Tim

“We must also remember some of the key lessons of Scripture. In our weakness he is strong. He can use suffering to strengthen our character. He can use evil to accomplish good (precisely the nature of the discussion in the book of Habakkuk). God’s sovereignty is demonstrated in that whatever personal or nonpersonal agents do, God takes it and turns it to his purpose.”
― John H. Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

“Instead of offering a statement of causes, Genesis 1 is offering a statement of how everything will work according to God’s purposes. In that sense the text looks to the future (how this cosmos will function for human beings with God at its center) rather than to the past (how God brought material into being).[9] Purpose entails some level of causation (though it does not specify the level) and affirms sovereign control of the causation process.”
― John H. Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

“Q: Why would God make it so difficult for me to understand his Word? A: Given God’s decision to communicate, he had to choose one language and culture to communicate to, which means that every other language and culture has their work cut out for them. As readers from a different language and culture, we have to try to penetrate the original language and culture if we are to receive the maximum benefits of God’s revelation. We also need to seek greater understanding when we are confronted with information from outside the Bible (whether ancient or modern) and want to figure out how it integrates into what we believe the Bible is saying. It is relieving to recognize that the basics of God’s revelation of himself (including his Creator role) are easily skimmed off the surface, but it is not surprising that God’s Word contains infinite depth and that it should require constant attention to study with all the tools we have available. God is not superficial, and we should expect that knowledge of him and his Word would be mined rather than simply absorbed. This means that all of us will be dependent on others with particular skills to help us succeed in the enterprise of interpretation. This is not elitism; it is the interdependence of the people of God as they work together in community to serve one another with the gifts they have.”
― John H. Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

“The Bible considers it much more important to say that God has made everything work rather than being content to say that God made the physical stuff.”
― John H. Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate