Theology Established in Genesis 1-11 Gives Us Confidence in its Authenticity

Biblical themes established in Genesis 1-11

Have you ever felt like you could not trust the accuracy of the Bible? Have people said to you that the Bible is a book of "fables", or not historically accurate? Have even some of your Christian friends made you doubt more specifically the authenticity of Genesis 1-11? I want to help you in your ability to trust the Theological roots of the Genesis 1-11 account. There are far smarter people than I who can debate the scientific stuff, but what I want you to know is that you do not have to check your theological brain at the door either if you hold to a historically accurate Genesis 1-11.

What I will aim to do in this post is give you plenty of good theological foundations in which we can beleive the historical authenticity of Genesis 1-11 because of their linkage to almost every theological and biblical theme that I can think of, and of course many of those that I cannot think of. First I would like to point out one of those maybe more obvious ones. Marriage is a Biblical theme that is established in Genesis 1-11. Jesus also reiterates that theme, "Have you not heard, He made them male and female." Sabbath is another theme that is established in the Creation account and repeated by Jesus. Jesus is also called our sabbath rest. Other themes that are established are, Original sin, Christ's sustaining creative power (Repeated in Colossians 3 and Hebrews 1), Coming redemption (as seen in the curse after Adam's sin). Also seen in the curse with pain through childbirth, Family order (paternal spiritual leadership), and that the woman sinned first, Which is repeated in Timothy. Jesus in Hebrews is established as our sabbath rest, and if Gen 1-11 is poetic, and not with a literal seventh day of rest from Creation, then there is no O.T. or N.T. basis for a literal sabbath either. However there must be a literal sabbath in which we were meant to rest, so that Jesus could fulfill that rest in which we need not work anymore to please a Holy God.

There is a new and rising field of study called Theology of Work. This Theology of Work is also established when Adam is given the task pre-fall of naming animals, and post-fall we will work "by the sweat of our brow." On a sadder note, sin digs its roots deep into the heart of the first brothers as seen in Cain and Abel directly followed by the first murder. Other more scientific things are established in which God establishes seasons as first seen in the aftermath of the Noahic flood. on those same lines The Noahic Covenant is established in which God promises to never again send another worldwide flood. Right after the flood we have the Noahic genealogies, which are the basis of all other genealogies. If we don't have those genealogies as authentic living people, then we do not have a flesh and blood Messiah in Jesus either.

In other areas of Genesis 1-11 we have languages and cultures emerging (Anthropology). We see clearly the establishing of language and culture at the Tower of Babel and the confusion and origin of languages. These things cannot be just overlooked as unimportant insignificant "fables". They are the establishing of Anthropological grounds and why we have confused languages to this day. Either they happened or we cannot trust the historical accuracy of the whole of Scripture. I chose to trust the Authenticity of these "fables" or "Mythologies" as some have labeled them.

Here is a short list of some of the many theologies that are established in Genesis 1-11...

• The Trinity: ("let us make man in our own image")
• Theology (proper): in the character of God (as creative, loving, and just God)
• Christology: Pre-existent Christ creator of all things (Colossians 3, Hebrews 1) as seen in the prophecy concerning the serpent and how Christ would die
• Pneumatology: (study of the Holy Spirit) as seen in the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, and his part within the Godhead. 
• Soteriology: (study of salvation) as seen in God enacting and beginning the salvific history in which the serpent would "strike his heel and he will crush your head", or more easily put, Why did Jesus need to die on a cross?
• Harmartiology: (study of sin) as seen in what is called "original sin". If there is no Adam or original sin there is no Harmartiology. Why is there sin in the world?
• Prolegomena: has God revealed himself in creation and the signs in the universe or not? If he did not create, then how does he have the power to reveal himself in nature?
• Anthropology: does man have a fallen sinful nature as described in Gen 1-11 or not? And was man created in the image of a holy eternal perfect uncreated God?
• Missiology: let us make man in our own image, this is God's way of making himself known and it is the beginnings of the Misseo Dei!
• Ecclesiology: *
• Eschatology: *
• Angelology: *

*except for these three fields of theology, every other systematic is either established, began or addressed in a foundational way in Gen 1-11. I am not aware of if these other three might be hinted at in places, established, or otherwise in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. All these areas of theology are addressed, or at least begin to be addressed through foreshadowing. So be confident you stand on steady, unshakable, and historical Theological ground. You also stand on practical ground in believing in the historical accuracy of the beginning of Genesis.

