Week 5

Genesis 1: 1-2, 20, 24, 26-27 (NKJV) 

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit (ruach) of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 2:7-9 (NKJV) 

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Job 33:4 (NKJV) 

The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Psalms 36:9 (NKJV) 

For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

John 5:26 (NIV) 

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

 

- One of the central themes of the Bible—and of the teachings of Jesus—is the theme of life. More than just a “theme,” life is a fundamental element of God’s Eternal Purpose. Let us remember that God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) decided in eternity past to have a family of sons and daughters through whom He would make Himself known in the material world. These sons and daughters, created in His image and likeness, not only received the life that enables them to exist but also have access to the eternal life that comes from God.

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- There are several fundamental truths we must understand regarding the "theme" of life:

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1. God does not merely possess life; He Himself IS life. "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." (John 5:26, NIV). Unlike any created being, God did not receive life from anyone, nor does He depend on anything external for His existence; life resides within Him. Therefore, all created life originates from Him and depends continually upon Him for its existence.

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2. God is the source and essence of all life. "For with You is the fountain of life;..." Psalm 36:9 (NKJV). In Genesis 1, we see how, through the power of His Word and the action of the Spirit ("ruach"), God creates living beings ("nephesh chayyah"). All forms of life on earth originate from and are sustained by God; bacteria, microbes, fungi, plants, and animals. "20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth..." 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so." Genesis 1:20, 24 (NKJV). Therefore, life neither arises nor exists independently of God; every living creature receives its existence from Him and depends continually on Him for life. The Hebrew word used in Genesis 1:2 for "spirit" is "ruach", which literally means "the breath or vital spirit of God that imparts life."

 

3. The human being ("adam") received life from God in a way distinct from the rest of creation. "7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ("nishmat chayyim"); and man became a living being ("nephesh chayyah")" Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life". Job 33:4 (NKJV). Why the difference? Because, unlike other living beings, the human being was created in the image and likeness of God to relate to Him, represent Him, and exercise His dominion over creation (Gen. 1:26–28); that is why Genesis 2:7 describes in a unique way how God personally imparts the breath of life to him. 

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- The "nishmat chayyim" ("breath of life") is the vital energy or dynamic breath that comes directly from God and activates existence. It is simultaneously the spiritual soul and the vital energy bestowed directly by God upon humanity, distinguishing it from other living creatures.

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- It is crucial to remember that in Genesis 2:7, God did not place a soul inside the human being. The text states that God formed man from the dust, breathed the "nishmat chayyim" ("breath of life") into him, and, as a result, "man became a living being" ("nephesh chayyah"). In other words, man did not receive a "nephesh" (soul) as if it were a separate entity inserted into his body; man himself became a "nephesh chayyah"—a living being. "Nephesh chayyah" describes the totality of the living person, not a separate part (soul) placed inside another (body).

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- The Hebrew word "nephesh," on its own and depending on the context, signifies: being, person, individual, living creature, and soul. It refers to the conscious being (soul-person). The word "chayyah" means "life" or "living" and describes existence bestowed by God—the fullness of life. The use of both words together in Genesis 2:7 describes the completeness of the human being: both the material (body) and the immaterial (soul and spirit).

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- It is crucial to understand that Genesis 2:7 does not claim that God transferred part of His divine essence to the human being. When God breathed the "nishmat chayyim" (“breath of life”) into Adam, He imparted life to him, not His divine essence. God possesses life in Himself—eternally, uncreatedly, and independently (John 5:26)—whereas Adam’s life was created, received, and entirely dependent on God. Therefore, although the human being was created in the image and likeness of God—equipped to know Him, relate to Him, and represent Him within creation—he remained a creature and never came to share the Creator’s divine, uncreated essence. The image of God speaks of likeness and representation, not equality of nature; and the breath of God indicates that He is the immediate source of human life, not that a portion of God became part of Adam.

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4. The life God imparts to the human being manifests itself in various dimensions of his existence. Note that we use the word "dimensions" rather than "types," since it would be incorrect to claim that the human being possesses several types of life—as if they were distinct substances or "energies" within him. The breath of life that God imparted to the human being ("adám") made him an integrally living being, a complete unity whose life is expressed in four dimensions:

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• physical: his body is physically alive.

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• personal: he is a self-aware being, with identity, will, emotions, etc.

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• spiritual: he was created with the capacity to relate to and have communion with God.

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• relational: he was created to relate to other human beings and live in community.

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​- In the New Testament, the Bible uses three words to refer to these dimensions of human life:

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• "bios" (biological or physical life): describes human life in terms of earthly existence—one's body and physical health. "Bios" frequently emphasizes the resources, goods, or means by which a person sustains their life. "Bios" refers to the physical dimension of the human being.

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• "psuché" (personal life or the life of the soul) describes human life in terms of its unique personal existence—one's individual being, soul, or "self." "Psuché" describes the life of the soul—that is, the totality of psychic processes (emotions, thoughts, will, desires, and memories) that constitute the inner experience and the human mind. It encompasses both the conscious life and the unconscious activity of the human being. "Psuché" refers to the personal and relational dimension of the human being. "Psuché" is the Greek word equivalent to the Hebrew word "nephesh." 

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• "zoé" (natura life / supreme life): in a general sense, "zoé" simply means "life" and is sometimes used to refer to natural life. However, in the writings of the Apostle John, the word "zoé" takes on profound theological significance. John uses "zoé" to refer to life in the absolute, supreme, and divine sense; it is the life that proceeds from God and is received in Christ. When paired with the Greek adjective "aionios" ("zoé aionios"), it signifies "eternal life." As "life that proceeds from God," "zoé" refers to the spiritual dimension of the human being.

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- Important: The Bible does not teach that human beings are “composed” of various types of life—as if "bios", "psuché", and "zoé" were three distinct substances or energies existing independently within a person. Rather, these words describe different dimensions or aspects of human life, depending on the context. Therefore, we should not think in terms of “three lives,” but rather of a person who is fully alive; a whole being whose existence can be described from different dimensions.​​​​

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Answer these questions in your notebook:​

1. What was the difference between the way God gave life to human beings and the way He gave life to other living creatures?

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2. What are the four dimensions through which life is expressed in human beings?​

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3. Why is it incorrect to think that "bios", "psuché", and "zoé" are three different types of life within a human being?

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4. Which idea or concept from today’s reading stood out to you the most, and why?