‘Genesis 1-11: Our Story of Origins’ by Bernard Bell

This commentary on the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis is the transcript of a series of sermons by Bernard Bell at Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino. You can download this thoughtful and insightful commentary for free as a PDF or ePub document from this page HERE. (Bernard Bells’ superb commentary on Revelation, which I highlight HERE, is also available for free download from this page.)

In the first chapter, Bernard explains, “I am entitling this series ‘Our Story of Origins’. . . . . In these chapters we’ll find foundational truths that explain why the world is the way it is. They also provide the backdrop for the call of Abraham, which we’ll see is God’s answer to the sin and death of chapters 3–11. Through Abraham God births his people, Israel. Genesis 1–11 is the account given to Israel for her to understand her origins. We as the church are still the children of Abraham, the people of God. These early chapters of Genesis are for us also. They are our story of origins.”

He comments, “The Bible begins, “In the beginning God.” It ends, “Come, Lord Jesus,” the prayer for the glorious return (parousia) of the eternal Word, to bring in the completion of the stories of creation and redemption. The story begins with the triune Godhead as a community of perfect love; it ends with God drawing his people into that communion of love. It begins with God in eternal glory; it ends with God and his people in eternal glory. At the center stands the cross where God revealed his glory through his Son—his Son on whom he periodically shone the radiance of his glory, declaring, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” At the end God will welcome us into his presence, saying, “I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21.7). He will shine the radiance of his glory on us and say, “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.” The love between the Father and the Son mediated by the Spirit is the engine which drives the stories of creation and redemption. He extends that love to his creation not because he has to but because he delights to do so.”

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