"Bereshit..."

[Nickkname]

Faith and science cannot contradict one another. We know by faith God created the universe. We know by science the universe took billions of years to come into being. So God did not create the universe in one hundred sixty-eight hours or four thousand years ago.

Moreover, a “day” in Genesis means a very long time, for “a day is as a thousand years to the Lord,” and a thousand years is symbolic of a very long time, as we learn in Revelation. Now, what this mean? It means that, yes, in the bliblcal sense of the word “day”, God did create the universe in seven days.

But God did not do this or do that on seperate days. The days merely show the order of the work of creation - man being the climax of creation, with body, soul, and the gift of immortality. The sequence of the days shows the sacredness of the Sabbath.

I hope this makes sense. If not, I’ll be happy to explain more.

 

[Seamus_Sully]

Moreover, a “day” in Genesis means a very long time, for “a day is as a thousand years to the Lord,”

In my opinion: Light is called day in that first chapter.

Also, we are children of the Light.

The kind of light about which Genesis is talking is the light from God’s glory.

I am a student and not a scholar, but the texts seem to say what I said above.

Also, the Beginning is the Second Person of the Trinity Who became Incarnate.

 

[Nickkname]

In my opinion: Light is called day in that first chapter.

Also, we are children of the Light.

The kind of light about which Genesis is talking is the light from God’s glory.

I am a student and not a scholar, but the texts seem to say what I said above.

Also, the Beginning is the Second Person of the Trinity Who became Incarnate.

The day is not the glory of God. Nor is the light which God created the glory of God. For God cannot be created or made - he is eternal. Nor dose the text speak about the Father begetting the Son, for the Son is eternally begotten - there has never been a time when he was not begotten of the Father.

“In the Beginning” means three things: The universe is not eternal but had a beginning, the beginning of the universe is the work of God, who created all things, and the Father created all things in the Son, his Word.

 

[Seamus_Sully]

I am sorry that I am not clear when I make my statements.

Genesis 1: 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Revelation 21: 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible at times uses symbols. The symbols are not the literal meaning. One must then see what the literal meaning of the symbol is.

In Genesis and Revelation they often explain the symbolic meaning of the word or passage.

Here God calls this light DAY.

This light and day are not from the sun.

Jesus clearly says we are children of the Day.

Concerning the glory of God did lighten it, I believe this verse is closely connect to the light of Genesis one.

Furthermore, I did not say that the Father Begot the Son. I was saying or trying to say: The Second Person of the Trinity was the Creator with God the Father and the Holy Spirit (the Wind over the water). As far as I know, this is a traditional understanding.

I hope to be clearly in the future.

 

[Seamus_Sully]

John 9; 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 3; 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 17; 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

 

[Nickkname]

I am sorry that I am not clear when I make my statements.

Genesis 1: 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Revelation 21: 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible at times uses symbols. The symbols are not the literal meaning. One must then see what the literal meaning of the symbol is.

In Genesis and Revelation they often explain the symbolic meaning of the word or passage.

Here God calls this light DAY.

This light and day are not from the sun.

Jesus clearly says we are children of the Day.

Concerning the glory of God did lighten it, I believe this verse is closely connect to the light of Genesis one.

Furthermore, I did not say that the Father Begot the Son. I was saying or trying to say: The Second Person of the Trinity was the Creator with God the Father and the Holy Spirit (the Wind over the water). As far as I know, this is a traditional understanding.

I hope to be clearly in the future.

In Genesis, God created light. Now, if you’re saying that this light is the glory of God (correct me if I’m wrong), than you’re saying that God created his glory - which is impossible, for the glory of God is eternal.

Yes, in Genesis, the day did not come from the sun, but like I’ve said, the sequence of days is symbolic. It’s not be taken literally.

The reason that God said “Let there be light” is four-fold: To show that Christ, the Light of the world, is the first among many, to show that God draws a greater good out of evil, to show that we must be bearers of light in darkness, and to show that God is the Creator of all good things.

 

[Seamus_Sully]

Nickname

I did not mean to say that God created His Glory.

