The holiness of God is revealed in creation (Romans 1:20). Creation declares God’s glory, splendor, and righteousness. The order/structure of the Holy Trinity is revealed in the natural and moral order of creation. The Father creates through the spoken Word and moving Spirit. Creation as “good” and “very good” speaks to shalom – a state of wholeness in which all things are in order.
Humanity is created in holiness – the image of God. This refers to a state of health and wholeness, harmony of function (practices), and uprightness. As God’s image, humans represent God’s dominion over creation. Humans are created as “very good”, but this does not imply a static perfection. Rather, humans are in fellowship with God – a fellowship in which humans grow and develop, and are being perfected. This suggest the possibility that creation, even without the Fall, is moving towards an eschatological consummation that would include the Incarnation and New Creation.
Human life is sustained by the fruit of the Tree of Life, which suggests the possibility of death. Humans are to abstain from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which suggests the possibility of disobedience. The two trees are metaphors. The Tree of Life is a metaphor of life sustained by the knowledge of God. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil suggest life without the knowledge of God, which leads to disorder and death.
Sin denies the holiness – the goodness – of creation. The Fall of humanity, typically referred to as “original sin,” infects creation with disease and disorder. The shalom of God’s holiness is compromised. The glory of God is exchanged for the corruption and dishonor of the flesh. Sin disorders the practices of humanity as the regents of Yahweh on the earth. God’s regents transgressed God’s divine order. This speaks to the moral dimension of sin. Second, sin becomes the condition of creation. Creation is corrupted with violence and death. Third, sin corrupts the sphere of creation on three dimensions – personal, social, and cosmic. The personal dimension is signified by the curse pronounced upon the first humans. The social dimension is signified by the violence of brother against brother (Cain and Abel). Third, the cosmic dimension is signified by the judgment of the great flood.
The three dominant metaphors for sin are disease, corruption, and slavery. The disease of sin refers to the disordered interior psychological condition of humanity. The corruption of sin refers to destructive cultural and political forces that reinforce a self-destructive pattern in human society. Slavery signifies the dehumanization of fellow humans who are created in the image of God. Human institutions tend to be oppressive by nature of political and social realities and are reinforced by patterns of thought, behavior, and existence.
The pattern of fall/redemption in Genesis is creation – order from chaos; uncreation – disorder and chaos reemerge; and recreation – post-flood separation of land and sea. Another way is to understand the pattern of fall/redemption as generation, degeneration, and regeneration. Generation speaks to initial creation ex nihilo. Degeneration speaks to disorder, violence, and death as a result of the fall. Regeneration speaks to the promise of the serpent’s demise, the call of Abraham, and the Incarnation. This metanarrative is imagined in the persons of Adam/Eve, Abraham/Sarah, and Mary/Jesus. This present age is a dualism of degeneration and regeneration. In the Incarnation and Pentecost, God is sanctifying the cosmos. This present age is passing away as the eschaton emerges. New creation will be filled with the glory and holiness of God. Eternal light and shalom will prevail.
