Genesis

1
Genesis

• Literal and Historical?
• or
• Mythological?

2
Why this study?

• Many liberals (including some church members) do
  not accept parts of the Old Testament as a
  reliable record of historical fact
• Christians must be certain of their faith in the
  Bible
• Christians must be able to tell others about the
  reliability of the Bible
• Does it really matter how we view Genesis as long
  as we believe in Jesus?

3
Why this study?

• Many question the following
• the six, literal days of creation
• the origin of man
• the creation of woman from Adam
• the Deceiver (Satan) as a literal serpent
• the size of the ark and its contents
• the word-wide flood of Noah
• the tower of Babel
• How will we respond to this?

4
Why this study?

• Why do so many reject Genesis?
• similarities between Genesis and mythological
  literature (Bab. Enuma Elish)
• allegorical interpretations of Genesis among
  early Christians
• rationalistic refusal to believe in miracles
• destructive work of 19th Century higher criticism
  to demythologize the text
• evolutionary presuppositions concerning origin
  and the age of the earth

5
Why Genesis is Literal Historical

• The writing style of Moses is not mythical,
  allegorical, or poetic
• Moses uses like (1310 2525) or as (322)
  very few times
• The same type historical narrative in Genesis
  1-11 is found in Genesis 12-50
• God lets us know what we are reading by the
  context (Lk. 84ff Gal. 421ff Rev.11ff)

6
Why Genesis is Literal Historical

• The relation of Genesis to the rest of the Bible
  story demonstrates its literal, historical
  reliability
• Genesis speaks of the origin, fall and redemption
  of mankind (Gen.11-315)
• Redemption through Jesus Christ is the central
  theme of the whole Bible (Gen.5 122 Mt.11ff
  Lk.323ff)
• The Bible opens and closes the same way with
  the tree of life (Rev. 27 222)
• If Genesis is not true, Jesus is not necessary

7
Why Genesis is Literal Historical

• Genesis was accepted as literal and historical by
  Jesus
• Mt.194-6 (Gen. 218-24)
• Mt. 2335 (Gen.4)
• Mt.2437-39 (Gen.6-7)
• Jn. 844 (Gen. 31-4)
• Jesus made important moral and doctrinal
  arguments based upon the historical nature of
  Genesis

8
Why Genesis is Literal Historical

• Genesis was accepted as literal and historical by
  the Apostles
• Paul (Rom.512-14 1 Cor.118-9,12 1434
  1522,45,47 2 Cor. 113 1
  Tim.213-14)
• Peter (1 Pet.320 2 Pet.25 33-7)
• John (1 John 312 Revelation 2,12,22)
• Jude (Jude 11,14)
• The Apostles made important moral and doctrinal
  arguments based upon the historical nature of
  Genesis

9
Why Genesis is Literal Historical

• Note the use of Genesis in the NT
• all NT books reference Genesis except three
• only seven of the fifty chapters in Genesis are
  not referenced in the NT
• each chapter of Gen.1-11 is referenced
• there are 200 specific references to Genesis
• If Genesis is not accepted as literal and
  historical, then neither can the New Testament be

10
Why Genesis is Literal Historical

• The writing style of Moses
• Genesis relation to the rest of the Bible
• Accepted as literal by Jesus
• Accepted as literal by the Apostles
• The use of Genesis in the New Testament

11
Genesis

• Genesis is the foundation of the whole Bible, if
  it falls, the entire Bible falls
• Let us not be fools and slow of heart to believe
  all that the prophets have spoken (Lk.2425-27)
• Let us accept all Scripture as the inspired Word
  God (2 Tim. 316-17)