Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 26:1 (Spring 2022)
Article: Genesis 1–11 And The Worldview Of The Bible
Author: Elliott E. Johnson

JMAT 26:1 (Spring 2022) p. 85

Genesis 1–11 And The Worldview Of The Bible

Elliott E. Johnson

Key Words: Genesis, Worldview, Dispensations, Evil

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A biblical theology would naturally be the product of reading the Bible broadly, book by book. This would enable the student to recognize the progress of revelation from beginning to end. But is there any guide in the text of the Bible that would show an intended direction of the development of thought? Modern books include a title and a table of contents that summarizes the author’s intended scope and pattern of thought arrangement. Does the Bible propose any such direction?

The proposal of this paper is that Genesis 1–11, as a prologue, is intended to be a presentation of the biblical worldview. As a worldview, it introduces the condition of the world within which history unfolds. Then each historical book advances the story until it reaches a fulfillment in the revelation of Jesus Christ. The worldview of Genesis 1–11 introduces the world as a good creation with unresolved issues of evil that God permitted, as creatures had rebelled. Then the canon of Scripture reveals God’s intended resolution of mankind’s conflict with sin and evil. The direction of resolution is introduced in the worldview in two roles for the human race.

Few would disagree that Genesis 1–11 provides a prologue to the book of Genesis. The literary style distinguishes it from the style of Genesis 12–50. But in my proposal, the content provides a plan in which God addresses evil. Rather than removing evil from human responsibility, God provides a plan that not only has a determined outcome but also invites mankind to freely participate in the responsibility assigned against evil. In

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the resolution of this mystery, the glory of God is revealed. And within this plan are seven predetermined truths.

The philosophical background of covenant and dispensational theological reasoning rests ultimately on Plato or Aristotle. The theological interpretations sought a foundation for knowing on different grounds. Plato had sought a heavenly ideal to find what can be known. What Plato sought in heaven, Augustine found in the New Testament revelation. It was the ideal realization of the OT introductory revelation. So, interpretation of OT expectation was retrospective, allegorizing texts in the Old Testament based on terms of the ideal fulfillment, the covenant of grace. This covenant was not mentioned directly in the OT contex...