WPCW +#zQ$j8&/(LcNODdiLjŀwt`cb̕U>Y==8k-_/w>TI WhLOӺ4#+5c1jجڌ)ea4#^.iNRt0^@Tw(|c,<֯止0V[^S"1mpWk@QN®QŅMqdb/\ h?3f)B5t^*r}0%QwOT*h^]` r.GlW$b,Wua5OIq,_ mizf0%(N5i#*aЪh"Y RtHso3df%atZ[͕=^8 ʁ‰Hh|Bȍ r!䀁Jr?f^ClH7i$Bԛ! Z6V@ߣ߼evE 4N'EZ#V#!UN %# 0:)^ cw@o4 m 0U 0@ 0 0 0 0H 0 0 0= 0 0 0b 0 0 0W 0 0 0 0 0Y 0! 0 0o 0  0 07 0 0<G  0&~M% 0&D%P&_'O()N**8,-//0v1T2_+341546\7|C99}<|=~=~1??H@~@e_AD cFGI*JJKb'MAMNPQbLVb(Wb89W9W BqWHP LaserJet 4L,,,,0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,ԩr/ 45 6e7g8e9e:;<=ɕ..ˍBRISCO3|x= U*+ (_2623  ..*D+D (_25   ," <DL,23  ..," <DL,   *5+5 (_24  ) <DL)23  ..) <DL)  *2+2 (_23 ` &<<DL&23  ..&<<DL& ` */+/ (_22  #DL#23  ..#DL#  *,+, (_21   DL 23  .. DL  *)+) (_20 h DDL23  ..DDL h *&+& (_19  L23  ..L  *#+# (_18   L23  .. L  *>> (_17  2( 4 <DL223  Ԁ2( 4 <DL2  *DD (_16   ," <DL,23  Ԁ," <DL,   *55 (_15  ) <DL)23  Ԁ) <DL)  *22 (_14 ` &<<DL&23  Ԁ&<<DL& ` *// (_13  #DL#23  Ԁ#DL#  *,, (_12   DL 23  Ԁ DL  *)) (_11 h DDL23  ԀDDL h *&& (_10  L23  ԀL  (## &_9   L23  Ԁ L  (>> &_8  2( 4 <DL223  2( 4 <DL2  (DD &_7   ," <DL,23  ," <DL,   (55 &_6  ) <DL)23  ) <DL)  (22 &_5 ` &<<DL&23  &<<DL& ` (// &_4  #DL#23  #DL#  (,, &_3   DL 23   DL  ()) &_2 h DDL23  DDL h (&& &_1  L23  L  &## $_   L23   L  <:Default Para EhrhardtnoeticsnoeticTimaeusErhardtEpictetuscreationihiloLucretiusnullam nilogignidivinitusumquamGalenusqualitylessegenetopoiesasktizoktistes barapoieo)%   'poiewktizw 7 )A)s!s#/?');% 3' 3') ? % 5%%5)# +%));%  !#m ));%)'%) )' ?' m#s!# ; )?' )s!5+1 )? +?  E3 )m!5));%) 3#% )?'s#/?'!5%' ) ));% )?'#?' !/ #!9)+ )?)%))A)'   )')#53!%!?'!)5)  !5%s#3!; mA# ) % '! #7/)Colossians!5%/) ' )m)7 !%));%) !#)7%3% )m'1+/m')?) A%)%'75 %+pantaWestermanshamayimouranospoiesanti tohuwabohuaoratos kaiakataskeuatos bohuwatohuaorataeikonekphainomenon sA  '!;3% ) ?);%)')? !+   s!# ' ! s73) );%'s#/'t#%  +!;%  +s #?' s#+? sm ?s!7/ %#35)3} )51  )m /#%);'(.(3($ !USUS.,      0  (#$  0   F (($USUS.,    7    _Truthinthesensethatsubjectiveobservationsaboutnaturecanfinduniversal  endorsement,hencetheempiricalworldmustbebuiltonobjectivetruth.Seediscussionin  Ehrhardt,152. (($USUS.,    9    _Stoicsdelineatedbetweentheuniverseandthecosmos.Humanswereconfinedtothe  latter.SeeEhrhardt,156.  (($USUS.,    10    __Lucretius_,TheNatureoftheUniverse,1.150.Translationfrom_Miltonk_Ԁ_Munitz_,ed.,  TheoriesoftheUniverse(NewYork:FreePressofGlencoe,1957),43. (($USUS.,    11    _Galenus,_Historia_Ԁ_Philosophica_,21.SeecommentinEhrhardt,164f.  (($USUS.,    18    _AlthoughPaulalsousestheprepositionsenand_eis_.ForcommentseeAnthonyF.  BuzzardandCharlesF.Hunting,TheDoctrineoftheTrinity:ChristianitysSelfInflictedWound  (_Lanham_:InternationalScholarsPublications,1998),104107. . (($USUS.,    22    _SeeLawrenceA.Turner,Genesis(Sheffield:SheffieldAcademicPress,2000),21,and  ClausWesterman,Genesis:APracticalCommentary(GrandRapids:Eerdmans,1987),8.  (($USUS.,    21    _SeeGenesis14:19and22whichbothrefertotheGodwho createdtheheavenandthe  earth(_ektisen_Ԁ_tou_Ԁ_ouranon_Ԁkai_ton_Ԁ_gon_). % (($USUS.,    20    _ThisisdefinitelytheimpressiongiveninGenesis1:20and24: Lettheearth/water  bringforth.AndGenesis2:7ffirrefutablystatesthatAdamwasmadefromdirt. (($USUS.,    23    _e.g.MartyrdomandAscensionofIsaiah,7:111:33. (($USUS.,    24    _Colossians1:16.Theplural_ouranois_suggestsinfluencefromtheHebrew. (($USUS.,    25    _Acts17:24.Thesingular_ouranou_suggestsinfluencefromtheLXX. U (($USUS.,    28    _TheprobabilityisheightenedbythefactthatHebrews2:68mirrorstheLXXrendering  ofPsalm8:46withtheuseof_angeloi_insteadofelohimasisfoundintheHebrewtext. (($USUS.,    19    _ForanontraditionalunderstandingofthesetextsseeBuzzardandHunting,Trinity,75,  104107,173and191. ' (($USUS.,    26    _SeeJon_Paulien_,"RevisitingtheSabbathintheBookofRevelation,Journalofthe  AdventistTheologicalSociety9(1998),179-186. * (($USUS.,    3    _SeediscussiononPythagoreancosmologyinJ.A.Philip,PythagorasandEarly  _Pythagoreanism_(Toronto:UniversityofToronto,1966),6075. R (($USUS.,    2    _ForfulldiscussionseeArnoldEhrhardt,TheBeginning:AStudyintheGreek  PhilosophicalApproachtotheConceptofCreationfromAnaximandertoSt.John(NewYork:  BarnesandNoble,1968). r (($USUS.,    4    _Ehrhardt,144  (($USUS.,    5    _PlatohasTimaeusstarthisdiscussionwiththefollowingwords: Wewhoarenowto  discourseabouttheuniverse...must,ifoursensesbenotaltogetherastray,invokegodsand  goddesseswithaprayerthatourdiscoursethroughoutmaybeaboveallpleasingtothemandin  consequencesatisfactorytous.QuotedfromF.M._Cornford_stranslationinMiltonK_Munitz_, t ed.,TheoriesoftheUniverse(NewYork:FreePressofGlencoe,1957),67. s (($USUS.,    6    _Ehrhardt,149. r (($USUS.,    8    _Erhardt,154.  (($USUS.,    16    _Forabriefbutthoroughintroductiontohistoricalcriticalandhistoricalcritical  influencedinterpretationsoftheFirstTestamentseeNormanK.Gottwald,TheHebrewBible:A  _Socio_ԄLiteraryIntroduction(Philadelphia:Fortress,1985),1034. t (($USUS.,    15    _Ehrhardt,172. (($USUS.,    12    _ForfurtherdiscussionseeEhrhardt,188. (($USUS.,    14    _ForfulldiscussionseeEhrhardt,17289. t (($USUS.,    13    _Ehrhardt,187. [ (($USUS.,    29    _SeeHaroldW._Attridge_,TheEpistletotheHebrews(Philadelphia:Fortress,1989),  315f.Lessdebatableinthediscussionovertheuseofpreexistentmatterincreationistherecord  ofthecreationofthefirsthumans.Genesis1:27simplystatesthatGodcreatedhumansinHis  imageandprovidesnofurtherdetailsaboutthemethod.However,verse24beginswiththe t command, lettheearthbringforthzoologicallife.Theroleoftheearthinthecreationof ` humansisfurtherdiscussedinGenesis2:7whereitisrecordedthatthefirstmanwascreated L  fromamoundofdirt.  (($USUS.,    31    _ForadiscussiononPaulsuseoftheFirstTestamentin1Corinthians11seeKeithA.  Burton, 1Corinthians11and14:HowDoesaWomanProphesyandKeepSilenceattheSame  Time?JournaloftheAdventistTheologicalSociety10(1999),268284.  (($USUS.,    30    _SeealsoGenesis5:12: ...thedayGodmadeAdam,aftertheimageofGodhemade  him;maleandfemalehemadethemandblessedthem....  (($USUS.,    32    _Forexamplesofanimalsdescribedwiththeadjectives_arsen_and/or_tholu_seeGenesis  6:20;7:23,9,16;Exodus12:5;Leviticus1:3,10;and_Malachi_Ԁ1:14.  (($USUS.,    33    _OnJesususeofthecreationstoryseeKeithA.Burton, AChristianTheologyof  DivorceandRemarriage,Ministry74,4(2001),2022. (($USUS.,    35    _ForcommentaryseeBurton, 1Corinthians14. (($USUS.,    34    _SeeJamesD.G.Dunn,Romans18(Dallas:WordBooks,1988),6466.  (($USUS.,    27    _F.F.Bruce,TheEpistletotheHebrews(rev.ed.GrandRapids:Eerdmans,1990),279,  writes, ...thewritertotheHebrewsismorebiblicalinhisreasoningandaffirmsthedoctrineof  creatioexnihilo,adoctrineuncongenialtoGreekthought.Page of & (($USUS.,    36    _Turner,Genesis,29,impliesthatthisisinherentinAdamsstatement, Thisatlast...!  (($USUS.,    37    _Thisisamuchdebatedpassage.However,manydownplaythesignificanceofthesole  useof_sabbatismos_intheBibleanditsetymologicalrelationshipto_sabbatizo_.Itisalsolikely  thatHebrews4:10intendstoshowthatthosewhoareseriousaboutenteringinto_katapausis_are  inthehabitofrestingfromworksinthesamemannerasGoddidinthefirstweek!implyinga t keepingoftheSabbath. (($USUS.,    1    _Cf.ArthurO.Lovejoy,TheGreatChainofBeing:AStudyoftheHistoryofanIdea  (Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1961).  (($USUS.,    17    _ForafirsthanddiscussionontheprinciplesofhistoricalcriticismseeE._Troeltsch_,  "_Uber_Ԁ_historische_Ԁund_dogmatische_Ԁ_Methode_Ԁindie_Theologie_,"_Gesammelte_Ԁ_Schriften_2  (Tbingen:_Mohr_,1913),729-53.EnglishdiscussionsareavailableinGerhard_Hasel_,Biblical  InterpretationToday(Washington,D.C.:BiblicalResearchInstitute,1985),7378;andtheessay t onTroelstchbyRoyA._Harrisville_ԀandWalter_Sundberg_,TheBibleinModernCulture: ` TheologyandHistoricalCriticalMethodologyfrom_Spinoza_Ԁto_Kasemann_(GrandRapids: L  Eerdmans,1995),165.The Faith Factor_______________Page The Faith Factor: Burton, The Faith Factor:  d !USUS.,  _   6L678XXdd87  *X,` XX*86Q6878GrXXdd8798R899S9TheFaithFactor:  NewTestamentCosmologyinitsHistoricalC=o==O=ntext KeithAugustusBurton t AssociateProfessorofNewTestamentOakwoodCollege@ :  :I;n;;N;;t;;T;;r;;R;;o;;O;;d;;D;;u;;U;;c;;C;;t;;T;;i;;I;;o;;O;;n;;N;   ` :i:  Thequestofthisconsultationisnotatallnovel.Thehistoricalrecordshowsthatthinkershavebeenstrugglingwithissuesofscientificempiricismandmysteriousbeginningsformillennia.Thesocalled mythsofcreationfoundineverycultureunderthesundidnotevolvevacuously,butarethedirectresultsofhumansseekingananswertothequestionoforigins.Notallcultureshavebeenasfortunateasthewesternphilosophicaltraditioninrecordingandpreservingtheirtrajectoryofthought.O )#  1      ׀Historybearswitnessthatthequesttoknowtheunknowablecontinuesto   hauntscientistsandphilosophersofthewesternhemispherewhoforeverbelievethattheelusiveanswersarewithinempiricalgrasp.  ThemainpurposeofthisessayistoinvestigatetheNewTestamentwriterstreatmentoftheGenesisaccountofcreation.TakingintoaccountthattheNewTestamentworldwaspartandparcelofalarger_socio_Ԅculturalenvironment,thepapercommenceswithabriefoverviewofGrecoRomandiscussionsaboutbeginnings.ItwillbeseenthatmanyoftheHellenisticphilosopherstookascientificapproachintheirquesttodiscoverthetruthaboutthebeginnings.However,despitethevariousscientifictheoriesthatcirculatedduringtheearlyChristianperiod,theNewTestamentwriterschosetogroundtheircosmologyinthepropositionalstatementsrecordedinGenesis1and2.TheyfullyunderstoodthattherejectionofaseeminglysimplisticdeclarationofaliteralsixdaycreationwouldsimplymeanshiftingfaithfromtheBibletoAristotle,_Philo_,Lucretius,Galenusoranynumberofcosmologists.Whenitcomestoquestionsontheoriginsoftheuniverse,itisimpossibletoescapethefaithfactor.   COSMOLOGICALTHEORIESINTHENEWTESTAMENTWORLD  l +    BythetimeoftheNewTestament,philosophicaldiscussionsaboutthebeginningsofreality X  hadbeenwellunderwayforseveralcenturies.AccordingtoAristotle,_Anaximander_Ԁwasfirstamongphilosopherstostrugglewithissuesofbeginningsashecametogripswiththelimitsofphysicalscienceasatoolforunderstandingtheempiricalworld.:h )#  2      ׀ThePythagoreanschoolfeltthat #l!  theanswerliedinmathematicsandproposedthatthebeginningofallthingsmustbefoundin $X" _ number!thefoundationofallthings.9 )#  3      ׀AnaximanderandPythagorasaregroupedamongthe d  noetics,atermusedtodescribethosewhounderstoodtheworld onthebasisofalogical P principal,abeginning.;h )%  4      ׀Thesewereopposedbycertainnaturalphilosopherswhotook < seriouslytheconstantchangeintheempiricalworldandquestionedthevalidityofthenotionofa (   beginning.     