Pentecost (1) Genesis 1:1-3
When God began to create the heavens and the earth— the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind/Spirit swept over the waters— God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared. These first verses of the Bible tell us all we really need to know. Or better, they point to the person, power, and process God uses to accomplish his purposes. And the Spirit is right at the very center of it! Christians rightly read these verses in a Trinitarian way: God, Spirit, and Word (“Let there be light,” v.3). And in them we hear the lexicon of salvation. God creates with intention and purpose. The verb “create” (“bara”) is used only of God in the Bible. Humans do, make, produce, fashion, and the like, but only God creates. Only God can bring something out on nothing, order out of chaos. ...