BUCKHANNON, WV — December 5, 2025
When discussing creation, human identity, or early biblical history, many ideas come from tradition or cultural influence. But the earliest available first-hand written material describing the origin of the world is found in THE BOOK OF GENESIS. Using only the text itself, and the historical world in which it was written, the narrative presents a structured account of creation and the formation of the first humans.

The opening statement, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” introduces a worldview where all things begin with a single Creator. In surrounding ancient cultures, creation stories often involved conflict between multiple gods or accidental origins. The wording in GENESIS 1 presents creation as deliberate, ordered, and brought into existence through divine command rather than struggle. Each act of creation follows a pattern: God speaks, creation responds, and the text states that what was made is good. The Hebrew verb used for “created,” bara, appears in the early chapters only for the creative actions of God, indicating that the text attributes the origin of the world solely to the activity of the Creator.

The account describes the forming of light, sky, land, vegetation, and living creatures in an ordered sequence. When the narrative reaches humanity, it states that men and women are made in the “image” and “likeness” of God. In the wider ancient Near Eastern world, only kings were often described as carrying the “image” of a deity. GENESIS 1 presents all humans as bearing that status, giving every person inherent dignity and responsibility. The text portrays humanity as appointed to rule over the created world and care for it, supplying purpose rather than randomness.

A second, more focused description of humanity appears in GENESIS 2, explaining the forming of the man from the ground and the imparting of life through divine breath. The narrative presents the garden as a cultivated space where the human is placed to work and keep what has been made. It also records the forming of the woman and the establishment of marriage as a partnership of mutual belonging. Nothing in the text portrays humanity as an afterthought or accident; the structure emphasizes intentional placement, work, and relationship.

The account of the first disobedience follows in GENESIS 3, where a serpent challenges the instructions given earlier. The narrative records the human choice to disregard God’s command, resulting in consequences affecting work, childbirth, relationships, and the land itself. Although judgment is present, the text also includes the earliest promise of eventual reversal when it speaks of the “seed” of the woman who would strike the serpent. This becomes a central expectation that the rest of Scripture builds upon.

Throughout these chapters, the internal structure and wording present clear contrasts with surrounding ancient ideas. In cultures such as Egypt and Mesopotamia, heavenly bodies were treated as gods; GENESIS 1 identifies them only as created lights. Other cultures described humans as laborers created to meet the needs of divine beings; the Genesis narrative assigns humanity the role of stewards and representatives. Where many ancient accounts lacked moral grounding, the Genesis text consistently portrays creation as good, ordered, and accountable to the Creator who made it.

Taken as a whole, GENESIS 1–3 lays the foundation for the remainder of the biblical record: a sovereign Creator, a purposeful creation, humanity made with dignity and responsibility, the entrance of disobedience, and the earliest announcement of redemption. These chapters form the starting point for the themes that develop throughout the rest of THE BIBLE.

At the Appalachian Post, all Faith & Life analysis follows a strict Sola Scriptura method grounded in the earliest manuscript evidence, the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages, and the historical context in which each passage was written. We allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, avoid denominational bias, and base every conclusion solely on what the biblical text itself says as preserved in sources such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint Greek, and early New Testament manuscripts. Our aim is to present God’s Word faithfully, using original-language grammar, historical background, and manuscript accuracy, without personal opinion or modern cultural interpretation, so readers encounter Scripture as it was given, preserved, and understood by the earliest believers.

Sources

Primary First-Hand Sources (Bolded in Text)

• THE BOOK OF GENESIS (Hebrew text)
• THE BIBLE (as the full canonical reference for interpretation)

Secondary Attribution-Based Sources

• Standard academic descriptions of ancient Near Eastern cultures
• Historical information regarding Mesopotamian and Egyptian creation literature
• General background on ancient kingship and image-language concepts