Okay, I will see if it works well for me to intersperse my comments with yours. I begin at the beginning, and I will put my comments regarding what you said in brackets [ ]:
GN 1:1-3. “God created the heavens and the earth” by saying “Let there be…”, so the supernatural world manifests the Word of God in an impersonal way. As Paul teaches in RM 1:20, “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” And John says in JN 1:14, “The Word became flesh [human] and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Gen 1:7-8 - There is water in Heaven (did not see where it states that there is dry land in Heaven which would make sense for what is described in Revelation) [I wonder if "light" in v.3 represents energy, and "water" in v.7 represents matter.]
Gen 1:26-27 - For those who have heard of "world mission society church of god" - they use these verses as evidence that there is a "god the mother." Verse 27- "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" -KJV. A semi colon was used in the sentence which separates independent clauses. It states that God created him (male) in his own image and God created male and female (them).
GN 1:27. God created man in his own image, male and female. Here we have the equality of the sexes expressed 3,000 years ago, because the word “image” obviously refers to God’s personality rather than to sexuality. Essential equality is confirmed in GN 2:22 by Eve’s creation from Adam’s rib or side to be his partner rather than from his foot to be his slave.
Although all of Jesus’ twelve apostles were male, many of his disciples were female, and Paul writes (in GL 3:38), “There is neither… male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In EPH 5:21, Paul added “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Current scientific theory based on genetic research is that humanity descended from one couple in Africa about 50,000 years ago, which is compatible with the biblical story of Adam and Eve, which has two accounts, neither of which is meant to be scientific or historical (explaining how and when), but rather theological and moral (God is Creator and people are sinners).
Gen 1:29-30 - Green herbs and fruit of a tree yielding a seed was given as good to eat. With vegan and carnivore being mainstream this was interesting to note since many claim one is superior to the other. Later on eating of animals is permitted. [While I can see that it would be better not to need meat in our diet, I am glad the Lord permits it for this earth, and I hope animals are raised nicely and killed as painlessly as possible.]
Gen 2:9 - God grew the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I have not heard much or read yet about the tree of life. [It will be encountered again at the end of our reading project in RV 2:7, 22:2,14&19, so it must represent Christ (JN 14:6)]
Gen 2:11-14 - Have not found a map that shows all four rivers Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates. From an internet search it is unknown where the garden of Eden was. [That is correct. If it was a physical garden, it is reasonable to think it would be in Mesopotamia. The NIV has Tigris instead of Kiddekel.]
GN 2:24. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” indicates that marriage is a spiritual union of one man and one wife, not merely a ceremony or legal contract. Jesus quoted this verse and added “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (MT 19:4-6)
The only relationship in which sexual intercourse is appropriate or moral is marriage; extramarital sex is the sin of fornication, which is akin to the sin of pornography (cf. GL 5:19, RM 1:27). Also, because divorce is wrong, the only moral option for a married couple is to work to be happy rather than be miserable and become spiritually divorced, and if happiness is not achieved, it would have been better not to marry (cf. MT 19:8-10).
GN 3:4. The serpent contradicted God and thereby tempted Adam and Eve to commit the first sin. In GN 2:17, God had told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but the serpent introduced the option of ungodliness or functional atheism, which they chose.
The first or original sin was not eating physical fruit, but rather choosing not to doubt the Devil, not to cooperate with God, and not asking God why the serpent contradicted what He had told them (MT 7:7). (It is wise to question God.)
GN 3:7-13. Adam and Eve tried to cover up their crime, refusing to accept responsibility for their mistakes. They should have confessed immediately (1JN 1:9). Instead their ungodly attitude was manifested by a chain of sins, including their silly attempt to hide from God and to blame someone else and very likely “dysfunctional” parenting that probably contributed to the emotional disturbance (anger) in Cain that resulted in the murder of Abel and so on and so forth through the millenniums.
Gen 3:16 - Because of Eve's sin, God cursed woman in childbearing and for the husband to rule over her. It seems well known that women were cursed with pain during childbirth. Was not aware it was a curse for the husband to rule over women. [Yes, instead of being equal, women throughout history have been second class status.]
Gen 3:22-24 - Tree of life is mentioned again with mystery around it. [Yes, see above.]