Here are a few practical questions that can be answered from the first 11 chapters of Genesis too...

• Why do we have a seven day week?
• Why is there death?
• Why do we need a new heaven and a new earth if this old earth is not fallen?
• Why do we wear clothes?
• What is the foundational history of the whole rest of the Bible and theology?

Here is a good way to look at the historicity of the whole bible in seven different movements.

1. Creation (Genesis 1-11)
2. Corruption (Genesis 1-11)
3. Catastrophe (Genesis 1-11)
4. Confusion (Genesis 1-11)
5. Christ (N.T.)
6. Cross (N.T.)
7. Consumption (N.T.)

Can the gospel be true if the historical foundations of it in Genesis are not or cannot be trusted as historically accurate? Or for that matter, can we trust any other miraculous thing in the entire Bible also as historically accurate? If we cannot trust the miraculous, then we cannot and don't believe the core elements of the gospel (i.e. The resurrection of Christ from the dead, and our resurrection from the dead). My question is why do we want to explain away Genesis as not authentic, but not the rest of the supernatural elements of the Bible? Because we cannot explain the "cataclysmic supernatural" events in their pages? It is true that you do have to believe in the miraculous to believe that the Bible is accurate? There are supernatural events in almost every chapter of the Bible. Most are smaller than the "cataclysmic supernatural" events in Genesis, But supernatural nonetheless. We can and must trust them, because the gospel, and everything Jesus taught is in their pages. With these few thoughts I hope and pray you can trust at least in the theological and historical authenticity of Genesis 1-11. 

Christ the Fountainhead of Life: Week 2 "What Does Jesus Control?"

Colossians 1:15-23 Christ the fountainhead of Life: Week 2 "What Does Jesus Control?"

I don't pretend to understand Quantum Mechanics but I do know from middle school science that protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge. This makes them attracted to each other. You should thank them for that attraction because I guess if they all of a sudden lost their attractional force one to another we would quickly cease to exist. I guess it would kind of be like the Arnold Schwarzenegger  film The Eraser.

Did you ever see that movie it was pretty terrible, but that ray gun was pretty awesome at making people disappear. I would posit that we are held together by the great loving kindness and mercy of Christ. As we see in our next section of Colossians. "And in him all things hold together". We see today from this passage that Christ is totally supreme over all things down to the very basic building blocks of your life even your protons and electrons. There is not one thing that is out of His ultimate control, careful, and kind watch. 

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister." (Colossians 1:15-23 ESV)

Christ is completely supreme for our good and his own glory in three areas. 

1. He is completely supreme over all Created Things 

-all things we see and even those things and powers that we cannot see are under his careful purview

"15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

All these things were created through him and they are for him."

-What could these things possibly "do" for Jesus that would do anything for Him?

Psalm 19 

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19:1-6 ESV)

And what does creation say day after day? It says to everyone everywhere, "I am here look at me, see me, I am God! 

This creation cries to us all that there is a great and wonderful creator that cannot be ignored. You can try to ignore him and fill your life with distractions but he has made everything 'ex nihilo' (from nothing) and we must pay attention! Not only did he create all things but all things will eventually one day return to him for his glory. One day at the end "every knee will bow" either bow voluntarily or involuntarily! This is the length and breadth or his supremacy! 

2. He is also completely supreme over His Church

"18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19) For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Whatever your view of Jesus was before now, it was too small. Your view of Him was too small before you read this today! And hopefully after you read this, it will continue to grow! Ekklesia is the Greek word here that Paul uses to describe the assembly or church. And also likewise whatever your view of the church was when you read this today it was too small. The greatness of Jesus Church should continually be growing in your mind! Acts 20:28 says that the Ekklesia is the people whom The Lord has "bought with his own blood". It is all people who belong to him from every tribe, and nation, from all people, from all time! 

And he is the head and Lord of that Ekklesia! 

He is firstborn with preeminence because of his resurrection. 

He is also preeminent because of all fullness of God resting on him. 

