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Wild bananas are different from the cultivated ones we buy at the store. It is funny in the Philippines when you fly a plane there is a very small passenger section. The plane is mostly fresh produce on it's way to market. They talk about how wild plants and animals become cultivated and domesticated.
Yet according to the bible, God made everything through Christ. As John 1 says:
hope you good AkitaThe fact that they are theological in nature attests to their divine inspiration. God, as divine source impacts human authors ie (both divine and human). God working through the personality, the style, and more, of the human authors to bring about theological truth.
For me it's much more than an appreciation, it's an acknowledgement and coming in agreement that the God of heaven an earth, who is beyond time and space, condescended to human history to reveal Himself. Firstly through those who revealed his Word in thought, in script and action (prophets), but finally through His son (Jesus) (Hebrews 1:1-2).
In what sense do you mean, that they are more than history? Yes, they are theological narratives rooted in history and prophetically symbolic. God reveals Himself through these narratives, firstly to Israel as the Creator God and then to us. It's part of their history in their context.
So you seem to be saying it is more figurative than scientific. or are you saying that science is wrong?
Now you seem to be encouraging a literal interpretation. Am I reading you correctly?
blog.verbum.com
I can respect that, although I obviously see things differently. The parts that I doubt actually happened still have a lot of value - they can have important nonliteral meanings.
I think it would do me some good to read more of how some early church fathers handled scripture to find some more good examples of how to read difficult texts. Here is an example I found with Gregory of Nyssa discussing the killing of the firstborn in Egypt (from Book II of his Life of Moses). His questions about the morality and justice of the killings are in-line with my own difficulty with the text 16 centuries later:
On the Killing of the Egyptian Firstborn, from St. Gregory of Nyssa - Verbum Blog
If such a one now pays the penalty of his father’s wickedness, where is justice? Where is piety? Where is holiness? Where is Ezekiel, who cries: The man who has sinned is the man who must die and a son is not to suffer for the sins of his father? How can the history so contradict reason?
One thing that blog post did not include was this sentence by Gregory (also from book II of Life of Moses) that questions the historicity of the event:
100. Do not be surprised at all if both things—the death of the firstborn and the pouring out of the blood— did not happen to the Israelites and on that account reject the contemplation which we have proposed concerning the destruction of evil as if it were a fabrication without any truth.
I guess my point is that an approach to the bible that includes questioning the morality and historicity of stories is within the boundaries of how Christians have handled scripture since the earliest centuries of our faith. Not everyone needs to agree with such an approach of course, but when we read scripture this way I don’t think we are coloring outside the lines as much as some folks around here seem to think we are.
I can respect that, although I obviously see things differently. The parts that I doubt actually happened still have a lot of value - they can have important nonliteral meanings.
I think it would do me some good to read more of how some early church fathers handled scripture to find some more good examples of how to read difficult texts. Here is an example I found with Gregory of Nyssa discussing the killing of the firstborn in Egypt (from Book II of his Life of Moses). His questions about the morality and justice of the killings are in-line with my own difficulty with the text 16 centuries later:
On the Killing of the Egyptian Firstborn, from St. Gregory of Nyssa - Verbum Blog
If such a one now pays the penalty of his father’s wickedness, where is justice? Where is piety? Where is holiness? Where is Ezekiel, who cries: The man who has sinned is the man who must die and a son is not to suffer for the sins of his father? How can the history so contradict reason?
One thing that blog post did not include was this sentence by Gregory (also from book II of Life of Moses) that questions the historicity of the event:
100. Do not be surprised at all if both things—the death of the firstborn and the pouring out of the blood— did not happen to the Israelites and on that account reject the contemplation which we have proposed concerning the destruction of evil as if it were a fabrication without any truth.
I guess my point is that an approach to the bible that includes questioning the morality and historicity of stories is within the boundaries of how Christians have handled scripture since the earliest centuries of our faith. Not everyone needs to agree with such an approach of course, but when we read scripture this way I don’t think we are coloring outside the lines as much as some folks around here seem to think we are.
That is a fair criticism(edit: your entire post has fair criticisms and warnings). For me the old stuff is interesting because I have almost exclusively been engaging with interpretations from a modern perspective, where things like archeology are part of what leads to judgements about what is more likely to be historical and what is not.
All is made though the word of God. The literal word of God is that God "said" all things into existence though His word.
Yes, however, divine knowledge of a matter does not always mean being present to know and give account. Through the Spirit, prophets and biblical figures received revelation about events and circumstances that were beyond their immediate knowledge and presence...Jesus in his humanity told Nathaniel before I met you I saw you while you were by the fig tree before Phillip called (John 1:48).The book of Acts has examples of things people should not have known. How did Peter know Ananias and Saphira were lying about the money? How did Paul know Ananias was coming to place hands on him to receive his sight? In a vision Cornelius saw an angel giving him instruction (Acts 5:1-11; 9:10-12;10:1-8). It's not impossible to "know" without being present.
Sure no problem, which is why the subtlety is found in the word "attests to" and not "equates to".
I'm saying that sometimes we come to the Bible looking for it to tell us how nano particles should work. Which it doesn't. Science provides valuable insights into the natural world, it has a boundary. When we discuss God we move to the realm of the supernatural. The Bible focuses on accounts of Gods purposes and humanity relationship with Him, the nature of sin and God's promise of redemption, rather than scientific explanations.
What I alluded to was a literary reading. The Genesis accounts has themes, purpose and structure. Tim Mackie does this quite well. Although I have room for both literary and literal approaches. Both should be explored to discover meaning.
Right. We both have that in common, and I wouldn't insist that it be any other way. Archaeology and Historiography and the Philosophy of History are part and parcel of my own personal praxis when dealing with Biblical issues of any kind.
You can cut and paste your message in AI and they will do that for you. Even you can tell AI to write your message in king james english or any style you want on any grade level you want. Even I had AI write a song for my wife as if her favorite singer had done it.
These instances show that divine knowledge can transcend human limitations, allowing individuals to “know” things beyond their immediate perception. This emphasizes the power and mystery of divine revelation and the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding and informing believers.
It sounds like you’re referring to the Ussher chronology, which was developed by Archbishop James Ussher in the 17th century. He calculated that the Earth was created in 4004 BC based on a literal interpretation of the Bible1
People find harmony between science and their faith. Many believe that science and the Bible can complement each other, offering different perspectives on the same truths. For instance, some view the biblical creation story as a metaphor that aligns with scientific explanations of the universe’s origins.
There is no contradiction. If people understand science and if they understand the Bible then they know that they agree. There are still unknowns. We do not know everything about everything.
