5_01_Genesis1

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

1/185

Answer ing Bible Difficulties (Course 1)

In troduct ion To Bible Difficulties ,

Genesis And Science

(Series 5: Cour se 1 of th e Net Bible Inst itut e)

By

Don St ewart

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

2/185

Abou t Th e NET Bi b le In s t i t u t e (NBI )Welcome to the global classroom! In order to allow anyone, anywhere in the world, to learn more

about the Christian faith, AusAmerica Ministries has created the Net Bible Institute (NBI)

www.nbible.org.

Vision

Our vision for NBI is that it will be a complete course of study about what Christianity believes and

teaches. The Net Bible Institute, when eventually completed, will consist of forty-four individual

courses in five different series, and will cover all major areas of Christian belief and practice. A

separate textbook will be prepared for each individual course. The various textbooks are now in the

process of being writt en.

The entire course of study is called Understanding The Christian Faith. The textbooks for the

various courses are produced as educational tools explaining what Christians believe and why they

believe it. Each course in the program is designed to be used for either self-study, home Bible study,

or for t he classr oom.

It is our goal to make the Net Bible Institute the most comprehensive course of study that is

available a nywhere.

E v e r y t h i n g I s F r e e

Everything in the Net Bible Institute is free. All materials (textbooks, audio, tests) are provided on

our Web site without char ge. There will never be a char ge for an ything t ha t we offer. It is our vision

to reach th e entire world with the tru ths of the Christian faith. It is our conviction t hat this should

be done tota lly without cha rge.

We invite you to join us at the Net Bible Institute for a thorough study of the Bible the Word of

God. We tru st you will be grea tly enr iched by your experience.

Unt il the whole world hear s,

AusAmerica Ministries

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

3/185

Answer ing Bible Difficu lties (Course 1)

In tr oduction To Bible Difficu lties,

Genesis And Science

(Series 5: Course 1 of the Net Bible Institute)

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

4/185

Answering Bible Difficulties: (Course 1) Introduction To Bible Difficulties, Genesis And Science

(Series 5: Cour se 1 of th e Net Bible Inst itut e www.nbible.org.

By Don St ewart

1998 By Don St ewar t

Published by

AusAmerica Publishers

Box 15

Mur rieta , California 92564 USA

ISBN 1-877825-12-3

All Rights Reserved. Alth ough the m at erial in th is book may be copied and distr ibuted it mu st n ot

be used for r esale.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

5/185

Understanding The Chr ist ian Faith 5

U n d e r s t a n d i n g T h e Ch r i s t ia n F a i t h

(A Co mp le t e Co u rse Of S tu d y Ab ou t Wh a t

Ch r i s t i an i ty Be l i eves An d Tea ch es )

Understanding The Christian Faith is a complete study course about what Christianity believes

an d tea ches. It is offered by th e Net Bible Institu tewww.nbible.org. The entire program consists of

forty-four individual courses in five different series, and covers all major areas of Christian belief

an d pra ctice. A separat e t extbook will be prepar ed for each cour se. These t extbooks a re produced as

an educational tool explaining what Christians believe and why they believe it. Each course is

designed t o be used for either self-stu dy, home Bible stu dy, or for t he classr oom.

The en tir e cour se of stu dy is divided into five different ser ies. They ar e as follows:

Se r ies 1 Kn ow Wh at Ch r is t ia n s Be lie ve

These courses will concentrate on the basic beliefs of Christianity. We will consider what Christians

believe about th e ma jor teachings of the faith .

Se r ies 2 God s P la n Of Th e Age s

These cours es deal with Gods plan of the ages, from pa ra dise lost in Genesis, to par adise r egained

in Revelation.

Se r ies 3 Kn ow Wh at Ch r is t ia n s Be lie ve

We not only look at what Christians believe, we also will consider why they believe. These

part icular cours es concentr ate on th e evidence for the t rut hfulness of the Christian faith .

Se r ies 4 Wh at s Th e Diffe r en ce ?

Many people believe Christianity is compatible with all sorts of belief systems. The Whats The

Differen ce? series sh ows t he u niqueness of the Chr istian faith and its incompat ibility with all other

religions a nd cultic groups.

Series 5 Answ er ing Bib le Dif ficu l t ies

This comprehensive series will be a thorough examination of all major Bible difficulties - beginning

in th e Book of Genes is an d going right on t hr ough th e Book of Revelation.

A complet e list of all th e cour ses offered in th is stu dy series can be found at th e end of th e book.

Wh y S t u d y T h e C h r i s t ia n F a i t h ?

Why should anyone study the Christian faith? What are the reasons why someone should spend

time r eading and st udying the Bible?

L e a r n Ab o u t J e s u s

When J esus was her e on the ea rt h He comm an ded His disciples to learn a bout H im.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

6/185

Understan ding The Christian Faith6

Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you, an d learn from Me; for I am gentle an d hum ble in h ear t, an d you will

find r est for your s ouls. For My yoke is ea sy, and My bur den is light (Mat th ew 11:28-30).

His invitat ion t o come and learn from H im is st ill valid today.

P r a c t i c e d F r o m T h e B e gi n n i n g

Furthermore, regular study about God and His Word was something believers practiced from the

beginning. The Christian church began on the Day of Pentecost when 3,000 people placed their

faith in Jesus. Immediately they began learning about their new-found faith. The Bible says the

following about t hese n ew conver ts:

They devoted t hems elves to th e apostles teaching a nd fellowship, to th e brea king of bread and

th e pra yers (Acts 2:42).

Dev o te Ou r se lves

There wa s a centra l core of beliefs that the Scripture calls the apostles tea ching. This is wha t the

believers devoted themselves to learning. The devotion of the early church to the study of GodsWord is a model for all believers. Those who believe in Jesus are commanded to follow their

example.

Do your best t o present yourself to God as one approved by Him, a worker who has n o need to

be ashamed, rightly explaining the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

F a i t h H a s B e e n D e l i ve r e d

The Bible says th at these tr uth s ha ve been once-an d-for-all delivered t o the saint s:

Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it

necessary to write a nd appea l to you to contend for t he faith t hat was once for all entr usted t o

th e saints (Ju de 3).

I n S y s t e m a t i c F a s h i o n

Though God ha s revealed a core of teachings to huma nity, He did not lay them out in a systema tic

way. Rather He placed them in His Word in such a way that we are to search them out for

ourselves. There is great rewar d when t he Bible stu dent explores Gods Word t o seek out the tr uth

of His chara cter an d His plan for hu ma nity.

The Bible comm ands believers to practice the th ings they learn .

Pa y close att ention to your self an d to your tea ching; continue in these th ings, for in doing th is

you will save both your self and your h ear ers (1 Timothy 4:16).

A Sign Of The En d - Reject ion Of The F ai th

In addition, serious Bible study can keep people from being deceived. The Bible says that one of the

signs of the last times is t he r enouncing of the faith by many.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying

attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

7/185

Understanding The Chr ist ian Faith 7

Car eful study of th e Bible will keep a pers on from believing in false t eachin g.

M a n y R e a s o n s T o S t u d y

The st udy of the Christian faith is somet hing of immen se importan ce. Those who place their faith in

Jesus are to learn about Him and practice the things they learn. The Bible says that God has once-

an d-for-all revealed a centr al core of trut hs t o huma nity. The believers in t he ea rly church devotedthemselves to studying these great truths. Scripture commands all believers to do the same. By

doing so, a per son can live a full life th at is well-pleasin g to God. In addit ion, st udying t he Bible will

keep one from falling into false doctr ine.

A Mus t

Becau se of these rea sons, serious st udy of the Bible is a m ust for th ose who ha ve believed in J esus.

We trust that our series of courses will aid the student in their understanding of Gods Word. It is

with this th ought in mind th at we offer Under sta nding The Chr istian Fa ith.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

8/185

Answerin g Bible Difficulties: Course 18

Answ er ing Bib le Di f ficu l t i e s : Cour se 1 ( Introduction To Bible Difficulties,Genesis And Science)

Tab le Of Co n ten t s

Ab o u t Th i s Ser i es

P a r t 1 In t r od u ct ion To Bib le Diffic ult ie s

Int roduction To Pa rt 1

1 . Does The Bib le Claim To Be Gods Inerrant Word?

