Re: classic arguments

Moorad Alexanian (alexanian@UNCWIL.EDU)
Mon, 08 Dec 1997 14:42:40 -0500 (EST)

At 02:05 PM 12/5/97 -0800, Arthur V. Chadwick wrote:
>At 01:06 PM 12/5/97 -0500, Chuck wrote:
>
>>I am also concerned when the OT, particularly Genesis, is
>>regarded as an inferior document containing errors. To hold
>>that kind of view implies, indirectly, that Christ's confidence
>>in the OT was misplaced, which in turn puts into question
>>the integrety of Christ. The question then is if Christ was
>>wrong at this point, can we trust Him in matters of Salvation
>>and Faith, and if so, why?
>
>Given the extent to which the Old Testament is quoted by Jesus Himself (80
>direct quotes a few of them duplicates) and the number of times Jesus made
>direct reference to the events in Genesis as literal (Creation, creation of
>male and female, killing of Abel, the flood, Noah, ark, all destroyed,
>Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's wife-pillar of salt, Moses and burning bush,
>giving of manna, etc), and given the admonition of Peter in II Peter 3:2, I
>think we can safely conclude the Old Testament is validated and amplified
>in the New, and that they are two parts of a single Whole, as Peter emphasizes.
>Art
>http://chadwicka.swau.edu

Dear Art,

You bring up the point that is always in back of my mind regarding the
question of origins. Christ never contradicted what the OT says especially
the question of male and female being created from the beginning as such--I
know someone in the list already mentioned that Christ used this as a point
against divorce, but that is too simplistic for me. Doesn't His statements
contradict those who say, for instance, that a homosexual is born that
way--there is no choice in his/her life style. Christ did not tell us about
X and Y chromosomes which will always distinguish a male from a female, but
still He said that they were created male and female from the beginning. Why
didn't He tell us about our supposed origin via evolution? Remember the
reason Christ did not mention some of the laws of nature--gravitation,
electroweak, etc.--as we know them today, is that such laws are not the true
laws which underlie the governing of all of nature. They are mere shadows of
the true laws. But the question of origin is not of that genre. The creation
of man is very detailed, very specific in Scripture. Christ left no room but
to believe that He agreed with that origin of man and so our attempts to
bypass His words and understand it otherwise may border on disobedience.

Take care,

Moorad