As someone who formerly was a preacher of churchianity and now embraces the observation of Torah or Yahweh's instructions for His people, I find it interesting when those involved in churchianity begin to make connections but don't take their connections far enough. I have been reading several books and was amazed that two of them were saying the same thing. As I begin to study at the beginning of Torah I am incorporating several books from authors steeped in churchianity:
Pink and his book Gleanings in Genesis
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Genesis
Ken Ham: Understanding the Times
Both of the last two sources are saying, in order to make a difference we need to take Scripture as it says.
Rules for interpreting Scripture are as follows.
1. Scripture defines Scripture.
2. Where Scripture seems to be contradicting Scripture the interpretation is wrong as Scripture cannot contradict itself.
I know this is long but please take note, as the foundations crumble around churchianity remember this
1. What day did Yahweh set aside for worship and rest? Where did this day of the sun worship start?
2. What days of celebration did Yahweh institute for his people and where did the special days that churchianity celebrates come from? Even faithful preachers of old told of the evils of Christmas (Spurgeon for one the Puritans for another).
If churchianity wants to succeed thay must start over in all of their theology and base the definitions and theological treatises upon Scripture following the rules of interpretation. They must discard all preconcieved ideas concerning what they desire the Scriptures to say and come at Scriptural interpretation as a child does in discovering the world around them. They must build a firm foundation starting at the beginning of Scripture and then go from there making sure there are no contradictions.
Of a creation of sun, moon, and stars, subsequent to the creation of this earth, science can have but one thing to say. Of the existence of fruit trees prior to the existence of the sun, science knows nothing. But for a candid and unsophisticated reader without a special theory to maintain, details are needless. Accepting this chapter then as it stands, and believing that only by looking at the Bible as it actually is can we hope to understand God’s method of revealing Himself, we at once perceive that ignorance of some departments of truth does not disqualify a man for knowing and imparting truth about God. In order to be a medium of revelation a man does not need to be in advance of his age in secular learning. Intimate communion with God, a spirit trained to discern spiritual things, a perfect understanding of and zeal for God’s purpose, these are qualities quite independent of a knowledge of the discoveries of science. The enlightenment which enables men to apprehend God and spiritual truth, has no necessary connection with scientific attainments. David’s confidence in God and his declarations of His faithfulness are none the less valuable, because he was ignorant of a very great deal which every school-boy now knows. Had inspired men introduced into their writings information which anticipated the discoveries of science, their state of mind would be inconceivable, and revelation would be a source of confusion. God’s methods are harmonious with one another, and as He has given men natural faculties to acquire scientific knowledge and historical information, He did not stultify this gift by imparting such knowledge in a miraculous and unintelligible manner. There is no evidence that inspired men were in advance of their age in the knowledge of physical facts and laws. And plainly, had they been supernaturally instructed in physical knowledge they would so far have been unintelligible to those to....
Here then instead of anything to discompose us or to excite unbelief, we recognise one great law or principle on which God proceeds in making Himself known to men. This has been called the Law of Accommodation.
Dods, Marcus (2012-12-18). The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Genesis (Kindle Locations 139-140). . Kindle Edition.
accommodating yourself to his condition, and winking at much ignorance while you instil elementary knowledge. You must found all you teach on what is understood by your pupil, and through that you must convey further knowledge and train his faculties to higher capacity. So was it with God’s revelation.
Dods, Marcus (2012-12-18). The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Genesis (Kindle Locations 143-144). . Kindle Edition.
He laid a firm foundation for the history of God’s relation to man. This was his object, and this he accomplished. The Bible is the book to which we turn for information regarding the history of God’s revelation of Himself, and of His will towards men;
Dods, Marcus (2012-12-18). The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Genesis (Kindle Locations 165-167). . Kindle Edition.