Gen 4:8 - Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve's sons. Cain slew Abel. [Yes, hate and murder ensue from disrespecting God's Word. As Jesus says in JN 8:44a, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning..."]
Gen 4:15 - The Lord set a mark on Cain for him to be killed for what he did to Abel [so that he would NOT be killed,]
Gen 4:25 - God had favor for Seth as he did Abel [Yes, through whose lineage Messiah would be provided to atone for the sins of humanity]
Gen 5:5 - Adam lived 930 years [due to an unpolluted environment?]
Gen 5:18 - Son Jared from Seth's lineage had a son named Enoch as did Cain son of Adam. Gen 5:24 - "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not: for God took him." - this was Enoch from Seth's lineage the son who God favored. [Yes, we can wonder if this foreshadows the Rapture.]
Gen 5:29 - Noah is from Seth's lineage [Yes, another righteous man in the heritage of Christ.]
Please continue going first unless someone else wants to join us and take the lead.
NOTE: My Reply was too long ("more than 1,000 words" ?), so I cut our your part between the Quotes since I have copied it in my Reply. We will see if it works this time.
GN 1:1-3. “God created the heavens and the earth” by saying “Let there be…”, so the supernatural world manifests the Word of God in an impersonal way. As Paul teaches in RM 1:20, “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” And John says in JN 1:14, “The Word became flesh [human] and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Gen 1:7-8 - There is water in Heaven (did not see where it states that there is dry land in Heaven which would make sense for what is described in Revelation) [I wonder if "light" in v.3 represents energy, and "water" in v.7 represents matter.]
Gen 1:26-27 - For those who have heard of "world mission society church of god" - they use these verses as evidence that there is a "god the mother." Verse 27- "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" -KJV. A semi colon was used in the sentence which separates independent clauses. It states that God created him (male) in his own image and God created male and female (them).
GN 1:27. God created man in his own image, male and female. Here we have the equality of the sexes expressed 3,000 years ago, because the word “image” obviously refers to God’s personality rather than to sexuality. Essential equality is confirmed in GN 2:22 by Eve’s creation from Adam’s rib or side to be his partner rather than from his foot to be his slave.
Although all of Jesus’ twelve apostles were male, many of his disciples were female, and Paul writes (in GL 3:38), “There is neither… male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In EPH 5:21, Paul added “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Current scientific theory based on genetic research is that humanity descended from one couple in Africa about 50,000 years ago, which is compatible with the biblical story of Adam and Eve, which has two accounts, neither of which is meant to be scientific or historical (explaining how and when), but rather theological and moral (God is Creator and people are sinners).
Gen 1:29-30 - Green herbs and fruit of a tree yielding a seed was given as good to eat. With vegan and carnivore being mainstream this was interesting to note since many claim one is superior to the other. Later on eating of animals is permitted. [While I can see that it would be better not to need meat in our diet, I am glad the Lord permits it for this earth, and I hope animals are raised nicely and killed as painlessly as possible.]
Gen 2:9 - God grew the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I have not heard much or read yet about the tree of life. [It will be encountered again at the end of our reading project in RV 2:7, 22:2,14&19, so it must represent Christ (JN 14:6)]
Gen 2:11-14 - Have not found a map that shows all four rivers Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates. From an internet search it is unknown where the garden of Eden was. [That is correct. If it was a physical garden, it is reasonable to think it would be in Mesopotamia. The NIV has Tigris instead of Kiddekel.]
GN 2:24. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” indicates that marriage is a spiritual union of one man and one wife, not merely a ceremony or legal contract. Jesus quoted this verse and added “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (MT 19:4-6)
The only relationship in which sexual intercourse is appropriate or moral is marriage; extramarital sex is the sin of fornication, which is akin to the sin of pornography (cf. GL 5:19, RM 1:27). Also, because divorce is wrong, the only moral option for a married couple is to work to be happy rather than be miserable and become spiritually divorced, and if happiness is not achieved, it would have been better not to marry (cf. MT 19:8-10).
GN 3:4. The serpent contradicted God and thereby tempted Adam and Eve to commit the first sin. In GN 2:17, God had told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but the serpent introduced the option of ungodliness or functional atheism, which they chose.
