Controversies In Genesis 1-11
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua
“Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.””
“They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.”
“For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ ”
Christianity is not unfamiliar with controversy. The Christian faith, when practised seriously, often court controversy. The early Christians’ refusal to bow their knees to the Roman Caesars raised eyebrows and resulted in ugly reprisals. Jesus’ exclusive claim to be the way, truth, and life and the only access to salvation are deemed insensitive and offensive.
There is also no shortage of controversy within the Christian circle. Major doctrinal differences in areas such as baptism, spiritual gifts, women’s role in the church, etcetera remain unresolved after centuries of dialogue and wrangling.
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However, nothing is more controversial than the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis… They do not fit nicely into the modern mindset and narrative. They read more like fables and myths. To make matter worse, they contradict science.
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Added to the list of controversy in the present time are the issues of gender identity, homosexual practices, and abortion. All these arise from the way we interpret and understand the Bible.
However, nothing is more controversial than the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. You understand the reason for the controversy when you take a hard look at the accounts and details in these chapters. They do not fit nicely into the modern mindset and narrative. They read more like fables and myths. To make matter worse, they contradict science.
Controversial Accounts
Here are a few examples of the controversial accounts in Genesis chapters 1 to 11.
God created the earth and everything in it in six days. It seems impossible for many believers even though we believe in a supernatural God who is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful). Six days seem like a stretch in the minds of these believers.
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The disparity between the biblical narrative and scientific explanation compels the Christian sceptics to fit the Bible to science.
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Science argues that the evolutionary process took millions of years. It proposed logical sounding hypotheses that sit more comfortably with the modern, natural mindsets.
The disparity between the biblical narrative and scientific explanation compels the Christian sceptics to fit the Bible to science. One day in the Creation account is stretched to mean a few million years, and so, they postulate that the day is symbolic rather than literal.
Another problem is the talking snake. The serpent spoke to Eve and convinced her that God was selfish not to let Adam and her eat from the tree of knowledge. A snake does not talk. Therefore, the story must be figurative. It is a way of telling the story of the Fall of humanity.
Then, we encounter another controversy. The lifespan of the people in the antediluvian period was embarrassingly long. They lived up to 900 over years. How could that be possible? It is unbelievable.
Before one can recover from the shocks, chapter 6 opens with the bizarre tale of the fatal attraction of the “sons of God” to the “daughters of man.” Then, we are told that their unnatural union resulted in the birth of the Nephilim, which is another unusual development. These mixed breeds were much bigger and taller than humans. They were giants. It is a fantastic story in the genre of fairy tales and Greek mythologies.
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Such explanation to circumvent the supernatural aspects of the story is more bizarre than the story itself. It has no credibility.
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In the attempt to mitigate this embarrassing incredulity found in the Word of God, a desperate explanation is proposed. The sons of God are the righteous descendants of Seth while the daughters of man are the women from the wicked line of Cain.
My simple question is: how is it possible for the union of righteous and wicked people to result in giants?
Such explanation to circumvent the supernatural aspects of the story is more bizarre than the story itself. It has no credibility.
The Flood during Noah’s time is another controversial story in the Bible. While atheists might dismiss the Flood altogether, many Christians half believe the story, contending that the Flood while true is not worldwide in nature but regional. That is, it happened only in a certain part of the earth.
Again, the idea of a global Flood is repulsive to the Christian sceptics because it sounds incredible. I came across numerous Christian websites. They are at pains to explain the case for a regional or local Flood.
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These Christian sceptics want to follow science and they try to fit the biblical claims to science. Well, I believe in science. However, science cannot be the final arbiter of biblical truth because it is constantly evolving as it keeps making new discoveries with time.
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Theologically, the Bible claims the Flood was global. Moses, the author of the book of Genesis, repeatedly emphasised the humongous scale of the Flood and the destruction it caused. “All the high mountains under the whole heavens were covered,” mankind and all living things perished, and only Noah, his family, and those creatures preserved in the ark survived (Genesis 7:17-24).