2. Cou ld Some Par t s Of The Bible Con ta in E r ror s?

3. What Is The Difference Between A Difficulty And A Contradict ion?

4. Why Should The Subject Of Bible Difficult ies Be Discussed?

5. Wha t Type Of Difficulties Do We Fin d In Scriptu re?

6. How Should Specific Difficult ies Be Evaluated?

7. Have Some Bible Difficult ies Been Cleared Up Due To Recent Knowledge?

8. Are There Bible Difficult ies That St i ll Remain Unsolved?

Summa ry To Par t 1

P ar t 2 Gen e sis An d Scie n ce


9. Does Genesis Provide Any Scientific Informa tion Regarding The Origin Of The Universe?

10. Does The Genesis Creation Account Allow For The Theory Of Evolution?

11. What Was God Doing Before He Created The Universe?

12. Is The Genes is Accoun t Of Crea tion Similar To Oth er Ancient Account s?

13. Did The Writer Of Genesis Borrow His Ideas From Other Ancient Creation Accounts?

14. Are Ther e Mythological Elem ent s In The Genes is Crea tion Accoun t?

15. Is Th e Biblical Flood Account Merely A Legend?16. Did The Biblical Flood Accoun t Borr ow Fr om Oth er Ancient Account s?

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

9/185

Answer ing Bible Difficult ies: Course 1 9

17. Could The Ancients Have Constru cted A Vessel As Large As The Ark?

Summa ry To Par t 2

P ar t 3 Th e Da ys In Ge n es is An d Th e Da te Of Cr ea tion


18. How Are We To Understan d The Word Day In The First Chapter Of Genesis?

19. What Is The Recent Creat ion View?

20. Wbat Is The Literal Solar Day/Creation Not Dated View?

21. What Is The Local Creat ion View?

22. What Is The Gap Theory (The Ruin And Reconstru ction Theory)?

23. Could There Have Been Gaps Between The Days In Genesis 1? (Progressive Creationism)

24. What Is The Revelat ional Day Theory?

25. Wh at I s The Age /Day Th eory?

26. Wh at Is Lit e ra ry F ramework View?

27. What Is The Religious Only View?

28. In What Sense Do We Need To Consider Time When We Att empt To Date The Ear th And

Universe?

29. What Is The Idealized View Of Time? (Mature Creationism)

30. Does The Fall Of Humanity Have To Be Considered When Dating The Earth?

31. Wh at I s F lood Geology?

32. Is It Possible To Date The Earth And The Universe?

33. What Should Be Our Conclusion About The Days In Genesis And The Age Of The Universe?

Summa ry To Par t 3

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

10/185

Answerin g Bible Difficulties: Course 110

P ar t 4 Th e E xt en t Of Th e F lood

Int roduction To Par t 4

34. What Was The Exten t Of The F lood?

35. Was The Flood In Noahs Day Localized To One Geographic Area?

36. Did The F lood Cover The Ent ire Ear th?

37. What Conclusions Should We Make About The Genesis Flood?

Summa ry To Par t 4

P ar t 5 Din o sa ur s An d Th e Bib le


38. Wh at Ar e Din osa ur s?

39. According To The Bible, When Were Dinosaurs Created?

40. Does The Bible Say Anything Specifically About Dinosaurs?

41. Wh at Happ en ed To The Din osaur s?

42. Does Is Matter If Dinosaurs Lived At The Same Time As Humans?

43. Is I t Possible That Dinosaurs Are Alive Today?

Summa ry To Par t 5

A Comp le t e L i s t Of Co u rses

Ab o u t Th e Au t h o r

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

11/185

Answering Bible Difficulties: Course 1 11

Abou t Th is Ser ies

This is the first in a ser ies of cour ses titled An swering Bible Difficulties. The idea behind the series

is to answer all the major difficulties found in Scripture, beginning in the Book of Genesis and

continuing right on through the Book of Revelation. We will attempt to be as thorough as possible in

answering the major difficulties and so-called contradictions that have arisen in Scripture. There

are certain questions in which no clear answer is obvious. In those cases, a number of possiblesolutions to th e pr oblem will be given.

C h a p t e r B y C h a p t e r I n F u t u r e Vo lu m e s

Future volumes in this series will go through the Scriptures chapter by chapter. Each chapter in

the Bible will be summ ar ized and th e ma jor difficulties found in th at chapter will be addressed. In

this way someone can read through the Bible, have each chapter outlined for them, and then have

the difficulties in tha t chapter an swered.

I n t r o d u c t o r y M a t t e r s

This first course covers introductory issues. We will first look at some basic questions about the

subject of Bible Difficulties and then deal with certain often-asked questions with respect to the

Book of Genesis a nd s cience.

Pa r t On e : In t r o d u c t io n To B ib l e Di ff icu l t i e s

This particular course is divided into five major sections. Our first section will deal with

introductory matters on the subject of Bible difficulties. We will discover that the Bible claims to be

the Word of God. Since God cannot lie, neither can His Word. Thus we assume the Bible to be

without any type of error. With this idea in mind, we will approach the subject of difficult passages

an d so-called contr adictions in the Scriptu re. Our intr oductory section covers t he m ajor topics tha t

deal with t his subject.

Pa r t Two Gen es i s An d Sc i en ce

We begin our look at Bible difficulties by considering some basic issues with respect to the Book of

Genesis and the findings of science. How should we un dersta nd t he st at ement s of Genesis in light of

modern science? Should one expect them to harmonize or are the statements in Genesis irrelevant

to science as far as s cience is concern ed?

P a r t T h r e e T h e Wo r d D a y I n G e n e s i s 1 An d T h e D a t e O f C r e a t i o n

This section considers the various possibilities of the meaning of the word day in the first chapter

of Genesis. How does our u nderst anding help us date t he ear th a nd th e universe?

P a r t F ou r Th e Ext e n t Of Th e F lood

We next look at the extent of the Flood that is revealed in the Book of Genesis. Was it worldwide?

Was it limited geogra phically? Was everything on ear th killed or only a s elect group of hum ans an d

animals.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

12/185

Answering Bible Difficulties: Course 112

P a r t F ive Th e Din osa u r s

Our final section looks popular question of dinosaurs. What are dinosaurs? Does the Book of

Genesis teach that God created dinosaurs along with humans? If so, what happened to the

dinosaurs? Could they still exist today?

Co n f id en ce Bu i ld e r

Taking a course on Bible difficulties should be a confidence builder. As the difficulties become

resolved it will become clear tha t t he Bible is what it claims to be - the iner ra nt Word of God. The

psalmist sa id it well.

Your Word is tr ue from t he beginn ing (Psa lm 119:160).

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

13/185


Par t 1

Introduction To

Bible Difficulties

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

14/185


INTRODUCTION TO P ART 1

Our firs t s ection will look a t th e gener al t opic of Bible difficulties. We will consider s ome of the ba sic

questions th at need t o be address ed concerning difficulties a nd so-called contr adictions in Scriptu re.

Consideration will be given as to what type of book the Bible claims to be, and the logical results of

accepting its claim s t o be the Word of God.

This section will set th e sta ge for th e res t of th is ser ies which considers specific difficulties in t he

pages of Scripture.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

15/185


1

Does The Bib le C la im To

Be Gods Ine r ra n t Word ?

In dealing with the subject of Bible difficulties, and so-called contradictions in Scripture, we must

first address the general quest ion of the nat ure of th e Bible. What type of book does th e Bible claim

to be? Our first t ask, t herefore, is to look at wh at the Bible says about itself.

Go d s In e r r a n t Wo rd

As we exam ine th e pages of Scripture we find th at it claims to be th e inspired, inerra nt Word of God

- it is corr ect in everything tha t it r ecords.

This being the case, Christians believe there will ultimately be no contradictions between what

Scripture says a nd between th e kn own facts of history, science, and t heology.

Cla ims Of Scr ip tu re

The idea that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is the claim of Scripture itself - it is not

something th e chur ch has invented. This can be clearly seen as one examines both th e Old an d New

Testament.

OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament itself claims to be Gods Word. The writings were acknowledged as the

comm andm ents of the Lord. Moses t old th e children of Isra el:

That you may fear the Lord your God to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I

command you (Deuteronomy 6:2).

These comm andm ents wer e to be put in t he Ark of the Covenant. The Lord said to Moses:

And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets . . . and you shall put

th em in t he ar k (Deut eronomy 10:2).

Co n s id ered In sp i r ed By Al l

The Old Testament was completed four hundred years before the time of Christ. First century

writer Flavius Josephus listed the specific books that the Jews, at that time, considered to be

inspired by God.

We have but twenty-two [books] containing the history of all time, books that are justly

believed in; and of these, five are the books of Moses, which comprise the law and earliest

traditions from the creation of humanity down to his death. From the death of Moses to the

reign of Artaxerxes, King of Persia, the successor of Xerxes, the prophets who succeeded Moses

wrote the history of the events that occurred in their own time, in thirteen books. The

remaining four documents comprise hymns to God and practical precepts to men (William

Whiston, tra ns., Flavius J osephus against Apion, Vol. I, in Josephus, Complete Works, Grand

Rapids: Kre gel, 1960, p. 8).

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

16/185


The twenty-two books that Josephus mentions are the same as our thirty-nine Old Testament books

- they are just divided differently. Josephus also summed up the Jewish attitude toward the

Scripture.