He is also preeminent Lord of the Church because he has made peace with everything by his blood
And His Church will grow, until the gospel of Jesus Christ has reached every language, and tribe, and nation

3. He is completely supreme over you and me through the Gospel 

21) And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22) he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23) if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

-we were aliens and completely foreign but now we have victory!!!

-he presents you holy and blameless. Who does he present you to? God himself!

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)
Because of Christ's gracious sacrifice for you and I, we can boldly approach His throne, where Christ lives to make intercession for us. At His throne we will receive Mercy and Grace, no longer Judgement and Condemnation. He has the authority to give it, because of His supremacy in Redemption and His authority in the gospel.

Close: Our views of Jesus will always be too small until the day we see him face to face. Until then how are you seeking to worship and make much of Christ? Let your view of Him be always growing! As the famous Dutch Reformer Abraham Kuyper said, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"

Watch this sermon jam from John Piper, and let it help you worship the supreme Christ!

Christ is the Fountainhead of Knowledge

Christ the Fountainhead of Knowledge and Life

I have been thinking and meditating on this concept lately. Jesus is the source or fountainhead of all Wisdom, Knowledge, and Life. I have come across several scriptures that flesh out this idea...

For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. (Psalms 36:9 NASB)

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13 NASB)

O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:13 NASB)

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Hebrews 5:9 NASB)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 10, 14 NASB)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. (Colossians 1:15-20, 28, 29 NASB)

Christ is the fountainhead of all knowledge and wisdom so transformational education services/christian education must and can only originate with Him (Colossians 1:15-20, 28,29) . Personal transformation starts at salvation and continues in a person until they have been transformed into the likeness of Christ on the great day of transformation at the resurrection of the dead when we shall all 'be like Him'.

Because there is none wiser, none stronger, none more glorious than any teacher in all the universe as our creator. Only He can exegete and expound on any mystery in the entire universe. So then He must not just be referred to and given lip service within our curriculums/education, but He must be, and is the center of our entire curriculum in transformational educational services/christian education. He is the fountainhead of ALL knowledge and wisdom, and without Him we actually do not have true wisdom because the "Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of wisdom". If He is the creator and sustainer of all life in the universe (see Colossians 1:15-29) then He is The Lord, master, inventor, initiator, creator, author, and sustainer of math, science, language, history, culture, philosophy, and any other system of learning that we have currently, or will establish in the future.

Therefore we must not just add Him as the tack on to our subjects within transformational educational services or christian education. As teachers we must always look to Him to illuminate our darkened minds to understand the deep mysteries of His world, and universe which He has so wonderfully made. This means 'setting apart Christ continually as Lord of our hearts', so that we may continue to keep Him as The Lord of our subjects. 

You cannot be a teacher in a transformational education or christian education without entering this process of transformation yourself. This brings me to our part in transformation that is described in Romans 12:1-2 the word transformed there is 'Metomorphoo'. It is what it sounds like, a metamorphosis. A living thing being changed into something of completely different quality. 

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,  which is  your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1, 2 NASB)

μεταμορφόω is the greek if you are interested or met-am-or-fo'-o meaning to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose") to change, transfigure, transform.

The transforming power is not a thing to be sought out by us because we are great and inspired individuals. Notice it is something that we seek by the 'Mercies of God'. We seek transformation in Him because He is a merciful God who will certainly do it in us because we seek it from Him. And that metamorphosis that we seek will certainly happen according to that great mercy which He is ready to disseminate and extend to us. 

The way this presenting of our bodies should be understood in the greek is as a 'one time' act. I had been a Christian for 20 years or so at the time I understood this. I had never presented my body to God. I went home to my little apartment and was studying the passage again. I realized I must do this too, so I kicked the chair out from under me made some space in my apartment and laid down on my face prostrate and presented my body to God. Things almost immediately changed for me. I was a different person physically. I had given God my body for Him to do with what He wanted from now on. I was transformed. I was 'metamorphooooooed'. And now anything I do physically I do as a response to Him having ownership of my body and soul. People used to ask me when I played basketball "who do you play for" (They don't ask me anymore. They usually ask me to get off the court now). So back in the day, I would say "I play for Jesus". Before I had only played for my own fleeting glory, and now I do everything I do, physically, for the fountainhead. Have you ever once and for all presented your body to God as an act of worship? If not do it today! It will transform you!

