Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Creation Account: Mythical or Not? | Gen 1:27 | Hank | 85170 | ||
Before we approach the book of Genesis and ask, "Are the opening chapters fact or fiction, mythical or historical?" let's define what the English word "mythical" means. Most reasonably educated people, I believe, would agree that the dictionary is a fairly good choice when one wishes to learn the standard definitions of words, so let's go to the current edition of Webster's Collegiate and look up the word "mythical." Here's what it says: "mythical or mythic 1 based on or described in a myth, esp. as contrasted with history 2 existing only in the imagination: fictitious, imaginary 3 having qualities suitable to myth: legendary. synonym: see fictitious. ..... Now let's apply the dictionary definition of "mythical" to the events described in the creation account and ask ourselves whether each event is to be interpreteted as factual or as mythical (fictional). ..... Gen. 1:1: God created the heavens and the earth. Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 1:4-31: God's creation activity spanned six days. Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 1:27: God created man in His own image. Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 2:8: The garden of Eden. Fact or fiction? .... Gen 2:9: The tree of knowledge of good and evil. Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 2:11: Havilah and its gold: Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 2:14: The Euphrates river. Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 3:1: The serpent. Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 3:6: The fruit that Eve ate: Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 3:8-19: The fall of Adam and Eve: Fact or fiction? ..... Gen 3:22-24: The expulsion from Eden: Fact or fiction? ...... Conclusion: If the events described in the opening chapters of Genesis are read as mythical, allegorical, or fictitious, we cannot be sure that God created man or anything else. We cannot know whether there was any such thing as a serpent who beguiled Eve, or that Eve even existed. We have no historical proof of Eden or the fall of Adam and Eve. Without any reliable account of the fall, therefore, the doctrine of original sin falls apart and with it the idea that we need a savior, thus making Christ's death on the cross superfluous. ..... So which is it? The account of creation is real, factual, historical, true -- or it is mythical, allegorical, fictitious. Does it make more sense to take God at His word and to believe that what He says is the way it is, or to invent ways of explaining away the things we don't understand or feel uncomfortable with or just flatly refuse to believe or accept? --Hank | ||||||
2 | If Gen 1,2 are not true, then what is? | Gen 1:27 | Radioman2 | 85247 | ||
Hank: Surely you do not take the English dictionary literally, do you? In my imagination, I've always believed that the dictionary was a collection of myths, fables and stories that don't necessarily mean anything in particular. Isn't it possible that the entries in the dictionary could be true without necessarily being literal or making any sense? "Strawberry fields Nothing is real Nothing to get hung about Strawberry fields forever." Maybe each of us should write this rhyme on the flyleaf of his/her Bible . . . Or not. In addition to your excellent post, I urge readers to consider: If Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2 don't tell us the truth, then why should we believe anything else in the Bible? Radioman2 - - - - - - - - - - Creation: Believe it or Not "Understanding origins in the book of Genesis is foundational to the rest of the Bible. If Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2 don't tell us the truth, then why should we believe anything else in the Bible? If it says in the New Testament that the Creator is our Redeemer, and if God is not the Creator, then maybe He's not the Redeemer either. If it tells us in 2 Peter that God Himself will bring about an instantaneous dissolution of the entire universe as we know it, that God in a moment will uncreate everything, then that has tremendous bearing upon His power to create...the same One who with a word can uncreate the universe is capable of creating it as quickly as He desires. "So what we believe about creation, what we believe about Genesis has implications all the way to the end of Scripture, implications with regard to the veracity and truthfulness of Scripture, implications as to the gospel and implications as to the end of human history all wrapped up in how we understand origins in the book of Genesis. The matter of origins then is absolutely critical to all human thinking. It becomes critical to how we conduct our lives as human beings. Without an understanding of origins, without a right understanding of origins, there is no way to comprehend ourselves. There is no way to understand humanity as to the purpose of our existence, and as to our destiny. If we cannot believe what Genesis says about origins, we are lost as to our purpose and our destiny. Whether this world and its life as we know it evolved by chance, without a cause, or was created by God has immense comprehensive implications for all of human life. (...) "Either you believe God did create the heavens and the earth or you believe He did not. Really those are the only two valid options you have. And if you believe that God did create the heavens and the earth, then you are left with the only record of that creation and that's Genesis 1 and you are bound to accept the text of Genesis 1 as the only appropriate and accurate description of that creative act. "So again I say, you're left really with two choices. You either believe Genesis or you don't. You either believe the Genesis account that God created the heavens and the earth, or you believe they somehow evolved out of random chance. "This is more than just a secondary issue. " [Excerpt from "Creation: Believe it or Not--Part 1" (www.gty.org/Broadcast/transcripts/90-208.htm)] |
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3 | If Gen 1,2 are not true, then what is? | Gen 1:27 | Asis | 85258 | ||
Radioman2 "If Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2 don't tell us the truth, then why should we believe anything else in the Bible?" Isn't that the point. The real discussion is about "Is there absolute truth?" The religion of "science" is trying to explain the workings of God's creation without acknowledging God. Whenever a "new" discovery is made it changes all the "truth" that came before. We even go so far as to explain the realness of the bible by what is called Biblical Archeology. Even though archeology tries to put artifacts into the mold that is already made. The fact is, there is only one ABSOLUTE TRUTH! GOD IS and the Bible is His word. Well maybe two Num. 23:19 (NASB) 19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? |
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