Genesis Is the understanding the of Ancient Hebrews.It doesn't have to be scientific.

[dougangel]

Genesis is the understanding of God by the ancient Hebrews. It's there oral tradition handed down and finally made into a book by Moses and his advisors. It's ancient man's understanding of God and the building of a religion. It does look like some of the early stories are taken from Sumerian and Egyptians sources adding Hebrew philosophy to them. Abraham was a Sumerian. They were building there understanding of God and not all of it is perfect or explainable. It evolved from out door animal sacrifices to a tent temple to a building temple. The Hebrews weren't perfect and there understanding of God at times isn't perfect. But at the time in the known world they recognised more of the truth of God. So God revealed himself more to them and of course this brought the saviour Jesus through them. Knowing that the bible isn't perfect, doesn't take away the bible but authenticates it.

 

[AV1611VET]

Genesis is the understanding of God by the ancient Hebrews.

We'd better have that same understanding too, or we're not going to be able to worship Him correctly.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

[dougangel]

We'd better have that same understanding too, or we're not going to be able to worship Him correctly.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Ok well, sort of wanting this to be a dialogue with Non Christians.
I can't agree that we have the same understanding too. Although there are similarities a Christian should have a different understanding of God than an ancient Hebrew. Where under a different Priesthood. Christ has also revealed God to us more. For example ( they had slaves. Would you have a slave ? )
You've plastered that scripture there out of context but answer me this then.
In your life has your understanding of God been the same or has it changed ?

 

[Black Dog]

Genesis Is the understanding the of Ancient Hebrews.It doesn't have to be scientific.

Agreed. No story has to be scientific.

 

[KWCrazy]

Although there are similarities a Christian should have a different understanding of God than an ancient Hebrew.

That doesn't change the fact that the Scriptures were inspired by the same God, that Jesus quoted from them frequently, and that He said man couldn't live on bread alone, but by every word that came from the mouth of God. Presumably, he meant the Scriptures, which confirms they came from God. Regardless of your level of understanding about the world, God was specific in describing its creation by His hand.

For example ( they had slaves. Would you have a slave ? )

My boss has slaves, myself among them. Certainly the definitions and the roles have changed over the years, but slaves weren't always the downtrodden, oft whipped urchins we see on television. Some were treated exceptionally well. They provided services in exchange for their upkeep. A good master treated his slaves well, and they stayed with him because there wasn't a wide variety of career opportunities for the unskilled at the time. That does not excuse the mistreatment of people in the more modern era or the degradation of the black slaves in America and Europe.

 

[Larniavc]

Genesis is the understanding of God by the ancient Hebrews. It's there oral tradition handed down and finally made into a book by Moses and his advisors. It's ancient man's understanding of God and the building of a religion. It does look like some of the early stories are taken from Sumerian and Egyptians sources adding Hebrew philosophy to them. Abraham was a Sumerian. They were building there understanding of God and not all of it is perfect or explainable. It evolved from out door animal sacrifices to a tent temple to a building temple. The Hebrews weren't perfect and there understanding of God at times isn't perfect. But at the time in the known world they recognised more of the truth of God. So God revealed himself more to them and of course this brought the saviour Jesus through them. Knowing that the bible isn't perfect, doesn't take away the bible but authenticates it.

Sounds reasonable.

 

[Larniavc]

My boss has slaves, myself among them.

You can't equate having a job for slavery.

This forum is such a strange place :/

 

[dougangel]

Agreed. No story has to be scientific.

Agreed But they can teach Morales and spiritual truths and about the human condition

 

[AV1611VET]

Ok well, sort of wanting this to be a dialogue with Non Christians.
I can't agree that we have the same understanding too. Although there are similarities a Christian should have a different understanding of God than an ancient Hebrew. Where under a different Priesthood. Christ has also revealed God to us more. For example ( they had slaves. Would you have a slave ? )
You've plastered that scripture there out of context but answer me this then.
In your life has your understanding of God been the same or has it changed ?

I'm assuming that, by understanding, you're really saying "misunderstanding".

I took your post as a dig against a Genesis 1 literal creation.

If I'm wrong, I apologize.

 

[dougangel]

You can't equate having a job for slavery.

This forum is such a strange place :/

I agree with you and I'm a Christian.

 

[dougangel]

That doesn't change the fact that the Scriptures were inspired by the same God, that Jesus quoted from them frequently, and that He said man couldn't live on bread alone, but by every word that came from the mouth of God. Presumably, he meant the Scriptures, which confirms they came from God. Regardless of your level of understanding about the world, God wa specific in describing its creation by His hand.

.

A Christian needs to understand that there are some commandments given in the Old Testament that do not apply now that we are in the age of grace. What is the best way to know which commandments are for Christians, and which commandments have a spiritual meaning but that should be left in the Old Testament where they were given? The way to find that out is by studying the New Testament. The New Testament is a fulfilment of the Old Testament. The New Testament also is an explanation of the Old Testament. There are many, many quotations and references from the Old Testament that are found in the New Testament, followed by explanations of those quotations and references. Therefore, in a way we can say that the New Testament is a commentary on the Old Testament. The New Testament explains to us which parts of the Old Testament are to be kept and followed by Christians. The epistles in the New Testament are written to Christians in order to tell Christians exactly what they should be doing as they attempt to live by faith for their Saviour in this world. Nothing has been omitted or missed. The Holy Spirit did not leave anything out when He gave us the New Testament. Therefore, if you want to know if a particular commandment applies to Christians, simply look for that commandment in the epistles of the New Testament.

