Bill wrote
> Russ writes
> >
> >This morning's paper carried a story about an article in *Nature* concerning
> >the Y chromosome, a follow-up on work reported last May.
> >
> >Analysis of this chromosome indicates that all modern men are descendants
> >of one male who lived about 190,000 years ago. I assume "modern" includes
> >the last several thousand years.
> >
> >Here is my question: Did Jesus possess this chromosome?
> >
> Interesting question. The New Testament teaches that Jesus was in every
> way like us, except that He did not sin. That might be taken to indicate
> that he _did_ have that chromosome, although He didn't acquire it in the
> same way (physically passed from a human father's sperm) we do. That
> implies God made the chromosome. Nothing wrong with that, except that some
> might object that by making the chromosome God had created an "appearance
> of human ancestory" that was deceiving and whay would God lie? My answer
> would be that God created what He deemed necessary to make Jesus' body
> conform in every way to His purpose. Those who take that to be lying --
> well, that's _their_ problem.
>
> Interesting question. I'm going to be out of town tomorrow, but I will try
> to respond to any reactions Wednesday.
I appreciate this response very much. It was in the back of my mind,
when I wrote about the matter of *looking like* Jesus descended from
and ancient male through the male line, that it almost sounded like
the "appearance of age" argument we have heard so much. In the present
case, God tells us clearly that Jesus did not have a human father.
So, no matter what his Y chromosome looked like, there is no question
to ask concerning descent. My point, of course, is that if it did not
look like contemporary Y chromosomes, there existed in principle a
scientific test proving the virgin birth--a situation that seems to
me impossible. Then the "look like" alternative suggests that our first
parents could also have been created with chromosomes that looked like
those of nonhumans.
In Christ,
Russ
e-mail: rmaatman@dordt.edu Home address:
Russell Maatman 401 Fifth Ave. SE
Dordt College Sioux Center, Iowa 51250
Sioux Center, Iowa 51250 Home phone: (712) 722-0421