Worldview #11: Dinosaurs in the Bible

Two months ago, we briefly considered the historical, archaeological, and Biblical evidence which supports man coexisting with dinosaurs.  This month, we turn our attention to the Biblical record concerning dinosaurs. The Bible says very clearly “For in 6 days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them…” (Ex. 20:11) Mankind was created on the sixth day, and death did not enter the world until after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden (Rom. 5:12). This means that Adam and Eve must have seen dinosaurs. Ken Ham said, “If we accept God’s Word, beginning with Genesis, as being true and authoritative, then we can explain dinosaurs and make sense of the evidence we observe in the world around us” (The New Answers Book, p.176).

While the Bible never uses the word dinosaur, it does mention at least 4 different types of dinosaurs. As we talked about previously, the word dinosaur did not enter the English language until 230 years after the King James Version (KJV) was translated in 1611. Prior to the 1841 invention of the word “dinosaur,” dinosaurs were frequently called “dragons.” There are multiple references to dragons in the KJV (Psalm 44:19; Jer. 9:11; 14:6; 49:33; 51:34; Mic. 1:8). Beyond that, the description given of 4 different creatures in the Bible clearly matches that of certain types of dinosaurs.

First, Psalm 74:13 mentions “dragons in the waters,” aka “sea monsters.” could have included dinosaur-type animals such as the Mosasaurus. 

Second, multiple passages talk about “flying serpents” (Isa. 14:29; 30:6) These passages distinguish between a normal serpent and the flying serpent. The flying serpents could be a reference to one of the pterodactyls, which are popularly thought of as flying dinosaurs, such as the Pteranodon, Rhamphoorhynchus, or Ornithocheirus.

Third, Job gives very clear descriptions of two different dinosaurs. Job 41 describes a great animal that lived in the sea, “leviathan.” This creature breathed fire. It may have been 40 feet or more in length, possibly a Sarcosuchus imperator (Super Croc), or the 82 ft. Liopleurodon. 

Lastly, Job 40:15-22 mentions the “behemoth.” Many Bible commentaries claim that this creature is possibly the hippopotamus or elephant. Some versions actually translate it this way. Besides the fact that the elephant and hippo were not the largest land animals God made (some of the dinosaurs far eclipsed these), this description does not make sense, since the tail of behemoth is compared to the large cedar tree (Job 40:17).  No living creature today comes close to this description. However, behemoth is very much like Brachiosaurus, one of the largest dinosaurs.

Next month we will consider what happened to the dinosaurs. But for now, let us recognize that the Bile gives us a framework for explaining dinosaurs and ultimately points us to Christ as we will see soon see.

In His service,

      Matt  

Man, The Image of God #7: Do All Babies Go to Heaven? (Part #2)

 “Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift, the fruit of the womb His generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! (Psa. 127:3-5a MSG)

Children are such an amazing blessing from the Lord and a great responsibility at the same time! Therefore, this month we are going to finish the discussion on what happens to babies when they die and then begin to consider how we as parents should respond to blessings that God has entrusted us with in our kids. As we saw last month, the Bible teaches original grace. Every person is given the same opportunity to choose God or choose to give in to the sinful desires before us. Sadly, every person who has ever been born (with the exception of Jesus) has chosen to give into that temptation once they had the ability of knowing right from wrong. At that time we died spiritually (for more information see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2016/07/man-image-of-god-7-do-all-babies-go-to.html).

On the other hand, some Christians/churches believe in original sin: everyone is held accountable for Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden since they are our original parents. But if this teaching does not come from the Bible (as explained in last month’s article), then where did it come from?

It came from Origen (AD 185-254). Initially, he taught that all souls lived in a previous celestial existence before coming to earth as a baby. Eventually Origen was banished from Alexandria, and upon coming to Caesarea, he came in contact with the practice of infant baptism. Since in the early church, baptism was connected with the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21), it became necessary to “find” some sin an infant could be guilty of, for which he would need to be baptized. Since it was not possible for the infant to have personally committed any sin, it must be some inherited guilt.

Origen found that sin. He borrowed the idea of seminal existence from Hebrews 7:9-10, and applied it to everyone. It was from the Old Testament ceremony of purification that he also developed his idea of inborn “uncleanness!” Thus, the false doctrine of original sin began with Origen and was later taught by Augustine.

Tertullian (AD 160-220), arrived at the same conclusion because of Stoic philosophy, in particular the belief that the soul of an infant is procreated or transmitted to the child during conception, by which all qualities of the parents are reproduced in the child. Tertullian believed that the qualities Adam and Eve passed on were their fallen nature and being corrupted by the curse, contrary to Genesis 9:6. Thus, none of these 3 church leaders (Origen, Augustine, Tertullian), got their doctrine of original sin from Scripture (for more information see Gareth Reese, Romans, p. 233-234).

