Author: ddelavega

In the 18th chapter of Genesis, Abraham is met by three angels, the day after the institution of circumcision as an observance of the law of the covenant made with God. According to St. Ambrose of Milan, since Abraham was uncircumcised when he was called by God and on the day he  passed away, this establishes him as the “Progenitor” of all believers and not explicitly the father of the Jews. With this, God appears to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre as three men, a premonition to the Trinity, and yet in the form of those with faces like us. Knowing this, Abraham falls before them calling them “O Lord,” signifying the unity of three persons in one, singular essence. Abraham quickly makes three loaves for the angels before they make their way towards Sodom and Gomorrah.

In Gen. 18:2, Origen makes the juxtaposition of how Abraham has three men stand “before him” whereas Lot only receives two men which sit “in the street.” Origen then claims that this is a fair and just dispensation for Abraham as the Progenitor. Abraham’s hospitality acts as a symbolic representation of his understanding of the dispensation and his pious obedience to God. In the 7th pericope, Abraham fashions a calf for the three men to eat. Once finished, the Lord asks where Sarah is to bestow upon her the news that upon their return, her son will be born. Sarah asks “Am I, who am old, to bear a child?,” and denies this as a true sign from God given to her specifically. Sarah’s laughter expresses her doubt in this sign because she was afraid, this doesn’t rid herself of the sin of cowardice however when explained by Ephrem of Syria.

The chapter’s first four pericopes indicate to us that mankind establishes itself as a unified race which has migrated and constructed huge buildings in the land along the Tigris and Euphrates. The Tower of Babel is mankind’s attempt to strive beyond our reach and ability granted to us by God, “as if striving to fortify themselves against God,” according to St. Augustine. Man has a natural tendency to beat the curve, to constantly excel at harnessing creation for our benefit, God then acknowledges our great ability by causing us to develop different languages. This comes at our expense however, we are unable to unify ourselves, and thus unable to sin/rise against God as a people. This individualizes our sin, causing us to be completely alone according to our sins, repentance happens on a collective level.

Nimrod is the founder of Babylon, he fashions it to be one of the most prosperous nations in the history of man until that point. As a culture, they develop a deep sense of pride for their creations and this pride manifests into sin. Man starts to dominate nature to such an extent that they have no other force to rebel against other than God. This transpires into the formation of the Tower, man takes the kingdom of heaven by force. “Let Us go down” an allusion to the Trinity according to St. Augustine implies to us that God now descends upon man to keep us confined within the Universe. God causes us to speak in different tongues, he adds complexity and structure to our lives, this leaves humanity to be permanently separated.

The book of Genesis is one of my favorite books in the entire bible, it shows us the place God has dominion over, our roll in it, and the natural laws which we rely on to traverse the universe. It isn’t a history or a science textbook, it is a religious text and should be read with spiritual intent. It outlines how God has formulated the soul of man, how men and women ought to interact with each other, and to work together amongst creation. Genesis also articulates to us what laws and concepts God transcends, also trinitarian theology is expressed.

One thing I find to be exceedingly interesting is the fact that biblical Creation is not a procreative act as with the Babylonian stories. This I believe to be a prophetic nuance which runs parallel to the virgin birth of Christ. In Genesis, God is solo in the act of creation (Unlike having both Apsu and Tiamat), He is what some would call “Ontologically independent” that is, to be responsible for giving meaning and importance to the Universe. Without Him the Universe holds no inherent value and we are entirely reliant on His existence. It may seem that we are naked/alone but out of true love for us, God provides us the gift of freedom of will and the ability to understand that when on our own, values are superficial and will slowly decay without God’s intervention. This decay is the constant erosion of mankind’s purity through temptation from Satan, an umbrella term used to anthropomorphize the manifestation of evil.

Hello, I’m Daniel de la Vega, I’m a first-year student studying Classics and English Literature, and I’m from San Diego. I’m taking this course since I believe that it is important to understand the Bible not only from a spiritual perspective, but also in an academic/historical way to read it in its wholeness.

To me, the Bible is a divinely inspired text from God written and transcribed into written language by prophets and saints. It outlines in great detail the creation of the Universe and mankind’s role in it as we search for what it means to be truly human in the light of God. One way my home parish priest Fr. Bratso describes it: “It is a personal love letter from God to each and every one of us.” It is a product of the Church and her theologians as they compiled all the books into one volume (a miracle in itself). As Christ is described as the “Logos” in the Gospel according to St. John, we understand the Word as not only written text, but God Himself, and is truly a divine revelation.

Googling “What is a Bible” is nothing short of an informational catastrophe. The internet is a terrible source for anyone who wants to truly understand the Bible as it completely disregards the search for truth, and seems to be more of a tool of destruction to “win people over.” I recommend using the vast amounts of biblical commentaries offered by saints and theologians which have been contemplated for thousands of years and have undergone strict criticism by hundreds of other saints and theologians. To understand the Bible is not a personal endeavor or up to individual opinion, it is led by the Church, and then is it applied to one’s life personally.