By Chaplain Mike

And now for more “Creation Week” here at Internet Monk.

Oh joy.

This has been prompted by recent disputes in the blogosphere between some prominent Christian leaders, who hold to a Young Earth Creationism position, and the BioLogos Forum, a group of Christians from various disciplines that asserts the basic evolutionary model best describes God’s work of creation.

We love conversation ’round these parts, and nothing seems to stir up discussion like this subject.

So, this week we are laying down our arms, climbing out of the trenches, comparing notes, expressing our convictions with some grace and humility, and talking.

I hope.

Because we agree that what the Bible says is foundational to these issues, we are emphasizing several posts that deal directly with the text. We have already looked at Genesis 1. Today, we look at chapter 2.

Continue reading “In the King’s Garden (Gen 2), part one”

In this video, John Walton, Professor of OT at Wheaton College (IL), discusses how we must approach Genesis as an ancient text. Readers must try their best to understand something of the thought-world of people in the Ancient Near East and to read, as much as possible, from their point of view.

One good example of that is grasping the language that portrays “Temple” imagery in Genesis 1-2.

By Chaplain Mike

One of the interesting points of understanding that I came to accept when I studied under John Sailhamer is that there are two focus points in Genesis 1.

• First, God created everything (1.1).
• Second, within his creation God prepared a special land in the world where he put Adam and Eve (1.2-31).

English versions obscure this by translating the Hebrew word eretz as “earth” rather than “land,” which is its more common meaning. For modern readers, the word “earth” conjures up pictures of the globe that we know as Earth, the planet in its entirety as it exists in outer space among the other heavenly bodies. However, this is not nor could it be the viewpoint of the author of Genesis. I have already noted that verse 1 should be translated, “In the beginning, God created the skies and the land.” In Genesis 1.1, the author’s perspective is that of one standing on the ground, looking out across a landscape and thinking about God’s creation of all things from that point of view.

Within this comprehensive creation, God prepared a place (a land) where he pronounced his blessing. Beginning at Genesis 1.2, the focus narrows considerably to “the land,” and in particular, to the land where he brought forth living creatures and human representatives (1.24-31). What land is this?Continue reading “The Land of Blessing”

Another Look at a Post…
By Chaplain Mike
From March 27, 2010

My interest in the first chapters of Genesis began to blossom when I was in seminary, studying under Dr. John Sailhamer. Over the years, I have come back to it again and again. My understanding has grown and been refined each time I’ve taken it up.

It saddens me that Genesis 1 has been so often co-opted for use in contemporary battles with science, particularly with regard to the age of the earth and the scientific model of evolution.

This has made it extremely difficult to simply teach Genesis. For while Christians need to stay informed and be able to interact with the findings of science (see, “Bruce Waltke on Staying in the Discussion“), such concerns were certainly not those of the Torah’s original audience, nor are they essential to studying what the Bible teaches.

Jesus said that the Bible’s central message is all about: (1) God’s Messiah and his redemptive work, and (2) God’s Mission of taking the Good News of forgiveness to all the world (Luke 24:45-47). The groundwork for that message is laid right here in Genesis 1.

Today, I would like to share with you the way I view this foundational passage from the Bible.Continue reading “Another Look: My View of Genesis 1”