Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 22:2 (Fall 2025)
Article: Recreating Creation Narratives: The Reinterpretation Of Genesis 1 In "Jubilees" 2
Author: Cory Barnes

Recreating Creation Narratives: The Reinterpretation Of Genesis 1 In Jubilees 2

Cory Barnes

and

DeeDee Williams

Cory Barnes serves as Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Old Testament at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. DeeDee Williams serves as an adjunct instructor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Introduction

Getting Genesis right is central to living in conformity to God’s self-revelation of himself through the Scriptures. While Christians confess that all of Scripture is “God breathed,” Genesis—especially Genesis 1–3—holds a unique place in shaping our understanding of reality. Genesis offers answers to the most vital questions we may pose: Who am I? What does it mean to be human? What is the purpose of the cosmos? Who is this God who has created all things? R. R. Reno captures the vitality of Genesis to understanding the world: “Genesis tells of the origin of reality.”1

Because Genesis is the basis for the biblical portrayal of reality, misinterpreting Genesis is particularly consequential. Misinterpreting Genesis is also especially tempting. If an interpreter can convince an audience, which confesses Genesis to be God’s word, that Genesis upholds a particular worldview, then they shape the reality of that audience. It is no surprise, therefore, that the conversations about what Genesis means often follow contemporary cultural concerns. Our contemporary, Western culture is heavily influenced by a scientific culture that, for nearly two centuries, has raised questions about the relationship between the Genesis account of creation and scientific facts. We are also experiencing a seismic shift in how the surrounding culture understands gender and sexuality. Unsurprisingly, we look to Genesis to understand how God’s design in creation should inform what Christians should believe about these important cultural issues.

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To be clear, looking to Genesis for clarity on contemporary issues is a justified and necessary task.2 The challenge is understanding what Genesis is saying rather than just what a given community wishes it to say. To protect against misinterpreting Genesis through a skewed cultural lens, contemporary readers can look to the past. The author or authors of the pseudepigraphical Book of Jubilees reinterprets the Genesis 1–Exodus 19 in a way that focuses on contemporary concerns. Understanding their hermeneutical approach offers insight into how cultural concerns ...