The 6 Days of Creation in Genesis (original) (raw)
Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, 2016
In the March 1991 edition of this journal, I published an article titled "Genesis on the Origin of the Human Race." In that piece, I took the position that Genesis sees humans as essentially religious beings, a nd I went on to argue that this means that the origin of the human race is identical with the origin of religious consciousness in creatures. I still think that is correct. However, in that same article, I also took the position that the Adam of Genesis 2 was the fi rst religious being on Earth, and was therefore the fi rst human and the ancestor of all other humans. In short, I was still under the Augustinian spell of seeing Genesis 2 as a second creation story, contrary to an important rabbinical tradition I have discovered since then. The following article presents the reasons why I am now forced to rescind my earlier position. In what follows, I will show why the Hebrew text does not present Adam and Eve as either the fi rst humans or the ancestors of all humans, and that the New Testament actually denies both those claims. Neither can I any longer agree with Augustine's view that Genesis presents Adam and Eve as created sinless so that their fall from grace is the origin of sin in the world. That runs counter to a longstanding rabbinical tradition as well as to the Eastern Orthodox Christian understanding. It is owing to Augustine's great infl uence, I believe, that we tend to read such claims into Genesis, and are blinded to some crucial parts of the New Testament that could correct them. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith Article Reading Genesis between Genesis and the results of contemporary science. 2 I must say, however, that if these clergy and scholars have good reasons for thinking there is no such confl ict, they have done an extremely poor job of communicating those reasons to the lay members of their churches. The average lay worshipper knows only that whenever naturalists can get a voice in the popular media, they proclaim that science has disproven what Genesis teaches and so conclude that the scriptures teach falsehood. Since the average layperson is utterly unprepared to meet this challenge, I hope to show here how that can be remedied. One fi nal word before launching my canoe into this (un)Pacifi c Ocean: Augustine prefaced his commentary on early Genesis with the remark that the only interpretations he was sure were wrong, were ones that said "only my view can be right." I second that sentiment. What follows is but one Christian's take on the subject, offered in the hope that it may help others who are struggling with the same issues. Therefore, what is most important is not whether my readers fi nd every interpretation I propose to be correct in every detail. Rather, it is whether exposing the false assumptions behind the fundamentalist agenda can help clear the way for understanding Genesis on its own terms and with respect to its own purposes.
True Biblical Six-Day Creationism
The proponents of Young-Earth Creationism and the modern adherents of the Traditional Six-Day Creationism have failed to recognize that God’s physical works of the six days are actually as described in Genesis 1:3-31. They will not be able to recognize this truth as long as they are unwilling to acknowledge the biblical truth of an instant perfect creation briefly described in Genesis 1:1; and, next admit the fact that the chaos mentioned in Genesis 1:2 is not a work of direct creation but of judgment. Again, they will not accept the fact that God actually next worked for six days so as to restore life conditions and create man after His own image and rest on the seventh day. Moreover, in the light of Biblical Truth ‘here a little and there a little’ the evangelical truths that are hidden in the very first chapter of Genesis clearly stand out and cannot be simply ignored.
Interpreting Genesis: A Defense of the Young Earth View
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2019
Various evidences from astronomy, biology, and geology have given the scientific community confidence to declare that the world is billions of years old. The Christian community must decide how to respond to this assertion. The Hebrew word יום is translated into English as “day” in Genesis 1. For those who believe that this word is meant to be interpreted figuratively as an “age,” they see no contradiction between the assertion of the scientific community and the testimony of Scripture about the age of the earth. The traditional interpretation of יום understands the word to refer to a literal twenty-four-hour day. Therefore, the creation week consisted of six literal twenty-four-hour days. If the universe and humanity were formed during the same week, then the age of the earth could not be said to be more than a couple of hundred thousand years. Those holding this view have concluded that the majority of the scientific community is mistaken about the age of the earth. This writer recognizes that this is a difficult position to take and that this position requires biblical and theological warrant.
Making Sense of It All: Reflections on the Ancient Narratives of Genesis
2020
Do you want to make sense of life? Do you want a greater understanding of why the world is the way it is and why people are the way they are? Do you want a deeper understanding of Scripture and people of the Bible? Join us in ‘Making Sense of It All’ as we take a fresh look at the first 12 chapters of Genesis. These amazing stories have all too often be relegated to children's Sunday School classes or Bible story books. They are immensely important for our understanding of God, of the Bible, the people of the Bible, and our world today. Rather than focus on the minutiae of the text as many writers and commentators have already done, the approach here is to stand back and look at the narratives as ‘foundation stones’ of meaning for understanding all the rest of Scripture and life in this world. In looking at these ancient, foundational narratives, the author intersperses a new/ancient approach to understanding Scripture with numerous stories from his own life growing up in other cultures, serving as a missionary, and pastoring churches in three countries. After reading this book, the reader will have a clearer sense of what is going on with this world, a better understanding of Scripture, and tools for dealing with the good, the bad, and the crazy in life. ‘Making Sense of It All’ brings together theology, autobiography, storytelling, reflection for a more for a readable, thought-provoking look at Scripture and how the ancient narratives apply to our daily lives.
Genesis is a book telling stories about the interaction and relationship between God and creation, humankind (chapters 1–11) and the family of Abraham (chapters 12–50). It’s more a book about ‘life on earth’ than a treatise on spiritual matters. The theological significance of the book of Genesis cannot be appreciated unless we read the text within its canonical context in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures and not merely as “an interesting papyrological or epigraphic discovery from exploration of the Middle East that can enlarge our knowledge”. In fact, it is possible to argue that the theological message of Genesis to a large degree can be found in its canonical context rather than in the text itself. The inclusion of Genesis as the first book of the Bible is in itself a theological statement. In order to reflect theologically on Genesis we must therefore read the text as ’the first book of the Bible’– a book of foundations, beginnings and origins. Reading Genesis ‘canonically’ and listening the text in its present, received form helps us focus on the overarching theological concerns of the book.
Science and Genesis: A Personal View
2015
Given their status as targets of humor and caricature, the well-worn stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Tower of Babel are sometimes difficult to take seriously. However, a thoughtful examination of the scriptural record will reveal not simply tales of piety or inspiring adventures but rather carefully crafted narratives from a highly sophisticated culture that preserve deep memories of revealed understanding. We do an injustice both to these marvelous records and to ourselves when we fail to pursue an appreciation of scripture beyond the initial level of cartoon cut-outs inculcated upon the minds of young children. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the early chapters of Genesis from a personal perspective. I will explain why I have learned to love and appreciate the truths of these chapters deeply, both as a scientist and as a disciple.