Laterthinkersdidnotviewthesituationintermsof eitheror.Forinstance,Anaxagoras   recognizedtherealityofmotionandchangewhilereasoningthattheremustbeabeginningto   motion.Hisobservationsledhimtotheconclusionthattheremustbetwoworlds:anempirical  t oneinwhichobservationwaspossibleandanoeticworldthatwasbeyondobservation.  ` Nonetheless,reflectiononthenoeticworldhadtostartwiththeempiricalone.Socratesbuilton L  Anaxagorasworkandproposedthattheproblemoflinkingtheempiricalworldwiththenoetic 8  onecouldbebridgedwhenitisrecognizedthatlifeistherealforcebehindmotionandchange. $  Hence,thebeginningoftheempiricalworldcanbedirectlyattributedtosoulwhichservesasthe t  intermediarybetweenthetwoworlds.Socratesteacher,Plato,alsotoyedwiththeideaofa `  universalsoul,anddevelopedatheologyofbeginningsinhisworkTimaeus.Theconversation L  continuedwithAristotlewhopointedtodeficienciesinPlatosreligiousapproach(inTimaeus)_< )%  5      _ 8  andcalledforareturntoscientificobservation.=  )%  6      ׀HewasparticularlydrawntoAnaxagoras $ principleofcausalityuponwhichhepositedthatthebeginningofeverythingintheempirical  worldmustbeattributedtothe unmovedmover.ThisconclusionwasarrivedatbyAristotles  reasoningthattheempiricalworldwasbasedonobjectivetruth,hencetheremustbeasourceof  infinitetruthwhichcouldnotbemovedbutwasthecauseofallmovement.*4  )%  7       p   EhrhardtnoticesthatafterAristotle,contemplativephilosophygavewaytopragmatic \ philosophywhichledtothesubordinationofthepreoccupationwithorigins.> )%  8      ׀Notwithstanding, H bythetimeoftheNewTestamenttherewerestillseveralcosmologicaloptions.Stoic 4 philosophersfromZenotoEpictetustaughtthatthegodoftheuniversewasthecreatorofthe d cosmos.+ )%  9      ׀FortheStoics,everythingintheuniversewasadirectresultoftheinteractionbetween P anactivecause(God)andapassivecause(matter).Giventhepreoccupationonthenecessityof < matterintheprocessofcreation,thenotionofacreatioexnihilowasnotanoptionformany.In (  histreatise,TheNatureoftheUniverse,Lucretiusboldlystateshisthesis, nothingcaneverbe   createdbydivinepoweroutofnothing(nullamremenilogignidivinitusumquam).,h )%  10      ׀However,   thereweresomewhodaredtostretchlogictoitslimitsandchampionthecauseofacreatioex   nihilo.Forexample,thephysicianGalenuspurported, Therewasnothingearlierfromwhichany  t beginningcouldhavecome,butitsohappenedthatpriortotheelementstherewassome  ` invisible,shapelesssubstance,whichtheonescallqualitylessmatter...._- )%  11      _ L    Jewishthinkersdidnotabsentthemselvesfromphilosophicaldiscussionsonthebeginnings 8  oftheuniverse.ImmersedintheGreekworldanddomiciledinthegreatcentersoflearning, $  someJewishscholarsrejectedthebiblicalaccountofcreationforotherstheydeemedmore t  scientific.PhiloofAlexandriasetthestageforthelatergnosticassertionthatademiurgeandnot `  Godcreatedtheworld,and,inthespiritofAnaxagoras,proposedtwocreations:anintellectual L  andanempirical.A )%  12      ׀PseudoPhiloalsochallengedthattheworldcouldnotbetheresultofcreation 8  sinceitistoodeveloped.Acreatedworld,hereasoned, wouldhavebeeninfantilenotonly $ physically,butalsointellectually.Cp  )%  13          Withalloftheseitemsonthecosmologicalmenuofantiquity,therewasstillnomove  towardsaconsensusabouttherealbeginningsoftheuniverse.Infact,sodistraughtwasthe  populaceonthefutilityofthephilosophersintheirsearchforanswersthatbythetimeofChrist p manyhadreplacedtheirtheorieswithreligiousmythsofcreation.B$  )%  14      ׀Nophilosophicschoolhad \ beenabletoadvanceascientificargumentsocompellingthatotherschoolswerewillingtoburn H theirbooksandjoinranks.Thereasonforalackofgeneralconsensusisverysimple: ...there 4 couldnotbeanyobservedfactswhenthecreationoftheuniversewasenquiredinto....@  )%  15      ׀As   PlatorecognizedwhenhepennedTimaeus,atsomepointinthediscussionoforigins,thefaith p  factormusttakeover.WhilePlatodesiredhisreaderstofindanswersintheTimaeusmyth,the \ NewTestamentwritershadtheirownsource. H Ї   THESCRIPTURALBASISOFNEWTESTAMENTCOSMOLOGY  d +   ChristianstodayascribesomelevelofauthoritytotheNewTestamentandviewitasthe P secondvolumeofGodsrevelationtohumanity.ManyofthedistinctiveChristiandoctrinesthat < differentiatesthefaithfromitsJewishparentarederivedfromtheNewTestament.However, (  thesedoctrinesareoftenphilosophicalinnature.Forinstance,thevariousChristiandoctrinesof   salvationtrytomakesenseofthosetextsthatrefertosalvationasafreegiftwiththeapparently   contraryonesthatwithholdsalvationfromthepersonwhodisplaysarebelliousspirit.Andthe   doctrineofthetrinitytriestoharmonizetheconceptsofJewishmonotheism,Jesuspreexistence  t andtheHolySpirit.TheNewTestamentitselfismoreconcernedaboutinterpretingthepresent  ` andfutureinrelationtotheChristeventthanitisaboutissuesoforiginsandtheexistential L  questionsoflife. 