Creationism and Evolution

Today was our first Fall 2011 Bible study class using the FaitherWeaver curriculum.  The plan is for both parents and children study the same topic so they can discuss it later at home. While I don’t have children, I am always interested in how to start small in spreading God’s word.

Our class started with Genesis and how to explain the difference between the Bible’s description of creation and the scientific theory of evolution espoused in all public schools. BTW-I am old enough to remember when God was not a forbidden public school subject and feel we declined as a nation when the Evil one got judges to say it’s not allowed any more.

Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church (GPC) is an amazing church. We have scientists and theologians and a wide diversity in members from Africa to Korea and in-between. So, we had a variety of views.

The overarching conclusion was that the two are not mutually exclusive. God is the who and science is the how. God created the world but we don’t yet know exactly how (i.e., science’s contribution).

My life’s learning brought these items to their attention:

• Time is not linear. The expanse of time that awes scientist is based on time being a straight line so they incorrectly conclude the Bible is wrong.
• A day wasn’t ‘24 hours” until the Earth was fully created and rotating on its axis.
• Humans decided what category ancient skeletal remains fit into. It was not God who said “man starts with Homo Sapiens”.
• Francis Collins, one of the decoders of the Human Genome, says that DNA evidences proves that all humans come from a single ancestor.

When all is said and done, science proves the Bible’s point of man’s origin starting with a single source. Not the opposite. I love it when turn about is fair play! Amen.

PS: Click here to see the description of the course: http://www.gpchurch.org/Adults/AdultEducation/2011AdultEducationFallCourses/tabid/47692/Default.aspx

See also the Internet Monk for a great explanation on how literal or not to take the Christian Bible: http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/my-view-of-scripture

Our Scripture Discussion for 08-21-2011

Our scripture discussion for today is Ezekiel 39:25-29 of the KJ Bible.
Eze 39:25-29 [KJV]

(25)  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;

(26)  After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
(27)  When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
(28)  Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
(29)  Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

Overview: The 39^th chapter “is a continuation of the prophecy of the destruction of Gog” and concludes with the Jews release from captivity and God revealing Himself to them through the Holy Spirit. It is noted that their captivity was a result of “their sins and transgressions”. [Gill] In this book, “Gog is the “chief prince” and leader of the attacking armies”[1]

Verse 25-28:

God will gather together the twelve tribes of Israel, who were scattered and enslaved because of sin, into one land. In their shame, they were “not able to lift up their face.” [Gill quoting Jarchi] Jacob’s captivity is contrasted with the Babylonian since God’s mercy was shown only “on the house of Judah.” Now God will redeem them all since they will “publicly repent” of their idolatry and will honor His name. [Gill, Clarke]


Verse 29:
God promises never to leave them again because He “poured” his “spirit” on them. “This was the beginning of the fulfillment.” “[T]he outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.” [Barnes]

Gill feels “this refers not to the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but to one that is yet to come, when the Jews will be converted in the latter day…” [Gill]

References

Barnes: Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible.
Clarke: Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible.
Gill: John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible ; Dr. John Gill (1690-1771)
[1] Who are Gog and Magog? Extracted 2011-08-19; http://bibleq.info/answer/1944/

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Our scripture discussion for today: Act 2:42-47

(42)  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

(43)  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

(44)  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

(45)  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

(46)  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

(47)  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. [KJV]

Overview: Pentecost had come, the Holy Spirit imbued them, and they had gathered together in Jerusalem where the gift of tongues came upon the apostles who testified of the risen Christ Jesus to a crowd. At the end, 3,000 became believers.

Verse 42:

In this context, “fellowship” is taken to mean the group putting all their funds together to share expenses since they had been far from home for a long while.[PNT] VWS & Barnes note it is occasionally translated as “communion”. Clarke says the Greek means religious community. This is supported by verses 44 and 45.

There is scholarly disagreement on whether the “breaking of bread” means the Lord’s Supper or cracker bread eaten at many Hebrew meals. This type of cracker bread was broken, not cut. MHCC says it was the Lord’s Supper and while several note that “the Syriac” means “eucharist,” Barnes concludes it’s really not clear. JFB feels that is was not a Eucharistic meal. The bread in verse 46 is more likely the common meal. Some say that breaking bread was a sign of “intimacy or friendship”. Clarke explains that the master of the house performed the ritual as part of a pre-meal blessing. This may mean that even less well-known diners shared in it as well.

Verse 47:

There is much scholarly discussion about the tense used in the phrase “such as should be saved.” Barnes feels is merely a description of those in the crowd “who were about to be saved.” Clarke, Gill, PNT, and others feel it implies that not all are saved, only those “redeemed from their sins and baptized into the faith of Jesus Christ”. RWP and VWS speak about the continuity or “progressive condition” of salvation. That is past, present, and future.

PNT notes this is the first time the newly created “church” is mentioned. However, JFB and Clarke support my translation pet peeves by noting that “to the Church” is missing in the “most ancient manuscripts” (BC, Coptic, Sahidic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Vulgat).

References

Barnes: Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible.

Clarke: Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible.

JFB: A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown.

MHCC: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible.

PNT: The People's New Testament (1891) by B. W. Johnson.

RWP: WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas Robertson.

VWS: John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible.