“Book of GENESIS”

(Midterm Notes)

Genesis- It is the first book of the Bible. Its name means “origins” or beginnings. Genesis is
the foundation of the rest of the Bible. All the other writings in scripture assume the knowledge
and truth of origins and explanations found in Genesis. If the Bible is a tree, Genesis is the
trunk. Genesis recounts the origins of earth, it contents, and of humanity.

Chapters 1-2: Creation

The story of Creation

At the beginning everything was dark, formless and the water covered the whole world. The Bible
says that in six days God made everything.

God saw that they were good and just right.

Day 1: God created light, separating it from darkness, calling them day and night.
Day 2: God created the sky to divide the waters.
Day 3: God gathered the waters, forming seas, and allowed dry land to appear, which
brought forth vegetation.
Day 4: God created the sun, moon, and stars to give light and mark the days, seasons, and
years.
Day 5: God created sea creatures and birds.
Day 6: God created land animals and humanity. Humans were created in the image of God
and given dominion over the earth. God blessed them and commanded them to be fruitful
and multiply.
Day 7: God rested, establishing the Sabbath as a day of rest. (It doesn‘t mean that God felt
tired. It just means that God stopped making new things. God is finished creating.)

 God formed Adam from the dust and breathed life into him.
 God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, instructing him to care for it and not to eat from
the.
 Eve was created from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion.
What sets apart man from other creation?

 God created man in His image.

 God made the man using His divine hands.
 God gifted the man to be rational.

Chapters 3-6: Curse (Adam, Eve and theirs sons Cain and Abel)

God created the first man Adam using the dust of the ground and then created the first woman,
Eve using the ribs from Adam. God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to care for and
nurture the land. He told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any fruit from the trees except
for the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. God warned them that if they ate from the
tree, they would die.

One day Satan came disguised as a snake and spoke to Eve, convincing her to eat the fruit from
the tree of good and evil. Eve told the serpent that God said they should not eat it and they
would die if they did, but Satan tempted Eve to eat saying that she would become like God if she
did. Eve believed the lie and took a bite of the fruit. She then gave some to Adam for him to eat.
Adam and Eve, now knowing that they had sinned, immediately felt ashamed and tried to hide
from God.
The consequences of disobedience

To the woman he said, ‗I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give
birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.‘
To Adam he said, ‗Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I
commanded you, ―You must not eat of it,‖ cursed is the ground because of you; through painful
toil you will eat of it all the days of your life‘ (Gen 3:16–17).

Eve gave birth to two sons.

Cain- He is the firstborn. He looked after the fields (Farmer). Cain was jealous of Abel as he
grows up. He felt his parent does not love him as much as Abel.

Abel- He is the second son. He looked after the sheep (Shepherd). Abel was a kind young man
who loved his parents and his elder brother.

The offer of Sacrifice

Cain- offered a dried up fruits and vegetables

Abel- offered the best and healthy newborn lamb

The brothers made sacrifices to God, but God favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Cain then
murdered Abel, whereupon God punished Cain by condemning him to a life of wandering. He
will roam the earth until he dies. God also puts a mark on his forehead and that signifies that
nobody must kill him.

Chapters 7-9: Salvation (Noah’s Ark: God saves Noah and his family)

 Wickedness of Humanity: Before the flood, humanity had become exceedingly corrupt, and
God saw that every inclination of the human heart was evil.
 Noah’s Righteousness: Amid the corruption, Noah was described as a righteous man who
walked faithfully with God. Because of his faithfulness, God decided to spare him and his
family from the coming judgment.

The Ark

 God’s Instructions: God commanded Noah to build an ark, a large vessel made of gopher
wood, to save himself, his family, and pairs of every living creature.
 Dimensions and Design: The ark was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits
high, with three decks and a door on the side.
 Gathering of Animals: Animals of every kind—birds, mammals, reptiles, and more—came to
the Ark in pairs. The story often depicts two of each species, male and female, to ensure that
they could repopulate after the flood.