8    ItmustnotbeforgottenthatthelettersoftheNewTestamentwereassociatedwith $  communitieswhoseonlyscripturewastheFirstTestament.WhenPaulwrote allscriptureis t  givenbyinspirationofGod(2Tim3:16),hewasreferringexclusivelytotheFirstTestament. `  TheNewTestamentwriterswerenotattemptingtorewritebiblicalhistory(asMohammed L  apparentlyattemptsintheKoran),buttoincitefaithintheFirstTestamentasthewordofGod. 8  ThegospelwritersarequicktopointouthowcertaineventsinJesuslifefulfilledprophecy;in $ thebookofActsPeterequatesthemiracleatPentecosttothefulfillmentofJoelsprophecy(Acts  2:1621);PaulunderstandstheinclusionoftheGentilesintothecommunityandthereluctanceof  someJewstojoinasthecontemporaryrealizationofvariousprophecies(Rom911);andeven  thefinalbookofscriptureisrepletewithFirstTestamentimagery.Sinceitwasnottheintention p oftheNewTestamentwriterstodevelopanewreligionwithauniquecosmologytheyaccepted \ thecreationaccountoftheFirstTestamentatfacevalue. H   ItisalsoobviousthattheNewTestamentauthorsacceptedtheFirstTestamentasabookof 4 history.ThestoriesoftheNewTestamentwerenotseenasetiologies,grandiosemythsorsoap   operanovels.Theywerenuggetsofreliableinformationuponwhichthewriterscouldtracethe p  genealogyofJesus,anchorthepersonagesofMosesandElijah,orevenmuseoverthe \ movementsofthemysticalmonarch,Melchizedek.Distancedfromtheskepticismofthefuture H European enlightenmentandunscathedbytherelativisticuncertaintyofhistoricalcritical 4  ideology,theNewTestamentauthorswerenothinderedbytheconsensussettinginfluenceof  ! JuliusWellhausenorNormanGottwald._? )%  16      _  "   ThehistoricalveracityoftheFirstTestamentcomprisedbothpersonsandevents.Peterrefers " totheuniversalflood(1Peter3:20);PaulmentionsthepartingoftheRedseaandthedrinking #  fromthespiritualrock(1Cor10:14);severaltextstalkaboutthewritingofthelawatSinai. $l! Havingexperiencedthesupernaturalfirsthand,itwasnotdifficulttoconceiveofaGodwho %X" intervenesinhumanaffairs._Troelstch_sprincipleofcorrelationwhichdeniesthepossibilityof &D #  DivineinterventioninhistorywouldhavebeenasabsurdtotheNewTestamentauthorsastheir '0!$ insistenceontheliteralnessofGodssupernaturalactionswastoTroelstch._P )%  17      _ԀHence,theNew d  TestamentreferencestotheGenesisaccountofcreationintheNewTestamentarenotmadewith P explanatorycommentsorallegoricalapplicationsbutwithaprioriconsensus.Withthisinmind, < theremainderofthissectionisdevelopedasaNewTestamentcommentaryontheGenesis (  accountofcreation.Onlythosesectionsfromwhichtherearedirectquotationsfromorallusions   tothecreationaccountwillbecommentedupon.     Inthebeginning....(Genesis1:1)   t   TheBiblestartswithanunqualifieddeclaration, Inthebeginning....Thepassagethat  d followsmakesitclearthatwhatisbeingdescribedisthebeginningofexistenceintherealmof P  thecosmos.TheNewTestamentwritersacceptthistobeafact.Inhisdiscussionaboutthe <  preexistentLogos,JohndeclaresthattheLogos,whichwouldbetheinstrumentthroughwhich (  theworldswerecreated,wasalreadyinexistence inthebeginning(John1:1).Further,Peter x  recountstheargumentoftheskepticswhoderidetheearlyChristiansfortheirexpectationofan d  imminentparousia: ...everythinghasremainedthesamefromthebeginningofcreation(1Peter P  3:4).Thefactthattherewasabeginningisnotsubjecttodiscussion.IntheNewTestament,there <  isnophilosophicaldebateaboutthenatureofempiricalrealityormetaphysicalcatalysts.The ( worldbegan, inthebeginning.   Godcreated/made....(Genesis1:1)     Thesetwowordssuccinctlysummarizethe whoandthe howofthingsinthephysical t realmofhumanexperience.The whoofcreationisdescribedintheHebrewtextasElohim,a ` pluralformoftheDivinenamethatmanydefineasa pluralofmajesty.Avoidingthe L difficultiesbroughtonbythepluralmorphologyofelohim,theSeptuaginttranslatorssimply 8 refertohotheos(God)asthecreator.ThroughouttheNewTestament,Godisheraldedasthe $ undisputedagentofcreation.InpreachingtotheStoicsandEpicureansontheAeropagus,Paul t matterof_factly_Ԁstatesthattheirunknowngodwasthe Godwhomadetheworldandeverything ` init(Acts17:24).Whenpredictingtheeschatologicaltimeoftroubleinhisapocalypticspeech L tothedisciples,Jesuswarnsthatitwouldbetheworseseensince thecreationwhichGod 8  created(Mk13:19).PaulalsocreditsGodwiththecreationof allthings(Eph3:9),athought $! likewiseechoedbyJohn(Rev4:11).Infact,soacceptedisthebeliefthatGodiscreator,thatnot " allfinditnecessarytomentionHisnamewhentalkingaboutthingscreated.Speakingprimarily " inthecontextofidolatry,Paulpropheciesjudgmentonthosewhoworshipthecreaturerather #  thanthe onewhocreated(Rom1:25),andPeterprovidesthesolevoicewhoutilizesthenoun $p! ktistes(Creator)asasynonymfortheAlmighty(1Peter4:19). %\"   AslightproblemariseswiththoseNewTestamenttextsthatappeartodeviatefromtheFirst d TestamentpassagesandattributecreationtothepreexistentChrist,whoisaseparateentityfrom P GodtheFather(John1:3;Col1:16;Heb1:2).Doubtlesstherearesomeforwhomareadingof < thetextthroughacertainbrandofTrinitarianlensesobliteratesallobfuscation.However,others (  whoadheretonascentmodelsofTrinitarianismorwhorejectthedoctrineoutrightstillhaveto   makesenseofthe whoofcreationinlightofpopularinterpretationsofthesetexts.Itmaybe   possibletofindrefugeinthepluralelohimandtheDeitysuseofthefirstpersonpluralwhen   creatingandconcludethatseveralDeitiessuperintendedtheworkofcreation.However,ifthis  t wereso,itwascertainlymissedbyboththeSeptuaginttranslatorsandtheNewTestament  ` writerswhoalwaysattributecreationtoasingularDivineentity,theos.Theproblemisbridged L  whenitisrecognizedthatnowhereisChristreferredtoastheCreator.John,PaulandHebrews 8  allstatethattheworldwasmade through(dia)theLogos/Son./ )%  18      ׀Thishighlightsthepre $  existentSonasasortofmiddlemanintheprocess.HebrewsisirrefutablyclearthatGodisthe t  chiefactorincreation(Heb1:1f).TheprehumanSonappearstobeapartofaDivinecreation `  teamthatGodrepeatedlyaddresseswiththehortatorycommand, Letus....Thisisthesame L  teamGodaddressesinGenesis3:22whenHeimpliesthatAdamwouldgainDivinestatusifhe 8  weretoeatfromthetreeoflife.Insomemysteriousway,thepreexistentDivineSonhadan $ intermediaryroleinthecreationprocess,butGodistheultimateCreator.7T )%  19          The howofthebeginningisdescribedasthesimpleactofGoddoingit.Whenunderstood  withreferencetoanytypeofcreation,theHebrewbaraisreservedforDivineactivity.The  methodofcreatingisnotdefinedintheworditself,howeverwhenviewedinthecontextof p Genesis1and2,baracaninvolvethesimpleactofGodspeakingthingsintoexistence,oritmay \ involvetheactualconstructionofacreaturefromalreadyexistingmaterial.2 )%  20      ׀Althoughtheterm H _ktiz_,theGreekequivalentofbara,wasobviouslyknowntotheSeptuaginttranslators,1  )%  21      ׀they 4 chosetotranslatebarainGenesis1:1withtheverb_poie_._Poie_conveysthestandardmeaning   of door makeandisnotasspecificas_ktiz_.ApartfromPaulinhisdiscourseonthe p  AeropagusandthefirstangelofRevelation14whoapparentlyalludetoGenesis1:1when \ referringtotheGodwhomade(_poie_)theworld(Acts17:24;Rev14:7),mostoftheNew H Testamentwriterstendtosubstitutethe_poie_oftheSeptuagintsrenderingofGenesis1:1forthe 4  seeminglymoreappropriate_ktiz_.MarkspeakspointedlyofthecreationwhichGodcreated.  ! (Mark13:19).PaulspeaksofGodas theonewhocreates(Rom1:25),and theonewho d createsallthings(Eph3:9).Petercallshimthe faithfulcreator(1Peter4:19),andJohnpens P thewordsofahymntotheone whocreatedallthingsthroughHiswill(Rev4:11).Inaddition < to_poie_and_ktiz_,theverb_ginomai_(tobecome)issometimesusedtodescribethecreation (  process.Johnproclaims, Allthingscameintoexistence(egeneto)through(dia)theWord   (John1:3),andJesusinMarkstates, TheSabbathcameintoexistence(egeneto)for(dia)   humans(Mark2:27).    Heaven(s)andearth(Genesis1:1;2:1)   `   Ifthephrase Godmadedescribesthe whoand howofcreation,theexpression heaven L  andearthdescribesthe whatofcreation.Thisservesasanallencompassingtermfor 8  everythingcontainedintherealmofthecosmos.0 )%  22      ׀WhileboththeHebrewBibleandtheLXX $  agreethatthereisonlyoneearth(ere)s.NN0,_go_),theHebrewsuggestsapluralityofheavens t  (_]mayim_)incontrasttotheloneheavenoftheLXX.LaterJewishthinkerstookthereferenceto `  pluralheavensseriously,andoftenspokeofsevenheavens.3h )%  23      ׀EvenPaulspeaksaboutamanhe L  knewwhowascaughtupintothe thirdheaven(2Cor12:2),andreferstothecreationofall 8  thingsinthe heavens(_ouranois_)andtheearth(Col1:16).Inspiteofthesearguments,itdoes $ appearthatsincebothaccountsinGenesis1:1arereferencingthephysicalstructureofthe  observableuniverse,heaven(s)isanobviousreferencetotheatmosphere.    ThetwofolddivisionoftheuniverseisechoedinsomepartsoftheNewTestament.Ithas  justbeennotedthatPaulreferstothecreationof everythingthatisintheheavensandonthe p earth.4 )%  24      ׀InActs,LukealsoreportsPaulsreferencetotheonewhoisLordof heavenand \ earth._5 )%  25      _ԀOtherstatementsrelatingtothedivisionoftheuniversehavebeeninfluencedbythe H referencetocreationthatappearsinthefourthcommandmentofthedecaloguewherethe 4 universeissaidtoconsistof heaven, earthand sea(Ex20:811).Thistripartitedivisionis   alsoutilizedintheNewTestament.InRevelation10:6,JohndescribesGodastheone who p  createdtheheavenandthethingsinit,theearthandthethingsinit,andtheseaandthethingsin \ it8.Somemayevenargueforafourpartdivisioninthefirstangelscallfortheworshipofthe H onewhomadeL  M  L  M  Ԁ theheavenandtheearth,theseaandthefountainsofwater(Rev14:7). 4  Notwithstanding,allofthesereferencesaimtoincorporatethetotalityofGodscreationduring  ! thesixdaysofcreativeactivity._8 )%  26      _  "   Creationdidnotonlyresultintheappearanceofphysicalobjectsbutalsoinvolvedthe d establishmentofinvisiblephenomena.Theprincipleof rulership(_arche_)wasfirstestablished P onthefourthdayofcreationweekwhenthe lesserlightwasgrantedjurisdictionoverthenight < andthe greaterlightwasassignedtotheday(Gen1:16ff).Again,onthesixthday,God (  investedhumanswithrulership(_arche_)overallanimalandplantlife(Gen1:26ff).Whileonly    rulershipismentionedasapartofthecreatedorderinGenesis,Paul,inColossians1:16   reasonsthatthe invisiblecreationalsoincludes thrones,lords,andauthorities(_thronoi_,   _kuriotetes_,_exousia_).  t L  M  Theearthwaswithoutformandempty/ Theearthwasinvisibleandnotyetprepared L  (Gen1:2)  8    Genesis1:2isthesoletextthatdescribestheuniverseimmediatelybeforecreation.The $  HebrewBibleandLXXprovideapparentlycontrastingaccountsoftheprecreationworld. t  WhereastheHebrewstatesthatitwas formlessandempty(_thE_Ԁ_v]bhE_),givingthe `  impressionthatitwasagiganticmisshapedblob;theLXXdepictsitas invisibleandnotyet L  prepared(aoratoskaiakataskeuatos),whichmakesitseemthatabsolutelynothingexisted 8  beforeGodstartedcreating.ItishighlyprobablethattheLXXtranslatorswereawareofthe $ philosophicaldiscussiononbeginnings,andknewthatvirtuallyallcosmogoniestothatpoint  supportedcreationfrommatter.Nonetheless,theyappeartohavereversedtheHebrew  expressionto_bhE_Ԁ_v]thE_andtranslated_bhE_withaoratos,settingthestagefortheconceptofa  creatioexnihilo.Somemayarguethatthisconceptisinherentinthesuccessiveverseswherethe p divineformula lettherebeappearstobesufficientforthecreationofearthlyentities. \   TheNewTestamentdoesnotshedmuchlightonhowthisversewasunderstoodbytheearly H Christians.TheonlylinguisticsupportforacreatioexnihilofromtheGenesisaccountof 4 creationcomesfromtheSeptuagintsuseofaorata(invisible).Thetermitselfonlyappearsfive   timesintheNewTestament:twicewithreferencetoGod(Heb11:27,1Tim1:17),andthree p  timesinthecontextofcreation,butnevertodescribetheprecreationstateoftheearth.In \ Romans1:20,PauldeclaresthatGodsinvisiblenaturecanbediscernedthroughthematerial H thingsHecreated.InColossians1:15,Jesusisdescribedas theimage(eikon)oftheinvisible 4  God,thefirstbornofallcreation.Infact,aswasdiscussedabove,Colossians1:16givesthe  ! impressionthatinvisible thingsthemselvescanbecreated.  "   Probably,theclosestonecomestoatextsupportingacreatioexnihiloisHebrews11:3 " wheretheauthorstates, ByfaithweperceivethattheworldwaspreparedbythewordofGod, #  sothatoutofthingsthatarenotapparentcamethethingsthatwecurrentlysee.K )%  27      ׀However,the $l! thingsthatarenotapparent(to_mo_Ԁekphainomenon)donotnecessarilyrefertoinvisiblethings. %X"  Theycouldeasilybethingsthathadnotyetbeenshapedintotheirfinalform.Giventhe &D # probabilitythattheauthorofHebrewshadaccesstotheLXX,_6 )%  28      _Ԁhecouldhaveusedaoratahad d  hedesiredtoexpresshisbeliefinacreatioexnihilo.Basedontheabsenceofanydirect P quotationfromtheLXX,itappearsthatHebrews11:3offersaninterpretationoftheambiguous< < <<tohuwabohu<< < _thE_Ԁ_v]bhE_<oftheHebrewtext.Assuch,itdoesnotprecludethepossibilityofcreationfrom (  preexistingsubstance._Dh )%  29      _     Lettherebelight(Gen1:3)      Afterthetwoverseintroduction,detailsareprovidedaboutthespecificitemsthatwere  t createdoneachdayofcreation.TheNewTestamentdoesnotdiscusseveryparticularabout  ` creation,sothecommentarywillberatherbriefandsketchyuntildaysix. L    Thefirstphenomenontobecreatedislight.Thislightcontraststhedarknessthatcoveredthe 8  faceofthedeepin1:2.Itisalightindependentoftheelementallightsfoundinthesunandthe $  stars(1:1419).TherearetworeferencestothiseventintheNewTestament.Paulsanalogical t  useofthiseventtodemonstratehowGodshinesinthelifeofthebelieverrevealshis `  understandingthatthispartofthecreationwassolelyeffectedbyGodscommand(2Cor4:6).A L  furtherallusionismadeinJohn1:5wheretheantitheticalrelationshipbetweenlightand 8  darknessishighlighted,andlightisportrayedasthestrongerofthetwo. $  Letthewatersundertheheavensbegatheredintoone(Gen1:9)     TheNewTestamentcontainsnoexplicitmentionoftheseconddayofcreation,buthas  severalreferencestothethird.Itwasonthethirddaythatdrylandandseawereseparated.The p impressionisgiveninGenesis1:9thatbeforedaythree,theearthwasnothingbutwater.Indeed, \ Genesis1:2describestheprecreationcosmosasoneinwhich theSpiritofGod/awindfrom H Godmoveduponthefaceofthewaters.Whenreferringtothisevent,Peterstates, theearth 4 wasformedoutofwaterandbymeansofwater(1Pet3:5).Otherreferencestothethirdday   havebeencoveredunderthecommentaryonthephrase heavenandearth,whereitwasshown p  thatsomeBiblewriterstransformthetwocompartmentalworldintoatripartitedivisionby \ adding seaasthethirdessentialdomicileforlivingentities. H  Letusmakemaninourimage...(and)likeness...(Gen1:2627)   !   Onthesixthdayofcreation,Godledthecreationteaminthecreationofhumanswhowereto  " bemadeinthedivineimage.Itiscommonlyacceptedthatimageandlikenessrefermoretothe " spiritualimageoftheDivinecouncilthantoanyphysicalmanifestation.Paulappearstobethe d onlyNewTestamentwritertoalludetothistext.InRomans1:23,heusestheLXXterms P _homoimati_Ԁ_ekeinos_todescribetheidolatrouspracticeofthosewhoexchangedthegloryofGod < forthelikenessofperishablehumans.Further,in2Corinthians4:4,Christisheraldedasthe (  image(_eikn_)ofGod.Thatimageisnotunderstoodintermsofphysicalityisdemonstratedin   Colossians1:15whereChristiscalledtheimageoftheinvisibleGod.Elsewhere,when   establishingahierarchybetweenmanandwoman,Paulstatesthatthemaleis theimageand   gloryofGod(1Cor11:7).Interestingly,inthistextPauldoesnotconsiderwomantobethe  t  imageofGodbutratherthe gloryofman.ThisevidencesastrictreadingofGenesis1:27  ` whichstates, Godcreatedmaninhisownimage,intheimageofGodhecreatedhim,maleand L  femalehecreatedthem.F )%  30      ׀Thereisnoreferencetobothofthembeingcreatedinhisimage.Eh )%  31       8  WhileJamesdoesnotaddresstheissueoftheimagoDei,ifheuses_anthrpoi_generically,he $  appearstosuggestthatallhumanssharethe likenessofGodwhenhewrites, with[thetongue] t  weblesstheLordandFatherandwithitwecursehumans/men(_anthrpous_)whoweremadein `  thelikeness(_homoisin_)ofGod(James3:9). L   [TheLORD]Godformedadustmanfromtheearth(Gen2:7)  $   DetailsaboutthecreationofthemanaregiveninGenesis2wheretheeventsofthesixthday  arecoveredwithgreaterspecificity.WhereasthereportonthesixthdayinGenesis1beginswith  thecommand, Lettheearth(_go_)bringforthzoologicallifeaccordingtoitskind,Genesis2  providesthespecificsabouttheeventsoftheday.Thetaskofmakingthemanactuallyinvolved p pilingupdirt(_choun_)fromtheearth(_go_)andshapingitintoatorsobeforeapplyingthebreath \ necessaryforthemantobecomealive.