Bible Question:
(Sorry, Let me try this again :) "But does it necessarily follow that the blow-by-blow description of the creation story is a completely factual recounting of what happened? I don't believe so. All I'm saying is that we don't know" Hi Jim, If Genesis is not a COMPLETELY FACTUAL recounting of creation, then you DO know at least what it is not. It is not a completely factual recounting of creation. If it is not factual, then what are our non-factual options, myth, allegory, fable? |
Bible Answer: I suppose you could add legend to that list. And I'm not for a minute suggesting that God's creation of the world is anything other than fact. It is just that - fact. All I'm trying to say is that it (the creation recounting in Genesis) COULD be a summary of verbal recountings passed down over generations until the point where there was a written language to record them in. And I don't see that it effects the veracity of the Bible at all. In a like vein, there are discussions amongst scholars on whether Jesus actually delivered the Sermon on the Mount as a sermon at all. Rather, some believe that it is a compilation of many things he said on multiple occassions, combined and summarized by the narrator for the convenience and education of his readers. Does that mean it's not factual? Not at all, I think. Look at it this way. If you jump into your car in California, and drive to New York City by yourself, there are 3 things that are self-evident: 1. You were in California. 2. You are in New York City. 3. You drove. If 100 years from now, someone were to publish the "definitive" route that you took, would they be correct in every detail? Most likely not - you were alone, so no one really knows what route you took. Does that change any of the facts listed above, as long as they have you starting in California and driving to New York City? Nope. I hope this helps clarify what I was trying to say. Yours in Christ, Jim D. |