The other two aspects of transformation are not conforming to patterns of this world and renewing your mind. What pattern of this world do you fall prey to easiest and what mercy of God are we leaning on to resist that pattern of ungodliness? After we move away from the pattern of this world, we should not leave those minds, as empty slates. We must renew them into usable vessels for The Lord, creator, and sustainer of all life. Remember we are leaning on the 'fountainhead of all knowledge and wisdom' for the renewal of our minds, how can we then fail as transformed people? It would be impossible because the 'fountainhead' of life and knowledge will not fail, He has not failed, and He cannot and will not ever fail. How then can we fail in this transformation process if we are yielded to Him being transformational agents when Christ our greatest and most wise transformer is our source and the fountainhead for our own personal transformation? We cannot fail! while keeping Jesus at the center of our own transformation! By the mercies of God, He will transform us, and in turn we can and should transform those around us. This is the basis and source of our work in any field. and He will certainly do it when we pursue Him with abandon! I want to give you a chance to respond to the fountainhead in worship. This song is called 'Pursuit'. So pursue Him as your great fountainhead and sing to Him!

Creationism and Miracles

I am a literal six day creationist. Not so much because the science is strong toward either side. The science toward an evolutionary theory or toward a creationist theory can only substantiate Scientific Theory not Scientific Law. For theory to become law it has to be observed over and over again and neither creation nor evolution can be observed over and over again.  There are evidences toward both, but they cannot be observed, just the effects of either theory can be seen in scientific and geological record. I am a creationist because I believe in miracles. If miracles do not exist the Bible cannot be truthful. The Old Testament and the entire New Testament cannot be true or accurate in any of the historical narrative if supernatural miracles do not exist. And there is the genre of historical narrative writing all over both Testaments. Let's take the Old Testament for instance.  The story of the Sun standing still for 24 hours could not scientifically have happened. Either that happened or the historical account is untrue and the entire OT cannot be trusted. The story of Elijah calling down fire from heaven, the axe head floating, Nahman the man with leprosy being healed, Elijah going to heaven in a chariot of fire, the Israelites walking on dry ground through the Red Sea, Enoch not dying, and I could go on and on about miracles in the Old Testament record. Either these things happened literally as they are described in the historical narrative or the Bible is an untrustworthy document and has to be thrown out as fable on par with Greek Mythology. Then there are the things in the New Testament that directly relate to our faith in Jesus Christ. Do you believe scientifically that people can be raised from the dead? As Christians we believe in the historical resurrection, or do we? I think we have to believe in the bodily resurrection at least to be what the N.T. calls authentic Christians. Because as Paul describes if the resurrection did not happen we are "still in our sins and we are of all men to be pitied". Jesus himself raised people from the dead. And all the New Testament writers treated the supernatural stories of the bible as if they really happened in history. We would have to do something to dismiss these if we do not accept them as true. But the entire Bible is ripe with supernatural miracles. I think you would be hard pressed to find a single book in the entire Bible that does not have a miracle in it. After we have deconstructed the Bible and taken out the miraculous we would barely have anything left. Either you accept the miraculous or you cannot accept the Bible. There is too much you would have to explain away including the plethora (several hundred outside Genesis 1-11) of creation references including Jesus. He said, "But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE." (emphasis mine) (Mark 10:6 NASB) a good article on Jesus view of Creation is found at The Institute For Creation Research website. If you are a Jesus follower I think you need to believe in the supernatural and thus the Creation account as it is written in Holy Scripture.

Creationism and the Noahic Flood

Creationism and the Flood
I am a literal 6 day creationist. I do not believe that this view is unscientific as some would say. I love science! I think that there is too much evidence in the Bible that the supernatural realm does impact the natural realm. There are too many "scientifically impossible" occurrences to say that the bible is accurate. For instance almost all of Jesus ministry was healing either he did or didn't do that stuff. Or a cataclysmic worldwide flood that the OT describes in great detail either it was a worldwide flood or the bible is wrong, and not inspired by God or inerrant.   It is obviously not a local flood as Genesis describes in a historical narrative literary style "For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made." Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days." (Genesis 7:4, 17, 19-21, 23, 24 NASB)