(2:7)PaulcitesthisaccountofAdamscreationin1 H Corinthians15whendiscussingtheeffectsofthetwoprototypical men(_anthr2o222po3s34i_4)onthe 4 humanrace(1Cor15:4249).Thefirstmanisdescribedas dirtfromtheearth(ek_gos_Ԁ_choikos_),   asopposedtothesecondmanfromheaven.AccordingtoPaul,allhumanshavebeenconstantly p  wearingthe imageofthedirtman(1Cor15:49). \  Themanbecamealivingsoul(Gen2:7)  4    Thisphraseservestolinkthecreationofhumanstothehortatorycommandthatcommenced  ! thesixthdayofcreationinGenesis1:24wheretheoriginalreads, Lettheearthbringforth  " _psuchon_Ԁ_zsan_/_nkphk_Ԁ) hl.|dd0_[yy]h_.Inapreviousnote,_psuchon_Ԁ_zsan_/_nkphk_Ԁ) hl.|dd0_[yy]h_wastranslated "  zoologicallife.Inkeepingwithtraditionalinterpretationsitistranslatedhereas livingsoul #  butthemeaningisthesame.IntheNewTestament,Paulcontraststhe firstman,Adam,[who] $l! becamealivingsoulwith thelastAdam[whobecame]alifegivingspirit(1Cor15:45). %X"  &D #  Maleandfemale,Hecreatedthem(Gen1:27)  d   AlthoughonlythemaniscreditedwithpossessingtheimageofGodatcreation,bothmale P andfemalewerecreatedbyHim.TheLXXusesthegenericadjectives_arsen_Ԁkai_tholu_(maleand < female)todescribethefirsthumanstobecreated.Theseadjectivesrelatestrictlytosexual (  distinctionsandapplytoanimalsaswellashumans._G )%  32      _ԀInhisdiscussionwiththePhariseeson   divorce,Jesusasks, Haveyounotreadthattheonewhocreatedfromthebeginningmadethem   maleandfemaleL  M  ?(Mt19:4)ThisisanobviousreferencetotheTanakscrollwhichwas read   aloud(_anegnte_)inpublicworship.Hh )%  33      ׀Althoughthescrollwouldmorethanlikelyhavebeenin  t Hebrew,bothMatthewandMark(10:6)usethephrasefromtheLXXwhenreferencingthe  ` creationofthefirsthumans.PaulalsousestheadjectivesinGalatians3:28inhisdiscussionon L  _soteriological_ԀunityinChristJesus.Itisinterestingtonotethatheappearstoliftthephrase 8  directlyfromtheLXXanddoesnotevenamendtheconjunctionkaiwith_oude_tobalancethe $  oppositeswiththeothersinthesequence.ItappearsthatPaulunderstoodthesexualdifferences t  tobeforthepurposeofheterosexualcopulation.UtilizingformsoftheadjectivesfromGenesis `  1:27hespeaksof [homosexual]women(_tholeias_)exchangingnaturalintercourseforunnatural, L  and[homosexual]men(_arsenes_)leavingnaturalintercoursewithwomen(_tholeias_)burningwith 8  desireforoneanother...(Rom1:2627).AsfarastheNewTestamentwitnessisconcerned,God $ createdsexualoppositesforapurposeandanyotherunionisagainstthecreatedorder.J )%  34      ׀   Iwillmakeahelperforhim...(Gen2:18)     ThecreationofthewomanisdescribedinGenesis2:1822,whereEveisbuiltaroundthe p frameofoneofAdamssides.Thisaccountmakesitplainthatwomanandmanweremadeat \ differenttimes,albeitonthesameday.LiketheirFirstTestamentpredecessors,theNew H Testamentwriterstookliterallytheunderstandingofwomanbeingmadeasthe_boothos_(helper) 4 forman.AsarationalforahierarchyintheDivineandcreatedorder,Paulappealstothe   sequenceofcreation: Formanisnotfromwoman,butwomanfromman;formanwasnot p  createdbecauseofwoman,butwomanbecauseofman(1Cor11:89).I )%  35      ׀Andwhenhetackles \ theissueoffemalesubordinationintheecclesiasticalcontext,heremindshisreadersthat Adam H wasformed(_eplastho_)first,thenEve(1Tim2:13). 4   Thetwoshallbecomeoneflesh(Gen2:24)   "   WhenEveisbroughttoAdamheaffirms, Thisisboneofmyboneandfleshofmyflesh " (Gen2:23).ThestatementisnottobetakenoverlyliterallysincewhileitistruethatGod #  removedapartofAdamsanatomy,thewomanwas builtuparounditwhichsuggeststhatshe d toowasmoldedfromthedirt.Fromthecontextofthepassage,Adamsstatementisprobably P intendedtodifferentiatethewomanfromtheotherzoologicalformsthatwerecreatedthatday.M )%  36       < Thepassageconcludes, Becauseofthisamanshallleavebehindhisfatherandhismotherand (  beglued(_proskollothosetai_)tohiswife,andthetwoshallbecomeoneflesh(2:24).This   pronouncementencompassestheideasofindependence,marriage(interdependence)and   procreation,andisdirectlyquotedintwocontextsintheNewTestament.ThefirstisbyJesus   whowhenarguingagainstdivorcewiththePhariseesusestheconceptof onefleshtoestablish  t theinsolubilityofthemarriage(Mt19:5;Mk10:7).TheverseisalsoquotedbyPaulwhouses  ` thepassagetoexplainthemaritalrolesofhusbandandwifeandtherelationshipbetweenChrist L  andthechurch(Eph5:31). 