THE PRINCIPLE OF the FIRST MENTION; I know you’ll love it. Part 1

THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST MENTION; I know you’ll love it.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.

We all know God, I bet you do. At least you know that there is a God somewhere, who diverse cultures, traditions, locations seem to recognize as supreme; that we know.

But who really is this God mentioned here in Genesis 1:1?

If you are curious like me and would like to know, then join me in the next few paragraphs.

A second glance at this scripture shows me it is not talking about one who demands that I pray 5 times daily, nor one who expects that I be clothed in self righteous piety with a dash of condemnation of those contrary to my self-fabricated doctrines. I can go on all day but it’s not going to do you and I any good at all and we will be wasting our precious non-redeemable time over a non-profit jingoism.

My brief theological lessons during my academic study of the scriptures identifies several ways and principles guiding the interpretation of scriptures. Paramount to all is the principle of first mention. Which states that to understand a particular word or doctrine, we must find the first place in Scripture that word or doctrine is revealed and study that passage. The reasoning is that the Bible’s first mention of a concept is the simplest and clearest presentation; doctrines are then more fully developed on that foundation. So, to fully understand an important and complex theological concept, Bible students are advised to start with its “first mention.”

So, this is the first mention of God in the Bible, then we should expect to find the answer to my initial question: who really is this God?

I will like you to note with me that He isn’t mentioned here as a supreme being who demands that we worship Him, nor is He mentioned here as the King of Kings and Lord of hosts, but He is mentioned here simply as a creator. In the beginning God created…He is seen in the first mention as a creator.

In the beginning you and I would have waited till we settle in, while our politicians would have waited till after the elections are over, but not this God. He kicked in right away. He immediately created solutions and answers. Going through the entire Genesis 1, I see God creating solutions in place till He got to v26, paused and said “let us make fellow creators, with the same ability to imagine and it will be so”

Who are these?

To be continued in the next part.