TRUTH or MYTH?GENESIS 1-11

TRUTH or MYTH?GENESIS 1-11

• Similarities between Genesis and other early mythological literature.

• Early allegorical interpretations.• Rationalistic refusal of miracles• Efforts of biblical scholarship to

“demythologize” the text.• Evolutionary presuppositions.

Style of Genesis

• The writing style of Moses is not mythical, allegorical, or poetic.

• Moses only used “like” (13.10; 25.25) or “as” (3.22) very few times.

• Same type of narrative style is found in chapters 1-11 and chapters 12-50.

• God generally lets us know what we are reading: Luke 8.4ff; Galatians 4.21ff; Revelation 1.1ff.

Genesis & the Bible Story

• The relationship between Genesis and the rest of the biblical story.

• Genesis speaks of the origin, fall, and redemption of mankind.

• Redemption through Jesus is the central them of the Bible: Genesis 5; 12.2; Matthew 1.1ff; Luke 3.23ff.

• Bible opens and closes the same way: Revelation 2.7; 22.2.

Jesus & Genesis

• Genesis was accepted as literal and historical by Jesus. Matthew 19.4-6 (Genesis 2.18-24) Matthew 23.25 (Genesis 4) Matthew 24.37-39 (Genesis 6-7) John 8.44 (Genesis 3.1-4)

The Apostles & Genesis

• Genesis was accepted as literal and historical by the Apostles. Paul: Romans 5.12-14; I Corinthians

11.8-9, 12; 14.34; 15.22, 45, 47; II Corinthians 11.3; I Timothy 2.13-14

Peter: I Peter 3.20; II Peter 2.5; 3.3-7 John: I John 3.12; Revelation 2, 12, 22

Genesis & the NT

• Genesis was accepted as literal and historical by the writers of the NT. All NT books reference Genesis except

three. Only 7 out of the 50 chapters of Genesis

are not directly referenced in the NT. Each chapter of Genesis 1-11 is

referenced. There are over 200 specific references to

Genesis.