Genesis – a Word For Today?

Martin Taylor

All Scripture is God-breathed

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Time for Some Latin

Latin Scriptura Sola

Sola Scriptura

Scientia Sub

Scriptura sub Scientia

English Scripture Alone

By Scripture Alone

Science Under, beneath

Scripture under Science

In The Beginning

Gen 1:1 In the beginning the earth was without form and void.

Is Genesis ‘poetry’?

No Grammatical forms are ‘history’ Verbs – perfect followed by imperfect Structure of Ch 1-11 same as Ch 12ff Numbered sequences of days Use of ‘evening and morning’

Numbers 7:10ff

10 And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar.

11 And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.

12 And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:

Genesis 1:1ff

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

What Did Paul (et al) Say? Rom 5:14 Death reigned from the time of

Adam to the time of Moses 1 Cor 15:22 as in Adam all die, so in Christ

all will be made alive 1 Cor 15:45 The first man Adam became a

living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit

1 Tim 2:13 Adam was formed first, then Eve Luke 3:38 Seth, the son of Adam

What Did Jesus Say? The flood was a real event

Mt 24:38-39 in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away

Lk 17:27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given up in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

What Does God Say? Ex 20:1 And God spoke all these words: Ex 20:22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell

the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:

Ex 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

A Question of Authority

The ONLY reason for disbelieving the straight account of Genesis is if you want to place some other ‘authority’ above the Bible

Sola Scriptura v. Scriptura sub Scientia

Scripture Alone v. Scripture under Science

Why Does It Matter?

Fuzzy interpretation of Genesis ->

Undermines the 7-day week Undermines the Law Undermines morals et al Undermines understanding of

Scripture

Why Does It Matter?

Fuzzy interpretation of Genesis ->

Undermines the goodness of God Undermines your salvation 1 Cor 15:21, 22 For since by a man

came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Problems with Compromise

Bible Earth first Earth covered in water Oceans before dry land Life created on land Plants before the sun Fish & birds same day

Long Age (Evolution) Stars and sun first Earth a molten blob Dry land, then the

oceans Life started in the

oceans Plants long after the sun Fish long before birds

Assertions No Missing Link Rocks are not Clocks ‘Life’ NOT created in a test tube Big Bang – Bad Idea Geological Table = Global Flood evidence Billions of years = not enough time Natural Selection = lost information Information does not type itself

Today’s Challenge

"How long will you go limping between two different opinions?

If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Billions of Years, then follow Billions of Years.“

What is your answer?