And how firmly we have given credit to those books of our own nation is evident by what we do;

for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as either to add

anything to them or take anything from them, or to make any change in them; but it becomesnatural to all Jews, immediately and from their very birth, to esteem those books to contain

divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if occasion be, willing to die for them. For it is no

new thing for our captives, many of them in numbers, and frequently in time, to be seen to

endure racks and deaths of all kinds upon the theatres, that they may not be obliged to say one

word a gainst our laws, and t he r ecords t hat conta in th em (J osephus, Ibid., p. 609).

It is clear from th e evidence that t he Old Testa ment was considered to be sacred by the J ews - th e

inspir ed Word of God.

T h e T e s t i m o n y O f T h e N e w T e s t a m e n t

The New Testam ent considers t he Old Testa ment to be th e Word of God. The Apostle Pa ul spoke of

it as authoritative Scripture:

which H e promised before thr ough H is prophets in t he Holy Scriptures (Roma ns 1:2).

He a lso saw t he Old Testam ent as pr edicting th e doctr ine of justification by faith.

And the Scripture, foreseeing th at God would justify the n at ions by faith (Galat ians 3:8).

C o n fi r m a t i o n B y J e s u s

Finally, we have the testimony of Jesus Christ. He made it clear that He believed the Old

Testam ent was Gods r evelation of Himself to hum anity.

S c r i p t u r e

J esus r ecognized the existence of an Old Testamen t Scriptur e.

You sea rch th e Scriptures, for in t hem you t hink you ha ve etern al life (John 5:39).

Word Of God

J esus said th is Old Testam ent Scriptur e was th e Word of God.

Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God

comm an ded, saying, Honor your father an d your mother (Mat thew 15:3,4).

Unif ied

He a lso test ified that the Scriptur es were a unified whole:

The Scriptur e cannot be br oken (John 10:35).

Can n o t Be Al t e red

J esus also made it clear th at t he Old Testam ent could not have been alter ed, even in the slightest:

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

17/185


I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least

stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished

(Matt hew 5:18).

Since Jesus demonstrated Himself to be the Son of God, His word on the matter is final. By

definition, God knows everything and Jesus, being God, would know whether or not the Old

Testament was His revelation t o humanity. He made it clear that it was.

Fo u r Wi tn esses To Old Test am en t

Therefore, we have the witness of the first-century Jews, the Old Testament itself, the New

Testament, and Jesus Himself that the Old Testament was the inspired Word of God. The evidence

is clear concerning how they regar ded the Old Testam ent .

NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament is also considered to be inspired of God for the following reasons:

Div in e Or ig in

All thr oughout J esus ministr y the divine origin of His words is str essed.

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, ha s th at which judges him - the word th at I

ha ve spoken will judge him in th e last day. For I ha ve not spoken on My ownauthority ; but t he

Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak (John

12:48,49).

In a ddition, J esus sa id His words would never pas s away.

Hea ven an d ear th will pass a way, but My words will by no mean s pass away (Matth ew 24:35).

That J esus sa id His words would last forever hint s at the idea t hey would be recorded.

T h e P r o m i s e O f J e s u s

The main reason we believe that the New Testament has been inspired of God is the promise of

J esus. Before H is death an d resu rr ection J esus m ade t he following promises t o His disciples.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all

th ings, and bring to your rem embra nce all things th at I said to you (John 14:26).

But when the Helper comes, whom I sha ll send to you from th e Fa ther , He will testify of Me.

And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning (John

15:26,27).

However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will

not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you

th ings to come (J ohn 16:13).

We have, at least , two promises of Jesus contained in th ese verses:

1. The Holy Spirit would guide t hese han d-picked disciples into all tru th .

2. They would be given t he gift of total recall of th e t hings H e sa id and did.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

18/185


This would guarantee the truth of their preaching and teaching as well as anything they would

eventually write about Jesus.

An t i c i p a t e s T h e N e w T e s t a m e n t

Consequently these promises look forward to a written body of truth. Those men to whom Jesus

made these promises either wrote the books of the New Testament or had control over whatwritings were considered authoritative. Since God had already demonstrated His desire to commit

His Word to writing by giving His people the Old Testament, it would follow that He would do the

same in a New Testament. The inspiration of the New Testament, therefore, was authenticated

ahea d of time by the Lord Jesu s.

In A Po s i t i o n To Kn o w

Jesus was in a position to make such authoritative declarations about Scripture. He demonstrated

tha t H e was Gods Son by His resu rr ection from the dead.

who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to

the Spirit of holiness, Jesu s Chr ist our Lord (Roma ns 1:4).

Therefore Jesus is the final authority on all matters in which He speaks. His word settles the issue

(for thorough docum ent at ion of J esu s au th ority, see our course Th e Case For Christianity ).

Sp ec i fi c S t a t em en t s Of Oth er Wr i t e r s

Apart from the four gospels, the New Testament makes other specific statements about its own

inspiration. The Apostle Pa ul said tha t his writings were th e comm andm ents of the Lord.

If anyone t hinks himself to be a prophet or spiritu al, let him a cknowledge th at th e th ings

which I write t o you ar e th e comm an dment s of the Lord (1 Corint hians 14:37).

In the first letter that Paul wrote, he stated that his commandments were to be received as the

Word of God.

And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of

Gods message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of

God, which also per form s it s work in you wh o believe (1 Thessa lonia ns 2:13).

Pa ul also emphasized tha t a ll Scriptur e is God-breat hed.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in

right eousne ss (2 Timothy 3:16).

No th in g To Be Ch an g ed

The disciple J ohn empha sized that no words of Scripture a re t o be changed.

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to

th ese things, God will add to him the plagues t ha t a re writt en in t his book; and if anyone tak es

away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book

of Life (Revela tion 22:18,19).

Accep ted As Scr ip t u r e

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

19/185


Although the concept of a completed New Testament may not be found, we do have the concept of

the writings being considered as Scripture. Simon Peter compared the writings of Paul to other

Scripture:

Our beloved brother P au l, according to the wisdom given t o him, ha s writt en t o you, as also in

all his letters . . . which those who are unta ught a nd unst able twist t o their own destru ction,

as they do also the rest of Scripture (2 Peter 3:15,16).

Consequen tly the idea of a wr itten New Testa men t can be found with in th e pages of Scripture. The

words of the New Testa ment ar e equat ed with th e words of God.

Conclus ion

The words of Scriptu re, in both Test am ent s, are th e inspired Word of God - the final au th ority on all

ma tter s of faith and pr actice. This is the u nan imous testimony of th e aut hors.

P u r p o s e

Finally, we should remem ber tha t th e ultimat e purpose of Scriptur e is to ma ke its reader s wise unt o

salvation. Paul wr ote t o Timothy:

and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the

wisdom tha t leads to sa lvat ion t hrough faith which is in Christ J esus (2 Timothy 3:15).

J ohn ma de it clear why he wr ote h is gospel.

Many other signs ther efore J esus also performed in t he pr esence of the disciples, which ar e not

written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30,31).

The Scriptures wer e written to crea te belief in th e Person of J esus Chr ist - the one way to reach th e

one tru e God.

S u m m a r y

1. Christian ity believes and teaches th at th e Bible, in both t he Old and New Testa men t, has been

inspired by God. This however, is not a claim that was developed by the church over a period of

time. The idea that the Bible is inspired by God is the claim of the Bible itself.

2. Jesus confirmed that all parts of Scripture were inspired. Since He has demonstrated Himself

to be th e Son of God, He would be in a position t o know the ext ent of th e Bibles inspir at ion.

3. The Scripture claims to be Gods Word, therefore the claim ought to be examined. The

consequences of ignoring its message can cause someone to spend eternity apart from the living

God. Therefore the matter of the nature of the Bible is of the utmost importance for humans toconsider.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

20/185


2

C o u l d S om e P a r t s Of T h e

B i b le C on t a i n E r r o r s ?

Though the Bible claims to be the inerrant Word of God is it possible that there are errors in some

part s of Scriptur e? Does it r eally mat ter if the events, people, and places recorded in t he Bible may

be, in some instances, incorrect? Can the Christian faith be upheld even if errors are admitted into

Scripture? The an swer is, No.

Go d Can n o t L ie

If the Bible is the Word of God, then we should expect it to be accurate in what it says. If the Bible

is what it claims to be, Gods Word, then there cannot be any contradictions. This is because God is

perfection. Scripture tea ches tha t God can not lie. Paul wrote t o Timothy:

in t he h ope of eter na l life, which God, who cann ot lie, pr omised long ages a go (Titu s 1:2).

The writer to the Hebrews also emphasized the impossibility of God lying:

in order t hat by two unchangeable th ings, in wh ich it is impossible for God to lie, we ma y have

strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us

(Hebrews 6:18).

