The Bible

From Exegesis to Understanding

by Rod Martin, Jr.

The creation of Adam by Michelangelo. Detail from Sistine Chapel.

The Bible has been a foundation of faith and inspiration for roughly two thousand years. This one book has received perhaps more interpretations than all other books combined.

The secularist view of the Bible is also varied, but one alarming aspect of their interpretations is the apparent disdain for supposed inconsistencies and contradictions within the Bible. Because of these perceived problems, some have judged the Bible to be of little or no value. One of my college professors sits amongst those judges. The sources of the Bible are viewed as no more divine than any other group of writers. But is this a fair assessment? Have the skeptics overlooked other possibilities?

Finding truth — even a relative truth — in any field frequently requires imagination and an openness to all possibilities. Preconceptions, fixed ideas, and biases can blind the searcher to many possibilities that could solve apparent problems. Physics ran into such a barrier in the late 19th century. It took the brazen imagination of a patent clerk to break through the barrier. Albert Einstein's Relativity has forever changed our world.

It is important we understand the Bible, for with that understanding we can achieve wisdom and move closer to truth. And, as Jesus said, the truth will make us free. But which interpretations are right?

Humility Required

Any quest for truth requires humility. This is a vital requirement because we start from a position of not knowing. If we fool ourselves by thinking we know before beginning the quest, we will not be proceding from our proper starting place, and thus will have little hope of reaching our intended destination. Humility allows truth to come to us. Presuming to know beforehand frequently leads to blindness and delusion. If we have not walked on water, then we don't yet know truth.

A quest not grounded in reality is, by definition, one based on delusion. The discoveries of science are a vital part of our reality, yet there are some Christians who shun and ridicule science. They feel that the interpretations of scientists are flawed.

While I agree that some scientific interpretations are flawed, most are not. Otherwise we would not have our modern civilization. We would not enjoy the fruits of our technologies. Some Christians label anything in science which conflicts with their interpretation of the Bible to be "evolutionary." These are the Young Earth Creationists. They feel that secularists have hijacked science and polluted it with lies. Yet, they don't realize that many scientists are Christians who revere Jesus as their personal saviour. These faithful scientists see no conflict between science and faith.

Opportunities for Discovery

James Ussher, 1581:0104–1656:0321) was Archbishop of Armagh for the Church of Ireland, plus Primate of All Ireland between 1625–1656. Image: www.Wikipedia.org

Where science and biblical interpretation seem to disagree, there may be vital opportunities for discovery. Truth is consistent with truth. The fruits of science, while not "Truth" in the absolute sense, are relative truths that make technology and a modern world possible. Any biblical interpretation must consider these relative truths. Let me give you an example.

In 1650 AD, Irish Archbishop Ussher published his exegetical research based on years of rigorous scholarship. He had produced a timeline of humanity and the universe. The beginning of Man and everything was pegged at 4004 BC. Many of his historical dates were quite accurate. Those dates based on a literal interpretation of Genesis have been found to be sorely lacking by science. Yet, many Fundamentalists still cling to Ussher's timeline as Gospel. Why? Because it is based on the Bible? I have discovered another timeline based on the Bible, but it is also compatible with those timelines of science.

Science tells us that the universe as we know it is about 13.7 billion years old and that Homo sapiens is at least 200,000 years old. A great number of sciences give dates far older than Ussher's 6000 years. Simple logic tells us that if reality (science) tells us that many things are far older than 6000 years, then Ussher's literal interpretation of Genesis was wrong. To ignore reality is to court delusion. If you are a Young Earth Creationist and still believe Ussher's timeline, please consider the assertion that God is not a deceiver. There are many aspects of the cosmos that strongly suggest deception if we live in a young universe.

How to Reconcile Science and Religion

Let us use a little logic, here. Let us start by assuming that science has a healthy portion of relative truth. Most of what science has concluded is true enough to be useful in our modern world. Let us also assume that the Bible contains truth, though poorly understood by most. There is no universal consensus on its meaning. This only means that most, if not all, are wrong in their interpretation.

How do we solve the apparent disparity between science and the Bible? Certainly it requires a new interpretation. Take for instance Ussher's timeline. How can we interpret Genesis to achieve a timeline compatible with those of science? Such an interpretation must not be artificial, but must grow from the material written within Genesis. It seems we need a factor to lengthen greatly the years documented in Genesis. The already outrageous ages of the early patriarchs must become far longer. How can we justify such an interpretation?

My book, The Bible's Hidden Wisdom, God's Reason for Noah's Flood, details the sources within Genesis that justify a new biblical timeline — one compatible with those in science. Not only that, the book reveals the real culprit behind Noah's Flood and the need for Noah's Ark.

Mysteries Revealed

The Bible contains many mysteries. Take for instance the fact that Genesis seems to give us two versions of creation. Genesis 1 describes six days of creation. Genesis 2 starts with God's seventh day — the day of rest — and continues with more creation. Genesis 1:26 tells of creating Man in the image of God. Genesis 2:7 tells of creating Man again, but this time from the dust of the ground.

From Genesis 1–2, one could derive the mechanics of creation. From the wording there, one could also surmise that Man has a dual nature, both spirit and flesh.

One of the Bible's mysteries involves reincarnation and karma. Does the Bible really talk of such things? Yes, of course it does, though it never uses those words.