2. God Created Human Beings in His Own Image
Genesis 1:26 - 2:25
Introduction
The most important questions we can ask ourselves are:
• Who am I? (Where did human life come from?)
• Why am I here? (What is our purpose in this world?)
• Where am I going? (What is our future?)
The scientific study of all human life (anthropology) fails to answer the above questions. But Christians believe that human life can be truly understood only in the light of God and his purpose for humankind. The Bible states that human life was deliberately created by God.
Read Genesis 1:26 - 2:25
Observation Questions
1. 1:24-26 At what stage in creation did God create human life?
2. 1:26 In what way was the creation of human life similar to the creation of the animals?
3. 1:26 What was God’s purpose for humankind?
4. 1:27 In what way was the creation of human life different from all other life?
5. 1:28 What special commands did God give to human beings?
6. 1:29 What did God provide for them
7. 1:31-2:3 When was the work of creation finished? What did God do on the next day?
Note: In chapter 1 the creation of human life was the climax of God’s creation of the universe.
Chapter 2 now looks at humankind in greater detail and at their lives as individuals.
8. 2:4-6 What was the condition of the earth as described here?
9. 2:7 How did God create the man? What does this add to the statement of 1:27?
10. 2:8-14 What are we told about the garden which God prepared for the man?
11. 2:15-17 What responsibility, freedom and limitation did God give to the man?
12. 2:18-20 Why did God decide to create a helper for Adam? (Hebrew: Adam = ‘man’)
13. 2:21-23 How did God create the woman? What was the man’s response to her?
14. 2:24-25 What do these verses teach about marriage?
Discussion and Application Questions
1. What do you understand by the statement that God created human beings in his own image? (1:27)
• What difference should this belief make to the way we treat other people?
• How do you think this belief would affect a person’s attitude to modern issues of life and death?
2. What kind of relationship do you think God intended the man and the woman to have? (1:27 & 2:18-25)
• Do you think this account suggests that the two sexes are not equal?
3. What evidence can you find that God intended human beings to develop socially, culturally and scientifically?
4. How does this study help you to understand what God intended your relationship should be:
• to himself?
• to the natural world?
• to other people?
5. Would you agree that if it is true that we are made in the image of God, then we can only achieve our full potential (fully develop our gifts and abilities in the best way) by being in a close relationship with God?
A free resource from Friends International www.friendsinternational.org.uk