8   And[God]restedontheseventhdayfromallHisworks(Gen2:2)  t    Godscreationoftheuniversewascompletedinsixdays.Itwasmentionedearlierthat `   heaven(s)andearthinGenesis1:1isintendedtobeanallinclusivephrasetointroducethe L  detailsofthesixdaysofcreation.Nowastheactivityisterminated,thesamephraseisechoedin 8  Genesis2:1toserveasan_inclusio_tothesection.ThecessationofGodsactivitywasmarkedby $ the blessingand sanctifyingofthefirstevereveningandmorningperiodinwhichnowork  wasconducted(Gen2:3).InHebrews4:4,theauthorquotesfromGenesis2:2toestablisha  rationalforhispronouncementthat aSabbathkeeping(_sabbatismos_)remainsforthepeopleof  God(Heb4:9)._N| )%  37      _ԀGiventheuniquenessofthisuniverse,theSabbathappearstobea p phenomenonthatmaybelimitedtothesphereofhuman/earthlyreality.ThisisinherentinJesus \ declarationthatthe Sabbathcameintoexistence(egeneto)forhumans(Mk2:27). H    CONCLUSION      Havinge_xaminedtheNewTestamentreferencestoGenesis1and2,thereisnodoubtthatthe p  earlyChristianwritersacceptedthecreationaccountoftheFirstTestamentatfacevalue.They \ quotefromitauthoritativelyandhavenoprobleminbuildingdoctrineandconductingheuristic H exegesisfromthecreationstory.Althoughsurroundedbyavastarrayofphilosophicaland 4  religiousoptionsuponwhichtobuildacosmology,theychosetoembracetheBiblicalrecord.  ! TheydidnotevenappeartobetemptedtofollowinthepathofPhiloorhispseudonymous  " admirerwhofelttheneedtopresentacosmologythatwouldbemorepalatabletothe " philosophicalmindsofthedominantculture. #    WhatstoppedtheNewTestamentwritersfromembracingsomeofthescientifictheoriesthat $l! werecirculatingintheirday?Itwastheirfaith.Thiswasnotablindfaiththat_rejected %X" indisputablescientificevidence.Itwasareasonedfaith.Evenacasualperusalofthewritingsof d Paul,HebrewandJamesilluminatesthefactthatmanyoftheNewTestamentwriterswere P intelligentandskilledinlogicalreasoning.However,theywerealsowiseenoughtoknowthat < nobodycanscientificallydeterminetheoriginofrealityasweknowit.Hence,when (  contemplatingtherealityoftheuniverseandthenumerousentitiestherein,thewriterofHebrews   admitsthatitisonly byfaiththatwebelievetheworldswerecreatedbytheWordofGod(Heb   11:3).Althoughtherewereanumberofcosmologicaldocumentswithinwhichhecouldhave   placedhisfaith,hechosetoexercisefaithinthecosmologicalaccountoftheFirstTestament.  t   ItisalmosttwothousandyearssincetheNewTestamentwriterscommentedonthebiblical  ` accountofcreation.Manyadvanceshavebeenmadeinthefieldofscience.WiththeCopernican L  revolutionwehavemovedfromageocentrictoaheliocentricviewoftheuniverse.Marconi, 8  Edison,McCoyandahostofothershavefueledthetechnologicalstridesthatseemtobe $  limitless.RapidprogressingeneticsandthevastpossibilitiesopenedupwithDNAresearchhas t  providedaboostforproponentsofscientificcertainty.However,noneofthescientific `  discoverieshavebeensuccessfulinthequesttosettlethetroublingquestionsoforigin. L    Intheirdesperatebidtofindconclusiveanswers,manymodernphilosophershavedeluded 8  themselvesintothinkingthatcertainscientifictheoriesareprobableenoughtobeconsidered $ fact.Socertainaretheyaboutevolutionaryhypothesesthatgovernmentsandprivatefoundations  havedevotedbillionsofdollarstofurtherresearchinthisarea.Theyfailtorealizethatthe  researchfocusesontestinghypothesesthatcanneverbeempiricallyverified.Inspiteofthe  complicatedformulaandcompellingtheoriesusedto proveahypothesis,thefactthatitcannot p beempiricallyverifiedmeansthatattheendoftheexperimentitstillremainsahypothesis.At \ theendofempiricismoneisforcedtoentertherealmoffaith.TheinquiringChristianinthe H twentyfirstcenturyisforcedtocometotermswiththis.Therewillalwaysbequestionsabout 4 observablephenomenathathavenoanswerinscripture.Therewillalwaysbemultivolume   dissertationsthatmakeconvincing(tautological?)argumentsinsupportofpreviouslyheld p  evolutionaryhypotheses.However,whenallissaidanddoneweareforcedtoanswerthe \ questionthatYahwehposedtoJob, WherewereyouwhenIlaidthefoundationoftheearth? H (Job38:4)Weareforcedtoadmitourignorance.Weareforcedtoadmitthatwhenitcomesto 4  origins,theentirehumanraceisignorant.Theonlywaytopacifyourignoranceisbyexercising  ! faith.Thequestionis, Inwhatwillyouplaceyourfaith?5   "  RoughNotes  < SinceGodistheCreatorofall,thereisacommonbondbetweenallofhiscreation(Rom8:19ff).   Sanctityoflife.   Romans8:19ff!?'.19m#s!# ;)?'L  M  );% 3' L  M  Ԁ)s!5+1)?+?  t )? ?  d L  M  Inthesefewverses,PaulstressesacommonbondbetweenallofGodscreation.Sinceevery P  createdthingsufferedasaresultofsin,thereissomewhatofasolidarity.Thiselevatesthe <  conceptofthesacrednessofalllife. (   Allthingsaregood  <  0  Probablyreferencetocreationpronouncement verygood((#(# L  M  L  M  H( 4 <DLX,` XHL  M  L  M   ?,s!7/ %#35)3,} 'L  M  )%  L  M  Ԁ ' )51 )m /#%);'  )?'  L  M  PaulreportsthatGodcreatedallfood,anddeclaresthateverythingthatGodcreatesis good.  ThisalludestoGenesis1whenGoddeclaresonnumerousoccasionsthathiscreationis good. x Someusethistexttojustifytheeatingofuncleanmeets.However,usingthislogic,itcanalsobe d usedtojustifytheconsumptionofpoisonousormindalteringfoods. P Herewelearnthattheheavenandearthcomprisetheentireuniverse(_kosmos_).Thelimitsof d creationasweknowitisattestedtobytheauthorofHebrewswhodrawsadistinctionbetween P thissphereofexistenceandthedivinescheme.(Heb9:11) <   5