This episode of “The Reformed Standard” examines Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 10, focusing on the creation of humanity. Building on the previous episode about God’s work of creation, this installment zooms in on what distinguishes humans from the rest of creation. The discussion highlights how the manner of humanity’s creation reveals our unique nature, purpose, and relationship with God. By contrasting the biblical account with secular views that reduce humans to mere evolved primates, the episode emphasizes humanity’s special place in creation and the theological significance of how God created us.



Key Takeaways




The catechism, following Genesis, singles out humanity’s creation as distinct from the rest of creation, signaling our unique significance



The “how” of human creation defines the “what” of human nature, identity, and purpose



God’s special method of creating humans implies a unique level of divine involvement compared to other creative acts



Our creation directly connects to our capacity for moral responsibility and relationship with God



Understanding our creation is essential for grasping human dignity and worth beyond mere physical utility



The biblical account of human creation stands in stark contrast to secular views of humans as cosmic accidents



The manner of our making reveals the purpose of our being




Key Concepts



The Unique Position of Humanity in Creation



The Westminster Shorter Catechism deliberately separates the question of human creation from the general work of creation, mirroring the structure of Genesis itself. This separation isn’t arbitrary but theologically significant. While God created stars, oceans, plants, and animals under the general creative work, humanity receives special attention as the crowning achievement of God’s creative activity. This distinction signals that humans aren’t simply one more creature among many but represent the climax of creation. The catechism’s approach emphasizes that understanding humanity’s special creation is fundamental to grasping our unique role and responsibility within creation, our distinctive relationship with our Creator, and ultimately our purpose in existence.



The Relationship Between Creation Method and Human Nature



The podcast emphasizes a profound theological principle: how God created humans directly informs what we are. The method of our creation is inseparable from our essential nature and purpose. This stands in direct contrast to materialistic views that reduce humans to “cosmic accidents” or “slightly more evolved primates.” The creation account reveals that humans possess a unique dignity and moral capacity precisely because of how God chose to create us. Our worth doesn’t derive from physical utility or evolutionary advantage but from God’s intentional, distinctive creative act. This understanding of human creation provides the foundation for concepts like human dignity, moral responsibility, and our capacity for relationship with God—all of which flow directly from the manner of our creation.



Memorable Quotes



“Man is not just one more creature on a list; he is the climax of the creative work.”



“The method of our making reveals the purpose of our being.”



“This is not just a question about ancient history; it is a question that defines our identity, our value, and our ultimate destiny.”



Full Transcript



Last week, we unpacked the catechism’s answer to the work of creation. We affirmed that God, in His absolute power and freedom, made all things of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and declared it all “very good.”



We looked at the grand, sweeping work of God in bringing the entire cosmos into being as a single, unified, and purposeful project.



[00:00:43] Zooming In: The Creation of Man



And now, having looked at that comprehensive work, the catechism stops, and it zooms in. It takes the pinnacle of that six-day work, the crowning achievement of the material world, and it gives this one part of creation its own, dedicated question. After covering “all things,” it now turns to one specific creature: us. It asks a question that is foundational to our very identity, our purpose, and our relationship to God.



How did God create man?



This is a profoundly specific and important question. 



[00:01:15] The Unique Act of Creating Man



Notice the shift in focus. The creation of the stars, the oceans, the land, the plants, and all the animals were covered under the general heading of “the work of creation.” But mankind is separated out. The catechism, following the flow of Genesis itself, signals to us that something is fundamentally different about this creative act.



Man is not just one more creature on a list; he is the climax of the creative work.



The question is not that God created us, or who created us. We have already established that God made “all things.” The question is how He did it. This forces us to consider the manner of our creation. When God created light, He simply spoke: “Let there be light,” and there was light.



When He created the animals, He commanded the earth and the waters to bring them forth.



It was a creation by divine fiat, a powerful command that brought things into being.



But the “how” of man’s creation, as recorded in Scripture, implies something more. It implies a unique level of divine involvement, a different kind of creative act. 



[00:02:23] The Profound Question: How Did God Create Man?



The question “How did God create man?” invites us to look closer at the Genesis narrative and see what makes this moment distinct from all the others.



It presses us to ask what it is about our creation that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.



This is not a trivial question.



In fact, it is one of the most critical questions we can ask, because the “how” of our creation defines the “what” of our nature. 



[00:02:49] The Significance of Our Creation



A world that has rejected God insists that the answer to this question is “by a long, purposeless, material process of chance and necessity.”



We are, in that view, nothing more than a cosmic accident, a slightly more evolved primate.



But the catechism, by posing this question, insists that our origin is different, and therefore our nature is different.



What makes us moral beings? What gives us a unique dignity, a worth that transcends our mere physical utility?



What is it about us that makes us capable of a relationship with God—capable, as we learned in our very first question, of glorifying and enjoying Him forever?



The answer to all of this is found in the “how.” The method of our making reveals the purpose of our being.



This is not just a question about ancient history; it is a question that defines our identity, our value, and our ultimate destiny.



[00:03:45] Reflecting on Our Unique Identity



So before we turn to the catechism’s beautiful and profound answer, let this question sit with you.



Consider the sheer uniqueness of humanity.



Look at the world of animals, and then look at yourself, and ask the question that the catechism, in its wisdom, forces us to confront.



How did God create man?

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