Thursday: Creation in the New Testament
Read Acts 17:22-31. What were the circumstances of this sermon? After
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Paul had introduced his topic, what was the first topic he brought to these learned men?
What does Paul say is the relationship between the Creator God and humans?
The audience here no doubt included the two groups of philosophers known as Stoics and Epicureans. The Stoics affirmed the reality of design in nature, while the Epicureans denied it. Neither had a knowledge of the true God, but their arguments about design were similar to many of the arguments still discussed in our day.
The important point here is that, in his witness to these pagan thinkers and intellectuals, Paul reverts directly to the argument of the Lord as the Creator of all things and all humanity. Paul had little in common with these people; so, he went right to what they did have in common—the fact that they existed—and from that undeniable reality he sought to build his argument. Hence, we see Creation as, again, a crucial theme in Scripture.
Look at the following texts: Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 2:27, Luke 3:38, John 1:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Hebrews 4:4, James 3:9,2 Peter 3:5, Jude 11, 14. What’s fascinating is that each one of these New Testament authors either directly or indirectly made reference to the Genesis Creation account, more evidence proving just how universally accepted the Genesis account of origins was to all the Bible writers.
Read Revelation 4:11 and 10:5-6. What do the heavenly beings say about God’s creatorship?
Creation was not an accident but occurred by the will of God. The second passage contains a clear allusion to Exodus 20:11. Once again, as in John 1:1-3, John shows his familiarity with, and confidence in, the Creation story. How foolish for us to do anything less.
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I think one of the biggest problems we have in this post modern world of evolutionistic atheism is in viewing the ancient people as having less understanding and mental ability than we do. In my opinion the opposite is true. Just because we have all the technology we have doesn't mean we have more smarts, in fact, we seem to have a very unhealthy arrogance that says we know it all and that we are our own savior - that says we are in control.
Because of that we tend to belittle what the ancients said and relegate ancient writings to myth and storytelling. While certainly a lot of ancient writings are deviations from truth that doesn't mean the people that wrote them were dumb, it just means that they were deceived into thinking what is not true just as most people are today. Their architectural and literary skill testifies to their intelligence. For instance ancient Hebrew poetry has been viewed by some scholars as being some of the most complex poetry ever written.
In architecture scientists and engineers still marvel at the construction that the ancients were able to accomplish. As an example Machu Picchu in Peru has stones weighing 20 to 50 tons that were transported very significant distances over mountainous territory then lifted up a near vertical incline to the village on top of a mountain. Then there is the "Western Stone" of the temple in Jerusalem built by Herod that weighed 550-600 tons and transported to the site from a quarry. So how did they do it, by a lot of men on ropes? Easier said than done! Such things are considered engineering marvels even by today's standards!
To me that means that we should take what is written in the Bible seriously, not just because God was behind it but because those ancient people knew what they were talking about. They were much closer to the events and had a lot of oral and written tradition from good sources that we don't have today. When they testify to creation maybe they had a lot more faith in ancient writings than we have today and maybe they generally appreciated and admired the brilliance of their forefathers with far less arrogance than we do.
Tyler,
Your comment is full of good ideas and the beginning one seems to sum it all up, "I think one of the biggest problems we have in this post modern world of evolutionistic atheism is in viewing the ancient people as having less understanding and mental ability than we do."
Thanks!
I completely agree with you Tyler. I might add that the more we think we are smarter than the ancient people, the more arrogant we stand, the less faith we have or even we desire to believe in Godly things. Therefore, creation becomes a fable. I pray that the Almighty keeps me humble enough to believe in his greatness. What a powerful account we see throughout the entire bible!
Psalm 8 sums it all...
"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him"
It seems to me that Paul’s experience on Mars’ Hill teaches us that the skeptical intellectuals among us are not to be ignored and neglected. He was not very successful, but some believed him (Acts 17:34) and these were precious souls that accepted his immensely important message. His tactful but honest approach tells us a bit about the need to carefully work out a redemptive approach toward those who differ from the Bible. In our present age, where bashing the enemy has become the norm, a soul wining approach, that does not compromise truth, requires divine guidance.
In Acts 17, 22-31, Paul was passing through Athens and saw their objects of worship and that they were praying to an unknown god. This became his first topic as he addressed them on their unknown God “the one whom you worship without knowing, him I proclaim to you” (verse 23). In summary Paul went on to say that the Lord is Lord of heaven and earth, in no need of anything, gives to all life, breadth, and all things, he has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, has determined their preappointed times, their boundaries of dwellings, in him we live and move and have our being, we are also his offspring.
Paul emphasizes that the Lord God is our Creator and we are his offspring. Nothing happens to us or on this earth without his knowledge and will.
The following bible verses confirm the Genesis account of creation. What further proof do we need to believe in Creation? ; it has been confirmed from Genesis through to Revelation and not one contradiction.
Matthew 19:4–6: 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who 1made them at the beginning c‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, d‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ ? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Mark 2:27: 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Luke 3:38: 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
John 1:1–3 : The Deity of Christ
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
The reincarnate Work of Christ
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
2 Corinthians 4:6 : 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4:4 : 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: c“And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;
James 3:9 : 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the 6similitude of God.
2 Peter 3:5 : 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
Jude 11 : 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
Even the heavenly beings rejoice and praise the Lord for what he has done saying:
Revelation 4:11 :
11 “You are worthy, 7O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they 8exist and were created.”
Revelation 10:5–6
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land graised up his 3hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer,
(I really like this verse)
After reading the above verses, I am filled with awe of the powerful immortal God we serve, the Creator. I am also grateful for my life and the things that he has provided me with in this world. Praise be to his name, the Lord of All Lords. Amen.
Concerning Mars Hill I think there are a number of things to learn from Paul's experience there. To me perhaps the greatest is that Paul was not very pleased with the results (1 Cor 2:1-2). He was able to back those intellectuals into a corner but it didn't win their souls. As Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (Jn. 12:32 NKJV). The love that is manifested in the cross is what draws the hearts of men not pure intellectualism. In my opinion what the presentation of creationist arguments does is to get people to think and to ask questions about the current trend of thought so often brought out in the media.
While we are to, "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. 3:15 NKJV) it must be given in the light of the love of God especially what shines from the cross. In that sense, I see the love that God has for us in what He has created. And that creative love extends to the cross and to the resurrection. We have a hope that the world simply doesn't have. That I believe is one of the things to which our witness of God's creation in the beginning should lead.
This lesson and the comments give much food for thought. Thank you, Tyler, for the examples of the ingenious architecture that shows how intelligent people in ancient times actually were. I think they were very much ahead of us. I think they did not need technology the way we do today because their minds were so much more clear and able to remember and figure.
Ariel, I agree with you that it takes God's Holy Spirit to reach out to other people who believe differently than we do. He helps us communicate where our own limitations leave us blind as to what another really needs from us. He can use us to say the right words and communicate them in the right way. His miracle!! I know I need so much more of His help to communicate as I should to others!
The writers in the Bible are talking about God's true word and we need to listen to them so we can understand that God is real. When we listen to them we can be better christians and show others that God is real. If we don't listen to them we will be people who don't know God and who are like the people of the world.
I think what you are saying can be summed up in a statement that Jehoshaphat made, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper" (2 Chron 20:20 NKJV).
Thank God for his mercy to God be the glory.