"We are living in days of much doctrinal confusion, days in which the truth of many basic doctrines of the faith are being called into question.
Which doctrines? Doctrines such as:
Why do I say that?
Because if you are in doubt concerning the correct interpretation of these chapters, that will produce an agnosticism regarding the interpretation of other parts of the Bible as well.
For example, if you question the existence of Adam as a real person in history, what are you going to do with the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 5 when he says that “sin came into the world through one man” and that “one trespass led to condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:12, 18)?
If you sow doubts about the veracity of Genesis as a record of actual historical events, in the end you sow doubts about the interpretation of the entire Bible."
CMI
Which doctrines? Doctrines such as:
- the creation of the world by the direct and miraculous operation of God;
- the descent of the entire human race by natural generation from one human couple especially created by God at the outset of history;
- the creation of Eve after Adam and from the physical substance of Adam;
- the historical Fall of mankind into sin through the first sin of Adam;
- God’s design for marriage as exclusively heterosexual in nature;
- the Flood as a real event of history that destroyed all mankind except for the eight people who were in the ark;
- and the division of tongues at Babel as a real event of history.
Why do I say that?
Because if you are in doubt concerning the correct interpretation of these chapters, that will produce an agnosticism regarding the interpretation of other parts of the Bible as well.
For example, if you question the existence of Adam as a real person in history, what are you going to do with the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 5 when he says that “sin came into the world through one man” and that “one trespass led to condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:12, 18)?
If you sow doubts about the veracity of Genesis as a record of actual historical events, in the end you sow doubts about the interpretation of the entire Bible."
CMI