The first or original sin was not eating physical fruit, but rather choosing not to doubt the Devil, not to cooperate with God, and not asking God why the serpent contradicted what He had told them (MT 7:7). (It is wise to question God.)
GN 3:7-13. Adam and Eve tried to cover up their crime, refusing to accept responsibility for their mistakes. They should have confessed immediately (1JN 1:9). Instead their ungodly attitude was manifested by a chain of sins, including their silly attempt to hide from God and to blame someone else and very likely “dysfunctional” parenting that probably contributed to the emotional disturbance (anger) in Cain that resulted in the murder of Abel and so on and so forth through the millenniums.
Gen 3:16 - Because of Eve's sin, God cursed woman in childbearing and for the husband to rule over her. It seems well known that women were cursed with pain during childbirth. Was not aware it was a curse for the husband to rule over women. [Yes, instead of being equal, women throughout history have been second class status.]
Gen 3:22-24 - Tree of life is mentioned again with mystery around it. [Yes, see above.]
Gen 4:8 - Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve's sons. Cain slew Abel. [Yes, hate and murder ensue from disrespecting God's Word. As Jesus says in JN 8:44a, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning..."]
Gen 4:15 - The Lord set a mark on Cain for him to be killed for what he did to Abel [so that he would NOT be killed,]
Gen 4:25 - God had favor for Seth as he did Abel [Yes, through whose lineage Messiah would be provided to atone for the sins of humanity]
Gen 5:5 - Adam lived 930 years [due to an unpolluted environment?]
Gen 5:18 - Son Jared from Seth's lineage had a son named Enoch as did Cain son of Adam. Gen 5:24 - "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not: for God took him." - this was Enoch from Seth's lineage the son who God favored. [Yes, we can wonder if this foreshadows the Rapture.]
Gen 5:29 - Noah is from Seth's lineage [Yes, another righteous man in the heritage of Christ.]
Please continue going first unless someone else wants to join us and take the lead.
NOTE: My Reply was too long ("more than 1,000 words" ?), so I cut our your part between the Quotes since I have copied it in my Reply. We will see if it works this time.
Yes, the first few verses on creation is fascinating
In regard to Gen 1:27, I will have to respectfully disagree. The definition of "image" - visual representation of something. God made Adam in His own image. Visually Adam resembles God. There are clear visual distinctions between man and woman. Eve being created from Adam's rib does not state she is Adam's equal in the Bible. God created Eve as a help meet to Eve. God created the animals first because Adam was lonely. God never referred to Eve by her name only wife. Adam named Eve as they were to leave the Garden of Eden. I focused in detail on these things because of a religious group claiming there is a "god the mother"
Regarding Paul saying male and female are one in Christ, that is great news! I am making comments for where I am presently in the Bible. As mentioned before, the importance of the distinction between man and woman in Gen 1:27 is important because of a religious group claiming there is a "god the mother"
Wow you really keep up with the science! Do you use mainly one source for science news or do you look at a lot of different sources?
Very interested in learning more about the tree of life. Surprised I haven't heard more about it.
Yes, I saw the maps that it would be around that area
Gen 2:24 I agree
I really can't comment on divorce since I haven't read the whole Bible. Divorce hasn't come up yet.
Gen 3:7-13 - I didn't see it as them "covering up" their crime, maybe refuse to take responsibility. They both spoke the truth. Eve gave Adam the fruit. The snake did deceive Eve. Adam was punished. Eve was punished more harshly because she gave Adam the fruit. The snake was punished most harshly for deceiving Eve. We won't know exactly what led Cain to do what he did to Abel since it wasn't stated in the Bible. Once sin was in the world it led man to do horrible acts without the spirit of God. There is no telling what the cause of a man's act is when there is sin in him. We didn't have a chance at salvation until Jesus Christ died for our sins.
Gen 4:15 - Are you saying he put a mark on Cain to be killed, so that he would not be killed? If yes, can you please explain your reasoning?
Wow, excited to learn where we see the connection to Seth
Gen 5:5 - Unpolluted environment is what I assumed before reading Gen 6:3 "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."
Gen 5:29 - Excited to learn how they all connect
I'll post the next 5 chapters before Tuesday. Thanks for all your input, really has us thinking critically!