While it would be very natural for us to have combined Articles 5 and 6 of the confession into one on the topic of creation, our confession of faith does not do so. I don't personally know much about the motivation behind this choice, yet it does seem like a significant separation to me.
Article 5 focuses on the whole of creation and God's big plan; while Article 6: The Creation and Calling of Human Beings, narrows it down to humanity and the purpose for our creation. I would suggest that this is important and significant given the account that we read in Genesis 1:26-31 of the 6th day. The creation of human beings was part of the whole of creation and yet it is notably different. No other part of creation was made in the image of God. Additonally while all of creation was good, the creation of human beings was VERY good. (emphasis mine). Finally, it was human beings who were given "dominion" over the rest of creation so while we are part and parcel of the whole of creation, we are also set apart with a particular purpose.
Genesis 2:18-23 adds to these distinctions. It tells us that God made all of the other animals, but that he allowed man (Eve was not yet created in this account) to name them all. We also see in Genesis 2:7 that when God made man that He breathed into his nostrils to give him life. Human beings are the only ones recorded to have the breathe of God in them. And so it seems fitting to me that we have a separate article to highlight these realities.
For me, though, the emphasis of this article is really on the purpose for creating human beings. The title of the article is not just about the creation but also the calling of human beings. Within the article we see three primary callings, "Human beings have been made for relationship with God, to live in peace with each other, and to take care of the rest of creation." We have been created for the purpose of...
1. Relationship with God. This takes us back to our focus in Article 1: God - a relational being.
2. To live in peace with each other. We are not just a group of individuals. We are a people.
3. To take care of the rest of creation. We are to be stewards of what God has made and is ultimately still His.
May God bless and guide us as we seek to live out His purposes for us.
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