J esus said:

The Scriptur e cann ot be broken (J ohn 10:35).

He a lso confirm ed th at Gods Word wa s th e tr uth :

San ctify them in th e tr ut h; your word is tr uth (J ohn 17:17).

The psalmist wrote:

The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting

(Psalm 119:160).

If God inspired t he Bible, and God cann ot lie, then the Bible cann ot lie, it must be telling th e tr uth .

Ev ery Word , Al l Pa r t s In sp i r ed

The ter ms u sed to describe the inspiration of the Bible are verbal plenary. When we speak ofverbal

inspirat ion we m ean tha t every word has been inspired by God. This mean s th e very words of

Scripture were chosen by God. Plenary inspiration means the Bible is fully, in all parts, Gods

inerr an t Word. The evidence for verbal plenary inspirat ion is th e tea ching of the Scripture itself.

Imp o r t a n ce Of Ev ery Wo rd

The Bible test ifies to the importa nce of every word. Sometimes a n essent ial tru th hinges on t he u se

of a cert ain word or group of words. For exam ple, the Apostle Pa ul ar gued from the use of a word in

the singular, rather tha n in th e plural, to make his point about J esus being the Messiah.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

21/185


Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, And to seeds, as of

ma ny, but as of one, And to your Seed, who is Christ (Galat ians 3:16).

Al l Pa r t s In sp i r ed

The Scriptur e teaches tha t all par ts ar e inspired by God.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Apostle Pa ul wrote to the chur ch at Rome:

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through

patience a nd comfort of the Scriptur es m ight ha ve hope (Roma ns 15:4).

Paul says the former writings, the Old Testament, were written for our instruction. He does not

exclude anything from the Old Testament but rather includes everything. There is no distinction

between some parts of Scripture that are true and others that are not. All of the writings are

assumed to be true.

Wh a t Go d Wan ted To Say

Therefore, every word of the sixty-six books of the Bible is inspired by God. This means that the

final record of Scriptur e sa ys exactly what God wan ted it to say.

THE OLOGIC AL STATEMENT S ONLY?

It is clear that the Scripture claims to be the Word of God. But is it possible that the Bible is Gods

Word only in regar d to th eological stat ement s? Some Christian s believe this is t he case. They t each

wha t is known as limited iner ra ncy. They believe tha t th e Bible is Gods Word t o hu ma nit y, yet

they say that Scripture contains errors in areas of history, geography, and science. The statements

about God, heaven, hell, and salvation are supposedly error-free, but other statements contain

mistakes. The only infallible statements in Scripture deal with spiritual matters (heaven, hell,

salvation, sin, etc.). Statements of a scientific or historical nature, on the other hand, are not

necessarily mista ke-free.

C a u s e s M or e P r o b l e m s

This limited inerrancy approach causes more problems than it solves. The God of the Bible has

revealed Himself in history. He could have given His revelation in the form of a theological textbook

but He chose not to do it in this way. Since God has chosen to reveal Himself in history, it would

make no sense whatsoever for those historical events and scientific statements to be inaccurately

recorded.

I n W h a t S e n s e I n s p i r e d ?

Furthermore, if the biblical writers were mistaken in their historical, geographical and scientific

references then why, one might ask, should their statements in the theological realm be trusted? It

is mean ingless to assert tha t t he biblical writer s ma de errors in h istory, science, and geography, but

were kept error-free when they recorded statements in the theological realm (heaven, hell,

salvation, etc.). We ma y rightly ask, In what sense is the Bible inspired?

Rev er s in g Ro les

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

22/185


Another problem with this point of view is to determine exactly which statements are inspired and

which are not. The questions that immediately arise are these: Who decides what is true? How can

one separate the essential message of the teaching of the Bible from the background in which it is

presented? There is certainly no such distinction recognized in Scripture itself. The entire Bible

gives us no reason to suspect that parts of it are inspired and parts are not. Whoever does this sets

them selves a bove the Bible an d reverses roles with God. They, not God, become th e fina l aut hority.

No F in a l So u rce Of Au t h o r i t y

If there were mistakes, of any sort, in the original manuscripts, it would mean that the Scripture

cont ains tr uth mixed with er ror. The Bible ther efore would be subject to our own fallible judgment .

We, then, would become the ultimate judge of what is truth and what is error, what is right and

what is wrong. There would be no final source of au th ority.

The Bible, however, says:

In Your light, we see light (Psa lm 36:9).

Christian s mu st let t he light of Gods Word be th e fina l determ ination of what is tru e an d what isnot. Historic, geogra phical, and scientific matt ers, when spoken of in Scriptur e, should be stu died,

not ignored. The fina l aut hority for the believer m ust rest in Gods revelation to us in Scriptur e.

I m p o r t a n t I ss u e

Hence th e issue of the Bibles complete a ccur acy in a ll mat ter s in which it spea ks is one of utmost

importan ce. We need t o hear clear ly from t he entire Word of God. The pr ophet Amos wrote,

Behold the days are coming, says the Lord God. That I will send a famine on the land not a

famin e of brea d, nor a t hir st for wat er, but of hea rin g the words of th e Lord (Amos 8:11).

Today, more tha n ever, we need t o hear from t he Word of the Lord.

S u m m a r y

The idea t hat the Bible is the iner ra nt Word of God is importa nt for the following reasons.

1. It is importan t for t he Bible to be accura te because th e Scripture sa ys tha t God cann ot lie.

2. If th ere ar e any err ors or cont ra dictions in Scriptu re t hen God is a liar.

3. Because God inspired the Scripture there cannot be contradictions in any area. This includes

matters historical, theological, and scientific. Therefore, in the original text, the Bible is error-free

4. Unless th e Bible is err or-free, the Chr istian ha s no ultimat e source of au thority.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

23/185


3

Wh a t I s T h e Di f fe r e n c e B e t we e n A

Difficu l ty And A Cont ra d ic t ion?

The Bible claims to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God and there is sufficient evidence to believe

the claims of Scripture are true. Yet when we read the Bible there are difficulties that we

encounter.

Ad m iss io n Of Scr ip tu re

Even the Bible itself admits that there are some difficult areas. Peter wrote the following

concerning t he wr itings of the Apostle Pau l:

as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to

understa nd, which the u ntau ght an d unst able distort, as t hey do also the rest of the Scriptures,

to th eir own dest ru ction (2 Peter 3:16).

E x a m p l e

The Book of Acts gives us an example of Philip having to explain the meaning of a difficult passage

to the Et hiopian Eunu ch.

So Ph ilip ran t o him, and h ear d him rea ding the prophet Isaia h, and sa id, Do you un derst an d

wha t you a re rea ding? And he s aid, How can I , unles s someone guides m e? (Acts 8:30,31).

Like the Ethiopian Eunuch, we all need help in understanding the things written in the Bible

because t here ar e ma tters that are difficult to understa nd.

Diff icu l t i e s Comp ar ed To Co n t r ad i c t i o n s

At first glance, there are seeming contradictions that we encounter when we read the pages of

Scripture. These difficulties, and so-called contradictions, are between different authors and even

within the wr itings of th e same a uth or. What a re we to make of them ?

N o t T h e S a m e

We should note that there is a difference between a difficulty and a contradiction. A difficulty is

something that, at first glance, is hard to make sense out of. However, it is not necessarily a

contr adiction or err or. It is mer ely something tha t causes a problem when we initially look at it.

Unfortunately, too many people assume a difficulty is the same thing as an error. The Bible

contains passages that are difficult to understand but when all the evidence is in, it cannot

contr adict itself. This is because ther e is only one ultimat e au thor behind the text - God Himself.

Wil l Be C lea re d Up La te r

Because a certain passage in Scripture is not completely understood right now, does not mean that

it will never be understood. As our knowledge of the ancient world increases the number of

difficulties and obscurities continues to vanish. There are many examples of Bible difficulties

having been cleared up due to recent knowledge. We must state categorically, There has never

been one demonstr able err or from t he original t ext of Scriptur e!

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

24/185


Show s No Collus ion

The fact that there are difficulties and apparent contradictions between writers shows there was no

collusion among them. Whenever multiple people report an event there will be differences in their

accoun ts - since no two people see everyth ing exactly the s am e. Yet th e sa me ba sic account will be

told by those who witness an event. The only differences we should expect to find are in the

incidental details. This is exactly what we find in Scripture. Differing accounts of the same eventare not necessarily false accounts. The difference can simply be one of perspective.

Sma l l Min o r i t y

We must a lso empha size tha t th e messa ge of the Bible is crystal clear and for th e most part the t ext

of th e Bible is likewise clear . Difficult pa ssa ges const itu te a small minority in th e text.

