Getting Back to the Bible
Creation, Fall, Flood, Babel, Salvation Through Christ, Pentecost, Fire, Judgment, Eternity
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, September 25, 2026 (Donate)
Good biblical doctrines ultimately connect with one another (Proverbs 4:2; 2 Timothy 3:16). They don’t exist as isolated teachings. Since God is the Author of truth He can’t contradict Himself. Thus, sound biblical doctrines complement and reinforce one another. On the other hand, false doctrines eventually conflict and contradict with the clear teachings of God's Word.
Throughout this doctrinal series, we have only scratched the
surface of many doctrines, doctrinal issues, and theological debates. In fact,
each major doctrine could easily fill an entire book!
But as we study individual doctrines, we should never lose
sight of the big picture. Good doctrine stands upon God's Word as the final and
full authority and ultimately points us toward the central message of Scripture
and specifically to Jesus Christ.
As big picture reminder some highlights are: Creation,
Fall, Flood, Babel, Redemption and Salvation in Christ, Pentecost, Fire, Judgment, Eternity.
Let’s look at these more closely.
Creation
The Bible begins with God:
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1, NKJV).
Everything begins with the infinite, eternal, uncreated God.
He created all things in six days (Genesis 1:1-23; Exodus 20:11, 31:17), and
His original creation was "very good" (Genesis 1:31/Deuteronomy 32:4).
Man (male and female) was specially created in an eternal God's image
(Genesis 1:26-27), giving every person (including you!) inherent, eternal
value and dignity.
Creation is the foundation for every major doctrine of
theology whether directly or indirectly. God owns creation because He made it
and sustains it into existence. He defines good and evil. He defines marriage,
family, work, morality, and purpose. We are creatures subject to and accountable
to our Creator.
If we abandon biblical Creation, we destroy the foundation
upon which many other doctrines rest. It’s like pulling the rug out from
underneath our feet. We lose our stability.
The Fall
Genesis 3 explains why God's originally perfect
creation is now filled with suffering, death, disease, conflict, and sin.
Adam and Eve (our respective grandparents!) rebelled against
God's command. Sin entered the world, and death came through sin (Romans 5:12).
The effects of the Curse extended throughout creation (Romans 8:20-22).
This creates mankind's greatest problem. We are sinners
before a holy and infinite God. He is perfectly just and must judge us as
guilty sinners and inflict the righteous punishment that we deserve—physical death
and a subsequent eternal death for our eternal souls with the wrath of God upon
us forever (this is what “hell” is).
In this life, man is given a taste of what life is
like without God’s full blessing. This broken creation, broken relationships, with
immense sufferings, disease, and death are only small aspects of God’s full
wrath to come.
The Fall therefore points forward to our need for a Savior
and is the foundation for why everyone needs Christ. Genesis 3 doesn’t merely
explain what went wrong with the world; it also, subtly perhaps, prepares us to
understand why Jesus Christ, who is God, had to come. Only an eternal God
is in a position to solve our eternal sin problem.
The Flood And Babel
Man’s rebellion continued after the Fall. By Noah's day, wickedness had become exceedingly great (Genesis 6:5). God judged the world with the global Flood while graciously saving Noah, his family, and the land-dwelling, air-breathing animals aboard the Ark. But they had to go through the door of the Ark to be saved. The Flood reminds us that God judges sin, but it also shows God's grace and salvation.
Again, man’s rebellion continued after the Flood. At Babel, mankind refused God's command to fill the earth and instead gathered together in rebellion (Genesis 11:1-9). God confused their languages and scattered them across the earth. Yet Babel wasn’t the end.
Redemption And Salvation In Christ
The pivotal point of human history is the coming of Jesus
Christ—as a babe in a manger. The eternal and infinite Son of God took on human
flesh (John 1:1, 14).
Jesus lived without sin, died on the Cross, and rose bodily
from the dead. Christ took the punishment we deserve—not just the physical anguish
and death on the cross, but He was offer up to God the Father by His own will
to take infinite and eternal punishment we deserve for our sin. Jesus took that
brunt! Due to His eternal nature, He could take the eternal punishment in a
mere moment—that shows the power of God.
