Pete Enns on Understanding Origins and the Ancient Mind

The conversation continues at http://www.biologos.org/...

In this video conversation, Pete Enns sheds light on the key difference between the ancient and modern mind with regard to interpretation of texts.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• religion
• Christianity
• faith
• Old Testament
• Scripture
• understanding
• Israel
• ancient cultures
• Bible
• reading
• hermeneutics

[dpmaldo]

@itsmatt1255 And when you say "God wrote the Bible to be understood," what do you mean exactly? Do you mean he wrote it to be understood to a 21st century observer or a 1st? Because I can tell you that a 1 century observer certainly saw things differently that a 21st.

[itsmatt1255]

I would like to know where Enns comes up with these things. He seems to like evidence (given the fact that he holds to an old earth, which can only be inconclusively from skewed evidence), so give me some evidence that ancient people spoke metaphorically and symbolically instead of literally.

The fact is, God wrote the Bible to be understood. It is His eternal Word. He is not the Father of confusion.

[drewas55]

@Coveredingrace777 Enns is currently Senior Fellow, Biblical Studies with The BioLogos Foundation whose mission emphasizes the compatibility of Christian faith with what science has discovered about the origins of the universe and life, i.e., Big Bang cosmology, abiogenesis and Darwininian evolution.

If Enns is trying to reconcile "truth with god [sic]" then he must explain from where his "truth" originates. If not from the Bible, then where?

[Coveredingrace777]

@drewas55

Enns wants to reconcile truth with god and do away with old assumptions it has nothing to do with Darwinism.

[drewas55]

"...holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid men such as these."

Enns wants to reconcile Darwinism with Genesis and contributes nothing to either camp. You can include Enns in the "emerging church" movement, but he deserts the truth of God's Word.

[dpmaldo]

@zappo1355 Jesus isn't in a grave smart one. Oh wait, did you mean that literally or symbolically? Maybe we just proved this gentlemans point.

Have a good day.

[Coveredingrace777]

If you would try to understand his argument a little better you might understand. A lot of old story tellers use that method.

[zappo1355]

Its so much more "subtle and sophisticated". He cannot admit the simplest explanation: that the text is just plain wrong. "No, no, no. The ancient writer had such a grander picture in mind- how silly of us to read him at face value!" What a joke. Jesus would be rolling over in his grave if he knew people were interpreting Genesis like this.