The Bible is a fundamental tool in Christianity. Although there are various denominations in Christianity, they all have a common bond in the sense that the Bible forms the basis of their teachings (Bremmer, 12). Similarly, for a long time, the Greek stories were very fundamental in their culture. In fact, they acted as a way of passing on the culture of the Greeks from one generation to another. The issue of creation is one the issues that have been covered in both the Bible and the Greek stories. Thus, various similarities and differences are evident in both the Bible and the Greek stories.
One of the similarities of the creation stories in the two involves how the earth came into being. According to the Bible, in the beginning the earth had had no form and was void. It further states that darkness filled the face of the deep. Likewise, the Greek stories argue that the world covered for great, immeasurable depth empty of form and covered by total darkness. In addition, both agree that “man was created from dust of the ground” (Hamilton and Christopher, 15). But the Greek stories further states that after creation, man were born as is the case today. Furthermore, they both argue that man was punished to labor to earn a living after failing to adhere to the rules of God. Lastly, they both state that a man was created first, and later a woman was created to be his helper (Philips, 22).
However, significant differences exist on the creation story in the Bible and the Greek stories. For instance, in the Bible, it is argued that creation was the work of a single God. However, according to the Greek stories, creation extemporaneously evolved from the work of various gods including “Chaos and Gaia” (Hamilton and Christopher, 19). Besides, the Bible states that God’s creation was planned and orderly, which is not the case as to the Greek stories. Lastly, the Greeks argue the introduction of a woman into humanity was unnecessary and is seen as a punishment. However, the Bible argues that man and woman are complementary to each other (Barthes, 11).
In conclusion, the Bible and the Greek stories are important elements in the cultures of Christianity and the Greeks. On the issue of creation, both tend to share various elements, especially how the earth came into being and the events that followed afterwards especially after the creation of man. However, the two have significant differences on certain issues, such as the power behind the creation and the process of creation in overall.
Works Cited
Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. New York: Hill and Wang, 2013. Print.
Bremmer, Jan N. Greek Religion and Culture, the Bible, and the Ancient Near East. Leiden: Brill, 2008. Print.
Hamilton, Edith, and Christopher Wormell. Mythology. , 2013. Print.
Philips Suzane. The Bible and Greek Mythology, 2013. Retrieved from http://veronafair.hubpages.com/hub/the-bible-and-greek-mythology