The Messa ge Of Bib le Is Clea r

The most importa nt point, tha t cann ot be overempha sized, is tha t t he centr al messa ge of the Bible -

Jesus Christ is humanitys only savior - is not only clear, it is backed up by sufficient evidence to

make any inquirer believe. Because a few remaining difficulties still need to be cleared up should

not deter one from believing in Chr ist. Our knowledge will always be imperfect a nd t hus faith mu stbe exercised. However biblical faith is intelligent, not blind faith.

Wh a t We C a n U n d e r s t a n d

Mark Twains famous sta tement is appropriate here. He sa id the stat ements t hat bothered him in

the Bible were not the ones he did not understand, what bothered him was the things he did

under sta nd! Another per son has said it this way.

Many things in the Bible I cannot understand; many things in the Bible I only think I understand;

but th ere ar e man y things in th e Bible I cannot misundersta nd.

S u m m a r y

1. There ar e difficulties in t he Bible.

2. A difficulty, however, is not the same as a contradiction.

3. Becaus e we do not ha ve the an swer t o a Bible difficulty today does not mea n we will never find

the answer. The more knowledge we have about the Bible and its past, the less difficulties we find

in Scripture. Since the Bible is Gods inerrant Word, ultimately all difficulties will be able to be

clear ed up.

4. The fact tha t t her e ar e differen ces in pa ra llel accounts in Scriptu re sh ows no collusion between

the writers.

5. Even with the difficulties the message of the Bible is clear.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

25/185


4

Wh y S h o u l d T h e S u b j e c t Of

Bib le Di ff icu l t i e s Be Discu ssed?

That there are difficulties in the Bible is a fact. How then, should the reader, in general, deal with

the subject of Bible difficulties?

1. N ot Afr a id Of Th e Tr u t h

We should not be afraid to discuss so-called contradictory passages. There is nothing gained in

overlooking the difficulties that are in Scripture. We should not have the attitude to just take

everything by blind faith. Scripture en cour ages us to respond to questions:

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let

your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how

you should r espond t o each per son (Colossians 4:5,6).

J esus said:

an d you sh all know the tr ut h, an d the t ru th sha ll make you free (J ohn 8:32).

Paul encouraged the king to check out the facts when it came to the story of Jesus (Acts 24:8).

2. We Do Not Kn ow E ve r yt h in g

In addition, we should not be afraid to ask tough questions about the Christian faith. Seemingly,

the older we get t he m ore difficult it is for u s to adm it we do not know cert ain t hings - it is tough to

have to ask questions. Some wrongly assume that asking questions shows signs of weakness.

However, it is a mark of maturity to admit there are still many things in this world that we do not

know. Because we do not now have an answer, does not mean that we never will get the answer. Ifwe do not continue t o ask, we will not continu e to learn .

3. N ot La ck O f F a it h To As k

For believers, we are not offending God by asking legitimate questions about the Christian faith.

Asking questions is not the same as unbelief. Asking honest questions will get us honest answers.

Discussing the questions with others is also a good idea. The Bible says:

Iron sha rpens iron, so one m an sha rpens a nother (Pr overbs 27:17).

4. We Ne ed To Th in k

Unfort una tely some people do not like to th ink. It is m ore comfort able for th em t o merely hold on to

preconceived notions and prejudices. When we come across difficult passages in Scripture, or

sayings that we cannot quite understand, it is easier to fall back on what we have always believed

rather than re-evaluate what the text might be saying. This, however, is not the way we can grow

in our Ch ristian experience. We need to be a ble to assess wha t we believe in light of all the facts. If

new inform at ion comes t o us tha t cau ses u s to chan ge something we h ave previously believed, then

we must be intellectua lly honest enough to admit we ha ve been wrong in the pas t.

5. We Sh o u ld B e U n li ke Th e Cu lt s

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

26/185


Fur ther more, we do not want to be like cultic groups which do not t olera te qu estions from their

people. Honest an swers from cult leaders would cause t he leader s to lose cont rol. Christian s should

not blindly follow what some leader says - no matter who it is. Faith will only increase when our

questions ar e an swered. Blindly obeying favorite Bible teachers is not a Scriptura l att itude.

6. N ot Alon e In T h e Q u es tion

Chances are the questions we have are n ot un ique to us. Others have had t he sam e problem as th ey

have read Scripture and thought about the truth of the Christian faith. It is highly doubtful that

someone will come up with a new question about Christianity, or the Bible, that no one else has

thought of in the history of the church. Each question we have about the Bible has been asked and

an swered hu ndreds, if not t housan ds of times, since the t ime of Christ.

7. T h e Di ffi cu lt ie s H a ve B e en An s w e r ed

The crucial questions regar ding what God ha s done in h istory and difficult biblical passages a re n ot

unique to our generation but have been answered time a nd time a gain. Peter Berger commen ts

The fundamental questions of theology have been passionately considered for at least threethousand years. It is not only insufferable arrogance to think that one can begin theology in

sovereign disregard of th at history, it is also extremely uneconomical. It seem s ra ther a wa ste

of time to spend, say, five years working out a position, only to find that it has already been

done by a Syrian m onk in the fifth cent ur y (Pet er Berger,A Rum or of An gels , p. 98).

8. Ac ce p t Th e An s w er An d Th e n Go O n

Once we receive an answer to our question, then we should go on. It is wrong to keep asking a

question once the answer has been given. It is also wrong to doubt the Bible when there are a

number of possible answers to a particular question, yet we are not certain which is the right

answer. An example of this would be the problem of the two accounts of the genealogy of Jesus

found in Matthew and Luke. There are, at least, four different ways of reconciling the two

genealogies, yet we are not absolutely certain which is the correct resolution. This does not mean

they ar e in err or - it mean s we are n ot cert ain which of the possible ans wers is correct.

9. B ib le D i ffi cu l t ie s G et s R i d O f U n b e li e ve r s

People use difficulties in Scriptu re a s an excuse for not believing in J esu s or following Him. The

difficulties in Scripture can help to remove those who are not genuinely interested in the truth of

Gods Word. God is on record as saying that He will condemn those who reject His clearly revealed

word:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of

hum anity, who suppress the tru th in unr ighteousness, because t hat which is known about God

is evident within t hem; for God ma de it evident to th em. For since th e creation of the world Hisinvisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being

under stood thr ough wha t ha s been ma de, so th at t hey ar e without excuse (Roma ns 1:18-20).

We find an example of this in t he life an d ministr y of Jesus:

Many th erefore of His disciples, when th ey hear d this sa id, This is a difficult st at ement ; who

can listen to it? But J esus, conscious t hat His disciples grum bled at th is, said to them, Does

this cause you to stumble? . . . As a res ult of th is man y of His disciples withdrew, and were

not wa lking with H im a nymore (J ohn 6:60,61,67).

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

27/185


The difficult s ayings of J esus ca use d certa in would be disciples to withdr aw from Him .

1 0. An E x c u s e F o r N o t B e li e vi n g

Often we find people not willing to look beyond the surface meaning of what Jesus said. They

believe this will remove them of any responsibility. Consequently they use Bible difficulties as anexcuse for not following Jesus. They are blind to the evidence because they are willingly blind.

Ultimately, they do not want to find a way to reconcile difficulties in Scripture.

No Ex p lan a t io n Sa t i s f ie s

Since th ey do not want to know the tr uth , any explan at ion th at at tem pts to clear up a difficulty will

fall upon deaf ears. H owever th is does not rem ove th e res ponsibility from th em as they would like to

believe. Scripture teaches that God will ultimately hold all of us responsible on how we deal with

the evidence that H e has pr esented to us.

1 1. S e r i ou s S t u d y Of T h e Wo r d N e e d e d

If we remain ignorant of the things of God, it is only because we have self-imposed this darknessupon ourselves. The answers are there, but we must spend the time to find them. This can only

come about from a serious study of the Word of God. This is what is needed when difficult passages

of Scriptu re come our wa y. When we pat iently and inten tly exam ine problem pa ssages in Scripture,

the resu lt pays big dividends. Serious st udent s of Gods Word wa nt to under sta nd wha t it is saying.

S u m m a r y

The subject of Bible difficulties should definitely be a topic of discussion. The biblical attitude

toward difficult questions is to face them head-on. They should not be ignored or glossed over. It is

not lack of faith to bring up th e difficult ar eas in Scriptur e or to try to find a n a nswer . Once an

an swer t o a part icular difficulty is found, we should then move on. When th ese difficulties ar e

clear ed up after serious study, the r eader is greatly benefited by the exercise.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

28/185


5

Wh at Typ e Of Difficul t ies

Do We F i n d I n S c r i p t u r e ?

