Therefore Having Gone

Therefore Having Gone

Sunday, April 14, 2024

"FOR" US, NOT "TO" US

I have heard several theologians express a concept which I have concluded is pretty darn important:

"The Bible was written FOR us, but not TO us."

This is meant to be a reminder that when reading the Bible we must be conscious of how far removed the original audience is from us in time, culture, and worldview. 

This should humble us and drive us into probability thinking when interpreting and applying Scripture, especially those passages which are more obscure. 

This is where I think Ken Hamm and most "young earth creationists" miss the boat (so to speak!) when it comes to interpreting Genesis 1. I think it is safe to say a scientific explanation detailing the order of earth's creation with a timeline of each step was nowhere in mind for Moses or whoever might have written the opening words of the Old Testament.

It's a better guess that the Hebrew people were much more concerned with God's power to transform chaos, His ability to defeat various local gods depicted in the account, and His authority over His creation as well as how distinct He is from it. 

The Bible was written for us, but not to us.

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