Apostle’s Creed: 1st Article-Maker

Chain the Catechism: A topical study through the Lutheran confessions

Gen 1:1 In the beginning… Heb 11:3 By faith we…Ps 33:6 By the word…For He spoke…Col 1:16 By Him all…

Memorization Verses:

1 2

3 4

5 6

Creation Crossword & 6 Days:

Creation Crossword & 6 Days:

Pray favorite Psalms verses or say:

Divine Maker, I love that you made…because…

LSB 384 1. Of the Father's love begottenEre the worlds began to be,He is Alpha and Omega,He the Source, the Ending He,Of the things that are, that have been,And that future years shall seeEvermore and evermore.2. Oh, that birth forever blessedWhen the Virgin, full of grace,By the Holy Ghost conceiving,Bare the Savior of our race,And the Babe, the world's Redeemer,First revealed His sacred faceEvermore and evermore.3. O ye heights of heaven, adore Him;Angel hosts, His praises sing;Powers, dominions, bow before HimAnd extol our God and King.Let no tongue on earth be silent,

Every voice in concert ringEvermore and evermore.4. This is He whom Heaven-taught

singersSang of old with one accord;Whom the Scriptures of the prophetsPromised in their faithful word.Now He shines, the Long-expected;Let creation praise its LordEvermore and evermore.5. Christ, to Thee, with God the

Father,And, O Holy Ghost, to TheeHymn and chant and high

thanksgivingAnd unending praises be,Honor, glory, and dominion,And eternal victoryEvermore and evermore.

Discussion

“I do not want to worship a god who makes us sick, and orders us to be well, you can burden yourself with this, I say, “no thank you.”

Hitchens, Christopher. "New Statesman." 2011. Christopher Hitchens v Tony Blair: the full transcript. 13 January 2011 <http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/11/christopher-hitchens-tony-blair>.

"Almost half of adults in the east of England believe the theory of evolution makes God obsolete, and more than 80% disagree with creationism and intelligent design,"

Sample, Ian. “AtheistTimes.com." 2011. 13 January 2011 <http://www.atheisttimes.com/post/2009/03/02/Four-Out-of-Five-Britons-Repudiate-Creationism.aspx>.

“Man was also in the beginning with God. intellegence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” (93:29)

Smith, Joseph. "Doctrine and Covenants 93." 2011. 13 January 2011 <http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93.29?lang=eng#28>.

God, our Maker: Discussion

“The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon the Virgin nor had the power of the Most High overshadowed her, so that within her spotless womb Wisdom might build itself a house and the Word become flesh. The divine nature and the nature of a servant were to be united in one person so that the Creator of time might be born in time, and he through whom all things were made might be brought forth in their midst.”

St. Leo the Great Ep. 31, 2-3: PL 54, 791-793

“The power of God is present at all places, even in the tiniest tree leaf. Do you think God is sleeping on a pillow in heaven? God is wholly present in all creation, in every corner, behind you and before you…God's entire divine nature is wholly and entirely in all creatures, more deeply, more inwardly, more present than the creature is to itself.”

Luther, Martin. LW 37:57, 60

God, our Maker: Discussion

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, his leave shall not wither, and everything he does will prosper. (Ps. 1)

Then Yahweh formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Gen. 2:7)

Yahweh is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.... Yahweh is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. (Ps. 145)

h#(m (Ma’eseh): doing all that is noble and sensible. The highest pleasure. Achievement

Rcy (Yatsar): To Fashion or construct for lesser objects rp( (aphar): ashes, mortar, earth Xpn (Naphar): To breath hm#n xYye (Nashamah Chayim): Breath of Life. Spirit bw+ (Towb): Ethical, in right standing, of the highest nature

God, our Maker: Exegesis

"Interlinear Study Bible on StudyLight.org." 2011. 13 January 2011 <http://www.studylight.org/isb/bible.cgi?query=ge+2:7&translation=kjv&ot=bhs&nt=na&sr=1>.Fronszak, Michael. "Genesis." 2011. Bible Study Resource Center. 13 January 2011 <http://biblestudyresourcecenter.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Genesis_Chap_02.196155316.pdf>.

