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Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth
Fourteen theological scholars address key topics related to the age of the earth, which is the crucial issue of debate in the church today regarding origins. Bringing to bear rigorous biblical, theological, and historical arguments in favor of a six-day creation, the global Flood, and a young earth, they also provide much-needed critiques of a number of contemporary old-earth interpretations of the book of Genesis.
This fresh defense of the literal history of Genesis 1-11 nicely complements other studies which focus more on the scientific evidence of young-earth creationism. As such, this book can serve as a versatile supplement to other works, but is also designed to be used as a standalone text for seminary and Bible college professors and students, pastors, missionaries, and others who want in-depth apologetic resources.
Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earthincludes:
- Forewords by Dr. John MacArthur, President of the Master's Seminary and Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA; and the late Dr. Henry Morris, Founder and President Emeritus, Institute for Creation Research
- Detailed analysis of the verbs of Genesis 1
- A defense of the Genesis 5 & 11 genealogies as strict chronologies
- Reasons for rejecting millions of years of death and natural evil before Adam's sin
- Careful reflection on Jesus' teachings regarding a young earth
This fresh defense of the literal history of Genesis 1-11 nicely complements other studies which focus more on the scientific evidence of young-earth creationism. As such, this book can serve as a versatile supplement to other works, but is also designed to be used as a standalone text for seminary and Bible college professors and students, pastors, missionaries, and others who want in-depth apologetic resources.
Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earthincludes:
- Forewords by Dr. John MacArthur, President of the Master's Seminary and Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA; and the late Dr. Henry Morris, Founder and President Emeritus, Institute for Creation Research
- Detailed analysis of the verbs of Genesis 1
- A defense of the Genesis 5 & 11 genealogies as strict chronologies
- Reasons for rejecting millions of years of death and natural evil before Adam's sin
- Careful reflection on Jesus' teachings regarding a young earth
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2008
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194 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 7, 2017
This book is an exegetical and historical defense of the traditional reading of Genesis 1. The more I study the probably of Genesis not teaching literal six day creation goes down. I used to be more sympathetic to the arguments of old-earthers. Maybe day doesn't mean 24 hours. Maybe there really is a problem with light before the sun being created. Maybe there could have been death before the fall. Maybe. But the more I read and study the probability just keeps going down. This book is academic and dense. Some chapters were better than others. One reviewer said it was a lot of historical information. That is inaccurate. There are chapters on history, but those are in the minority. Chapters that stuck out were the ones on Genesis 1 as narrative and not poetry, is nature the 67th book of the Bible (no), are there gaps in the genealogies, a chronology of the flood account, death before the fall, and the historic view of what a good creation is. All in all, this book is worth your time though not very exciting at times to read.
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March 2, 2023I needed to stop reading this.
August 31, 2023
Amazing book. Makes the indisputable case that Genesis was written with the intention of it being understood literally. I’ll let the author speak for himself on why this is so important:
“Ultimately, what is at stake in this controversy about the age of the earth is the perspicuity and authority of Scripture. It simply does not teach deep time or gradual creation or a local Flood. It clearly teaches six literal days of supernatural creation only a few thousand years ago, and a global catastrophic Flood that radically altered the surface of the earth, destroying billions of plants, animals, and people in the process. Genesis 1-3, Romans 8:19-23, and other related passages just as clearly teach that His finished creation was very good and free of human and animal death. Furthermore, Scripture's testimony about the goodness, wisdom, power, justice, faithfulness, and grace of God makes it very difficult to comprehend how He could have created and destroyed countless species over the course of millions of years before creating man, who was commanded to rule over the creatures, most of whom (on this view) lived and died before Adam came on the scene.
There is no scriptural warrant for this idea. To advocate it is to put an incompetent, wicked, or even sadistic face on God.
So, do we interpret Scripture by Scripture or do we use the outside higher authority of "science" to interpret Scripture? Will we believe the Word of God, who was there at the creation and the Flood, who knows everything, who never makes mistakes, who always tells the truth, and who inspired men to write the Scriptures without error so that Old Testament Jews, the Church fathers, the Reformers, and today's Christian would know the truth about how the creation came into existence and why it is the way it is today? Or will we place more confidence in the words of scientists, who weren't there during the early history of the earth, who don't know everything, who repeatedly make mistakes (which is why they must continually revise their text-books), and most of whom are in rebellion against their Creator, trying to explain the world without God so they do not have to feel morally accountable to Him?”
“Ultimately, what is at stake in this controversy about the age of the earth is the perspicuity and authority of Scripture. It simply does not teach deep time or gradual creation or a local Flood. It clearly teaches six literal days of supernatural creation only a few thousand years ago, and a global catastrophic Flood that radically altered the surface of the earth, destroying billions of plants, animals, and people in the process. Genesis 1-3, Romans 8:19-23, and other related passages just as clearly teach that His finished creation was very good and free of human and animal death. Furthermore, Scripture's testimony about the goodness, wisdom, power, justice, faithfulness, and grace of God makes it very difficult to comprehend how He could have created and destroyed countless species over the course of millions of years before creating man, who was commanded to rule over the creatures, most of whom (on this view) lived and died before Adam came on the scene.
There is no scriptural warrant for this idea. To advocate it is to put an incompetent, wicked, or even sadistic face on God.
So, do we interpret Scripture by Scripture or do we use the outside higher authority of "science" to interpret Scripture? Will we believe the Word of God, who was there at the creation and the Flood, who knows everything, who never makes mistakes, who always tells the truth, and who inspired men to write the Scriptures without error so that Old Testament Jews, the Church fathers, the Reformers, and today's Christian would know the truth about how the creation came into existence and why it is the way it is today? Or will we place more confidence in the words of scientists, who weren't there during the early history of the earth, who don't know everything, who repeatedly make mistakes (which is why they must continually revise their text-books), and most of whom are in rebellion against their Creator, trying to explain the world without God so they do not have to feel morally accountable to Him?”
January 3, 2014
Although not explicitly excluding laymen, Coming To Grips With Genesis was written for academics, scientists and students of theology. I am none of those but I wanted to tackle this book because I believe in its raison d'etre: what a person believes about the origin of life and its purpose largely determines how that person lives. Everyone has a worldview, and our worldview comprises a set of beliefs about the fundamental issues of existence and meaning. I am very interested in the young earth/old earth debate, and I am curious about why so many Christians seem to want to make excuses for what the Bible appears to say.
Coming to Grips with Genesis is a set of 14 essays and all of them are mostly written in very technical academic language. At times I found the level of detail overwhelming, and despite its importance as evidence, a bit dull. However, there were enough times when the non academic fogginess of my brain allowed me to see very powerful arguments in favour of a world which is between 6000-10000 years old and was created by God in six literal days. Lest you fear this book is simply another fundamentalist diatribe, you should know that alternative views are extensively canvassed, explained and critiqued. (And I don't use the word 'extensively' lightly)
Overall, I thought the essays were well written and very persuasive, and both my faith in God, and my trust in the Bible have been significantly enhanced by reading this book. I therefore recommend it to open minded readers who may be interested in the Creation/evolution debate, with the warning that it is not easy to read.
Coming to Grips with Genesis is a set of 14 essays and all of them are mostly written in very technical academic language. At times I found the level of detail overwhelming, and despite its importance as evidence, a bit dull. However, there were enough times when the non academic fogginess of my brain allowed me to see very powerful arguments in favour of a world which is between 6000-10000 years old and was created by God in six literal days. Lest you fear this book is simply another fundamentalist diatribe, you should know that alternative views are extensively canvassed, explained and critiqued. (And I don't use the word 'extensively' lightly)
Overall, I thought the essays were well written and very persuasive, and both my faith in God, and my trust in the Bible have been significantly enhanced by reading this book. I therefore recommend it to open minded readers who may be interested in the Creation/evolution debate, with the warning that it is not easy to read.
October 7, 2021
This is a very poorly written defense of a literal / historical view of genesis. It makes poor arguments and strawmans the opposing view. I don’t understand why Biblical scholars such as these don’t re examine some basic questions instead of entrenching into the “science can’t know how old a rock is because I don’t understand how it is possible”. They then pick one scientist to support their view and ignore the hundreds who disagree.
The simplest idea is to simply examine if genesis 1-11 is a historical narrative claiming scientific proficiency it is it another genre with a bigger purpose. The biggest problem with the “science vs religion” approach that they make is that they must continually disprove scientific and archeological discoveries rather than simply ask, perhaps Genesis 1-11 is not historical narrative. The Bible contains many genres, so why stay entrenched when the evidence says otherwise? Why fear truth?
As a Christian, we should never fear truth and we should never take a view of scripture so narrow that it crumbles on one scientific discovery. God is bigger than this. He created the earth, no matter how old it is, so why refuse to accept the clues of science and History? The Bible is still true if Genesis 1 is a poem or parable. In fact it maybe more useful in this case. One thing is certain, the writer of Genesis 1 was not trying to convince a person in 2020 how God created the world. My biggest problem with this book is the narrow view
The simplest idea is to simply examine if genesis 1-11 is a historical narrative claiming scientific proficiency it is it another genre with a bigger purpose. The biggest problem with the “science vs religion” approach that they make is that they must continually disprove scientific and archeological discoveries rather than simply ask, perhaps Genesis 1-11 is not historical narrative. The Bible contains many genres, so why stay entrenched when the evidence says otherwise? Why fear truth?
As a Christian, we should never fear truth and we should never take a view of scripture so narrow that it crumbles on one scientific discovery. God is bigger than this. He created the earth, no matter how old it is, so why refuse to accept the clues of science and History? The Bible is still true if Genesis 1 is a poem or parable. In fact it maybe more useful in this case. One thing is certain, the writer of Genesis 1 was not trying to convince a person in 2020 how God created the world. My biggest problem with this book is the narrow view
October 19, 2019
Several very good chapters defending the six-day view of creation. Worth having on the shelf as a resource.
July 14, 2011
Coming to Grips with Genesis is a collection of 14 articles discussing the different interpretations of Genesis 1-11. Though written by 14 separate scholars, there's surprisingly little overlap of material and a high consistency in quality.
It's written in a formal tone. Some articles get somewhat technical when talking about the original language, and the authors assume you know something about Hebrew grammar. However, the footnotes explain a technical point in more detail for those who don't know this information. There's excellent footnoting, so you always know where the information or quote came from. I also liked that the authors quoted the people in question so the reader could see for themselves what was said. Overall, if you have questions about the topics covered or want to be better able to argue the points, then I'd highly recommend this book.
Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 14 explored how Christian theological leaders before the 19th century viewed Genesis 1-11, especially how long they thought God took to create everything. Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 discussed the different ways Genesis 1 & 2 are interpreted, how to properly interpret Scripture as a whole and how that applies to Genesis 1 & 2, and is nature/general revelation equal in authority to Scripture/special revelation.
Chapter 9 talked about Noah's Flood, especially about the timeline of what happened and what one would expect to find now in the rock layers as a result of the Flood. Chapter 10 discussed the type of genealogies are in Genesis 5 and 11 and how accurate they are for chronological purposes. Chapter 11 and 12 pointed out how Jesus and the apostles viewed Genesis (as real history and real people or otherwise). Chapter 13 discussed how having death and suffering before creation was completed (as long geological ages demands) affects Christian theology.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
It's written in a formal tone. Some articles get somewhat technical when talking about the original language, and the authors assume you know something about Hebrew grammar. However, the footnotes explain a technical point in more detail for those who don't know this information. There's excellent footnoting, so you always know where the information or quote came from. I also liked that the authors quoted the people in question so the reader could see for themselves what was said. Overall, if you have questions about the topics covered or want to be better able to argue the points, then I'd highly recommend this book.
Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 14 explored how Christian theological leaders before the 19th century viewed Genesis 1-11, especially how long they thought God took to create everything. Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 discussed the different ways Genesis 1 & 2 are interpreted, how to properly interpret Scripture as a whole and how that applies to Genesis 1 & 2, and is nature/general revelation equal in authority to Scripture/special revelation.
Chapter 9 talked about Noah's Flood, especially about the timeline of what happened and what one would expect to find now in the rock layers as a result of the Flood. Chapter 10 discussed the type of genealogies are in Genesis 5 and 11 and how accurate they are for chronological purposes. Chapter 11 and 12 pointed out how Jesus and the apostles viewed Genesis (as real history and real people or otherwise). Chapter 13 discussed how having death and suffering before creation was completed (as long geological ages demands) affects Christian theology.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
June 12, 2012
Excellent expositions on Genesis 1-11 written from a literal historical grammatical perspective. The author has compiled a set of very accessible essays that defend the young-earth, 6-day creation account of Genesis. As the authors from the book state, the issue is not primarily hermeneutical or theological - the issue is one of authority. Is the Bible the authority of how the world began or is science the authority?
The church has always understood Genesis 1-11 as a historical narrative the creation of the world, the genealogies of man, the geological changes that occured on our planet, and the establishment of the nations. It wasn't until the 18th century where the Gap theory, Framework, and other Old-earth views started to surface because of evolutionary darwinian presuppositions. As the authors of this book state, the only way anyone can understand the world to be 6,000 years, have a real person name Adam, a real global flood, a real week that consisted of 24-hour solar days, would be if they read the bible plainly. Any other position (such as injection of millions and billions of years) would require a presupposition from modern scientific anti-religious perspectives.
