IS GENESIS MYTH (JUDE 14)

1) Most know what the book of Genesis claims

2) The writer of this book says that in the past what we know to exist wasn’t here.

3) Out of absolutely nothing God created man and his environment.

4) This was done in 6 days and God rested on the 7^th day.

5) The first man and woman sinned and were cast out of a perfect place.

6) There was a flood that destroyed the earth.

7) In Gen. 11 we read of the tower of Babel and how the different languages originated.

8) Even though this is what is recorded in Genesis, some do not believe it.

9) Some allege that some or all of Genes is myth.

10) That is, some or all of the material in this book is not factually accurate.

11) THIS MORNING I WANT TO LET THE BIBLE SPEAK FOR ITSELF AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE BOOK OF GENESIS IS ENTIRELY OR PARTLY MYTH. OUR BEGINNING POINT IS THE BOOK OF JUDE.

12) In Jude 14 we are introduced to several pieces of important information.

13) We are told about a man named Enoch.

14) It is said that this Enoch issued a prophecy.

15) This prophecy had some application to Jude’s readers.

16) According to Jude Enoch lived. He was the 7^th after Adam (7 generations after Adam).

17) The book of Jude affirms that both Enoch and Adam were real.

18) One of these real people made a prediction.

19) While I would not solely base any conclusions about Genesis on Jude 14,

20) What Jude said is too important to not include in determining if Gen. is factual.

21) This book treats part of Genesis as being literal and actual history.

22) If we turn from Jude to other parts of the New Testament….

23) Do we find any other statements that relate to the book of Genesis? Yes.

24) Not only do we find statements that relate to the book of Genesis,

A) The author of these statements is Jesus.

B) I do not wish to imply that a statement from Jesus…

C) Is of more value that a statement from Peter, Jude, or any other NT writer.

D) If Jesus said that God created the world and Paul made the same statement,

E) Both statements would an equal amount of weight and authority.

F) We know this because of 1 Cor. 14:37.

G) A statement from an inspired writer is of equal value to a statement from the Lord.

25) Bearing this mind here are some of the things said by Jesus.

26) The first passage I will be reading is Jn. 5:46-47.

27) In this passage Jesus spoke of Moses. He said that Moses did some writing.

28) READ Jn. 5:46-47.

29) Jesus affirms that Moses really lived. He said that Moses did do some writing.

30) According to the Lord, Moses wrote about Him.

31) If we go to the Old Testament we find that it reads exactly like Jesus said.

32) Moses is presented as being the author of the first Bible books.

33) He did write about Jesus. Moses was no myth.

34) Someone says, “Jn. 5 doesn’t say anything about Genesis.” That’s right.

35) I cited Jn. 5 to make this point:

36) Jesus commented on the writings of the Old Testament.

37) Unless the Lord lied or He was in error, He confirmed what is said.

38) Jesus confirmed that the books attributed to Moses were written by Moses.

39) Let’s now narrow our study and zero in on the book of Genesis.

40) The next passage I will be using comes from Mk. 10.

41) In verse 6 of this chapter Jesus went back to an event described in Genesis.

42) READ Mk. 10:6.

43) Notice the expression, in the beginning.

44) Is this expression ever found in Genesis? Oh yes.

45) This is how Genesis opens.

46) In the beginning many things were done. All kinds of things were created.

47) From animals to planets to man…in the beginning many things were made.

48) In the beginning God created man and woman (male and female).

49) Jesus affirms that was is written in the Genesis record is true.

50) He taught that we can read this part of the Bible and believe it. It is not myth.

A) After the creation of man several other events occurred.

B) Surely everyone here knows about the flood.

C) This event is recorded within the first eleven chapters of Genesis.

D) The first 11 chapters of Genesis have often been dismissed as myth (untrue).

E) Even some who call themselves Christians have said that Gen. 1-11 is not literal.

F) Jesus had something to say about the flood in Mt. 24.

51) We were not alive during the time associated with the flood.

52) However, since the Lord is eternal, He was present. He knows what happened.

53) Here is Jesus’ account of what is called the flood in Genesis 7.