Thus, the idea of original sin is not based on Scripture. Therefore, it is my prayer that you see the grace God has poured out on your children and that they are a blessing from the Lord. Furthermore, we can rest assured that, heaven forbid, they should die prior to coming to the knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil, we know where they are spending eternity.

On the other hand, the Biblical doctrine of original grace through the age of accountability does give us as parents a large responsibility. The Bible does not give a specific age at which a person becomes accountable for their sins since we all mature at different rates. Some it could be as early as 4 or 5; but most will mature a little later. Remember, the age of accountability is when they know the difference between right and wrong. Therefore, the Bible admonishes us repeatedly to train up our kids in the ways of the Lord. There is nothing more important as parents than the salvation of your kids.

Next month we will consider some specifics of how to lead our kids to Christ. But for now, I would encourage you to never forget what an incredible blessing God has given you in your children. May we never take them for granted.

In His service,

     Matt

Elder's Corner: Warning Signs in Our Lives

Some of the most recognized warning signs today are well known in our society. For example when our bodies are telling us that something requires our attention such as: Chest pains, fever, or stomach ache. Others come in the forms of alarms to get us ready for natural events such as flood warnings, tornado warnings, fire alarms, etc. We intermingle the warnings and alarms because the idea is to avoid a dangerous situation.

Let me tell you that in the old Spanish language the word, ‘alarm”="Al arma" means “al”= to your “arma” = arms, weapon, gun, etc. In other words get ready by getting the weapon(s) or protection you have.

Even warnings signs like a car seat belts, are important in our daily lives, but people ignore them and die, because they decide not to buckle up.

A Dangerous Road

My dear friend, perhaps you have a car that sounds an alarm when you drive off without putting on your seat belt. But what about the other areas of your life—your personal walk with God, marriage, financial dealings, conduct, speech, purity and faithfulness? There are no audible sirens that will automatically come on when you head in a wrong direction or ignore God's laws and safety measures, which you well know from the Bible. However, for one reason or another you choose to ignore them and you coast along just fine—or so you think. Oh yes, here and there you see a few warning signs, but you conveniently decide to disregard them. You like to feel that you are in control. It's a dangerous road you are traveling on, convincing yourself that you know better than God, that you are stronger, holier and smarter than anyone else and that therefore you don't need to heed God's safety measures. I can assure you that you are heading for a sure crash if you keep ignoring the warning signs God sends you through Scripture, other believers and the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.

Giving an Account for Our Generation

Heeding such warning signs applies not only to our personal walk with God, but also to our calling as the Body of Christ in this world. We are called to be salt and light, to set our mind on the things above and not on the things of this world—and we are commissioned to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

How serious are we taking our calling? Let me ask you a few questions. When was the last time you and your church or fellowship group fasted and prayed a few days—not for your own needs, but for the lost world? When was it that your church body sacrificed their comfort, resources and plans so others could hear the Gospel? What are the things your fellowship preaches and promotes? Is it how to have a more comfortable life and increasing wealth in the here-and-now, or is it how to become a grain of wheat and die so that others may live?

My dear friend, are we waiting for the sirens of war, terrorism and economic crisis to go off before we wake up and get serious about picking up our cross and following Jesus?

If, as members of the Body of Christ, we don't heed the warning signs, we will one day stand before the throne of God to give an account for losing our generation.

Let's Listen!

The history of the people of Israel is given to us as instruction and warning. After crossing the Jordan River, they took possession of their promised land, with God fighting their battles. He told them that this land would be theirs forever if they obeyed His Word. But very soon the people drifted away from God's instructions and did their own thing.

God in His mercy sent prophet after prophet to warn them and to keep them from losing their lives and land. However, they ignored all His warnings until they finally lost everything and were taken away into captivity. May God open our eyes, ears and hearts to the warning signs all around us and the alarms that are already going off.

--Enrique

(Ideas and examples taken from an internet Bible meditation called “Do Not Ignore the Warning Signs” from Dr. K.P. Yohannan) 

Elder’s Corner: Mowing in the Shade

Last week during one of those extremely hot days I found myself needing to mow the yard.  I had put it off several days hoping for rain.  I finally watered it and then in the 100+ heat index I was forced to mow.  I started in the front yard and made it around to the back yard where the big oak trees provide lots of shade.  It was so much cooler and even a slight breeze made it almost comfortable.  Each lap around the yard from front to back made me begin to question “why don't you just mow in the shade and leave the front yard not mowed?”  I was tempted to give up on the sweat producing hard work of getting the whole yard finished.  I began to make parallels between mowing and my spiritual walk.  

