Questions to think about during this lesson…

• The traditional Orthodox understanding of Genesis 1:26 is that God created us in His image, but that it’s up to us — it’s our responsibility — to grow into His likeness. What does this mean?
• What’s the goal of the Christian life? (Hint: Matthew 5:48)
• We should never say that it’s in the nature of man to sin. Why not?
• What’s the problem with saying that we’re incapable of any good? (Hint: If we’re incapable of doing any good, then how do we acquire salvation and why would we be held responsible for it? Where do verses like Philippians 2:12 and Matthew 6:33 fit in?)
• In the 19th century and early 20th century, four religions came into existence in America: Christian Science, Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventist and Jehovah’s Witnesses. What does Dr. Jeannie mean when she says that the fundamental beliefs of these religions are based on their interpretations of Genesis 1:26?
• Who founded Christian Science and how does its founder’s interpretation of Genesis 1:26 relate to the Christian Science belief about the nature of man and the physical world?
• What do Christian Scientists believe about the physical world?
• Why don’t Christian Scientists believe in going to doctors or hospitals?
• What is the Christian Science teaching called “the lie of materiality?”
• According to Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, why do people die?
• Even though Christian Science uses Christian terms like Jesus, Holy Spirit, etc., it’s not a “Christian” religion or recognized by other Christians as “Christianity.” Why not?
• Why does Dr. Jeannie have trouble understanding how Christian Scientists rationalize their doctrine concerning the physical world (“the lie of materiality”)?
• Who founded Mormonism and how does its founder’s interpretation of Genesis 1:26 relate to Mormonism’s belief about the nature of man and God?
• What are the fundamental teachings of Mormonism?
• Although Mormonism claims to be Christian (it says it believes in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), its a polytheistic religion. How so?
• How does the Mormon interpretation of Genesis 1:26 compare to the Christian Science interpretation of Genesis 1:26?
• What does Dr. Jeannie mean when she says that Mormonism and Christian Science defy logic and contradict the plain meaning of the Bible? (Hint: Their interpretations go against one of the basic principles the Fathers gave us in how to properly interpret Scripture)
• How is the Genesis account of creation extremely different from other ancient Near Eastern creation stories?
• How does Genesis 1:26 relate to human rights and the inherent dignity and worth of the human being?
• Those that are experts in Hebrew say that the style of writing differs between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. The prevailing theory is that there’s more than one physical author of the writing of the Pentateuch (which includes Genesis). The prevailing theory is that the priestly author wrote Genesis 1 and the Yahwist wrote Genesis 2. Why doesn’t it really matter whether Moses actually wrote both of these chapters or not?
• How are Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 different… how are they similar… and what lessons can we learn from them?
• After considering the two different descriptions of Creation in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, sometimes Dr. Jeannie’s students ask her: “Which version is the right one? Was man made first or last? Was it all in one day or over six days? Which one is the right one — what really happened? Which one should we believe?” How does Dr. Jeannie answer these questions?
• Why do we have these two different creation accounts in Genesis?
• Why does Dr. Jeannie believe there are two accounts of the creation of man and the animals in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2… and why are they there side-by-side?

Download this lesson or listen to it below: