NOTES for Gen 1:20-31

Today’s Old Testament reading contains a very striking verse that truly says a great deal about the essence of the human person. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Look: God created the human person—male and female. Elementary knowledge of arithmetic is enough to calculate that a man and a woman are two people, not one! Several conclusions follow immediately. First, it is clear that this is about humanity, about people, and not about “a single specimen.” Second, it matters to God that this humanity could not consist only of men or only of women. Reproduction has nothing to do with it; it is no problem for God to create a being that reproduces by division or budding. The point is precisely that the fullness of human qualities is revealed through mutual complementarity. Third, this clarification of the distinction between man and woman is made only for the human person. It is not said of animals, “male and female He created them.” This means that the psychological and spiritual differences between man and woman have greater value and significance than the differences between animals of different sexes.