From Chaos to Cosmos: Creation to New Creation (Short Studies in Biblical Theology)
Overview
When God created the world, he brought perfect order out of what was “without form and void.” But with human rebellion against God leading to God’s curse, disorder was introduced into creation—disorder that we still see all around us today. Tracing the chaos to cosmos theme from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, pastor-scholar Sidney Greidanus reveals how God is restoring his creation through Jesus Christ, who has already begun to shine light into the darkness and will one day return to bring peace, order, and restoration once and for all. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter and a fourteen-session reading plan, this book is ideal for small groups as well as individual study.
Top Highlights
“Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary offers a good, initial definition of chaos: ‘The infinity of space or formless matter supposed to have preceded the existence of the ordered universe.’ Webster’s also offers us a workable definition for cosmos: ‘The world or universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious system.’” (Pages 17–18)
“Note that this original chaos was not evil. God created it. In fact God called the ‘seas’ and even the ‘great sea monsters’ ‘good’ (Gen. 1:10, 21).” (Page 29)
“God alone is sovereign. In Isaiah 45:7 the Lord declares, ‘I form light [cosmos] and create darkness [chaos]; I make well-being [cosmos] and create calamity [chaos]; I am the Lord, who does all these things.’” (Pages 30–31)
“Biblical authors did not write in a vacuum, of course. To be understood, they had to accommodate their imagery to the prevailing culture, whether Babylonian, Canaanite, or Egyptian. Therefore Genesis, as well as other Old Testament books, must be heard against the background of the stories of the ancient Near East. But just as sermon illustrations using Little Red Riding Hood do not thereby teach that this fairy tale is literally and historically true, so the biblical authors’ use of ancient Near Eastern stories does not mean that they taught that these ancient stories were literally and historically true.” (Pages 21–22)
“Noah is the new Adam; with him and the creatures in the ark God is making a new start.” (Page 39)
- Title: From Chaos to Cosmos: Creation to New Creation
- Author: Sidney Greidanus
- Series: Short Studies in Biblical Theology
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2018
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Biblical cosmology › Textbooks; Cosmogony › Textbooks; Bible › Theology--Textbooks
- ISBNs: 9781433554971, 9781433555008, 9781433554988, 9781433554995, 1433554976, 143355500, 1433554984, 1433554992, 143355500X
- Resource ID: LLS:CHSCSMSCRNWCRTN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-06-27T16:46:56Z