However, there is a connection between the Light came into the world and the light of the first day.

How strong the connection, I do not know.

How to explain these things I do not know.

I think I would say that it is Created Glory, like created grace.

What you said: “The reason that God said “Let there be light” is four-fold: To show that Christ, the Light of the world, is the first among many, to show that God draws a greater good out of evil, to show that we must be bearers of light in darkness, and to show that God is the Creator of all good things.” I agree with you ideas.

I am not a scholar, but a student.

Glory, light and the Second Person of the Trinity are closely connected.

Concerning the symbols and there sequence, I like the idea that the first day is the principle and cardinal day, not the first day as in a sequence. The principle in the sense that Love give life to all of the other virtues even though all virtues are infused into the soul at the same time, as the soul animates the body even though they are created at the same time.

Also, the symbols must be interpreted and a literal meaning should be sought.

Augustine sees the dark to light as the angelic intellects moving from the creation to the creator.

 

[drafdog]

Ever hear of poetic license?
And, yes, poets lie to tell the truth. (I stole that line from someone, but can’t recall who. True just the same.)

Matthew

 

[Nickkname]

What you said: “The reason that God said “Let there be light” is four-fold: To show that Christ, the Light of the world, is the first among many, to show that God draws a greater good out of evil, to show that we must be bearers of light in darkness, and to show that God is the Creator of all good things.” I agree with you ideas.

Here is the Church’s teaching on intrepreting Sacred Scripture. I admit I erred in this regards, from memory, but, now I can correct myself. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The senses of Scripture

115 According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. the profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.

116 The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”

117 The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.

1. the allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ’s victory and also of Christian Baptism.
2. the moral sense. the events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written “for our instruction”.
3. the anagogical sense (Greek: anagoge, “leading”). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.

118 A medieval couplet summarizes the significance of the four senses:

The Letter speaks of deeds; Allegory to faith;
The Moral how to act; Anagogy our destiny.

119 “It is the task of exegetes to work, according to these rules, towards a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture in order that their research may help the Church to form a firmer judgement. For, of course, all that has been said about the manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgement of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God.”

But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me.

Source: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PQ.HTM

Augustine sees the dark to light as the angelic intellects moving from the creation to the creator.

Ooh! Which book is that from? Chapter? Link if possible?

 

[Seamus_Sully]

Again, I am not a scholar, but a student.

Also, I cannot discern if you are making fun of me. Are you?

I am sorry to ask that question if you are not. I hope you accept my apology. THANKS!

Also, I cannot discern if you think I am arguing with you.

I am not. I was only sharing an opinion and doing it quickly.

St. Augustine in The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Vol. 1 of the Ancient Christian Writers p. 38. It is chapter 17 of The Literal Meaning of Genesis.

The intro. to the chapter reads: Light is the illumination of intellectual creatures. Darkness signifies creatures unformed.

In that chapter he also talks about the difference between One Day and the First Day.

I do not have time to go further, sorry!

 

[Nickkname]

Again, I am not a scholar, but a student.

Also, I cannot discern if you are making fun of me. Are you?

I am sorry to ask that question if you are not. I hope you accept my apology. THANKS!

Also, I cannot discern if you think I am arguing with you.

I am not. I was only sharing an opinion and doing it quickly.

St. Augustine in The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Vol. 1 of the Ancient Christian Writers p. 38. It is chapter 17 of The Literal Meaning of Genesis.

The intro. to the chapter reads: Light is the illumination of intellectual creatures. Darkness signifies creatures unformed.

In that chapter he also talks about the difference between One Day and the First Day.

I do not have time to go further, sorry!

I’m neither offending nor arguing. I apologize if I come off that way.

Thank you for the information. I’m going to read it now.

 

[Seamus_Sully]

Nickkname

I have read that work of Augustine two or three times, parts four or five times.

Also, the second part of City of God also deals with the Creation accounts.

I am sure that I worded things poorly.

I am sorry if I misread your posts.

God bless

Seamus O’Sullivan