CRS Textbook for SHS One contains the Christian Religious Studies topics for the SS 1 CRS course. In this post, you will have only Lesson one from the CRS textbook for SHS 1. These are concise, exam-focused Christian Religious Studies (CRS) study notes for SHS 1 students in Ghana and elsewhere.
Are you a CRS teacher looking for easy-to-manage CRS lesson notes for SHS 1? Then you’re at the right place.
Best for Nov/Dec WASSCE Private Candidates
Are you a private candidate studying WAEC CRS for the first time? Then these series of SHS CRS lessons will make your private studies a lot easier. By the end of this Senior High School Christian Religious Studies course, you will have a complete compilation of all the study notes you will ever get in a typical CRS Textbook for SHS 1, 2 and 3.
There is a free PDF version of this Lesson one of the CRS Textbook for SHS 1. You can download it for offline use at any time.
Without further ado, let’s take a walk through the SHS 1 lesson one notes for the WAEC Christian Religious Studies course.
CRS Textbook for SHS 1 Lesson One
The topic for this lesson of the SHS 1 CRS course textbook is The Sovereignty of God. This is exactly what you will find in the WAEC CRS syllabus for SHS.
Old Testament Studies: The Sovereignty of God
The Sovereignty of God forms part of the Old Testament Studies segment of the WAEC/WASSCE Christian Religious Studies syllabus for Senior High Schools.
It is our first lesson in the CRS Textbook for SHS 1.
Find inside this SS 1 CRS course the details of the two accounts of creation as narrated in the bible.
You will also find the moral lessons that can be learnt from the creation stories.
Finally, discover the most likely CRS questions as well as numerous past questions on the sovereignty of God.
God The Creator And Controller Of The Universe
In this lesson, you will find out why God is regarded as the creator and controller of the Universe.
You will also realize that there are two different accounts of the creation story as narrated in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
First Creation Account – Priestly Account
The first account of creation is attributed to a group of writers who were mainly concerned about religious purity. Thus, they saw everything in terms of proper religious practices. This first account of creation is referred to as the ‘Priestly Account’. It is represented by the letter ‘P’.
Second Creation Account – Yahwist Account
The second account of creation is referred to as the ‘Yahwist Account’. The writer used the name Yahweh for the God of Israel. The letter ‘J’ is used to represent the Yahwist account of creation. The reason is it is the first letter of the German word for Yahweh (Jahvist).
The First Account Of The Creation Stories (Gen 1:2-4a)
Here are the necessary details of the first account of creation.
In the first account of creation, the story begins with the statement “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”.
First Day
The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved over the waters and God then said “let there be light” and there was light. Thus God created light on the first day.
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Second Day
God separated light from the darkness and called the light day and the Darkness night. Thus day and night were created on the second day. God made the firmament which he called sky. It divided the body of water into two. That is the water above and the water below the sky.
Third Day
On the third day, he ordered the waters below the sky to be separated from the land. He called the dry land earth and the bodies of water seas. He then caused the earth to produce vegetation(grass, trees and fruits).
Fourth Day
on the fourth day, God created luminaries(sun, moon and stars) to appear in the firmament(sky) to separate the day from the night and to serve as signs to determine festivals, seasons, days, months and years.
Fifth Day
On the fifth day, God created birds and fishes. He then asked the creatures to be fruitful and stock the oceans and the birds to multiply on the earth.
Sixth Day
On the sixth day, God created animals and humankind. He commanded the earth to bring forth living creatures according to their kinds e.g. cattle, creeping things and beast of the earth. Secondly, He created mankind in his own image.
He commanded them both male and female to be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth and have dominion over every living creature that move upon the earth. God then looked over all that he had made and it was excellent in every way.
Seventh Day
On the seventh day, God set the day apart and blessed it.
The Second Account Of Creation (Gen 2:4b – 25)
The next stage in Lesson One of the CRS Textbook for SHS 1 focuses on the second account of creation. This is also known as the Yahwist account of creation.
After God had completed the creation of the heavens and the earth, there was neither man nor plant or any other living creature on earth. There was no rain to water the earth. Except for the dew that came from heaven.
God Created Man
God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and man became a living being.
Garden of Eden
God then planted a garden called Eden and put man in charge. Then God proceeded to make all kinds of trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. Among them were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
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Four rivers which separated into four headwaters irrigated the garden. The rivers are Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates. God then put man in the garden and asked him to till it and take care of it.
Man as Caretaker
Thereafter, God commanded man to eat from any of the trees from the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and. God added man shall surely die if he ever ate of that tree.
Companions for Man
God found that it was not good for man to be lonely so he created animals and birds out of dust and man was requested to name them.
In spite of the creation of the animals, man was still lonely. The Lord God then caused Adam to sleep and from his ribs, he created Eve and brought her to him. She was to be a playmate as well as a helpmate to Adam.
When Adam saw the woman he became happy and shouted “this is the bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh. And she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man”.
Differences Between The Two Accounts Of Creation
Another significant exam focus topic in Lesson one from this CRS Textbook for SHS 1 is the differences between the first and second accounts of creation.
In the first account of creation, each day is assigned a particular aspect of creation. In the second account, on the other hand, creation did not follow the same orderly pattern. It was as if everything was created on the same day.