Logically, it is not possible to have a flood that covered the 5,137 metres high Mount Ararat, where the ark came to rest eventually after the flood had subsided, for nearly 150 days without the waters flooding the entire earth to the same level. We do not need to prove from science. This is simple logic. Either you believe in a global flood, or there was no flood at all.
Science Cannot Explain Biblical Truths
These Christian sceptics want to follow science and they try to fit the biblical claims to science. Well, I believe in science. However, science cannot be the final arbiter of biblical truth because it is constantly evolving as it keeps making new discoveries with time.
My point is science has not caught up with God yet. It never will. Science is incapable of explaining the supernatural. Therefore, while good science is to be believed, the Word of God trumps science anytime.
In a world that has mostly rejected God, the claims of the Bible and its veracity will always be doubted. But what is troubling is even professing Christians are also doubtful.
Supernatural or Natural Worldview
If you had noticed, the reasons, be it plain scepticism or science-based, for the rejection of a simple, literal interpretation of these biblical stories is very much related to one’s worldview. That is, how you perceive the world around you.
In other words, your worldview determines how you interpret and understand the Bible.
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The reasons, be it plain scepticism or science-based, for the rejection of a simple, literal interpretation of these biblical stories is very much related to one’s worldview.
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Many modern, educated believers do not have a supernatural worldview. A culprit is our school education. Students are taught the existence of the universe is a cosmic accident and humans evolved from primates, and this is science. So, we are conditioned to think in a naturalistic way.
To believe otherwise is irrational. Educated and respectable people are not supposed to be irrational, but sane and logical. So, it is not surprising that these Christians feel uncomfortable and even embarrassed with biblical passages that are overtly supernatural.
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However, without a supernatural worldview, you are going to misinterpret and misunderstand many passages in the Bible… A lack of a supernatural worldview also limits your understanding and hence, appreciation of many important teachings in the Scripture.
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Armed with only a natural worldview, it is extremely difficult for these Christians to instinctively think supernaturally. It is an uphill task for them if not impossible.
However, without a supernatural worldview, you are going to misinterpret and misunderstand many passages in the Bible.
If that passage reveals a fundamental truth such as the Genesis 6 account of the fallen angels and Nephilim, then, you will be misguided when you read numerous other passages that come later in the Bible. You will miss the point. Your understanding of these other passages will be inaccurate, and worse, flawed.
A lack of a supernatural worldview also limits your understanding and hence, appreciation of many important teachings in the Scripture.
I find it strange that while these Christians believe in the trinitarian nature of God, the virgin birth, the miracles recorded in the Gospels, and the resurrection of Christ, they find it hard to believe in the supernatural nature of the stories in the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
One possible reason is our familiarity or the lack of it with some of these stories. I observe that most Christians do not have a problem believing in the Ten Plagues, Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, the collapse of the walls of Jericho, and David’s victories over Goliath. Why? Because these are familiar stories. But the accounts in Genesis are less familiar as they are seldom mentioned and rarely taught.
The Importance of Genesis 1-11
In the past, China banned preaching from the books of Genesis and Revelation. The Chinese communist authorities did not want the Chinese Christians to know what happened at the beginning and how the world will end as God has ordained it. They were clever. By doing so, they deprived the believers of the sense of God’s purposes and their final destiny.
Likewise, Satan works actively to stir controversy in the first eleven chapters of Genesis because these chapters contain foundational truths and first principles, which are important to biblical theology. If the devil could make Christians disbelieve in the supernatural nature of these stories in Genesis, they would find it even harder to believe in the book of Revelation, which is even more bizarre.
Satan is a master in the art of deception. Therefore, we must be extremely careful not to fall into his trap.
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Satan works actively to stir controversy in the first eleven chapters of Genesis because these chapters contain foundational truths and first principles, which are important to biblical theology.
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Pray and ask the Lord to open our eyes to see and enlighten our heart to understand His Word. We do not want to be counted among those whom Jesus says have ears but cannot hear and have eyes but cannot see. We want to be wise and discerning.
Open our eyes, Lord Jesus!