Exodus 20, 11.

 Holy Scripture teaches distinctly that the whole universe was created in sic days of twenty-four hours each.  It is contrary to Scripture to expand them into periods of millions of years.

 The record of creation:
 
 The first day: God created "heaven and earth," material which was the source of the entire universe, as well as the water, which surrounded the earth.  On the first day God also created the elemental light.

 The second day: God created the visible vault of the sky which divided the waters above it from those below it.

 The third day: God gathered the waters under the heaven together to one place, so that the dry land appeared.  He then clothed the land with grasses and herbs and trees, all after their kind.

 The fourth day: God created the sun, moon and stars, - Genesis 1, 14-19.

 The fifth day: God created "the moving creature that hath life" in the water and the "fowl that may fly above the earth," - Genesis 1, 20-23.

 The sixth day: God created both "the beasts of the earth, as well as man, the crown of His creative work," - Genesis 1, 24-30.

7. How did God signalize the creation of man?

 In five ways:
 a. Man's creation was preceded by a consultation in which the three Persons of the Godhead took part - Genesis 1, 26.
 b. While the rest of the earth was brought into being through God's creative Word, the Almighty formed man's body out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living soul. - Genesis 2, 7.
 c. God made man and intelligent and rational being to rule in His stead over the world. - Genesis 1, 28.
 d. God made man in His own image, like unto Himself in holiness, righteousness and wisdom. - Ephesians 4, 24; Colossians 3, 10.
 e. God made a helpmeet for Adam also in the divine image and endowed her with an immortal soul. - Genesis 2, 22-24.

8. Does the Bible record of creation support present-day racial theories?

 "He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." - Acts 17, 26.
 Adam is the parent of all men.  The Bible definitely affirms the unity of the human race and condemns present-day racial theories.

9. Was this first world after the creation like our world today?
 
 It was, with one important difference: Sin had not yet entered.  "God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good." - Genesis 1, 31.

10. How, according to the statement of the Bible itself, can we understand the Scripture's teaching about creation?

 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." - Hebrews 11,3.

 According to the clear statement of the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, man must have faith in order to understand the mystery of creation.  The same chapter continues: "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe." (Hebrews 11,6.)

Test Paper - Lesson 4

1. Give the wording of Genesis 1,1, the first verse in the Bible:
".................................................................................................................................................."

2. What three traits did God show by His work of creation?
a. .....................................................................................
b. ....................................................................................
c. .....................................................................................

3. State briefly in your own words why we reject the theory of evolution:
......................................................................................................................................................

4. Cross out the false statement(s):
 a. Creation was the work of God the Father alone.
 b. Both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit also, took part, with God the Father, in the work of creation.
 c. The world was created only by the first two Persons of the Godhead.

5. According to Holy Scripture the world was created in ............................................. days.

6. Please match up the following:
................. the first day
................. the second day
................. the third day
................. the fourth day
................. the fifth day
................. the sixth day

a. The creation of the animals and man.
b. The creation of sun, moon and stars.
c. The creation of heaven and earth.
d. The creation of birds and fish.
e. The creation of the dry land with its vegetation.
f. The creation of the sky.

7. List any two ways in which God signalized the creation of man.

a. ..................................................................................................................................................
b. ..................................................................................................................................................

8. Is the following statement true or false: Present-day racial theories find their support in the Bible. ............................................................................................................................................

9. What was the one important difference between the world as God created it and the world today?
......................................................................................................................................................

10. How do we understand the Bible's teaching about creation?
......................................................................................................................................................

Make every effort to fill in the answers from memory.  If you are not sure of certain answers, you may look them up in the lesson.  Your paper will be graded according to the following standards: 10 correct: perfect; 9 correct: excellent; 8 correct: very good; 7 correct: good.