The church has always understood Genesis 1-11 as a historical narrative the creation of the world, the genealogies of man, the geological changes that occured on our planet, and the establishment of the nations. It wasn't until the 18th century where the Gap theory, Framework, and other Old-earth views started to surface because of evolutionary darwinian presuppositions. As the authors of this book state, the only way anyone can understand the world to be 6,000 years, have a real person name Adam, a real global flood, a real week that consisted of 24-hour solar days, would be if they read the bible plainly. Any other position (such as injection of millions and billions of years) would require a presupposition from modern scientific anti-religious perspectives.
June 11, 2018
I wants to get a feel for young earth perspective on how to interpret genesis 1. I think it can be reduced to this:
1. Genesis 1 is narrative.
2. Narratives are always literally true
3. So Genesis 1 is literally true.
I came away a bit concerned with how those on the other side were portrayed, some others use language that is unprofessional and unkind.
I can away a bit frustrated from each essay thinking that the writer a. had too broad of a thesis and hopelessly swamped themselves trying to defend it. 2. Leaving some gaps in their argument.
Bottom line: I really struggled to read it with an open mind and think carefully what they were arguing.
1. Genesis 1 is narrative.
2. Narratives are always literally true
3. So Genesis 1 is literally true.
I came away a bit concerned with how those on the other side were portrayed, some others use language that is unprofessional and unkind.
I can away a bit frustrated from each essay thinking that the writer a. had too broad of a thesis and hopelessly swamped themselves trying to defend it. 2. Leaving some gaps in their argument.
Bottom line: I really struggled to read it with an open mind and think carefully what they were arguing.
February 1, 2013
A book that deals with the age of the earth. Unfortunately I found the book very dry and dealt with a lot of information defending what the church fathers and reformers thought about the issue more than dealing with the truth of Scripture. The book is comprised of essays by different scholars and as a result, some of the things seemed pretty repetitive.
March 26, 2020
Fascinating for those interested in the Genesis origins narrative. Gives scientific and academic research, collected together. Not a simple read, but understandable for those willing to think and persevere. Glad to own this one!
May 27, 2023
An excellent resource to study the critical issue of Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth (the subtitle of the book). A group of 12 scholars, all except one with earned Ph. D.'s, provide a comprehensive survey of the critical issues that every informed Christian leader must make a decision on in regards to the place of and the appropriate ways to interpret Genesis. This is not a light book, one that can be assimilated quickly and the material is of primary importance in a day of skepticism about the role of the Bible and its place of authority in Bible-believing churches. The two editors have provided a huge service to the evangelical church in organizing this material for all students of the Bible.
Some, even many, of those who hold to other ideas about creation, such as progressive creationists, evolutionary creationists, theistic evolutionists and old-earth creationists, have never given serious study to this subject from the perspective of young earth creationists. They do themselves a favour by carefully studying this book. It is so easy to only deal with "strawman arguments" to dismiss positions that oppose your own. By reading this book, you will at least give some credibility to your own arguments for your own position. And, if you are brave enough, you might even present your own counter-arguments once you have understood what responsible young earth creationists actually teach.
If unity is to be had in the evangelical church, we must come to some understanding of one another, even if lock step agreement is not achieved. It is the truth that sets one free...and we recognize that the ultimate truth is, of course, the Son of God. This book, I believe upholds the Truth, by correcting false notions to arrive at better understanding of certain truths, found in and taught by the Scriptures.
Some, even many, of those who hold to other ideas about creation, such as progressive creationists, evolutionary creationists, theistic evolutionists and old-earth creationists, have never given serious study to this subject from the perspective of young earth creationists. They do themselves a favour by carefully studying this book. It is so easy to only deal with "strawman arguments" to dismiss positions that oppose your own. By reading this book, you will at least give some credibility to your own arguments for your own position. And, if you are brave enough, you might even present your own counter-arguments once you have understood what responsible young earth creationists actually teach.
If unity is to be had in the evangelical church, we must come to some understanding of one another, even if lock step agreement is not achieved. It is the truth that sets one free...and we recognize that the ultimate truth is, of course, the Son of God. This book, I believe upholds the Truth, by correcting false notions to arrive at better understanding of certain truths, found in and taught by the Scriptures.
December 15, 2019
This book and its authors base a lot of their arguments on very specialized interpretive methods and rely on Hebrew and Greek syntax and word meanings. It's hard to believe how certain they seem to be in their Western understandings of what these most ancient texts mean. Too much rests on anachronisms and not as much on the explication of why they think the their interpretations match original readers' understandings.
June 21, 2018
Was not a fan of the first half (so much Hebrew grammar! so many footnotes! :P). But the last few chapters dealing with the theology of Genesis were excellent. It would serve better as a reference than as a book to read straight through.
April 13, 2017
I would never had read this book if it was not required. :/
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews