This is an important discussion! Some of the additional Christian exegetical 'retreat' in recent years into archetypal, symbolic, framework, thematic, or genre-based thinking about passages that overlap with aspects of natural history also addressed by science may be due--at least in part--to most Bible interpreters not feeling or being able to adequately address or keep up with the corresponding science. The 'trick' with Bible-science issues is to find the happy middle ground where a reasonable/fair reading of scripture is compared with a reasonable/fair evaluation of scientific knowledge and theory, and this really calls for the kind of interdisciplinary approach which Reasons To Believe employs so well. Since God is both the omniscient Creator and truthful, His world and His Word HAVE to agree where they overlap. The challenge humans face is to not misread/misunderstand either, and both scientists and Bible interpreters are capable of making mistakes so a measure of humility, in addition to scholarly expertise, is called for and in order. Many times in the past few years I've heard 'The Bible isn't a science textbook,' and while I champion the historico/cultural-exegetical method myself it's also true that God, who inspired and revealed new information to the Bible authors, has always known more about the natural world and its actual history than even contemporary science currently knows. GOD knows His own creative process and Earth's natural history in every detail! Moses, in writing Genesis 1, had available new information (to him) revealed by God which was then written (again by him) as the extant Hebrew account we have. Moses himself wasn't around to have eyewitnessed the creative history he relayed to us--though perhaps God showed him the equivalent of a videographic/holographic 'replay' of it so he could describe it for us--but the content/details, and their (necessary-for-terraforming-a-planet) sequence are all scientifically correct. Hugh's book NAVIGATING GENESIS and the Newman, Phillips, and Eckelmann book GENESIS ONE AND THE ORIGIN OF THE EARTH both document this point-by-point concordance, so there's no NEED for Bible interpreters to retreat into hermeneutical models which step away from dealing with the science as directly or at all, plus the demonstrably TIGHT Bible-science concordance itself suggests that these other interpretive approaches are LESS true to the author's own intentions for what they sought to communicate. I think we're SUPPOSED to notice the striking Bible-science 'match-up.' My wish here is that more professional Bible/OT interpreters might acquaint themselves with interdisciplinary books such as the two titles I've mentioned above. Such books should be found, known, and listed in scholarly literature searches/bibliographies on this topic by Bible interpreters who address it. Bible scholars with a weak science background can seek out resources and people professionally trained in science to assist them, and there are Bible-believing Christians among these folks. Just as archaeology can helpfully inform Bible interpretation at times, and indeed has done so in the past, so can other branches of science. Science often, though not always or immediately or completely, discovers truth about the physical world and truth--other things being equal--always helps. Thank you, RTB, for another fine presentation!
One of the key evidences for a "new physics" in the new creation that I've heard from Hugh is the description of the New Jerusalem as an immense cube. The point is that no material structure could exist with the current laws of physics in the form described--instead the cube would collapse into a sphere because of gravity, no matter what the composition. Because of that impossibility, Hugh concludes that the physics governing the New Jerusalem are different than those governing the current creation. At least that's my understanding of what Hugh has said.
After I saw an epodide of Stargate SG1, I got fixated on the idea that the lake of fire is something like a black hole. Before that I was contemptating whether it was like a 5th dimensional co-occuring supernatural location with the surface of the sun. But the black hole Also has a burning border space, like a star, but it also warps time so profoundly, that it allows two different theories of hell to be true at the same time... sort of... both eternal conscious torment (by way of imagery... what it looks like) AND a form of annihilationism, in that those sent there are utterly destroyed, but the relative nature of time makes it both seem absolute and eternally not yet. But black holes are also cosmic processors. They destroy, but they dissolve and expell energy too. Which means it's almost like God gets back the good he invests unto the dammed... it sort of conforms to the intuition universalists have, that destruction isn't a loss but a purification. But universalists believe the purification saves the dammed, but what if it is just God bring both merciful and efficient, not wasting the total energy of the universe on punishment but releasing the corrupted context and form of all that evil, and do something good with it... like putting the devil in a nuclear reactor, and as his evil is dissolved, the lights are lit. But not in a sense that sounds as cynical as all that.
Ooooh, 1 comment in 5 hrs., what! Why I love Hugh; Dr. that is, his asperger clinician mode of delivering info. So fantastic to hear facts, no upspeak, no stuttering, no doubt in (his) decisive and comforting speech. Everybody, with few exceptions compare. Mr. Sproul even takes a break. Bless ya Hugh. S.S. from Michigan, 11/08/2022@1950DST.✝
I think the most truthful words were not meant to be taken literally he could have been talking about the whole bible and the mistakes and contradictions. The only way they can sell it is by saying you're not meant to take that bitliterally oh that bit is a mis translation. no your not meant to read it that that it's meant to be poetry no no it does not mean that. Basically they are ancient writings by ancient people who did not know much about science and the world and it shows.
If you are alive now and still believe in the fables of The Bible then you have disregarded everything our race has learnt since its conception. Its just 1 more of mans gods to add to the pile.
Go watch the videos on One for Israel TH-cam channel and go Watch Christian Testimonies then come back and tell me that God is a Fable. We've encountered him personally. You'll never convince those is church who've heard and experienced God personally, and had impossible miracles happen. Check out The Supernatural Life Channel
*@UC Love* - That you refer to reality as "Fables" shows your ignorance and weak-minded willingness to parrot the fiction-biased liberal pablum you've been force-fed. Grow a brain, do real research and you won't need to feel led to continue to embarrass yourself by posting foolish comments.
I am grateful for RTB ministries. May the Lord increase your wisdom and favor.
This is an important discussion!
