Monday, December 14, 2009

In the beginning...

So, my main point from last week was that we need to let the Bible serve its own agenda rather than us pushing our agenda onto it. We need to come to the scriptures and let them shape us; let them tell us what they are designed to say.

One of my biggest beefs with "creationists" is that in many (...but not all...) cases I don't think they use the Scriptures properly. Week hermeneutics = poor theology.

Maybe I'm a heretic but I honestly don't think that the point God is trying to make through Genesis 1 is an historical (by modern standards...), chronological account of how He created.

If He thought it was important to let us know the exact "how", He would have given us more specifics. As it is, Genesis 1 is VERY unspecific (scientifically/historically speaking). Genesis 1 is moving; it is beautiful; it is powerful... it is theological... but it is not scientifically or historically precise.

If God wanted it to be, He would have made it that way.

If God wanted Gen. 1 to be scientifically/historically accurate He would have explained how there was "light" & "dark" (Day 1) before there was sun, moon, stars (day 4).

If God wanted Gen. 1 to be scientifically/historically accurate He would have explained how there was "evening" & "morning" (every day) before He had created the sun and moon (day 4).

In fact, how were there "day"s before day 4? How were they measured? Were these metaphorical days (day/age theory... Heb. "yom")? Were they 24 hr. periods (the Hebrew is rather ambiguous)?

There is just as much theory and speculation in creationism as there is in evolution.

Please do not read anything into the picture below: it's a joke! :)
As I mentioned last week, Genesis 1 is a Hebraic poem.

The 6 "days" of creation in Genesis 1 follow an ABC - ABC formula (with "day" 7 providing the "D" conclusion):
Day 1. A
Day 2. B
Day 3. C
Day 4. A
Day 5. B
Day 6. C
Day 7. D

Each of the "days" has a parallel.

A breakdown of the structure of Genesis 1 is as follows:

A. Day 1: Light and Dark || Day 4: Sun, Moon, Stars
B. Day 2: Sea & Sky || Day 5: Fish & Birds
C. Day 3: Fertile Earth || Day 6: Land Animals (including Mankind)
D. Day 7: Rest

In the first half of the parallel God creates something and then in the second half He populates it: ie. Day 2 - God creates the sea; Day 5 God creates Fish.

Remember, most scholars agree that it was Moses who wrote Genesis. This was written so that it could be read to (not by) the people of God: it was an oral culture. Things were written so that when they were read they could be remembered (hence the Hebrew emphasis on REPETITION).

This was written to a people who did not know or value science. It was written to a people who needed to know who God was, what He had done, and how they were called to live in response to that.

These words still speak powerfully to us today but we cannot impose our western/modern cultural expectations onto an ancient religious text. When we do that we come up with some wacky stuff!

In the end I believe that what we are intended to know is simply this: GOD CREATED.

God created all that is.

God created us:
A. in His image
B. as the climax of His "good" creation
C. to live in unity with Him & the rest of His creation.

I am not trying to say that really getting into creation-science is wrong or bad, 'cause it's not. I think it is important to have "specialists" in all areas of Biblical scholarship... but it should be just that: people who are passionate about the theology of Genesis, not people who are passionate about reading science into the text.


That's all for now. Let me know what you think!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let me first start off by saying that I affirm and believe in Creation. I do not believe that this world is the product of random chance. That said, I believe that we are mistaken when we read Gen 1 literally. As you said Tim, this poem was not written to a scientific people who were trying to understand why things happen the way they do. It was written to a people who had spent generations having their minds formed by the Egyptian people. When we read Gen 1 primarily as a polemic against the gods of Ancient Near East we can see that Moses is trying to renew the minds of Israel so they can remember that their God is not like the gods around them. In direct contrast to the creation stories of the ANE Moses shows the people how God created the world without violence. In contrast to the ANE people are given a special place and freedom, they are not slaves to the whims of the gods. When I come to the Gen 1 text now I see it as primarily a story about how God is superior and different than all the other gods that we may see in our world today... including the "god" of evolution. I am left with no idea how the world was created, but I am less and less bothered by that. I am content to say that God created and that God did it with purpose and care. If that is theistic evolution, or a big bang theory, or each day is ten thousand years I don't know. What I do know is that God wants us to remember that God is not a violent, uncaring, aloof, distant, angry, vengeful, being who's only purpose for humanity is to enslave them to take care of his needs. Rather God is the one who sees goodness in creation (especially humanity) and wants to be known by humanity.
Nathan McCorkindale

Jen Glen said...

"It was written to a people who needed to know who God was, what He had done, and how they were called to live in response to that." That sounds like me. Thanks for the explanation, Tim. But I still want to know what we're supposed to teach people about creation. Are we just supposed to say to children..."I don't know, kids. He just created it."?

Timothy Braun said...

Thanks, everyone, for all of your discussion. I really appreciate it.

Jen, what are we supposed to teach people? I think we need to teach exactly what we've been talking about: letting the Bible say what it says instead of imposing our ideas onto it.

When it comes to teaching children that's where I wrestle a bit. Because the early development years are so crucial I know that it is very important to guide our kids properly... but that can't include flimsy theological foundations.

PERSONALLY (emphasis on my own personal convictions), I don't think I could teach a literal 6 day, 24 hour creation to a child if I don't think that's what the Bible actually says. Of course we don't say "I don't know, kids. He just created it." I think we need to give kids a bit more credit and have (age appropriate) intelligent discussion around it (ie. the Bible says that God created it but there's a lot of room as to HOW He actually did it).

But there's a reason why I'm in adult ministry and not kids ministry :)

Jen Glen said...

You are in kids ministry, Tim...you're a father!!! :)