A Commentary on Genesis 1-25
Written by
David Pawson
Genesis is the beginning of the Bible but it has got the beginning of everything else in it. Here is the beginning of the universe; the beginning of history; the beginning of the human race; the beginning of marriage and family life; the beginning of government and civilisation; the beginning of the arts; the beginning of music; the beginning of sin and the beginning of death. You will never answer the biggest questions in life unless you can go back to the beginning. It provides the clue to such questions as: “Where did the world come from? Why am I here? What is life all about? Is there any purpose at all?” You have to go back to the beginning to find the answers. Therefore, the book of Genesis is a thrilling book; it gives you the answers to such questions. David Pawson investigates some of these issues as he considers the first 25 chapters of the first book of the Bible.
What did you like about the book?
Even though it's called a commentary, it's not a traditional commentary. There is no line-by-line exposition of the text. Rather, Pawson takes a chapter or so at a time and delves into the heart of that section. It reads a bit more like a collection of preaches (probably because that's what it is). This style makes it a lot more relatable, especially as it doesn't ignore some of the really hard topics that comes up (e.g Abraham betraying his wife twice!). Pawson engages with these and brings out the heart of God. I loved the introduction to the book. It's probably one of the better general explanations of the book of Genesis and the heart of God that you'll find.
What did you not like about this book?
At the risk of contradicting myself, I would've loved a bit more meat to some of the harder to understand passages (what is that snake doing in the tree?!!).
Who would benefit most from reading this book?
Anyone! Genesis is foundational to our faith and Jesus kapt referring to it, so we need to grapple with it. Because Pawson's style is conversational it makes it accessible to anyone.
If someone reads this book, they should be aware of the following...
Pawson doesn't ascribe to a young earth view. It's a minor mention in one chapter, but it may be challenging to some.
Follow us on our social media platforms to keep in touch and access more of our resources
