:thumbs::thumbs: Christ quoted the book of Genesis more than any other O.T. book. (49 times if memory serves.) Genesis is referred to or quoted in the N.T. more than any other book in the O.T.
When asked about his position on marriage, Jesus went straight to the Garden itself in order to explain God's establishment of a Universal principle. Whatever Jesus' opinion about Capital Punishment was.....it would have agreed with God's revelation in Genesis, and Genesis is clear on the topic.
Most theologians of note point out that what is revealed in Genesis 1-11 set the stage for all of life and redemptive history.
From GTY;
http://www.gty.org/resources/bible-introductions/MSB01
In this book of beginnings, God revealed Himself and a worldview to Israel which contrasted, at times sharply, with the worldview of Israel’s neighbors. The author made no attempt to defend the existence of God or to present a systematic discussion of His person and works. Rather, Israel’s God distinguished Himself clearly from the alleged gods of her neighbors. Theological foundations are revealed which include God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, man, sin, redemption, covenant, promise, Satan and angels, kingdom, revelation, Israel, judgment, and blessing.
Genesis 1–11 (primeval history) reveals the origins of the universe, i.e., the beginnings of time and space and many of the firsts in human experience, such as marriage, family, the Fall, sin, redemption, judgment, and nations. Genesis 12–50 (patriarchal history) explained to Israel how they came into existence as a family whose ancestry could be traced to Eber (hence the “Hebrews”; Gen. 10:24, 25) and even more remotely to Shem, the son of Noah (hence the “Semites”; Gen. 10:21). God’s people came to understand not only their ancestry and family history, but also the origins of their institutions, customs, languages, and different cultures, especially basic human experiences such as sin and death.
J
OURNAL OF
D
ISPENSATIONAL
T
HEOLOGY
–
April 2011
13
Sin and Death
As previously discussed, every major Christian doctrine flows from a proper
literal interpretation of the text of Genesis 1
—
11. Foundational elements of
these chapters include their focus upon sin, death, and redemption.
Furthermore, in order to fully unde
rstand the significance of this problem
—
sin
and death
—
one must not only look to the Old Testament, but the New
Testament also. The Old Testament provides the historical reference point to
the exact moment when sin entered the world, with all of its ramific
ations.
The New Testament elaborates on the theological implications of those
actions described in Genesis. The book of Romans, in particular, provides the
basis for the belief that death is the result of sin; therefore, prior to sin
entering the world no
living creature experienced death (cf. Rom 5:12).
from a biblical perspective
For this reason, a proper interpretation of the first eleven chapters of
the book of Genesis is of paramount importance to Christianity as a whole.
The chief reason for this concern is b
ecause any misunderstanding of Genesis
regarding creation, the fall of man, or the Flood, will ultimately result in the
loss of the need for a Savior
—
Jesus Christ.
