The Story-Line of Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect LESSON 1: BEGINNINGS IN CREATION The story-line of Christian wisdom rhetorolect begins with God’s creation of the world and Adam’s and Eve’s eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The following slides show how Genesis 1-3 functions as a resource for wisdom rhetorolect in the New Testament.  Click for the next slide and a Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect GOD’S CREATION OF LIGHT MADE A WORLD THAT WAS GOOD IN THE SIGHT OF GOD Genesis 1:3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 1:4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect LIGHT MAKES A BELIEVER’S BODY A MICROCOSM OF GOD’S WORLD THAT IS “GOOD” Luke 11:34 “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body is also full of darkness. 11:35 Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness. 11:36 If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light.”  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect GOD CREATED GOOD FRUIT BEARING PLANTS Genesis 1:12 The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: GOOD HUMANS PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT OF WISDOM FROM THEIR MOUTHS AND GOOD ACTIONS WITH THEIR BODIES Luke 6:43 “For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit. 6:44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, not do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his hear brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.”  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: GOD CREATED LIGHTS TO MAKE THE WORLD BEAR FRUIT BY SEASONS Genesis 1:14 God said, “Let there be light in the expanse of sky to divide the day form the night; and let them be fore signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 1:15 and let them be fore lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so. 1:16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. 1:18...and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect. Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: "THE FATHER OF LIGHTS" MADE HUMANS "FIRST FRUITS" James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, not turning shadow. 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: GOD CREATED GOOD, FRUITFUL BIRDS Genesis 1:21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good. 1:22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: IF GOD VALUES AND FEEDS BIRDS, HOW MUCH MORE HUMANS Luke 12:24 “Consider the raves: they don’t sow, the don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God fees them. How much more valuable are you than birds! 12:25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height? 12:26 If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?”  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: GOD CREATED AND PROVIDES FOR BOTH TAME AND WILD ANIMALS Genesis 1:24 God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. 1:25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: EVEN WILD ANIMALS AND BIRDS HAVE MORE OF A RESTING PLACE THAN JESUS, THE SON OF MAN Luke 9:57 As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.” 9:58 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: GOD CREATED HUMANS AS PART OF THE GOOD, FRUITFUL WORLD Genesis 1:27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 1:28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fist of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing the moves on the earth.” Click on Genesis 1 and Open Hyperlink to read all of Genesis 1. Genesis 1Genesis 1  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: JESUS TEACHES THAT THE TWO BECOME ONE FLESH Matthew 19:3 Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” 19:4 He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 19:5 and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’ 19:6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: HUMANS BECAME WISE LIKE GOD Genesis 2:16 Adonai God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall no eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.” Click on Genesis 2 and Open Hyperlink to read all of Genesis 2. Genesis 2 Genesis 2  Click for the continuation of the Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

A Hebrew Bible Resource for Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: HUMANS BECAME WISE LIKE GOD cont. Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “you won’t surely die, 3:5 for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. 3:7 the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. The sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Click on Genesis 3 and Open Hyperlink to read all of Genesis 3. Genesis 3 Genesis 3  Click for Christian wisdom rhetorolect that uses this event as a resource.

Christian Wisdom Rhetorolect: DESIRE, CHARACTERIZED BY THE TEMPTATION TO EAT, LEADS TO SIN AND DEATH James 1:14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 1:15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. Click on James 1 and Open Hyperlink to read all of James 1. James 1 James 1  Click for another Hebrew Bible resource for Christian wisdom rhetorolect.

Good Work! You have seen in this lesson that the story-line of Christian wisdom rhetorolect begins with God’s creation of the world and Adam’s and Eve’s eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The wisdom story-line continues with teachings of Moses and King Solomon. Please continue to Wisdom Rhetorolect: Lesson 2 to see how the story-line of Christian wisdom continues beyond God’s creation of the world into the stories of Moses and King Solomon.