Sometimes in my spiritual walk I feel like I want to just stay in the shade where it is easier.  I hear words echoed by others “I've done my part, let someone younger do it” (and then I realize the battle isn't won in the shade and God never said anything about a retirement plan for the Christian life!)  He wants us to keep serving Him even during the difficult struggles of life.  And He did promise that He would be there to walk alongside us during those hot, non-shady times in our lives.  I take great strength from Deuteronomy 31:8 where Moses is encouraging Joshua to lead God's people into the Promised Land.  “And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear, or be dismayed.”  So my comment to you “Get out of that cushy, air conditioned, shady place of service and get back to the battlefield because God is not finished with you yet!”

—Alan

Man, The Image of God #7: Do All Babies Go to Heaven? (Part #1)

In August, Beth and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage. Over that time we have suffered from 4 pregnancy losses. The pain that one experiences from this loss can be intense. A beloved child has died.

Likewise, in the news lately we have heard stories of a 2 year old being eaten by alligators, and if we looked elsewhere we would find more accounts of people dying at extremely early ages. When tragedy of this magnitude strikes, a lot of questions come racing into our minds. We naturally wonder why they happened, and what the destiny is of our dearly departed loved one, who was so young. This article will address what the Bible says about their eternal destiny. The same could be said of those who are severely mentally handicapped from birth.

 At first glance this can be a very confusing topic because certain passages seem to teach that all people without distinction are sinners from the womb and are therefore headed to hell without them placing their faith in Christ. Take for example the following passages. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

The two most significant proof texts that are used to teach the belief that people are sinful from the womb and all headed to hell from that point on are Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” And the NIV translates David’s words in Psalm 51:5 in the following way: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

It is on the account of passages like these that many Christians and churches teach something called the “Doctrine of Original Sin.” That is, since Adam and Eve are the original parents of all mankind, when they sinned, all of their descendants— every person who has ever lived— is likewise held accountable for their actions. To quote one writer, “As much as it pulls on our heartstrings, children and the feeble-minded are just as deserving of hell as the rest of us.” 

However, 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “ALL Scripture is inspired by God…” Thus, God’s word is without error or contradiction. Therefore, proper Biblical theology MUST take into consideration ALL passages concerning a topic. So what else does the Bible teach on this topic?

The Bible plainly states that a person cannot be held accountable for someone else’s sins, specifically in context, for the sins of their parents or their children (Ezek. 18:4, 20; see also Deut. 24:16; 2 Chron. 25:4; Ecc. 11:9; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 2:23; 20:12). Interestingly, this is contrary to the teaching of original sin— that all mankind is held accountable for our original parents’ sin. So which is right??

How do we explain Romans 5:12 and Psalm 51:5 with the other passages? Let us start by considering the context of Romans 5 since it is the clearest of these two passages.

In the previous 11 verses the Apostle Paul stresses that salvation is from God. Even when we were against God, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). We have been made right with God and now enjoy reconciliation with Him thanks to what Jesus has done. Then we come to the passage in question. In verse 12, Paul says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” As a result of Adam’s sin, death entered the world, and physical death does affect every person.

Verse 13-14 continue on, “for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, (CATCH THIS) even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the One to come.”

Paul is telling us that certain laws and guidelines do not apply to certain individuals. For example, a five-year-old does not know what a speed limit is, nor does this law apply to them because they do not drive. However, at the appropriate time, this law will apply to them when they start driving with a permit or drivers’ license. The speed limit laws will then apply to them because they are of age and operating within the limits of our society. The law existed when they were 5, but its application and authority over them came later in life.

Paul speaks of the time in his own life in which he was alive spiritually but then when the law came, he says that he died spiritually (Rom. 7:8-9).  The only time then that a person could be alive spiritually in the absence of God’s law is prior to them understanding good from evil, right from wrong (Deut. 1:39; Isa. 7:16; Jonah 4:11; Rom. 9:11).

Furthermore, back in Romans 5, the Apostle Paul continues by explaining that whatever mankind received from Adam has been completely nullified by the atoning work of Jesus Christ! "...through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men" (Rom. 5:18 NASB). Thus, the only consequence which remains is physical death yet this is overcome by the promise of eternal life!

But what about David saying that he was sinful from birth (Ps. 51:5)?  Contrary to the NIV, David does not apply the sin and iniquity to himself. The phrases “in iniquity” and “in sin” are used to modify the act of being conceived and the act of being born...the sin belongs to the mother. "In sin my mother conceived me" would be grammatically the same as saying "in drunkenness my father beat me." On the other hand, it's possible that the phrases "in iniquity" and "in sin" are meant to describe the pervasiveness of sin in the world into which David was born. Thus, David is expressing and confessing his awareness of the depth of sin in his heart and the seriousness of his sin with Bathsheba (see Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All, p. 181-182).

Therefore, what is the answer to the question of the eternal destiny of young children and those who are severely mentally handicapped from birth? The answer is original grace. Jesus said it like this. “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark. 10:14).

In His service,

     Matt