54) I will be reading from Mt. 24:37-39.

55) Jesus treated Noah as a real person.

56) He spoke of the flood as being a real event.

57) He described how those who were lost were living before the flood came.

58) He further described how the flood “took them all away.”

59) He then used this event to describe His return.

60) Jesus did not treat the book of Genesis as a myth or fiction.

61) To Him, and He was alive at the time, the events & the people were real.

62) Jesus was not the only one to treat the book of Genesis in this way.

63) Do we remember 1 Pet. 3:20-21 where Peter spoke of baptism?

64) Peter compared the water in baptism to the flood in Noah’s day.

65) As water separated the saved from the lost in the ancient world,

66) Peter said that water (baptism) once again separates the saved from the lost.

67) Peter believed in both Noah and the flood.

68) The apostle Paul spoke of Adam as being the first man in 1 Cor. 15.

69) There are over 200 allusions to, quotations from, or references to…

70) The book of Genesis in the New Testament.

71) The writers of the NT rejected the notion that Genesis is something like a fairy tale.

72) The writers treat the ancient record as inspired of God and 100% accurate.

73) Even the Genesis writer tried to convey this picture.

74) Based upon what I understand concerning the Hebrew text in Gen. 1,

75) The writer started off with the perfect tense.

76) God created (spoke into existence) creation.

77) There was nothing and the next moment there is all that exists.

78) Creation was a definite and single act like snapping the fingers.

79) After saying that God created there = a series of words that use the imperfect tense.

80) This might be compared to the birth of a child.

A) The child was born (perfect tense). This was a definite act at a definite time.

B) During the first seven days of the child’s life, the infant cried and slept.

C) He received nourishment and he made a mess in his diaper.

81) God brought what exists into being (perfect tense) and then, if you will, did some organizing.

82) This is the force of the tenses used in Gen. 1.

83) These tenses are simply one more way to show that Gen. is not myth.

84) The writer was describing definite acts that are historically accurate.

85) SOME MAY WONDER WHY WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRUTHFULNESS OF GENESIS. WHY DOES IT MATTER IF ADAM AND EVE WERE REAL OR NOT? WHY DOES IT MATTER IF THE FLOOD WERE REAL OR JUST A MADE UP STORY?

86) God’s word is a unit.

87) If any part of it is untrue or unreliable, how can we trust any of it?

88) How can we know which parts to believe and which parts to reject?

89) In more than 200 places it is somehow affirmed that the book of Genesis is true.

90) If Genesis is not a record of accurate history,

91) At least 200 passages in the New Testament are lies.

92) If Genesis is not an accurate record of history,

93) What does this say about Jesus?

A) Because Jesus is eternal, He was present during the time period described in Genesis.

B) If history did not happen as the Lord stated, one of three things are true:

a) The Lord has a faulty memory,

b) Jesus was for some reason in error about past events;

c) Or the Lord lied.

94) Some seem to think that we cannot know if Genesis is true or not.

95) Because some never examine what we have looked at today,

96) It is concluded that Genesis is probably a mixture of history and fiction.

97) The passages I have cited from the New Testament are either true or false.

98) If they are true we cannot do anything but accept Genesis as accurate.

99) If they passages I have cited are false the Bible is seriously flawed.

100) These flaws are so severe that we have no accurate religious guide from God.

101) People need to hear and know that we can have confidence in the word of God.

102) It needs to be said that the book of Genesis contains accurate history.

103) The word of God is true and is not associated with mythology and fairly tales.

104) The great story in the Bible is true.

105) Part of this great story says that Jesus Christ will again return.

106) He is coming to judge the living and the dead.

107) He is coming to permanently separate the saved from the lost.

108) Any attempt to come to Christ at the second coming will be too late.

109) Now is the time to believe and obey.

110) Now is the time to become a Christian.

111) Earlier I made reference to 1 Pet. 3:20-21.

112) There are dividing lines between those who are saved and those who are lost.

113) One of these lines is faith. Another is repentance. Confession is a dividing line.

114) The last dividing line between those who are saved and those who are lost is baptism.