Genesis 1 made more sensible and scientific

[Catholic Crusader]

The concept of a 6 day creation came from the confusion about Adam and Eve's first 6 days after arriving on a preaveously evolved and fallen old earth. When the Hebrew priest were creating their exaggerated history they drew upon existing lore from Mesopotamia. There is much more world history that predates Adam and Eve.

I partially agree with you, in that the six-day creation is not to be taken literally. Genesis is historical narrative, are of real things, but its not written they way we would write.

In order to discover the sacred authors' intention, the reader must take into account the conditions of their time and culture, the literary genres in use at that time, and the modes of feeling, speaking and narrating current at the time. The fact is that truth is differently presented and expressed in the various types of historical writing, in prophetical and poetical texts, and in other forms of literary expression.

Consider "Revelation". It is obviously a far different literary style than the Gospels, just as Psalms is a far different literary style than Exodus or Leviticus.

Much of Genesis is a literary style that uses allegory and imagery to convey the truth. But was there really a talking snake and a tree bearing fruits with mystical powers? Not likely.

Genesis is true, but the truth it is meant to convey is not in a literary style we are use to. In Sacred Scripture, God speaks to man in a human way.

The fact is, Genesis 1 is meant to teach one thing and one thing only: That God created everything out of nothing, that he created man in his own image, that man separated himself from God through disobedience, and that God immediately set about the long - or at least it seems long to us - process of healing that rift, a process which culminated with the death and resurrection of Christ. That is ALL it teaches.

Everything in Genesis is meant to convey that truth, but it is done in the ancient Semitic style of writing, using allegories, fantastic imagery, and all based on traditions that were handed down for centuries. I do not believe there was a serpent, or a tree, or a garden, etc. These are all images & allegories, in a certain style of writing, meant to convey the fundamental truth I stated above.

 

[6days]

Your reading of the text unnecessarily assumes that Day Four is referring to the creation of the sun. However, the language can also be understood to refer to the "lights in the heavens" becoming visible for the first time.

Words have meaning. Let's trust what God says...not your attempt at compromising scripture by adding billions of years of death pain and suffering before sin.
Gen.1:14 *And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15*and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16*God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17*God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18*to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19*And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

 

[Caino]

Unfortuantely, there's no substantial evidence that this was the case. Scholars have been ganging up on the "other ANE sources" approach for the last ten years in order to get their books published. There's no exegetical reason to try to force the ancient Hebrew text to conform to "Mesopotamian lore." The whole creation story makes perfectly good sense on its own terms.

But in another post you concede that there were others out in the world besides Adam and his family? A common reading sees the creation story as flawed and inconsistent with the facts revealed within the archeological record of an old, evolved earth.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Words have meaning........

.........if you read them correctly, which you don't even come close to doing.

 

[6days]

What? Are you claiming there was no sun to provide photosynthesis for plants and trees during the age of the dinosaurs?
That's absurd.

Lets see what God says....
Light was created on day 1.
The sun was created on day 4
Plants on day 3
Dinosaurs day 5
See Genesis 1

 

[Lilstu]

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Creationist always claim that God created from nothing.

But according to Genesis 1:2 the formless earth already existed when God started creating. The "deep' [whatever that is???] already existed.
So God didn't start from NOTHING. Stuff already existed. Perhaps just matter and energy which needed to be organized to make the universe.

 

[patrick jane]

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Creationist always claim that God created from nothing.

But according to Genesis 1:2 the formless earth already existed when God started creating. The "deep' [whatever that is???] already existed.
So God didn't start from NOTHING. Stuff already existed. Perhaps just matter and energy which needed to be organized to make the universe.

God created the heavens and earth first - dummy

 

[6days]

If you know the scriptures, you would understand that "formless and void" refers to an existing land area that has become uninhabitable and is considered a "wasteland" or "wilderness" (Jeremiah 4:23-26).

Again Rivers... You are adding things to God's Word. Genesis 1 says nothing about God re-creating a wasteland.
The Hebrew words here 'tohu va bohu' mean "unformed and unfilled". In Genesis, the earth was unformed and unfilled because nothing else was created yet. In Jeremiah, he uses the same phrase in a prophecy that Jerusalem would be sacked; nothing at all to do with creation. Jeremiah uses a literary device to suggest the state of Jerusalem, or its judgement, would leave it as empty as the earth before God formed and filled it.

Benson's opinion here is misleading. The verb KATARTIZW does not imply "material fabric." His comment is a typical example of the careless use of lexical sources that often characterizes Bible commentaries. The entire context of Hebrews 11 is about "faith" (Hebrews 1:1) and those through the "ages" (Hebrews 11:3) who expressed their faith in different ways in order to please God (Hebrews 1:5).

Benson's opinion is the same as virtually every major translation team. God spoke the universe into existence. There is nothing in the Bible about Him re-creating a wasteland.
Heb. 11:3
New International Version
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

New Living Translation
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

English Standard Version
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Berean Study Bible
By faith we understand that the universe was formed by God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Berean Literal Bible
By faith we understand the universe to have been formed by the word of God, so that the things being seen have not been made from the things being visible.

New American Standard Bible
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

King James Bible
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
By faith we understand that the universe was created by God's command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

International Standard Version
By faith we understand that time was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are invisible.

 

[6days]

God created the heavens and earth first - dummy

Yes...EVERYTHING was created in 6 days. Ex.20:11. He spoke creation into existence. Heb.11:3

 

[jamie]

The sun was created on day 4

No, the sun was created in the beginning. On day four the sunlight reached the surface of the earth.

 

[Greg Jennings]

What? Are you claiming there was no sun to provide photosynthesis for plants and trees during the age of the dinosaurs?

That's absurd.

He and 6days think that dinosaurs (and ALL animal/plant species that have ever existed) lived alongside humans. It's rather amusing, really

 

[Catholic Crusader]

God created the heavens and earth first - dummy

Way to evangelize Pat. LOLLLL

 

[6days]

No, the sun was created in the beginning. On day four the sunlight reached the surface of the earth.

So you believe... However, God's Word says,"God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

 

[6days]

He and 6days think that dinosaurs (and ALL animal/plant species that have ever existed) lived alongside humans. It's rather amusing, really

Once again... Greg makes a strawman. Lets see if he can defeat it.

 

[Greg Jennings]

Once again... Greg makes a strawman. Lets see if he can defeat it.

I'm sorry, which part of my statement was false? I'll put it here for you to point out exactly where I was wrong:

"He [Stripe] and 6days [you] think that dinosaurs (and ALL animal/plant species that have ever existed) lived alongside humans."


You have repeatedly stated that you believe dinosaurs to have lived alongside man, along with all other animals. Have you come round to reality on this notion?

 

[Rivers]

Again Rivers... You are adding things to God's Word. Genesis 1 says nothing about God re-creating a wasteland. The Hebrew words here 'tohu va bohu' mean "unformed and unfilled". In Genesis, the earth was unformed and unfilled because nothing else was created yet. In Jeremiah, he uses the same phrase in a prophecy that Jerusalem would be sacked; nothing at all to do with creation. Jeremiah uses a literary device to suggest the state of Jerusalem, or its judgement, would leave it as empty as the earth before God formed and filled it.

If you actually read Jeremeiah 4:23-26, you'll discover that the prophet was using "formless and void" to describe the condition of the Land AFTER the elements of Creation were no longer visible. Similarly, the writer of Genesis was using this Hebrew idiom to describe the condition of the Land BEFORE the six days of the Creation when those elements were also not present (Genesis 1:2).

Benson's opinion is the same as virtually every major translation team. God spoke the universe into existence. There is nothing in the Bible about Him re-creating a wasteland.

The other translations you cited do not follow Benson's erroneous opinion. You are citing the translations and miscontrueing the interpretation of Hebrews 11:3 because you read them according to your own presuppositions (instead of paying attention to the context and how the writer of Hebrews used the language elsewhere). Showing all those translations simply proves that not everyone reads the text the same way.

 

[Rivers]

He and 6days think that dinosaurs (and ALL animal/plant species that have ever existed) lived alongside humans. It's rather amusing, really

I agree.

There's nothing about dinosaurs in the Bible and there's nothing in the Genesis creation story that needs to account for them. Unfortunately, many Christians do not understand that "heavens and earth" in Hebrew is only a regional term. The ancient Hebrews had no concept of planet Earth or the Universe as we know it today.

 

[Rivers]

Yes...EVERYTHING was created in 6 days. Ex.20:11. He spoke creation into existence. Heb.11:3

Hebrews 11:3 says that God "made the ages" which refers to the generations of people of "faith" who are described throughout the context (Hebrews 11:5-40). The term "ages" (AIWNAS) does not mean "heavens and earth" or "universe" or "creation." The context of Hebrews 11 also has nothing to do with the Genesis creation story.

 

[Rivers]

But in another post you concede that there were others out in the world besides Adam and his family? A common reading sees the creation story as flawed and inconsistent with the facts revealed within the archeological record of an old, evolved earth.

Yes, but I cited Genesis 4:13-17 to show that the ancient Hebrews were aware of others besides the family of Adam. It doesn't logically follow that this means that the ancient Hebrews borrowed their information from "Mesopotamian lore."

 

[jamie]

The ancient Hebrews had no concept of planet Earth or the Universe as we know it today.

But they knew the earth was round.