Using This Study Guide
The 7 C’s Of A Firm Foundation
This study begins first with a study of Genesis 1-11. Why is that? Nearly every Biblical doctrine is based on scripture in this section. The theme of creation and restoration are consistent from Genesis to Revelation. Knowing how the Bible ties together helps to build a firm foundation for your faith. What are the 7 C’s of a firm foundation? They are:
· Creation (the original perfect work)
· Corruption (the original perfect creation altered due to sin)
· Catastrophe (the Flood)
· Confusion (spread of the populations after Babel)
· Christ (promises of the Messiah who would restore all things)
· Cross (what Christ restored to believers)
· Consummation (God’s restoration of His creation to perfection again).
The Basic Study
This study guide consists of 22 lessons:
· 16 lessons cover the details presented in Genesis 1-11 regarding Creation, the Curse, the Flood, and the dispersion of people from the Tower of Babel
· 6 lessons cover the Old Testament prophecies from God promising a Redeemer for His people, the scriptures showing how Jesus fulfills those promises, and what God plans to do to restore His creation back to its initial perfection and even better!
Process of Bible Study: Each lesson includes core questions covering the passage narrative. These core questions will take you through the process of inductive Bible study—observation, interpretation, and application. The process is more easily understood in the context of answering these questions:
· What does the passage say? (Observation: what’s actually there)
· What does it mean? (Interpretation: the author’s intended meaning)
· How does this apply to me today? (Application: making it personal) Questions identified as “Appreciation Application” and “Appreciation Assignment” lead you to introspection and application of a specific truth to your life. You will be given opportunity to use creative means to express God’s faithfulness to you in your life’s journey.
Study Enhancements
Deeper Discoveries (optional): Embedded within the sections are optional questions for research of subjects we don’t have time to cover adequately in the lessons or contain information that significantly enhance the basic study. If you are meeting with a small group, your leader may give you the opportunity to share your “discoveries.”
Study Aids: To aid in proper interpretation and application of the study, five additional study aids are located where appropriate in the lesson:
· Historical Insights
· Scriptural Insights
· Scientific Insights
· From the Hebrew/Greek (definitions of Hebrew/Greek words)
· Focus on the Meaning
· Think About It (thoughtful reflection)
Helpful Bible Study Resources
Because this study includes historical narratives set in various time periods, this is an excellent opportunity for you to learn how to use a Bible handbook, commentary, study Bible text notes or other sources to discover information about the time period in which each person lived as well as the towns, the occupations, and other cultural information that would add understanding to your study. This is totally optional. If you choose to do this research, you will enhance the discussion for everyone else as you share what you have learned at appropriate times in the small group discussion.
Two websites are recommended as quality sources for credible creation science information (www.answersingenesis.org and www.icr.org). Both are trustworthy in both their source of information and in their professional way of handling controversial subjects.
Three other websites are especially beneficial for gaining historical, archeological, and theological information—www.christiananswers.net (for archeology information), www.probe.org (lots of historical info, apologetics plus other topics of interest) and www.bible.org (lots of reference stuff).
What We See In God’s World Agrees With What We Read In God’s Word!
The very first book in the Bible, GENESIS, is an account of the origins and history of all life and the universe. It tells of the creation of different kinds of animals and plants and of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first people. This book explains the entrance of sin and death into the world, and a judgment by water when a worldwide flood destroyed the original world. We are told of the event of the “Tower of Babel” that is important in understanding cultures and nations existing today. Knowing what happened in the past can give us a basis for explaining the present. If we start with what has been revealed about the events of the past, we have the ability to come to some right conclusions about geology, culture, geography, biology, etc. If we have the revealed Word of One who knows everything, then a basis exists for having right interpretations about the facts of the present. If we ignore that, then we can never know for sure whether our interpretations are right! Science is constantly changing. But, the Word of God remains unchanged.
Please Be Assured Of This…
You can still be a Christian and believe that the earth is 4.5 billion years old and evolution was the method by which you got here. Salvation is based upon faith in Jesus Christ alone. The developers of this study guide ask that you give the Scripture a chance to give answers to your questions about origins. We’ll do our best to provide information for you. We want to help you learn how to think for yourself about this issue.
Our Approach For This Study…
It is reasonable to consider the earth and universe to have been created in 6 days in a perfect state, affected by the Curse and death after creation, then completely reshaped by a global Flood—all less than 10,000 years ago. What we see in God’s World agrees with what we read in God’s Word!
“All biblical doctrines have their foundation ultimately—directly or indirectly—in the book of Genesis. The doctrine of marriage; why we wear clothes; the reason Jesus came to die on a cross; why there’s death in the world; why man has dominion over the earth—all of these are dependent on a literal Genesis. The only reason we understand the meaning of sin is because we read about the literal rebellion of the first man when he disobeyed God. Actually, if Genesis were taken out of the Bible, you’d have to throw the rest away. It’s all dependent on the historical accounts in this first book.” (Answers in Genesis Weekly News, October 10, 2003)