I prayerfully make an effort to try to be uplifting and encouraging in my writings and postings on this blog. Because of this I rarely denigrate another’s faith, doctrine or denominational slant.
But, there are times when I just have to speak out. And to my readers I apologise in advance for my vent and rant! I recently engaged in a conversation started by a friend which was about Genesis’s dating and times. The main thrust about it was that it didn’t really matter whether God created in a literal 6 day creation or over a period of thousands of years – what was important is that we learn God is the creator.
Clap clap clap….yes yes yes!!!
However someone joined in and spoke how the basis for our faith in Christ has to be based on Genesis and if we can’t believe it on a literal basis, we can’t truly believe in Christ. Now nothing gets me riled up more then to hear this kind of hogwash! Now its true that God can use the creation accounts as a catalyst to bring people to faith. A good mate of mine is a great example….but, it was a pointer for him and is not the crux of faith for him.
Christ is the centrality of the Scriptures. The Gospels stories are the centrality of the Scriptures. My faith in Christ is based on the fact that Christ was born. He lived amongst us. He went to the toilet. He knew pain and what it was to go hungry. He was crucified. He was buried. And he was raised to life again.
Many of the new gentile converts the early church wouldn’t have known the Genesis story. They would never have read Genesis or any of the other OT writings…though its true some would have. But, what caused them to trust in Christ, is the story of Christ himself.
Please I beg you. No matter what your stance on the Genesis creation account is, whether it be a literal 6 day event or a much longer time period. In fact I beg this of you in regards to any of your doctrines… and leanings – Don’t make it the centrality of your faith. Don’t make it THE idol in your life. Rather, make Christ and him crucified the centrality of your faith. For after all, he is the author of you faith.
Hi Craig. I think that Genesis does provide a foundation for the rest of Holy Scripture and that any view which undermines what it tells us about God is concerning.
It seems to me that many folk today begin with a modern scientific view (both Creationists and theistic evolutionists) and then attempt to adapt the Scriptures to this view.
Doing away with Adam seems to greatly throttle biblical theology.
What do you think?
David. You will get no argument from me that Genesis does provide a beginning and a structure that the rest of Scripture follows.
However, I like many others believe that Genesis, particularly the first couple of chapters is more theological then it is literal. ( I believe Moore College follows this line of understanding)
However we understand and interpret Genesis, we cannot say it is central to our faith in Christ. Only Christ himself can fill that role.
I have no problems in understanding Adam as either a representative of humanity or as a literal individual person. Nor do I have qualms in understanding the creation story as a literal 6 days creation or each day represents a season of time. Neither of those understandings do away with Christ and they do not do away with the nature of sinful humanity.
On a personal note, I believe that Moses is the author of Genesis. And the creation story has to be told alongside the exodus of the Hebrew people. He is reminding them that God is the creator of what the Egyptian gods represent and instead of their being many gods, he is the ONE GOD.
This makes sense when you compare the creation account to the plagues of the exodus and the framework of Moses reminding them that they have had a purpose since the beginning of creation – as he retells the Israelites of their history and the promises God has made on their behalf.
Christ is the ultimate fulfilment of those promises. But, my faith in Christ is not based on the Genesis story. It is based on the person of Christ himself. When ever someone says that they cannot believe in Christ if all of Genesis cannot be understood literally makes a mockery of the very real existence of Christ.