Problem: While Genesis 1 places animals before the creation of humans, Genesis 2 teaches that these animals were “formed” after humans were created.
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Month: November 2022
Genesis 2:19 – How can we explain the difference in the order of creation events between Genesis 1 and 2?
Problem: Genesis 1 declares that animals were created before humans, but Genesis 2:19 seems to reverse this, saying, “the Lord God formed every beast of the field … and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them,” implying Adam was created before they were.
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Genesis. 2:18 -Are women merely a “helper” for men?
Problem: When God created Adam, he said, “I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18). Many feminist critics of the Bible find this offensive. Are women merely “helpers” for men?
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Genesis 2:17 – Did death really begin at the fall of humans?
Problem: Modern science tells us that animals have been killing and eating each other for millions of years. And yet, Genesis teaches that animal death began at the fall of human –thousands of years ago. Which is true?
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Genesis 2:10-14 – Are these mythical rivers?
Problem: Critics argue that the rivers in Genesis 2 are purely mythical, which supports the notion that Genesis is mythopoeic literature. Is this the case?
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Genesis 2:4 – Why does the creation story repeat itself?
Problem: JEDP theorists note multiple names for God in the Hebrew text. In Genesis 1:1-2:3, the author uses the term “Elohim” for God, while Genesis 2:4 introduces the term “Yahweh” for God. Critics argue that a later author/editor must have come across two creation stories, splicing them together. One is from the Elohist (or “E”) source, and the other is from the Yahwist (or “J”) source.
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Genesis 2:2-3 – Why does God need to rest?
Problem: An all-powerful being would not need to rest. And yet, God rests on the seventh day of creation.
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Genesis 1:29-30 – Does this passage claim that lions and tigers were vegetarians?
Problem: Genesis states, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food” (Gen. 1:29-30). Does this mean that animals were vegetarians before the Fall?
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Genesis 1:28 – Does this passage justify deforestation, pollution, and animal cruelty?
Problem: Genesis 1:28 states, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (ESV). Animal rights advocates argue that Christians use this verse to justify cruelty to animals. Is this the case?
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Genesis 1:26-27 -Were Adam and Eve the first two literal people on Earth?
Problem: Critical biblical scholars do not believe that Adam and Eve were real people; instead, this account is just a myth or fable about the moral fall of humanity.[1] Recently, theologian Peter Enns wrote, “The Bible is ancient literature that speaks from an ancient point of view… These stories clearly and undeniably look so very similar to the stories of other ancient cultures and have nothing to do with history or science as we think of those ideas today… Divorcing the creation stories of the Bible from their ancient settings and forcing them to speak to contemporary scientific discussion over evolution isn’t just wrong or stubborn or misguided… It is sub-Christian.” However, there are a number of reasons to reject such a view:
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Genesis 1:26 – How many Gods are there, one or many?
Problem: How many Gods are there, one or many? The Bible speaks of both one and many. There is only one God in actuality, but there are many false gods that idolators believe in.
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Genesis 1:26 – Does this passage prove the Trinity?
Problem: In Genesis, God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). There are many other examples of the plural name for God in the rest of the OT (c.f. Gen. 3:22; 11:7; Isa. 6:8). Here, the Hebrew refers to God in the plural, but it states that he creates in the singular. Does this passage prove that the doctrine of the Trinity existed in the first chapter of the Bible?
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Genesis 1:21 – Why doesn’t the Bible mention dinosaurs?
Problem: Natural history obviously describes that dinosaurs roamed the Earth for millions of years, and yet, Genesis neglects mentioning these species. Why?
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Genesis 1:14 – Does Genesis teach that the sun and moon were created after the Earth?
Problem: Critics point out that the sun, moon, and stars were supposedly created after God created the Planet Earth. However, this clearly contradicts modern science, which teaches that it was the other way around.
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Genesis. 1:12 – Does Genesis record the existence of life out of order?
Problem: Genesis places the existence of seed bearing plants on Day 3 of creation, and land animals on Day 6. However, modern science tells us that seed bearing plants didn’t come into existence until 370 million years ago—long after land animals (380 mya). In fact, plants cannot exist without these other animals, which pollinate them and help them survive.
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