The book of Genesis is no mere collection of myths and legends; it is the actual, factual record of real events and real people at the beginning of history. Neither is the book of Genesis merely a tedious scientific or theological treatise; it is an intimate diary of some of the greatest and most fascinating men and women who ever walked this earth. Furthermore, all of its scientific and theological inferences are profoundly important and literally true.

The book of Genesis thus is in reality the foundation of all true history, as well as of true science and true philosophy. It is above all else the foundation of God’s revelation, as given in the Bible. No other book of the Bible is quoted as copiously or referred to so frequently, in other books of the Bible, as is Genesis.  

—Henry Morris

Source: Morris, Henry M. The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on The Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976. (p.xii, 21)

“Where do we come from?” Children’s questions can be both simple and profound, and our answer to this question affects the way we view the entire world. The answer is given in this opening section of Genesis. The primeval history of Genesis 1–11 provides a wide-lens, macrocosmic picture of God’s purposes for the world. This is followed by the narrow-lens, microcosmic drama in Genesis 12–50 of God’s promises passed down through the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Martin Luther reminds us that these opening chapters are “certainly the foundation of the whole of Scripture.” Genesis 1 begins “In the beginning, God,” reminding us that it all starts with God, and thus Genesis sets the stage for everything that follows.  

—Mitchell M. Kim  

 Source: Content taken from Genesis: A 12-Week Study © 2013 by Mitchell M. Kim. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 

There are basically two ways to read the Bible—as a book of law, or as a book of promise. Our natural religious psychology wants to read the Bible as law: “God is explaining here how I can win his favor.” A law-hermeneutic is the pre-understanding we naturally bring to our Bible reading, every page. But in Galatians 3 Paul explains that he reads the Bible as a book of promise, and he wants us to as well. He sees every page of the Bible as gracious promise from God to undeserving sinners. Is there law in the Bible? Yes. But it was “added” (v. 19). Law was inserted after the promises to Abraham were established. It is promise that comes first (Genesis 12), then law comes later (Exodus 20). It is promise, therefore, that defines the all-encompassing framework within which we are to read everything else in the Bible… Every page [in the Bible], most deeply understood, shines forth as a promise of grace to sinners in Christ. 

—Ray Ortlund  

Source: Ray Ortlund, quoted from his blog post, “How to Read the Bible,” published by The Gospel Coalition. 

Certain truths that the Bible tells us are absolute essentials if we are to understand ourselves and the world in which we live. So what does it have to tell us? Well, the whole case is put in the first three chapters of the book of Genesis. We have here the complete biblical view of history and of humanity. We need not go any further; it is all here.  

–Martyn Lloyd-Jones  

 Source: Content taken from The Gospel in Genesis © 2009 by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 

What God planned and promised and prepared in Genesis, he accomplished and perfected in the coming of Christ, and is now, today, applying and fulfilling in the lives of those who believe his Word.  

—Henry Morris  

Source: Morris, Henry M. The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on The Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976. (p.xii)

Genesis demonstrates how God can take all the evil we create and make something good, and he does so not because he has to, or even because he should, but because he made a gracious promise that he would. 

—Spoken Gospel

Source: Spoken Gospel, quoted from the video, “The Bible Explained: Genesis,” published at spokengospel.com.

The simple fact of the matter is that all the philosophical fruits of Darwinism have been negative, ignoble, and destructive to the very fabric of society. Not one of the major twentieth-century revolutions led by post-Darwinian philosophies ever improved or ennobled any society. Instead, the chief social and political legacy of Darwinian thought is a full spectrum of evil tyranny with Marx-inspired communism at one extreme and Nietzsche-inspired fascism at the other. And the moral catastrophe that has disfigured modern Western society is also directly traceable to Darwinism and the rejection of the early chapters of Genesis. 

At this moment in history, even though most of modern society is already fully committed to an evolutionary and naturalistic worldview, our society still benefits from the collective memory of a biblical worldview. People in general still believe human life is special. They still hold remnants of biblical morality, such as the notion that love is the greatest virtue (1 Corinthians 13:13); service to one another is better than fighting for personal dominion (Matthew 20:25-27); and humility and submission are superior to arrogance and rebellion (1 Peter 5:5).

—John MacArthur 

Source: John MacArthur. Copyright 2022, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This Grace to You article originally appeared here at gty.org.