Some of the additional Christian exegetical 'retreat' in recent years into archetypal, symbolic, framework, thematic, or genre-based thinking about passages that overlap with aspects of natural history also addressed by science may be due--at least in part--to most Bible interpreters not feeling or being able to adequately address or keep up with the corresponding science. The 'trick' with Bible-science issues is to find the happy middle ground where a reasonable/fair reading of scripture is compared with a reasonable/fair evaluation of scientific knowledge and theory, and this really calls for the kind of interdisciplinary approach which Reasons To Believe employs so well. Since God is both the omniscient Creator and truthful, His world and His Word HAVE to agree where they overlap. The challenge humans face is to not misread/misunderstand either, and both scientists and Bible interpreters are capable of making mistakes so a measure of humility, in addition to scholarly expertise, is called for and in order.
Many times in the past few years I've heard 'The Bible isn't a science textbook,' and while I champion the historico/cultural-exegetical method myself it's also true that God, who inspired and revealed new information to the Bible authors, has always known more about the natural world and its actual history than even contemporary science currently knows. GOD knows His own creative process and Earth's natural history in every detail! Moses, in writing Genesis 1, had available new information (to him) revealed by God which was then written (again by him) as the extant Hebrew account we have. Moses himself wasn't around to have eyewitnessed the creative history he relayed to us--though perhaps God showed him the equivalent of a videographic/holographic 'replay' of it so he could describe it for us--but the content/details, and their (necessary-for-terraforming-a-planet) sequence are all scientifically correct. Hugh's book NAVIGATING GENESIS and the Newman, Phillips, and Eckelmann book GENESIS ONE AND THE ORIGIN OF THE EARTH both document this point-by-point concordance, so there's no NEED for Bible interpreters to retreat into hermeneutical models which step away from dealing with the science as directly or at all, plus the demonstrably TIGHT Bible-science concordance itself suggests that these other interpretive approaches are LESS true to the author's own intentions for what they sought to communicate. I think we're SUPPOSED to notice the striking Bible-science 'match-up.'
My wish here is that more professional Bible/OT interpreters might acquaint themselves with interdisciplinary books such as the two titles I've mentioned above. Such books should be found, known, and listed in scholarly literature searches/bibliographies on this topic by Bible interpreters who address it. Bible scholars with a weak science background can seek out resources and people professionally trained in science to assist them, and there are Bible-believing Christians among these folks. Just as archaeology can helpfully inform Bible interpretation at times, and indeed has done so in the past, so can other branches of science. Science often, though not always or immediately or completely, discovers truth about the physical world and truth--other things being equal--always helps.
Thank you, RTB, for another fine presentation!
Thanks.
One of the key evidences for a "new physics" in the new creation that I've heard from Hugh is the description of the New Jerusalem as an immense cube. The point is that no material structure could exist with the current laws of physics in the form described--instead the cube would collapse into a sphere because of gravity, no matter what the composition. Because of that impossibility, Hugh concludes that the physics governing the New Jerusalem are different than those governing the current creation. At least that's my understanding of what Hugh has said.
I do indeed doubt that anything in the NT says there will be a second coming
After I saw an epodide of Stargate SG1, I got fixated on the idea that the lake of fire is something like a black hole.
Before that I was contemptating whether it was like a 5th dimensional co-occuring supernatural location with the surface of the sun.
But the black hole Also has a burning border space, like a star, but it also warps time so profoundly, that it allows two different theories of hell to be true at the same time... sort of... both eternal conscious torment (by way of imagery... what it looks like) AND a form of annihilationism, in that those sent there are utterly destroyed, but the relative nature of time makes it both seem absolute and eternally not yet.
But black holes are also cosmic processors. They destroy, but they dissolve and expell energy too. Which means it's almost like God gets back the good he invests unto the dammed... it sort of conforms to the intuition universalists have, that destruction isn't a loss but a purification. But universalists believe the purification saves the dammed, but what if it is just God bring both merciful and efficient, not wasting the total energy of the universe on punishment but releasing the corrupted context and form of all that evil, and do something good with it... like putting the devil in a nuclear reactor, and as his evil is dissolved, the lights are lit. But not in a sense that sounds as cynical as all that.
I enjoy your videos, but I feel like you guys barely scratched the surface of this topic.
Thank you for your input! We can dive deeper!
Ooooh, 1 comment in 5 hrs., what! Why I love Hugh; Dr. that is, his asperger clinician mode of delivering info. So fantastic to hear facts, no upspeak, no stuttering, no doubt in (his) decisive and comforting speech. Everybody, with few exceptions compare. Mr. Sproul even takes a break. Bless ya Hugh. S.S. from Michigan, 11/08/2022@1950DST.✝
It's a little "wordy" and I'm only into it 3 minutes. A lot of people can't handle non-brevity.
I think the most truthful words were not meant to be taken literally he could have been talking about the whole bible and the mistakes and contradictions. The only way they can sell it is by saying you're not meant to take that bitliterally oh that bit is a mis translation. no your not meant to read it that that it's meant to be poetry no no it does not mean that. Basically they are ancient writings by ancient people who did not know much about science and the world and it shows.
If you are alive now and still believe in the fables of The Bible then you have disregarded everything our race has learnt since its conception.
Its just 1 more of mans gods to add to the pile.
Go watch the videos on One for Israel TH-cam channel and go Watch Christian Testimonies then come back and tell me that God is a Fable. We've encountered him personally. You'll never convince those is church who've heard and experienced God personally, and had impossible miracles happen. Check out The Supernatural Life Channel
Here is One Encounter caught on camera
th-cam.com/video/XOvFEAL_6QU/w-d-xo.html
*@UC Love* - That you refer to reality as "Fables" shows your ignorance and weak-minded willingness to parrot the fiction-biased liberal pablum you've been force-fed. Grow a brain, do real research and you won't need to feel led to continue to embarrass yourself by posting foolish comments.