Posted: 10/14/05
Texas Baptist Forum
Definition of 'days'
Nora Ann Best's insistence that the “days” of Genesis 1 must be interpreted as 24-hour days (Oct. 3) is inconsistent with the use of the same word in Genesis 2:4.
The introductory statement in this verse clearly applies to the whole sequence of creation described in subsequent verses. Thus, “day” is used to mean an age or era of time.
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Furthermore, the sequence of events described in Genesis 1 does not match that in Genesis 2. Various reconciliations have been proposed (space does not permit discussion of them here), but they are unsatisfying.
We conservative Christians who believe the Bible should try actually reading it and allowing it–rather the notion favored by the loudest faction–to determine what we believe. A careful, unbiased reading of Genesis 1 and 2 leads me to the inescapable conclusion that they are not intended to be scientific, sequential descriptions of creation.
As to integrating evolution and the Bible, Best and many others do essentially the same thing when they accept that the earth revolves around the sun. This is a scientific finding that disagrees with a literal interpretation of Psalm 96:10, 1 Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 93:1 and Psalm 119:90. I do not believe this suggests that the Bible is wrong. However, it should serve as a warning that the most direct and apparently literal interpretation of Scripture is not always the right interpretation.
Those who insist people cannot believe in evolution and be “real Christians” should perhaps be a bit more humble (biblical) in their judgments of others.
Stephen Pruett
Bossier City, La.
Worship options
Recently, my wife and I decided to visit a church in a town near where we live. On Saturday, we drove by the church to see what time the Sunday morning worship service started.
It was amusing as we read the three worship service times listed on the sign. These times of Sunday morning worship were based upon whether we wanted a traditional worship service, a contemporary worship service or a worship service designed to be a combination of both the traditional and the contemporary worship experience.
Do you feel you are being pressed into a mold in order to be conformed to all of the externals of these worship experiences?
Jesus tells us in John 4:19-24 that God is a spirit and that those who worship God must worship God in spirit and in truth. Jesus was talking to a person who had been taught that to worship God she had to be at a certain place at a certain time with certain people. Jesus tells her it is not about the time or the place or the people. Jesus tells her (us) that true worship is a personal internal experience that takes place in her spirit and is not dependent on being in any certain place at any certain time with any certain people.
True worship takes place when our spirit is in communion with the Spirit of God. The source of the worship is the true Spirit of God communing with our spirit.
Don Bebee
Liberty Hill
Seminary booth
While I am not thrilled with all that has transpired at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary over the last few years, I disagree with the Baptist General Convention of Texas' decision to deny exhibit space to the seminary at the BGCT annual meeting.
What is to be gained by such a decision but to further drive a wedge between those who support us and those who disagree with us? There are hundreds of innocent students at Southwestern who are training to serve God in churches in Texas and elsewhere. This decision is as if we are telling these students, “We don't want you serving a BGCT church if you attend Southwestern Seminary.”
Why can't we as a convention lay politics (that's all it is) aside and get on with the work of the kingdom instead of worrying about such trivial things as who should or who should not have exhibit space at the convention? How many members of the BGCT Executive Board and members of the BGCT staff have degrees from Southwestern?
Larry Stuart
Del Rio
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