Secondly, in the first account, the earth is presented as emerging from the waters whereas in the second account it was presented as if it was first dry before the emergence of the water.
Thirdly, in the first account of creation, both man and woman were created on the same day, but in the second account man was created first and woman later.
Moreover, in the first account, man and animals were created by God’s spoken word but in the second account, they were created out of the dust of the earth.
Again, in the first account, man was last to be created but was the first to be created in the second account.
Finally, in the first account man was given every plant to eat but in the second account he was given all except one.
Similarities Between The Two Accounts Of Creation
Now, let’s take a quick look at the similarities between the two creation stories in the bible.
First of all, both accounts show that everything owes its existence to God.
Also, the two accounts agree that man is God’s steward of the created order.
Thirdly, both teach the same truth ie. That there is one God who created the world.
The fourth similarity between the two creation stories is that they each seek to explain the origin of two human institutions. Marriage and the Sabbath are portrayed as divinely ordained
Again, in both stories, except for man, everything was created out of nothing.
Finally, both creation stories are apparently primal myths. They must have been borrowed from Babylonian culture.
Moral Lessons From The Creation Stories
In this segment of Lesson one of the CRS Textbook for SHS1, we shall identify the key moral lessons Christians can learn from the creation stories.
Here are the lessons from the two accounts of creation.
- The breath of God is within all human beings. We must therefore treat each other equally.
- As God’s appointed stewards, human beings must not degrade the environment. Instead, we must preserve it.
- Obedience is a requirement for a good harmonious relationship with God.
- God cares for human beings. This is why he provided them with all their needs to survive.
- Marriage is a divine institution. Therefore, it should be regarded as sacred.
- Man must continue to participate in the creative act of God by producing.
Likely CRS Questions and Answer Points
Below are some likely CRS questions with recommended answer points for you. They form the next stage in our lesson one of the CRS Textbook for SHS 1. But remember there are more likely questions to come.
Question: How is the nature of God revealed in the creation stories?
- The story portrays God’s sovereignty. God is able to create the universe out of nothing.
- God has control over what he created
- God is love. This is why he cares for the needs of his creatures.
- God instituted marriage to perpetuate his creation.
God is a God of order. So he created the elements in an orderly manner.
- God has absolute freedom to do as he pleases.
- God is God of perfection for all that he created was good.
- God is omnipotent. He is all-powerful.
- God is eternal. He is not created and has no beginning and no end.
Question: Why Did God Create Man?
- God created man to continue with his creation.
- The Lord created man to subdue the earth and have dominion over all that he has created.
- God created man for him to take care of the environment.
- He created man so that man will worship him.
- God created man for him to procreate and fill the earth.
Question: Outline Ways in Which Man Has Contributed to Creation
Contribution Of Man To Creation
Find the various ways in which humankind had contributed to the creative process that God started.
- Reproduction of human beings. This is also known as procreation.
- Agricultural or farming activities i.e. tilling the land etc.
- Building and construction works
- Utilization of natural resources
- Scientific discoveries.
- Innovations and inventions through technology
- Medical discoveries and breakthroughs
Question: Describe Human Activities That Cause Harm To God’s Creation
- Pollution of water bodies kills fishes and cause harm to human beings.
- Indiscriminate felling of trees can lead to deforestation and desertification.
- The above can result in climate change with its devastating effects.
- Soil erosion and surface mining cause harm to the environment.
- Indiscriminate hunting, fishing and slaughter of animals depletes animal life.
- Disposal of human waste into water bodies causes diseases
Question: In What Ways Can Man Preserve the Environment?
- Environmentally friendly farming practices must be adopted to conserve the soil.
- People need to be educated about the dangers of bush fires and how to avoid them.
- Hygienic practices must be encouraged.
- Industries should adopt environmentally friendly methods for the disposal of their toxic wastes.
- We should stop killing animals indiscriminately.
- Water bodies must be protected by planting trees around them.
Likely Questions on Lesson One of the CRS Textbook for SHS 1
Let’s end this lesson one from the CRS Textbook for SHS 1 with some probable WAEC/WASSCE questions. In fact, a lot of these are WAEC CRS past questions.
- Outline the major differences between the two creation stories.
- Give an account of the first creation story as contained in Genesis chapter 1.
- In what three ways is man contributing to the act of creation?
- Name the second account of creation. What three moral lessons can we draw from this story?
- In what three ways do human activities degrade the environment?
- Describe God’s creation of the following
(i) Light (ii) Woman
In what three ways does creation reveal God’s nature?
- Outline the similarities and differences between the two creation stories.
- Mention three ways by which man can sustain God’s creation.
- Describe how God created Eve according to the book of Genesis.
In what four ways are women contributing to the development of society?
- Give an account of the second creation story.
- State four responsibilities of man in God’s creation.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations. You have successfully made it to the end of lesson one of our CRS coursebooks for SHS 1. Make sure to practice writing CRS essays on some of the likely questions above. You may also take the short quizzes on all the General Arts subjects available at Cegast Academy. Christian Religious Studies is one of them. I hope to see you in Lesson Two and Lesson Three of our course based on the CRS Textbook for SHS 1.
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