There are a number of areas of difficulty that we run into as we attempt to understand and

interpret the Scripture. This is not surprising seeing that the books of Scripture were written

between two and four thousand years ago in a different culture, and in three different languages-

Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Consequently, we encounter a number of areas that are difficult for

us to un derst and in our day an d age. Some of these difficulties include th e following:

1. P r ob le m O f Dis t a nce

One of the basic reasons we find difficulties in Scripture is simply the problem of time. The various

books of the Bible were writt en from two to four th ousa nd year s ago in a n er a t ha t h as long passed

into history.

2. T h e Me a n in g O f Wo r d s An d P h r a s e s

The problem of language a lso comes int o play when we rea d th e Scripture. Most of us who rea d th e

Bible are not native Hebrew or Greek speakers, neither are most of us Jewish. Even those who

speak modern Greek and Hebrew are still separated by two to four thousand years of history in

which the meaning of words and phrases change. Since we are not first-century readers of the

original languages, problems can an d do occur when we at tem pt to under sta nd th e mea ning of some

words and phrases. Many of our problems result in our lack of understanding of the idiom of the

day.

In co mp le t e Kn o wled g e

Incomplete knowledge of words and expressions can cause us difficulty in interpreting Scripture.

This is especially true in the Old Testament where some of the words used are found only once inScripture and nowhere else in the Hebrew language. This can create doubt as to their exact

meaning.

3. Tr a n sla t ion a l M is u nd e r st a n din gs

Some of the difficulties we encounter are artificial, based upon a wrong understanding of the

English translation of a text. This is why every reader should have at least three English

tr ans lations to consult. Often a difficulty will be cleared up by r eading a differen t tr an slation.

4. G r a m m a tic a l Diffic ult ie s

There are also some difficulties that are due to the grammatical construction in the original

language. The m ore t echnical comm enta ries can h elp explain these gram ma tical difficulties.

5. C u lt u r a l Diffic ult ie s

The lack of understanding of the historical situation is another source of difficulty. Since biblical

events took place in a different cultural setting than here in the West, we need to understand some

of th e cultu ra l background to help us with our int erpr eta tion.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

29/185


6. Te xt u a l Diffic ult ie s

Some of the difficulties in Scripture a re du e to questions about how the t ext should read. But this is

only true in th e Old Testam ent. The New Testam ent t ext is secure.

7. C ha n gin g Cir cu m st a nce s

The difficulties are sometimes due to the changing circumstances found in the different passages.

For exam ple, everything was originally crea ted good.

Then God saw everything t ha t H e ha d ma de, and indeed it was very good (Genesis 1:31).

Yet after humanity sinned against God (Genesis 3) things were no longer good. What was true

before the Fall was not necessarily true after the Fall because of the changed circumstances. When

we read the Bible we must appreciate that what was true at one time was not necessarily true

afterward.

Cer t a in Law s Do n e Awa y Wi th

There is also the record of laws that have been done away with. The New Testament says of these

Old Testament laws:

Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or

sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ (Colossians

2:16,17).

The interpreter needs to recognize the progressive character of Gods revelation. God may add or

change certa in th ings He previously revealed. For exam ple, th e Old Testamen t forbids the people to

eat pork. This commandment is rescinded in the New Testament (see Acts 10; 1 Timothy 4:3).

Failure to recognize that God has revealed His Word progressively will cause all sorts of problems

with interpretation and will cause the reader to assume there are contradictions where there are

none.

8. D iffe r en t N a m es An d Me th od s

Sometimes we find the Bible using a number of different names for the same person. This feature

can certa inly cause the rea der difficulty. In a ddition, th ere is a lso the problem of the biblical writer s

using different m eth ods of calculat ing the year s as well as t he length s of th e reign of a k ing. These

differen t m ethods of calculat ion can cause appar ent discrepan cies.

9. Nu m be rs Rou n ded Off

When Scriptur e records n um bers, it often rounds t hem off. Again, we must be car eful to under sta nd

the authors intent when he gives us a particular number. Sometimes the number will be exact butthere are other occasions where the writer is speaking in a general manner and rounding off the

num ber - he does not expect th e num ber given to be accepted as t he actua l amount .

10. T op i ca l O r C h r o n ol og ic a l

There is also the issue in which the way the material is presented in Scripture. Sometimes a writer

follows a more topical outline than a chronological one. This has caused some to believe there is a

discrepancy between two accounts. However, we need to take into consideration the fact that one

author may be giving us a chronology of events while another author lists the same events in a

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

30/185


topical manner. There is no discrepancy when an author states the same truth as another author

but uses a different method in commu nicating tha t t ruth .

1 1. S e le c t i vi t y O f Au t h o r s

In a ddition, each biblical au th or is selective in th e ma ter ial he records. John wrote:

Many other signs ther efore J esus also performed in t he pr esence of the disciples, which ar e not

written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30,31).

From this statement we understand that the author is only giving us a partial report of what he

knows to be tr ue. Therefore when he records a story about J esus t ha t is found in a nother gospel, we

should not expect him to tell us every deta il that the other gospel writer records. The point s th at he

mentions are those that fit his purpose and the omission of certain details that other authors may

include does not indicate th at h e is disagreeing with t hat other au thor or aut hors.

O ld T e s t a m e n t E x a m p l e

An example of this selectivity is found in the genealogy in Exodus 6:13-27 where only three of thetwelve sons of Jacob are listed (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi). This is because the authors purpose is

to empha size two particular descendants of Levi - Moses and Aar on. Therefore, he goes no furth er

in listing th e other people in th e genealogy. Again, it is t he a uth ors pur pose in highlight ing Moses

and Aar on t ha t caused h im to stop at Levi when he listed th e sons of Jacob.

12. Ap p r o v in g O r R e c or d i n g ?

Another concern is determining whether the writer is endorsing a statement or event or merely

narrating it? Narrating misconduct does not make one responsible, nor is it an endorsement of that

conduct. There are times in which the Scripture accurately records sinful acts without applauding

the deeds. The Bible gives an accurate picture of the lives of its characters and often this includes

recording th eir evil actions. The life of King David is an exa mple of th is. His great deeds of faith

are recorded alongside his murder and adultery. The entire picture is given for us with nothing

whitewashed.

N o Co m m e n t

There are many occasions in Scripture where the author tells what happened without giving any

comm enta ry on th e ma tter . Silence should not be r egarded as approval. Recording some evil deed is

not the same as authorizing it. Because the Bible does not commend everything that it records we

must always study carefully the context of the particular statement or act. When this is done, many

of th e problems a nd difficulties will simply van ish.

S u m m a r y

There are many areas in Scripture that cause the reader difficulty. These include:

1. The problem of distance between us and t he origina l aut hors.

2. The mea ning of words an d phra ses.

3. Translational misunderstandings.

4. Pr oblems of gram ma r.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

31/185


5. Cultural difficulties.

6. Difficulties in the text.

7. Changing circumstances.

8. Different nam es for the sam e people. Different met hods for calculat ing years.

9. The roun ding off of nu mbe rs .

10 . Na rr at ing either in a topical or chronological ma nner .

11 . Understa nding the a uthors are selective in wha t they record.

12 . Determining whether t he a uthor is a pproving the statem ent or event or merely recording it.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

32/185


6

How Sh ould Spec i f ic

Di ff icu l t i e s Be Eva lua ted ?

What should the reader do when they find a difficult passage in the Bible? Is there a way to

approach part icular pr oblems? The an swer is, Yes. There a re several m att ers t hat mu st be kept in

min d when one comes across a Bible difficulty.

1 . DISCOVER THE INTENT OF THE AUTHOR

Above all, we need to attempt to find the authors intent. In assessing any written document we

should assume that the author had intended to make sense of what he wrote. Therefore we should

use our common sense to understand what the author is trying to say. The primary rule in

interpreting any communication is to try to find what the author intended. Thus, when it comes to

Scripture, our primary goal should be to attempt to understand what the author, God, is trying to

communicate.

2. GIVE TH E BIBLE TH E BE NEF IT OF TH E DOUBT

Whenever a document comes down to us that is reportedly ancient, and it shows no signs of

tampering or forgery; and if this document demonstrates that it is correct with the specific

references th at it gives; the bur den of proof is on th ose who doubt its a uth enticity.

O u r I g n or a n c e

Therefore, when we meet an apparent error in Scripture - a book th at repeatedly has demonstra ted

itself to be reliable, we should presume t he err or is our ignoran ce as to what t he a uth or is saying. In

other words, t he Bible always gets th e benefit of the doubt.

3. CH E CK OUT TH E OR IGINAL

Somet imes th e problem we face lies in the t ra nslation of the passa ge. When the original language is

checked the discrepancy often goes away. This is why multiple translations should be considered

when encoun ter ing a difficulty.

