Creation of humanity
The creation of humanity is God’s act of making human beings in his image as male and female. Scripture presents humanity as uniquely created by God, with dignity, responsibility, and a special place in his world.
At a Glance
The creation of humanity is God’s act of making human beings in his image as male and female. Scripture presents humanity as uniquely created by God, with dignity, responsibility, and a special place in his world.
Description
The creation of humanity is the biblical teaching that God intentionally made human beings and distinguished them from the rest of creation by creating them in his image (Gen. 1:26–27; 2:7, 18–25). Scripture presents humanity as male and female, equal in dignity before God, yet embodied and creaturely, dependent on their Maker for life and purpose. Human beings were created good, given dominion under God, and entrusted with fruitful stewardship of the earth. Genesis 2 further describes the formation of the man from the dust and the woman in relation to the man, underscoring both humanity’s origin from God and the covenantal, relational nature of human life. Orthodox Christians differ on some interpretive questions surrounding the creation accounts, but the central affirmations are clear: humanity did not arise independently of God, bears his image, and is accountable to him.