So the full punishment for man’s sin has already been endured by Christ—those before Christ looked forward to Him and we look back to Christ sacrifice. This is why we no longer need to sacrifice animals (which were a temporary covering anyway in the Old Testament).
Through Christ comes redemption, justification, forgiveness,
and salvation.
For since by man came death,
by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, NKJV).
The first Adam brought sin and death into the human race.
Jesus Christ, called the "last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45), brings
life and salvation to His people—those who repent of their sins, and receive
Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior recognizing His death and resurrection.
At Pentecost, people from many nations and languages heard
the wonderful works of God proclaimed in their own languages (Acts 2:5-11).
Babel had divided mankind's languages; at Pentecost, the gospel began going
powerfully across those linguistic and national boundaries as Christ built His
church.
The gospel isn’t limited to one nation, ethnicity, or
language. Christ commanded His followers to make disciples of all the nations (e.g.,
Matthew 28:19).
Fire And Final Judgment
The same Bible that records God's past judgment also warns
of judgment to come.
God once judged the earth with water. Scripture says that
the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire (2 Peter 3:5-7). Thus, we
need to be doing the Lord’s work until He returns for us as He promised to come
back (John 14:2-3). History is moving toward a conclusion determined by God.
There will also be a final judgment. Scripture teaches that
mankind will stand before God (Revelation 20:11-15). Our hope can’t be our own
goodness, accomplishments, or good works—because we are all wretched sinners
and that is why we deserve punishment. Salvation, though, is found in Jesus
Christ and Jesus Christ alone.
For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV).
Eternity
Judgment isn’t the end of the biblical account. The book of Revelation
concludes with the new heaven and new earth, where God's people will dwell with
Him forever (Revelation 21-22). Sin, death, sorrow, crying, and pain will be
gone.
Those who remain in their sin face eternal judgment—that is those who refuse Christ and wrath of God will continue to abide on them forever. On the flip side of the coin, those who belong to Christ enjoy everlasting life in God's presence with blessings so great we can’t even imagine it—but what else would be expect from an eternally good and loving God?
This brings us from Genesis to Revelation:
Creation -> Fall -> Flood -> Babel ->
Redemption -> Gospel to the Nations -> Fire -> Final Judgment ->
Eternity
These aren’t disconnected Bible accounts. They form one
great history centered upon God's work and culminating in Jesus Christ.
Stand Firm on God's Word
Existence in God’s world is predicated upon God and the
truth of His Word. This is why doctrine matters—He sets it and He has the authority
to do so. We need to humble ourselves before a holy God.
False teachings in one area can eventually affect our
understanding of other biblical truths. Christians should, therefore, be
careful not to mix Christianity with philosophies, religions, or
worldviews that contradict Scripture.
Don’t allow secular philosophies, false religions, human
traditions, or popular cultural ideas to become authorities over God's Word.
And definitely don’t syncretize Christianity with teachings that contradict
Scripture while attempting to maintain Christian terminology.
Instead, test everything by the authoritative, perfect, and
holy Word of God (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). While doing this, remember
the big picture with Christ central to it all. Notice how the ones correlate,
the twos correlate, and so on? Christ is the central pivot point.
1. God created Creation.
2. Man fell into sin and judgment.
3. God judged the earth with
the Flood of water.
4. God scattered mankind at
Babel via language barriers.
5. Christ provides redemption
and salvation through His blood on the Cross.
4. The gospel transcends language
and unites Christians together under one banner.
3. God will bring the present earth
to judgment of fire.
2. Every man faces final
judgment before Christ.
1. And then comes God’s final, eternal
Creation (heaven and hell).
So stand firmly upon the authoritative Word of God. Rest in
the finished work and salvation of Jesus Christ. Reject false doctrines that
contradict God's revelation. And look forward with hope to the day when we will
dwell eternally with our loving and awesome Creator and Savior, enjoying the
everlasting blessing and communion of our perfect, infinite, holy, and loving
God.
The Bible begins with God creating the heavens and the
earth. It ends with God's people dwelling with Him forever. How amazing is that!
From Genesis to Revelation, it is one history, one truth, connecting all biblical
doctrine to ultimately one Savior: Jesus Christ.
And they continued steadfastly in
the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
prayers. (Acts 2:42, NKJV)
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