The Flood

 Judgment and Salvation: God sent a flood that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, destroying
all life on earth except for those aboard the ark. The floodwaters covered the highest
mountains.
 Covenant with Noah: After the flood receded, Noah and his family left the ark. God made a
covenant with Noah, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again. As a sign of this
covenant, God placed a rainbow in the sky.
Chapters 9-11: Tower of Babel (Humans multiply and build their own temple)

After the flood Noah had many descendants. As time went by, they form groups and settled in
several different places. One such group which had wandered far finally reached with Fertile
plains or Fertile Crescent called Shinar in Babylonia. During that time they had only spoken
one language.

Nimrod together with the other descendants of Noah planned to build a great city using brick
and mortar. In the great city they will build a tower with its top, reaching up into the heavens.
They build a tower that is very tall that it can touch the sky/heaven. This means and shows that
they want to surpass the power of God. God was not happy about it so He confused their
language and they did not understand one another. The city was never completed, and the
people were dispersed over the face of the earth.
The tower is called Babel means “to confuse” because there the Lord confused the language of
the whole world.

Seven Deadly Sins/ Seven Heavenly Virtues

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a classification
of vices (part of Christian ethics) that has been used since early Christian times to educate and
instruct Christians concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin.

The Catholic Church divides sin into two categories: venial sins, in which guilt is relatively
minor, and the more severe mortal sins. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a
mortal or deadly sin is believed to destroy the life of grace and charity within a person and thus
creates the threat of eternal damnation.
"Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us – that is, charity – necessitates a new
initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the
setting of the sacrament of reconciliation.

1. Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition
of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as
Vanity.

Humility – ( Bravery,modesty,reverence,altruism ) - Modest behavior, selflessness, and the

giving of respect. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. It is a
spirit of self-examination, Reverence for those who have wisdom and those who selflessly teach
in love. Being faithful to promises, no matter how big or small they may be.

2. Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.

Kindness - ( Satisfaction,loyalty,compassion, integrity ) -

Charity, compassion and friendship for its own
sake.Empathy and trust without prejudice or resentment. Unselfish love and voluntary kindness
without bias or spite. Having positive outlooks and cheerful demeanor; to inspire kindness in
others.

3.Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Temperance – ( Mensch,justice,honour,abstention) - Restraint, temperance, justice. Constant
mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control,
abstention, moderation and deferred gratification. Prudence to judge between actions with
regard to appropriate actions at a given time. Proper moderation between self-interest, versus
public-interest, and against the rights and needs of others

4. Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

Chastity –( Purity,knowledge,honesty,wisdom) - Abstaining from sexual conduct according to

one's state in life; the practice of courtly love. Cleanliness through cultivated good health and
hygiene, and maintained by refraining from intoxicants. To be honest with oneself, one's family,
one's friends, and to all of humanity. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of
thought-through education and betterment.

5. Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also
known as Wrath.

Patience - ( Gaman,mercy,ahimsa,sufferance ) - Forbearance and endurance through

moderation. Enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.
Resolving conflicts and injustice peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. Accepting the
grace to forgive;[3] to show mercy to sinners. Creating a sense of peaceful stability and
community rather than suffering, hostility, and antagonism.

6. Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also
called Avarice or Covetousness.

Charity - ( Will,benevolence,generosity,sacrifice ) – Generosity, charity, self-sacrifice; the term

should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean
benevolent giving. In Christian theology, charity—or love (agäpé) -- is the greatest of the three
theological virtues. Love, in the sense of an unlimited loving kindness towards all others, is held
to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the
nature of God. Such love is self-sacrificial. Confusion can arise from the multiple meanings of
the English word "love".

7. Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

Diligence – ( Persistence,effort, ethics,rectitude ) - A zealous and careful nature in one's actions

and work; decisive work ethic, steadfastness in belief, fortitude, and the capability of not giving
up. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness. Upholding
one's convictions at all times, especially when no one else is watching (integrity).

(The vice "acedia" is more commonly known as "sloth".