On Genesis...

THE WORD OF GOD AND HUMAN LIFE

+ The word of man expresses his thoughts and his own self. It is tied to his human existence, but is separated from his substance. In contrast, the Word of God is viewed by most religions as being eternal and inseparable from God, that is, it is not a supplemental matter ... there was never a time when God was without His Word.

Our belief is that God's Word is the Living God; He is not like man who articulates sounds and human letters.

+ Because of His love for man and his value for human life, God spoke to us through the centuries in our own human language; His Holy Spirit filled the prophets with specific words to guide us to truth, save us from wrong, and to
record His Living Word with human culture so that It may be understood. Differences in writing style assure us of God's sanctity and of His appreciation for human culture, which He didn't scorn but used to express His Eternal
Word.

ITS PURPOSE

1 - God desires that we encounter Him in mutual love: to see Him, to hear Him, to talk with Him and to embrace Him, accepting His glory in us. His Word is not a monologue, that is, a one way conversation from God directed towards us, but a dialogue of love between God and man, and man and God. This is what the dialogue between Abram and God clearly shows us (Genesis 18:17-33).

2 - The Holy Scriptures are not just commandments, but divine promises that empower us. The Bible is not only for us to study, but to experience, to live,and to worship by It. Thus the Holy Scripture came down to us in a style that the illiterate could understand and the literate could admire. It does not cover scientific facts, yet It does not contradict them. The purpose of the Bible is to invite man into a complete life in God (2 Tim 3:16).

3 - In essence, the Bible acquaints us with the person of the Lord Christ as the Word in flesh with Whom we unite as a body with a head, and a bride with the Heavenly Groom Who carries us into the arms of the Father. Both the
New and Old Testaments concentrate on the Lord Christ who saves us from our human nature, and sanctifies and renews us with His Holy Spirit and by His Blood on the cross.

ITS ATTRIBUTES

1 - The Bible is a book unique in kind: it includes history, poetry, literature, wisdom, prophecy and messages - written by prophets, philosophers, wise men, kings, shepherds, and fishermen in different eras that span 16 centuries, and yet is homogenous in thought and purpose - capable of translation into the all world's languages without losing its vitality. It was written by over 35 people inspired by the Holy Spirit.

2 - The greatness of the Holy Bible is glorified by the fulfillment of its prophecies after thousands of years with distinct accuracy and without doubt. It is possible to find a complete description of the Lord Christ, His life, and His divine work from the Old Testament alone.

3 - Creation is described simply but in detail, not in the form of the fairy tales that, without exception, had filled the world; even modern scientific discoveries have come to agree with what is contained in the Bible.

4 - Every year archeological discoveries verify the historical events found in the Bible even those that had been doubted by some researchers.

For more on Gensis, follow this link: http://www.copticchurch.org/Texts/Spirituals/Genesisc.pdf