Genesis: Christian Beginnings, An Interview with the Author

William Philip, senior minister at the Tron Church in Glasgow, has recently completed his masterful commentary, Genesis: Christian Beginnings. William began his work on Genesis in 2010, and has since preached the entire book of Genesis twice to his congregation in Scotland.

Whilst this commentary is robustly academic and theologically profound, the pages never stray from being earnestly pastoral, providing heartfelt spiritual wisdom for those in the pulpit and pew.

To celebrate the launch of the book (16/04/25), we caught up with William to find out more about the book of Genesis itself and to get a sense of what he hopes his commentary will deliver to those who delve into it.

When was the book of Genesis written and who was it written for?

Genesis was written many thousands of years ago, I believe by Moses, during the time of the Exodus. That would make the first audience Israelites, living under Moses’ leadership during the wilderness years, on the precipice of entering the land of Canaan. That makes it a very old book, but of course, it’s still very relevant today because it has been preserved for us in the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul tells us that everything written in those former days is written for us, for our encouragement, so that through the witness of these ancient texts we might ourselves find encouragement and hope in our Christian lives. It’s the same God, speaking to His people, and we’re all part of that one great continuous story.

What excites you most about the book of Genesis?

On every page there is something so down to earth, so engaging with real life. Yet at the same time you have this sense of the great overarching story of God’s plan being unstoppably worked out, despite all the evil of man and the failure of His people. The details in the stories of Genesis are such wonderful comforts, reminding us that God cares for each one of us, the hairs on our heads being preciously numbered.

What shocks you most about the book of Genesis?

It is just so true to life. When you open the book, which is an ancient book, it feels totally contemporary. Real human nature just hasn’t changed, making it a hugely relevant book for us today.

What truth have you found most encouraging during your studies in Genesis?

The most encouraging truth is the extraordinary patience of God with his people, whilst he works out his plan of bringing salvation to the whole world, to every tribe, tongue and nation. Page after page, we are met with the failure, folly and wickedness of the people God has called to be his blessing to the world, yet God shows persistent grace and mercy. Shocking, but wonderful!

You’ve just finished preaching through Genesis for the second time at the Tron Church, having last preached it over a decade ago. Has the way you’ve taught the book or applied it changed in that time?

In many ways it’s been just the same; the message hasn’t changed, nor has the book. But our society in the western world has changed considerably. So much of the wrong-think and twisted ideology we’re surrounded with is answered so compellingly within the first few chapters of Genesis. A thorough understanding of these chapters helps us to expose the demonic nature of what is being pressed upon us in the name of progress and liberalism. These chapters show us that far from being the way of human flourishing, it’s the way of human disaster.

There are some tough chapters in Genesis that preachers might be tempted to skim over. What advice would you give to those Bible teachers as they get to those bits and why shouldn’t they shy away from them?

There are some very difficult chapters in Genesis to preach and teach on, and that’s why they often get skimmed over. It’s much easier to preach the stories that are most familiar and enjoyable, but we can’t ignore the fact there are some dark moments in Genesis.

Rather than be tempted to miss these chapters, I would want to encourage preachers and teachers to focus very carefully on them because they’ve been included for a reason. Every Bible story is here for our warning, encouragement and blessing as Christians. It’s hard to do, but these chapters often end up being the most relevant. You miss out on the full blessing and richness of the Bible if you do skim over sections of it, and I hope this commentary will help you get stuck into those trickier parts.

Some would argue that the God of Genesis is markedly different to the God of the New Testament, e.g. Old Testament = wrathful God, New Testament = merciful God. How would you respond to that?

People often think that in the Old Testament, and particularly the early books like Genesis, we’re reading about a different version of God from in the New Testament. That is to completely misunderstand actually both the Old and New Testament, as both show us a God of extraordinary grace: He’s the God of transforming grace for His people; He’s the God of tenacious grace who will never let His people go; and ultimately He’s the God of triumphant grace whose purposes cannot fail. When you get into the text you recognise this is the God we know, this is the same God revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

How can Genesis equip the church to navigate a world so confused by sex, gender and identity?

We live in a world which is extremely confused by these issues, but we find the answers here in Genesis. The story of creation tells us who God is, but also who we are as human beings, our identity being found in our relation to God. God made mankind. He made them male and female. He created them side by side, but also face to face, equal in dignity, bearing his image, but complementary in function. The human race, male and female, show forth the glory of God in this world. The first few chapters of Genesis are giving us a far clearer, and actually far more beautiful, wholesome and wonderful picture of what it means to be human. So for those confused about all these kinds of issues, coming to the very first book of the Bible may surprise you, but that is where all the answers are to be found.

Is your commentary just for preachers and bible teachers?

Definitely not, although I am particularly concerned to help and equip preachers and Bible teachers as they prepare to lead others through Genesis. I’ve tried to make it non-technical, although scholarly and technical issues are dealt with, principally in the footnotes. Each chapter can be read in and of itself, which I hope will help the reader understand the message without getting bogged down in too many details.

What do you hope this commentary achieves?

I’ve poured many years of study and work into this book, but also the practice of preaching and teaching it to others. My hope is that you’ll find packaged within these pages something that’s readable and something that’s comprehensive. I’ve tried to make it accessible without dumbing it down, whilst including finer details for those who want to follow up. I hope very much that it will help people, above all, to come to know and love the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God who has revealed Himself to us from the very beginning, through the mouth of Moses. I hope it will be a blessing and encouragement and give people hope for their Christian lives today.

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Tron Books is delighted to publish Genesis: Christian Beginnings, and the team prays it will provide many pastors and saints with a fresh delight in and enthusiasm for the first book of the Bible.

To get your copy or to bulk buy, visit tron.church/books, where purchasing links will be made available from the 16/04/25.

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