Welcome!
This site is the result of a class that was taught at our church on the primeval history found in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. This study has so profoundly impacted our lives and shaped our understanding of Scripture that we wanted to preserve it in a permanent form for future reference and for distribution to the body of Christ beyond our small class.
Our hope is that all who read these pages will deepen their understanding of these life-giving texts. We also pray that, through a clearer understanding of the opening pages of God’s grand narrative, readers will better grasp the gospel story that runs throughout the whole Bible: the story of Christ enthroned in His creation temple, reigning over those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, forever and ever. Amen!
Where to Start
- If you would like to learn more about who we are, start here: Who We Are
- If you would like to learn more about this project, start here: What Is Christian Middle Earth
- If you would like to jump directly into the chapter-by-chapter commentary, start here: Commentary
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Who We Are
- What Is Christian Middle-earth
- Methodology
- Hermeneutical Approach
- The Creation/Evolution Debate
- Chapter 1 - Creation: The Cosmic Temple
- Genesis 1:1 - Heptalogue
- Genesis 1:2 - The Waters of Chaos
- Genesis 1:2 - The Spirit
- Days 1-3 - Three-tier Dwelling Spaces
- Days 4-6 - Filling the Spaces with Living Creatures
- Man In God's Image
- God: The Generous Host of the New Creation Feast
- Day 7 - Temple Dedication
- Creation: As Exodus, as Salvation
- Chapter 2 - Creation: The Calling and Vocation of Humanity
- Every Temple Needs a Priest
- On Trees and Rivers
- Every Priest Needs an Ezer
- Chapter 3 - Fall, the First
- Serpent: a Snake or The Dragon?
- The Knowledge of Good and Evil
- God As Righteous Judge
- The Promise of Seed - Protoevangelium
- Clothed in Skins
- Chapter 4 -
- Cain & Abel: Make and Make Offerings
- The Way of Cain: Death
- The Family of Cain
- Chapter 5 -
- The Giving of a Name
- The Path of Life Through Death
- Chapter 6 - Fall, the Second
- Neph-arious Introduction to the Deluge
- Who Are the Sons of God?
- On Nephilim, Giborim, and Giants
- On Divine Destruction and Divine Salvation
- Righteousness and Corruption
- The Ark
- Gopher and Kopher
- The Ark as Temple
- The First Divine Speech
- Chapter 7
- The Second Divine Speech
- Chapter 8
- The Seventeenth of Abib
- God Remembers
- Parallels to Genesis 1
- Noah Patterns: Submission > Suffering > Life
- Chapter 9
- Covenant Conclusion
- The Sin of Ham
- Chapter 10
- Deuteronomy 32 Worldview
- The Table of Nations
- Chapter 11 - Fall, the Third