In modernity, the question of literalism regarding creation has been significant. The two schools of thought are: 6 Day Creationism:

Focusing on the literal use of Yom in connection to other passages as representing a sunrise and sunset.

Seeks to interpret astronomical forces in light of the 6 day creation. Tends to undermine the appearance of age.

Old Earth Creationism: Focuses on a figurative use of Yom in connection to other

passages representing a epoch or modality (i.e. “the day of the Lord”)

Both schools seek to highlight God as the maker of all things observable through science.

The pursuit of science as a constant presupposing God’s intelligence allowed for the type of innovation we see in monotheistic religions (not in spite of them).

God, our Maker: Days or Eons?

If God is the maker of all things: for whence sin?1. God brings all matter into existence2. God breathes life into the animals3. God gives the breath of life (soul) along with the Human

body4. Man is given dominion and the realization of dependent

will5. Man lives in control of his desires within creation.6. Man CREATES sin as part of the act of rebellion.7. God brings forgiveness in Christ to all men, and

subjectively to His elect.

God, our Maker: Creation of Sin

In Gen. 1, God is referred to as Yahweh Connects the Sinaitic covenant with creation itself An important connection between creation and Israel that

pervades the OTGod is everywhere, but specifically local

The “locatedness of his gifts” reveals the teleology of creation (everything is built BECAUSE of His redemption)

Man celebrates a divine and unique connection to Yahweh through the “breath of life” Organic compounds are connected through God’s autograph,

animals are given breath, Men are given the life of God.God is “above all gods” by his pervasive providence

Shows his sovereignty over creation, especially the Exodus and the Prophets

God creates forgiveness through Christ connected to sacrifice.

God, our Maker: OT Context

Christ is the Logos that brought all things into existenceWhen God spoke, He projected the Image of ChristChrist is the creative and active will of the Father

Christ is the Light that shines forth creatively and re-creativelyWe are given garments of Righteousness sewn in Christ’s

bloodWe are renewed as brothers of Christ

Emphasis on the Holy Spirit in creation and sustenanceWe are born again by the Spirit of God in the name of the

Trinity.We are preserved in the faith by grace, action, and

teaching; becoming attributes of our new creation.

God, our Maker: NT Context

God, our Maker: Sovereignty/ New Creation

God has dominion over us because he:Molded us out of dust, and brings us back to itKnows the hairs on our head, because he created usKnows our actions, and brings forth good.Gave of Himself in the creative process of the first

soul.

The New Creation is: Satisfied Comforted/Living Under Righteous countenance Laboring Diligently Infinite

The Old Creation is: Longing Hurting/Dying Under judgement Rebelling Finite

Why is God, the Father Almighty called “Maker of heaven and earth”?

What is meant by “heaven and earth”?SS: Maker: CreationM: In six days He created all thingsT : He made everything out of nothingW: He made everything by His WordTh: All things visible and invisible

1st Article of the Apostle’s Creed:Maker

Maker: Creation: I believe that God has made me and all creatures.

Gen 1-2The Creation of the World1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day…The Seventh Day, God Rests2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on

the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.The Creation of Man and Woman4 These are the generationsof the heavens and the earth when they were created,in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens…

SS: Maker: Creation

Sing it! Psalm 9595:1 Oh come, let us sing to

the LORD;let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!3 For the LORD is a great God,and a great King above all gods.4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;the heights of the mountains are his also.5 The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!7 For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture,and the sheep of his hand.

SS : Creation

In six days He created all things

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Ex 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

M

He made everything out of nothing

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over the voidand hangs the earth on nothing.

T

He made everything by His Word

Psalm 33:6, 9 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth….For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.

Jn 1 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was

not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. …

W

All things visible and invisible

Col 1:16 By Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Ne 9:6 “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Th

ConclusionGod, the Father Almighty is called “Maker of heaven and earth” because in six days He created all things (visible and invisible), out of nothing, simply by His word. Prayer: We beseech You, the Father of the only-begotten Lord of the universe, the artificer of the creatures, the maker of things that have been made. Clean hands we stretch out, and our thoughts we unfold to You, O Lord. We pray, have compassion, spare, benefit, improve, multiply us in virtue and faith and

knowledge. Amen. (Serapion of Thumuis, d. after 360)

1st Article: Angels

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