Topical Bible: Biology

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Biology, the scientific study of life and living organisms, encompasses a wide range of topics including the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living entities. From a biblical perspective, the study of biology is deeply intertwined with the understanding of God's creation, as described in the Scriptures. The Bible, while not a scientific textbook, provides foundational insights into the origin and purpose of life, emphasizing the divine craftsmanship and intentionality behind all living things.

Creation of Life

The Bible begins with the account of creation, where God is depicted as the ultimate source of all life. Genesis 1:11-12 states, "Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth vegetation, seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.' And it was so. The earth produced vegetation, seed-bearing plants according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." This passage highlights the diversity and complexity of plant life, each created according to its kind, reflecting the order and purpose inherent in God's design.

The creation of animal life is similarly described in Genesis 1:20-25 , where God commands the waters to teem with living creatures and the earth to bring forth living animals, each according to its kind. This account underscores the variety and abundance of life, all brought into existence by God's command.

Human Life

Human beings hold a unique place in the biblical narrative of creation. Genesis 1:26-27 declares, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." This passage reveals the special status of humans, created in the image of God, with the responsibility to steward and care for the rest of creation.

The formation of man is further detailed in Genesis 2:7 : "Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being." This intimate act of creation signifies the direct involvement of God in the origin of human life, distinguishing humans from other forms of life.

The Order and Complexity of Life

The Bible frequently acknowledges the complexity and order of the natural world as a testament to God's wisdom and power. Psalm 104:24 proclaims, "How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures." This verse celebrates the intricate design and interdependence of all living things, reflecting the Creator's wisdom.

Job 12:7-10 invites reflection on the natural world as a source of understanding God's handiwork: "But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind."

The Sanctity of Life

The Bible upholds the sanctity of life, affirming that all life is valuable and purposeful. This is evident in passages such as Psalm 139:13-14 , where the psalmist declares, "For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well." This acknowledgment of God's involvement in the formation of life from conception underscores the inherent value and dignity of every human being.

Dominion and Stewardship

The biblical mandate for humans to exercise dominion over creation, as stated in Genesis 1:28 , "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth,'" implies a responsibility to steward and care for the biological world. This stewardship reflects a balance between utilizing natural resources and preserving the integrity of God's creation.

In summary, the Bible provides a framework for understanding biology through the lens of divine creation, emphasizing the intentionality, complexity, and sanctity of life. The study of biology, from this perspective, becomes an exploration of God's handiwork, inviting awe and reverence for the Creator and His creation.

Topical Bible Verses

Genesis 1:1-31
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Topicalbible.org

Job 26:10
He has compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
Topicalbible.org

Job 36:27-28
For he makes small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapor thereof:
Topicalbible.org

Job 26:7
He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth on nothing.
Topicalbible.org

Library

A Prefatory Letter.
... invented "protoplasm" in the interests of "materialism." My unlucky "Lay Sermon"
has been attacked by microscopists, ignorant alike of Biology and Philosophy ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/a prefatory letter.htm

Geological Contemporaneity and Persistent Types of Life.
... that in half a century (for palaeontology, though it dawned earlier, came into full
day only with Cuvier) a subordinate branch of biology should have doubled ...
/.../x geological contemporaneity and persistent.htm

On the Educational Value of the Natural History Sciences.
... you on Monday last; but while, for the sake of that order, I must beg you to suppose
that this discussion of the Educational bearings of Biology in general ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/v on the educational value.htm

Conformity to Type
... There is no more mystery in Religion as to its processes than in Biology. There
is much mystery in Biology. ... It uses everywhere the language of Biology. ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/conformity to type.htm

The Scientific Aspects of Positivism.
... Nothing could be more interesting to a student of biology than to see the study
of the biological sciences laid down, as an essential part of the prolegomena ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/viii the scientific aspects of.htm

Preliminary Definition of the Subject
... injured, by another. This conception has been finally discredited by biology,
and so far the evangelist must be grateful. The Atonement ...
/.../the atonement and the modern mind/chapter i preliminary definition of.htm

The Atonement and the Modern Mind
... injured, by another. This conception has been finally discredited by biology,
and so far the evangelist must be grateful. The Atonement ...
/.../denney/the death of christ/chapter 7 the atonement and.htm

Evolution and Sociology
... With Nature studied in the light of a true biology, or even in the sense in which
the Stoics themselves employed their favourite phrase, it must become once ...
/.../the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/iv evolution and sociology.htm

Preface
... matter Religion had taken on the method of expression of Science, and I discovered
myself enunciating Spiritual Law in the exact terms of Biology and Physics. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/preface.htm

The Contribution of Science to Christianity
... The evidence for Christianity is a Christian. The unit of physics is the atom, of
biology the cell, of philosophy the man, of theology the Christian. ...
/.../berkhof/new evangelism and other papers/the contribution of science to.htm