 

[dougangel]

I'm assuming that, by understanding, you're really saying "misunderstanding".

I took your post as a dig against a Genesis 1 literal creation.

If I'm wrong, I apologize.

Well you haven't answered my question but my whole Point is Genesis is not about being Scientific or literal.
It's about spiritual truths and stories with morals and the ancient Hebrews understanding of how they came to God. As Christians we have to be honest and except there are anomalies in it and unexplainable pieces But that doesn't take away from the spiritual truths of it.

 

[Heissonear]

Genesis is the understanding of God by the ancient Hebrews. It's there oral tradition handed down and finally made into a book by Moses and his advisors. It's ancient man's understanding of God and the building of a religion. It does look like some of the early stories are taken from Sumerian and Egyptians sources adding Hebrew philosophy to them. Abraham was a Sumerian. They were building there understanding of God and not all of it is perfect or explainable. It evolved from out door animal sacrifices to a tent temple to a building temple. The Hebrews weren't perfect and there understanding of God at times isn't perfect. But at the time in the known world they recognised more of the truth of God. So God revealed himself more to them and of course this brought the saviour Jesus through them. Knowing that the bible isn't perfect, doesn't take away the bible but authenticates it.

Wrong.

 

[Heissonear]

Well you haven't answered my question but my whole Point is Genesis is not about being Scientific or literal.
It's about spiritual truths and stories with morals and the ancient Hebrews understanding of how they came to God. As Christians we have to be honest and except there are anomalies in it and unexplainable pieces But that doesn't take away from the spiritual truths of it.

Wrong.

Once He has "written" a verse upon your heart you know who the Author is.

 

[Heissonear]

A Christian needs to understand that there are some commandments given in the Old Testament that do not apply now that we are in the age of grace. What is the best way to know which commandments are for Christians, and which commandments have a spiritual meaning but that should be left in the Old Testament where they were given? The way to find that out is by studying the New Testament. The New Testament is a fulfilment of the Old Testament. The New Testament also is an explanation of the Old Testament. There are many, many quotations and references from the Old Testament that are found in the New Testament, followed by explanations of those quotations and references. Therefore, in a way we can say that the New Testament is a commentary on the Old Testament. The New Testament explains to us which parts of the Old Testament are to be kept and followed by Christians. The epistles in the New Testament are written to Christians in order to tell Christians exactly what they should be doing as they attempt to live by faith for their Saviour in this world. Nothing has been omitted or missed. The Holy Spirit did not leave anything out when He gave us the New Testament. Therefore, if you want to know if a particular commandment applies to Christians, simply look for that commandment in the epistles of the New Testament.

Next.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Genesis is the understanding of God by the ancient Hebrews. (It doesn't have to be scientific.)

Agreed and agreed.

Knowing that the bible isn't perfect, doesn't take away the bible but authenticates it.

What? Certainly the ancient, prescientific understanding in Genesis 'authenticates' that it is a document written by an ancient, prescientific culture, but I don't think anyone ever disagreed with that. What people want, of course, is an authentication that the text somehow tells us something true about the divine. I don't see how imperfections in the bible authenticate that.

Gilgamesh and the Iliad are also authenticated ancient, prescientific writings of ancient, prescientific cultures, but we don't think they tell us anything in particular about the divine.

 

[dougangel]

Wrong.

Once He has "written" a verse upon your heart you know who the Author is.

A New Covenant Hebrews 8:

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Only the New covenant (New Promise) is written on our hearts. Not the old covenant.

 

[KWCrazy]

You can't equate having a job for slavery.

Likewise, you can't equate your definition of slavery based on recent history. The Bible is a chronology of human events, and some people have always worked for other people; be it as sharecroppers, servants, serfs, foot soldiers etc. This does not constitute an excuse for the mistreatment of others. Indeed, the Pharaoh paid dearly for the mistreatment of the Jews when they were slaves. God is the wellspring of life. The evil that men do is on them, not God.

 

[Larniavc]

Likewise, you can't equate your definition of slavery based on recent history. The Bible is a chronology of human events, and some people have always worked for other people; be it as sharecroppers, servants, serfs, foot soldiers etc. This does not constitute an excuse for the mistreatment of others. Indeed, the Pharaoh paid dearly for the mistreatment of the Jews when they were slaves. God is the wellspring of life. The evil that men do is on them, not God.

The Bible says that you could beat a slave (as long as he does not die as a result). That is in no way similar to being employed. If a person at my place of work were to raise their voice to another member of staff they would be taken to task and depending on the circumstances suspended.

Slavery is slavery no matter how it is presented.

 

[RDKirk]

Genesis is the understanding of God by the ancient Hebrews. It's there oral tradition handed down and finally made into a book by Moses and his advisors. It's ancient man's understanding of God and the building of a religion. It does look like some of the early stories are taken from Sumerian and Egyptians sources adding Hebrew philosophy to them. Abraham was a Sumerian. They were building there understanding of God and not all of it is perfect or explainable. It evolved from out door animal sacrifices to a tent temple to a building temple. The Hebrews weren't perfect and there understanding of God at times isn't perfect. But at the time in the known world they recognised more of the truth of God. So God revealed himself more to them and of course this brought the saviour Jesus through them. Knowing that the bible isn't perfect, doesn't take away the bible but authenticates it.

Yes.

It's been discovered that ancient man could not even recognize and express the color blue. How much more could they not recognize--much less express--of God when they could not recognize and express of something we see so clearly today even in the natural world?