Originally published at National Catholic Register
Genesis 1:24-2:3
Last week, we left off with Days 6 and 7 of creation. Those two days are unique from the rest of the creative events cataloged in Genesis 1 and so deserve special consideration.
Day 6 includes the creation of man, not in the sense of “male” but in the sense of mankind, humanity. Unlike Genesis 2, Genesis 1 does not treat the creation of the male followed by the creation of the female. God creates humanity, “male and female he created them.”
If you pay close attention to the relevant text (Genesis 1:26-31) you will find several distinctive elements:
1. In contrast to the rest of creation, God almost seems to take counsel with himself before creating humanity. All of creation through this point has been a fiat: “God said,” and it was. Only here does God first stop and declare his intention before creating.
2. God’s taking counsel with himself is not him talking to himself. “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” God is not speaking in the “royal we.” If God is a communion of persons, then his image and likeness will also be a communion of persons, hence, God creates not