But we need to understand something. We live in a different era of history, and there has been a new and more vicious attack on God’s Word. It is the same attack as in Genesis 3; I call it the “Genesis 3 attack.” It is to create doubt regarding the Word of God—to undermine the authority of the Word. We all must understand the nature of this attack, and it is this: We get the message of the gospel from the Word of God. So if you attack the Word of God, if you can undermine the authority of the Word, you are undermining the gospel—because the gospel itself comes from the Word of God. This is the point that we need to understand.
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 124-125). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
Throughout the public education system and the media, we are being taught geological history, biological history, anthropological[16] history, and astronomical[17] history that totally contradicts the history in the Bible. Now, the Bible is a book of history. Histories that conflict cannot all be correct. People often say to me at this point, “But the Bible is not a science textbook.” And I say, “You are right, and I am glad about that; if it were, we would be in trouble—because science textbooks change every year!” The point is that the Bible is a book of history, and it does not change. It
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 132-137). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
It is a book that tells us who we are, where we came from, why everything is here, what is wrong with this world, why there is death in the world, and what the solution is to our problem. It also gives us the right foundation to build a right way of thinking to understand reality.
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 138-140). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
In our day and age, there has been an incredible attack on that history. Sadly, much of the Church has succumbed[18] to that attack. I can tell you from thirty years of experience in this ministry and from other surveys, that the majority of Christian leaders will not take a stand on the history in Genesis 1-11 as literal history. The majority of Christian leaders will not take a stand on the six days of creation as literal ordinary days. The majority of Christians, not just the leaders, the majority of people in our churches will not take a stand on Genesis as literal history. They say, “Well, it doesn’t matter,” or “Who cares?,” or “You can believe in millions of years or evolution, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you trust in Jesus.” But the message of Jesus comes from that Book, the Word of God. If you undermine the authority of that Word, eventually you will undermine the whole of biblical truth!
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 147-152). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
When the foundation collapses, the structure collapses. The foundation is essential; it must be protected at all costs.
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Location 156). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
ultimately, every single biblical doctrine of theology directly or indirectly is founded in Genesis 1-11? Why did Jesus die on a cross?—Genesis 1-11. Why is He called “the last Adam” (1Co 15:45)?—Genesis 1-11. Why do we sin?—Genesis 1-11. Why is there death in the world?—Genesis 1-11. Why do you have a seven-day week?—Genesis 1-11. Why do we need new heavens and a new earth?—Genesis 1-11. Why is marriage between one man and one woman?—Genesis 1-11. Is it therefore important? Genesis 1-11 is the foundational history for the whole rest of the Bible! Over the past thirty years, I have been asked by the
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 178-182). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
It is faith alone in Christ alone that saves you; that is the doctrine of Scripture. But then people say, “Oh, so it doesn’t matter what you believe about Genesis. It doesn’t matter if you believe in ‘millions of years’ or evolution or that Genesis is literal history.” Please hear me: I did not say it did not matter; it does matter, for the reason that follows. I had somebody recently say to me, “The gospel does not rise or fall on the six days of creation.” And I said, “You’re right. The gospel rises or falls on the authority of Scripture.” Right! But now here is the essential question: Does the authority of Scripture rise or fall on the six days of creation? This is the key question. This is the fundamental question facing us today for the following reason: If you are taking Genesis as Jesus took it, as literal history, and then you say, “But it doesn’t really mean what Genesis says, even if it clearly says it,” then you are reinterpreting the Scriptures on the basis of man’s ideas! You are unlocking a door to say, “You don’t have to take the Bible as written”! It is the Genesis 3 attack. It is the Genesis 3 attack of our day, and the Church has succumbed to it!
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 194-199). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
Paul answers all these questions for us in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15: it is all because every human being is a son or daughter of Adam and Eve. We are all sinners because Adam sinned; we all sinned in Adam. “Oh, but Adam and Eve are not real,” someone might say. If that is so, then for whom is the gospel? The gospel is for someone, is it not? But who? You see, it is important what you believe about the Book of Genesis.
Ham, Ken (2013-01-28). Understanding the Times (Kindle Locations 205-209). Chapel Library. Kindle Edition.
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