4 . REALIZE SCRIPTUR E INTERPR ETS SCRIPTURE

The infallible ru le of int erp ret at ion of Scriptu re, is th e Bible must be allowed to inter pret itself. We

must remember that the ultimate author behind each of the books of the Bible is God. When

Scripture is compared with Scripture we can then discover the full implications of what God

intended.

5. INTE R P RET OBSCUR E BY CLEAR

One central rule of interpretation is that we interpret the obscure passage by the clear. We do not

try to force the obvious meaning of one text to conform to the obscure meaning of another text.

Never sh ould a doctr ine be based upon an obscur e passa ge. A good exam ple of this is 1 Corinth ians

15:29.

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all,

why then a re t hey baptized for t hem?

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

33/185


We may not exactly know what this passage does mean, but from the totality of Scripture we

certainly know wha t it does not m ean. People are not to be bapt ized in place of th ose who have died.

G a p T h e o r y

Another example of making a doctrine out of something obscure would be the gap theory. This

theory, which argues for a gap of time between the first two verses of Genesis, is built upon aquestionable tran slation of th e Hebrew. This alone should mak e the t heory suspect.

An a lo gy Of Scr ip t u r e

There is a principle called the ana logy of Scriptur e. Simply stated, t his t eaches t hat every unclear

reference should be interpreted in light of something that is clear. Therefore, we should never

assu me t hat an u nclear passa ge contra dicts wha t is clearly taught elsewhere in Gods Word, neith er

should we build an y doctrine on some obscur e text or tr an slation.

All The Tea ch in gs

Thus we should interpret all difficult passages in light of the clear teachings of Scripture. No

doctrine should be built upon passages that are obscure. If a certain teaching is vital, it will bestated in Scripture more than once.

6 . INTERP RET THE BIBLE AS OTHER BOOKS

Another point that needs to be made is that the Bible should be interpreted by the same rules we

use to interpret any other book. There are no special rules we should consider when we interpret

the Bible. The Bible should be approached like all other books with regard to interpretation. We

should seek to identify the au thors intent and t ake t he words in th eir liter al mea ning.

7. LOOK F OR TH E LITER AL MEANING

We have est ablished the fact tha t t he Bible is Gods commun icat ion to hu ma nity. Obviously, if the

Bible intends to reach the maximum number of people, then the message should be understood at

face value. The Bible should be interpreted in a literal manner if at all possible. A good rule of

thumb is this: If the literal sense, makes good sense, then seek no other sense, lest you come up

with nonsense.

8 . UNDER STAND DIFF ERE NT LITERARY DEVICES

Sometimes the difficulty we encounter is a result of an incorrect understanding of the type of

language the author is employing. The Bible contains different literary styles. In the pages of

Scripture we find such styles as narrative, law, and poetry. Sometimes the difficulty lies in the

incorrect identification of the type of literary form the author is employing.

Al lo ws Fo r F ig u r es Of Sp eech

Literal interpretation allows for figures of speech. The Bible, at times, uses figures of speech to

communicate its truth. If the Bible is read as other literature allowing the author to say what he

wishes in the different literary forms, then there will be no major problem understanding that

which is to be taken litera lly and th at which is mea nt to be non-litera l.

Ty p es Of F ig u r a t iv e Lan g u a g e

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

34/185


The Bible does contain figurative language. Sometimes the Bible difficulty vanishes when we

understand the passage is not meant to be understood literally. Figurative language includes the

following:

1. Me t a p h or

Metaphor is compar ison m ade by direct sta temen t. J esus sa id, I am the vine (J ohn 15). J esus s aid

elsewhere, Take eat this is My body. These statements are not meant to be literal but symbolic.

J esus wa s not an actua l vine a nd He did not expect people to eat His body!

2. Simile

Simile is compar ison by use of words like or as. Exam ples of this liter ar y figur e a re as follows:

The glory of th e Lord was as a devouring fire (Exodus 24:17).

Gods glory can be compa red t o a devour ing fire but it is n ot th e sa me as a devour ing fire.

3 . Hyperbole

Hyperbole is exaggerat ion for pur pose of emphasis. J ohn wrote:

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I

suppose tha t even th e world itself would not conta in t he books wh ich wer e writ ten (J ohn

21:25).

This is obvious exaggera tion t o make a point - J esus did ma ny more th ings tha n t he gospels record.

4. An t h r op om or p h ism

This refers to attributing human characteristics to God. In Scripture, God is said to have eyes, a

nose, an a rm , and a ha nd. These char acteristics ar e only figures of speech, for God does not h ave a

body (J ohn 4:24). They are given to help us bett er u nders ta nd Gods na tu re a nd a ctions.

Ho w To Id en t i fy F igu r a t iv e Lan g u a g e

Certain types of writing exclude the possibility of figurative language (laws and historically

writings) while some wr itings lend th emselves to figura tive langua ge (such a s poetry).

Li t e ra l I f Po ss ib le

In a ny inter preta tion, the words should be interpr eted litera lly if possible. If not, then you m ove to

figurative language. Usually there are clues in the context. Sometimes there will even be a

definition. For example, in the Book of Revelation the dragon is defined in context as the Devil(12:9).

9. ASSUME TH E UNITY OF TH E BIBLE

The Bible should be approached as a unity when the task of interpretation begins. It is one book,

with one aut hor behind it - God. The Bible, as it n ow sta nds, has a un ique mak eup. This can be seen

as follows:

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

35/185


F i ft e e n H u n d r e d Ye a r s I n T h e M a k i n g

From the composition of the first biblical book until the last, a period of fifteen hundred years

elapsed. The Old Testament was written between 1400 and 400 B.C. The first book composed was

either the Book of Genesis or the Book of Job. The books of the New Testament were written

appr oxima tely A.D. 40 to A.D. 80.

Man y Au th o r s , Man y Occu p a t io n s

Over fort y different hum an aut hors wrote th e books of the Bible. These writer s came from a var iety

of backgrounds and occupations. They included shepherds (Hosea and Amos) fishermen (Peter and

John), kings (David and Solomon), a tax collector (Matthew), a prime minister (Daniel), a doctor

(Luke), and a m ilita ry genera l (J oshu a).

T h r e e C o n t i n e n t s

The books of the Bible were composed upon three different continents - Africa, Asia, and Europe.

For example, the writings of Ezekiel were composed in Babylon (Asia), Moses wrote the first five

books of the Bible in the Sinai desert (Africa), and the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to Philippi while

in Rome (Eur ope).

D i ffe r e n t C i r c u m s t a n c e s

There was a variety of circumstances in which the Biblical books were composed. Moses, for

example, wrote while leading the children of Isra el thr ough t he wilderness. J erem iah wrote while in

a dungeon in Israel. Ezekiel composed his book while a captive in Babylon. The Apostle Paul wrote

several of his works while in a Roman prison. John the evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation

while banished to the island of Patmos. Obviously there was not a particular place or instance in

which a ll of th e biblical books were composed.

Can Re v ea l Himse l f An y wh ere

Though ma ny other religions had a certain place where t he divine word wa s r evealed, th is is not

the case with t he Bible. This is t o point out tha t God could reveal H imself in m any different places

over an extended per iod of time.

Diffe ren t Lan g u ag es Emp lo yed

The Bible was written in three different languages. The Old Testament was written mostly in

Hebrew with some parts being composed in Aramaic; the New Testament was originally written in

Greek.

Diffe ren t Su b jec t s Co v ered

The Bible also covers a variety of subjects, including the existence and nature of God, the creation ofthe universe, the meaning of man, the purpose of our existence, and the final destiny of man and

the planet earth .

O n e C o m p l e t e S t o r y

Hence, the Bible was written over a period of fifteen hundred years, by forty different human

authors from various backgrounds who wrote in different languages, upon different continents, in

different circumstances, and upon different subjects. Yet the Bible is a unity, one unfolding account

from beginning to end in complete harmony and continuity. The Old Testament is incomplete

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

36/185


without the New Testament and yet the New Testament does not make sense without the Old.

Together the t wo test am ents give a ha rm onious account of th e dealings of God with hu ma nity. This

is one of the remarkable features of the Bible - its magnificent continuity. This should always be

kept in m ind when approaching Bible difficulties.

10. ALWAYS CH ECK OUT TH E CONTEXT

The Bible should always be interpreted contextually. This means the context should be studied in

order to see how each verse r elates t o that which precedes a nd t hat which follows. Close a tt ention

should be paid to the theme and scope of the biblical book under consideration. Context should

always be a det erm ining factor when int erpr eting an y difficult pa ssage.

Ou t Of Co n tex t Mist ak es

For example, it could be argued that the Bible teaches that God does not exist. Psalm 14:1 says,

there is no God. By itself, this statement seems to teach atheism. However the statement is

prefaced by th is qua lification: The fool says in his he ar t, Ther e is no God. Each st at emen t of th e

Bible needs t o be read in its context.

