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Print June 25, 2007 This week we have a good number of letters with a lot of interesting opinions! Don’t forget that your testimonies, devotions, or covers are always welcome! In the meantime, enjoy the new issue. Re: “Chaos and Creation: A Fresh Reading of Genesis June 18, 2007 By Joshua Remington“ I did not find his article mocking or derisive towards me. However, I would like to point out that the author omits “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible, NKJV)” (Hebrews 11:3). God did not start with a formless, void earth and a dark troubled sea. He started with His word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). To call the formless empty earth a chaos may be okay but most people refer to the universe as a cosmos which is an orderly, harmonious system. Also, to say that outside of the garden there were areas of desert has no biblical basis. Many things were different before the flood than they are since the flood. For example men and animals were vegetarians, it had never rained before, and men lived long lives. I would agree with his last sentence “After all, being like Christ is so much more compelling to our culture than our ability to win a doctrinal debate,” unless he means that one cannot be Christ-like in a debate. I think Paul was Christ-like when he debated at Mars Hill. I would like to quote an email from the person I debated this March at Mbarara University in Uganda. “I learned a lot from the debate especially the post-debate talk... I want you to know something: in that debate, you might have changed and positively affected so many people’s lives but you changed and positively affected mine the most. For that, I say, thank you....best regards, Jerome.” I received a similar letter from the one I debated at King’s College Budo. My purpose in a debate is not to make a fool of the person I am debating but rather to show them the way of the Lord more perfectly. Arlo Moehlenpah, California
Re: “Justification” I agree with your view of justification. However, David Bernard has a new book out on justification that seems to differ with your position. I am having a problem accepting his new view. (See chapter 6 of his book.) Any comments? Greg Hamilton, North Carolina
Re: “The Letter about the Letter” I too wanted to weigh in on the subject raised by the writer of this letter. I am getting so tired of being stereotyped by those who have left the organization or have issues with it. The idea that any one group of people has entirely the same mentality and spirit is not only stupid, but laughable. I live in a town that has four UPC churches, and 36 Jesus name churches. In that group, I would wager (if I gambled, of course) that there are not two of these churches that have exactly the same standards and practices. And in the individual churches, I would also wager that there are saints that don’t fully agree on every subject. I know on a personal level, I happen to feel that I belong to the best church out of that bunch, yet I also do not agree with everything that goes on in my church. This is the way of every organization of individual people, everywhere. The most broad example would be the United States of America. Within this country lies every spectrum of belief and behavior. If I acted on my feelings of disgust and rage on the things that people that I disagree with politically are doing, I would really have no other choice than to give up on America and move to another country. The problem with that scenario is the hard truth, a quote that someone very close to me has used repeatedly over the years, “People are pitiful, and we are all people.” People will be wherever I go, and I will never agree with all of them. To paint all Pentecostals with the same brush, because some have acted hatefully, foolishly, or dressed in a way that you personally don’t agree with, just doesn’t make any sense. There are good people and bad people wherever you go, even in the church. I recently had a very good friend of mine (who has left the UPC very bitter) tell me, “You are the most Christian person that I’ve ever known in the UPC.” I thought this was a tragic statement on several levels—one: that the church had wounded him so, two: that he had allowed himself to become wounded by stupid people, and three: that this otherwise intelligent, educated man would group an organization of thousands of people and judge them based on the actions of 20 or 30 people. I guess what I am trying to say is (especially as “Christians”), can’t we all just get along? Deanna Mullings, California
Re: “Creation and Chaos” The article is a step in the right direction in reconciling the creation process with the fact the earth is more than 6,000 years old. My hypothesis is the earth was not created in chaos, but a catastrophic occurrence caused the earth to explode into chaos. The only logical explanation I have come up with is when Satan was cast out of heaven. He was cast to Earth. Satan is known as the prince of darkness. It is possible when Satan was tossed out of heaven and thrown into earth as a lightning bolt, evil was dominant on the earth. I believe there is an unknown period of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. That could explain biblically why there are artifacts that are thousands, perhaps millions years old. Verse two says the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. I believe in Psalms it says let the waters praise God (paraphrase). I believe what happened was the waters were praising God. Since God is attracted to praise, He hovered over the waters. When He hovered over the waters, the first thing He did was to shine a light on the waters. Thus the first day of creation. I believe it took chaos and praise to start the creation process. Troy E. Victory, Ohio
Re: “Chaos and Creation” This is such an appropriate article for me at this time in my life. It’s interesting because I just recently went back to school and I’m taking a religion class called “Understanding the Bible.” Last week we talked about creation and how the Earth wasn’t formed out of nothing but that it was actually there without form. I never really paid attention to that Scripture before. Since taking this class, so many different things have opened up my mind to what the Bible is really trying to say to us as humans and God’s children. I pray that God will open my mind and heart to receive what He is telling me through His Word. Thanks for the article! Robin Parfait, Tennessee
Below are a few more answers from our June 18, 2007,
Survey Sez: The Question: I’m glad I grew up Pentecostal because… Answer: “I ‘started out’ right; I didn’t have to re-learn bad habits. I think it was easier to ‘grow’ as I grew up. It’s a great life with benefits. Thank God for godly parents and grandparents! Answer: “You’re assuming that I am glad.”
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