Tpt: Genesis: Firstfruits (The Passion Translation)

The Book of Genesis is God's autobiography and the foundation upon which all revelation rests. The purpose of this book is to give the origin of all things, including the cosmic order of the universe and the covenant relationship between God and his people. Speaking the Word from his eternal dwelling place of light, God fashioned everything from nothing, perfectly displaying his awesome wonder. We will never be able to take the mystery out of Creation, for a God who is incomprehensible in his greatness accomplished it. One of the over-arching themes of Genesis is God's blessing. His highest order is not the earth or the cosmos, it is man and woman, made after his kind, to be containers for his glory. Genesis showcases God's redemptive heart toward the world-a theme that can be traced throughout the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures. 'When God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was completely formless and empty, with nothing but darkness draped over the deep. God's Spirit swept over the face of the waters. And then God announced: "Let there be light," and light burst forth!' Genesis 1:1-3

Dr Brian Simmons has previously been involved in the translation project of the Kuna New Testament and has studied linguistics and Bible translation principles through New Tribes Mission. He and his family spent nearly eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. Afterward, he assisted in planting a thriving church in West Haven, CT Gateway Christian Fellowship. Dr Simmons now travels full time as a conference speaker and Bible teacher. Brian has been married for over forty-two years and boasts regularly of his three children and six grandchildren.