11. R E ALI ZE TH AT N OT EVE RY STATE ME NT IS TR UE

When we read the Bible, should we regard every statement as true? Can we confidently read any

port ion of Scriptu re a nd a ct upon any st at ement ? The answer is no. A distinction n eeds to be made

between the accuracy of the statements in the Bible and their truthfulness.

Sata n Alwa y s L ies

Inspiration guarantees the accuracy of every statement, but not the truth of it. For example, every

time Sa ta n spoke, he lied. Jesu s said of him:

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no

truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the

fath er of it (J ohn 8:44).

In the Garden of Eden the serpent promised Eve that she and her husband would be like God if

th ey ate of th e forbidden fruit.

And t he ser pent sa id to the woma n, You will not sur ely die. For God knows in th at day you ea t

of it your eyes will be opene d, an d you will be like God, kn owing good an d evil (Genesis 3:4,5).

Ac c u r a t e l y R e c o r d e d B u t N o t T r u e

The statement of the serpent is recorded accurately, but the statement is not true. Other examples

can be found in Scripture where people made statements that are against the clear teaching of God

an d His Word.

12. BIBLE WRITTEN IN NON-TECH NICAL LANGUAGE

It is also importa nt to understand the m anner in which t he tr uth is commu nicated in Scriptur e. The

Bible is written in non-technical language for the masses. Whenever any event occurs, there are

two basic ways of explaining it. One way is to give a technical explanation. However, the more

technical the lan guage th e more limited your audience will be.

Viewp o in t Of Ob serv er

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

37/185


A second possible way of explaining things is t o relate how the event a ppears to the observer. It is

this non-technical way in which the Bible describes events. For example, the events of creation

recorded in the early chapters of Genesis are not described in terms of modern scientific

classification, but a re described from t he vant age point of an observer h ere on ear th .

E v e r y d a y L a n g u a g e

The Bible does not use the technical language of science, but rather the non-technical language of

the ma rket place. The biblical writer s dealing with concepts of their times used t he lan guage of th eir

times. The scriptu ra l language is th e langua ge of comm on everyday use. The words of th e Bible ar e

neither scientific nor unscientific in natu re, but ar e rath er timeless, an d non -scientific. The

langua ge of Scriptu re is t he lan guage of appear ance. Biblical writers describe things a s th ey appear

to the observer.

C h i ld r e n C a n U n d e r s t a n d

For example, Jesus taught in such a way that even a child could understand His teaching. We are

told that the masses understood the things that He said and gladly accepted them.

No t Tech n ica l An sw ers

Fur th erm ore, the Bible does not at tem pt t o give technical answers t o technical questions. Since the

Bible speaks in everyday language to all people of all times, it is not correct to look for answers

explained in technical scientific language. This type of language soon becomes out of date and would

be irrelevant for future generations.

13. OUR INTERP RETATION IS NOT INFALLIBLE

The Bible is t he iner ra nt Word of God - not our int erpret at ion of it. Un fortun at ely, ther e ha ve been

mista ken int erpret at ions of the Bible by cert ain chur ch au thorities. This has caused some to think

the Scriptur e is in err or. A classic exam ple of this is the m istaken view that the ea rt h is the center

of the universe. Because the Bible speaks of things from an earth-centered viewpoint, some have

thought Scripture was affirming that the earth, not the sun, was the center of the universe. This

earth-centered idea became an article of faith for many in the church. They attempted to silence

those who taught otherwise. Sadly, this was all based upon a wrong interpretation of Scripture.

Therefore we should not make the mistake of believing that science and the Bible are at odds

because of a wrong interpretation of the facts of Scripture. The infallibility is in the Scripture itself,

not in our interpretation. When Christians read their own fallible interpretation into Scripture this

does not mea n t he Bible is in err or.

S u m m a r y

The following factors sh ould be considere d when one encount ers a difficult pa ssa ge in Gods Word.

1 . Discover the inten t of the au thor .

2 . Give the Bible the benefi t of the doubt .

3. Check ou t th e or igin a l.

4 . Realize Scr ipture in terprets Scr ip ture

5. In te rpre t t h e obscu re by clear .

6 . In terpret the Bib le as other books .

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

38/185


7 . Look for the l itera l meaning.

8 . Unders tand di fferen t l iterary devices.

9 . Assume the un ity of the Bib le .

10. Always check out the context.

11. Realize not every statem ent in the Bible is true.

12. Remember that Bible was written in non-technical language.

13. Understan d that our interpreta tion is not infallible.

These point s should be kept in m ind when en count ering a difficult pa ssage in t he Bible. We should

always remember to give the Bible the benefit of the doubt in matters that have no independent

confirm at ion from secular sources. If we inter pret th e Bible as other books m any of the pr oblems we

face will soon eva porat e.

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

39/185


7

Ha ve Some Bib le Di ff icu l t i e s Been Clea r ed

Up Du e T o R e c e n t Kn o wl e d g e ?

In the last two thousand years there have been a variety of accusations that have been hurled

against the Christian faith. Critics have pointed to certain names and events that are recorded in

the Bible that they have claimed to be inaccurate since they have no confirmation in secular

history. However the more knowledge that has come to light, the more we see the accuracy of the

Bible. We will provide a few exam ples.

T h e H i t t i t e s

It was once thought t hat th e reference to the H ittites was a historical err or. The Bible mentions the

Hittite empire over fifty times in the Old Testament. Though they are treated as a powerful

kingdom, secular history knew nothing of their existence. Hence the Bible was assumed to be in

error when t hey were mentioned.

Bib le Vin d ica t e d

In 1876 th e Bible was vindicat ed. The E nglish scholar A.H. Sayce discovered some wr iting th at he

related to the Hittites of the Old Testament. These people were called the Kheta by the Egyptians.

In 1906 the r uins of the H ittite em pire were discovered. The Hittites did exist a s the Old Testam ent

said - th e critics were wrong in denying their existence.

Be l sh azzar

Belshazzar, the king mentioned in the fifth chapter of Daniel, was once considered to be a non-

historical person. In 1850 one eminent German scholar wrote in his commentary on Daniel that

Belshazzar wa s a figment of the imaginat ion of th e au thor of Daniel - who, he argued wa s not rea lly

Daniel. Such a character named Belshazzar did not exist because secular history had no record ofhim. Therefore it was assu med th at t he Bible was in err or.

E v e r y t h i n g C h a n g e s

However, in 1854 the situ at ion chan ged. A mem ber of the British consu l explored the an cient ru ins

in souther n Ira q on beha lf of th e British Museum . When h e dug into the ru ins of the a ncient city he

foun d several sma ll clay cylinders. Ea ch one was a bout 4 inches long. The cylinders wer e inscribed

with sixty or so lines of Babylonian writing.

P r a y e r F o r B e l sh a z z a r

On one of th e cylinders was a pra yer for the long life a nd t he good health of Nabonidus, king of

Babylon, and for his eldest son. The name of that son was clearly written on the cylinder. It was

Belshazzar. The Bible was again r ight a nd th e critics were wrong.

No Wri t ing I n Moses Day

It was once assu med t hat writing did not exist in Moses day th erefore h e could not ha ve written th e

first five books in Scriptur e. This was one of the ass ured resu lts of modern s cholarsh ip. Sir Fr ederic

Kenyon, t he great biblical scholar, wrote:

8/8/2019 5_01_Genesis1

40/185


About the middle of the nineteenth century there was a period when it was often maintained

that writing was unknown in the time of Moses and the Judges and the earlier kings, and

consequently that the narratives of these early periods could not be based upon authentic

records. This disbelief in the antiquity of writing has been completely disproved by the

discoveries of the last centur y. First of all, in 1852 and 1853 Henry Layard and his a ssistant

Rassam discovered the libraries of the kings of Assyria at Nineveh, which contained hundreds

of tablets of baked clay (the form of book used in Mesopotamia), including the chronicles ofSennacherib, Essarh addon, and other rulers contemporary with t he kings of Israel an d J udah.

Others contained the Babylonian narratives of the Creation and Deluge. Subsequent

discoveries carried back proof of the early use of writing far beyond the time of Moses and even

of Abra ha m (Sir F reder ic Kenyon, Th e Story of the Bible, Gran d Rapids: Eerdma ns, 1967, p. 7).

Thus we see th at one of the original cont entions of higher critics - tha t wr iting did not exist dur ing

th e ear ly biblical period - has been thoroughly refut ed by recent findings. This is an oth er exam ple of

how higher critics refuse to consider in an honest way the Bibles own testimony as to its origin.

J e r i c h o

There was some question as to whether we have archaeological proof of the walls of Jericho falling

out. Recent ar chaeological evidence ha s su bstan tiat ed th e biblical a ccount of the destru

5_01_Genesis1

Documents

Transcript of 5_01_Genesis1