Chapter Two Flashcards
Are there OT and NT biblical narratives and norms about managing treasure and are they applicable to the twenty-first-century Christian and the church-at-large in making sound financial decisions.
Chapter Two will examine the central question: Are there biblical Scriptures and theological precepts elucidating humankind’s role as God’s stewards, particularly treasure
What methodology did you employ to answer the primary question?
[Make Less]
The Researcher will employ the normative task methodology to answer the primary question. The theological interpretation will concentrate on contrasting OT and NT with contemporary “particular episodes, situations, or contexts” about the stewardship of treasure. Moreover, the methodology will assist the Researcher in amalgamating the research in “constructing ethical norms to guide our responses and learning from ‘good practices’” about the stewardship of treasure. The methodology provides a pathway to ensuring a sound, exegetical examination in responding to the Researcher’s question whether humankind is God’s stewards with a mandate of stewardship over the earth, particularly treasure.
Where in the Bible is humankind original mandate (Stewardship) for creation located?
The Researcher is examining the claim that the foci of humankind’s original purpose and mandate for creation by God is in Gen. 1:26–28 [NRSV] of the two creation accounts woven into one narrative in Gen. 1:26–3:24.
What were the key scriptural verses that stated humankind’s original purpose and mandate for creation by God
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Gen. 1:26-28: “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and
God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
What is of importance of humankind being created in God’s image/likeness? Point One
Humankind is God’s consummate handiwork and distinguishes it from all creation by fashioning it God’s image. ( “Imago Dei” [image of God])
What is of importance of humankind being created in God’s image/likeness? Point Two
God gave every creature the breath “nephesh, of life, except Adam. Adam, in contrast to all other creatures, is given the gift of God’s divine breath, “neshâmâh.” The Researcher asserts that the act of God breathing into Adam’s nostrils is also endowing him with an “intellect.”
Therefore, the act of God breathing into Adam’s nostrils is also endowing him with an “intellect.” Therefore, God is imparting to Adam an “intellect of God the Creator, giving humankind the ability to comprehend information and make independent decisions (Gen. 2:15-17).
What is of importance of humankind being created in God’s image/likeness? POINT THREE
Intelligence from God to Adam are the attributes of knowledge, wisdom, and counsel, and all three are necessary to administer any decrees or obligations. Thus, one could deduce the Creator is preparing Adam amongst all of life to serve a higher purpose on the earthly estate.
What is the scriptural reference for your claim regarding the intellect of humankind comes from God? POINT FOUR
CITE THE SCRIPTURE ABOUT BREATH!
God communicating to Adam and giving him a command implies that Adam is intelligent and is endowed with the ability to discern information. Gen. 2:15–17. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
Is there evidence of the existence of a divine hierarchy between God and the creation located in Genesis creation narratives?
LESS IS MORE - EACH POINT ON A SEPARATE FLASH CARD
Point One:
Gen. 1.1. God as “bârâ˒” in the Hebrew denotes God as the Creator and originator that “created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, God is the sovereign of all creation.
Point Two:
God is the owner of the earth. Ps. 24:1confirms the claim that “The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” Therefore, if God is the owner of the earth, then God is also the owner of all earth’s treasure and the sovereign over humankind.
Point Three
The implications of that revelation suggest that all of humanity are vicegerent and are subject to following the divine directives of the supreme royal ruler God of all creation. According to dictionary.com, vicegerent as a noun is “an officer appointed as a deputy by and to a sovereign or supreme chief,” and as an adjective, “a vicegerent is exercising delegated powers” on behalf of the sovereign supreme ruler (God) to carry out royal mandates. Scholar Michael Williams also concurs with this premise that “to bear the image of God in the world is to be an office bearer in God’s kingdom.” Therefore, the Researcher deduces that humanity’s role as a vicegerent does not imply ownership over the earth, particularly considering the passage in Gen. 1:1.
What is humankind’s first royal decree by God describing their Job description?
The word dominion, “râdâh,” means subjugating, prevailing against, reigning” or “ruling” in Gen. 1:28-30. God is informing humankind in this first account of the creation story (Gen. 1:1–31) that their primary purpose (Gen. 1:26, 28) is dominion over all other organic life forms. Dominion’s definition subjugating infers humankind will accomplish this task by overpowering these creatures into submission. Thus, humankind’s dominion is one of Divine caring, nurturing, and safeguarding all of earth’s organic and inorganic elements in order to maintain divine harmony in God’s community.
What is humankind’s 2nd - 4th royal decrees by God describing their Job description?
humankind is given another royal edit by God to be fruitful “pârâ˒” by propagating the species and
multiply “râbâh” by increasing in number to fill “mâlâ˒,” the earth.
The royal edicts’ purposes are extremely clear; the male and female genus is to leverage their population proliferation by subduing the earth.
Subduing in the Hebrew, “kâbash,” is to conquer, subjugate, violate” or bring into servitude by coercion.
Thus, God’s royal edit of “bringing the land under cultivation” is a strong illustration of this definition, Gen. 2:15
How do you define Stewardship? (Short answer for all the above)
I define a steward/stewardship as the following:
A steward is God’s regal executive administrator that is accountable for managing the earthly estate of the Creator. Stewardship entails following the specific royal edits located specifically in (Gen. 1:28–2:25).
As God’s stewards,’ humankind’s specific tasks are to have dominion (creatures), be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth (humankind) and subdue it (earth) for the primary purpose of preserving the harmony and good of God’s earthly estate.
Does God and stewards have an implied covenantal agreement between God?
Gen. 1:26-28 implies or inferenes a covenantal agreement between God and humanity. God is the sovereign King and humankind are the stewards of his earthly estate.
How can one determine when the Stewardship covenant agreement is being honored by humankind
Authentic stewardship of dominion and ruling over the earth and creatures can only occur properly when humankind is in a proper relationship with God when:
humankind is obedient to God’s Stewardship decrees
