Dino's and the Jesus Bus

Did you see the story this morning about the dinosaur find in North Dakota? I've been out there before and always thought it would be lots of fun to spend a summer wandering around the badlands hunting for fossils. There is a huge
geological formation, used to be known as the
Morrison formation, that extends from Canada
into southern U.S. and maybe beyond. I've seen it all over those western North American locations. It's loaded with fossils.


http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries
/2007-12-03-dinosaur-mummy_N.htm?csp=1


First scientific fact is that a geological
formation that large, requires an origin in a geological event
a little larger than a regional flood. There is
evidence of flooding all up and down the
formation. This was not a tranquil ocean floor
or lakebed. It bears witness to a very large scale geological flooding event. If you are
like me you might expect it would be the event described in scripture as Noah's flood. That would be on the right scale. The scientific literature tells of an asteroid impact. That would not contradict scripture, by the way. At least until the speculation about 600 million years, this and that.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_event


We can argue till the cows come home about how long ago it happened. I'll give you the short story -- nobody knows. Contrary to the top posted comment, carbon dating is not used for fossils. It has to do with the Libby half-life. See:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dating


And the fact that fossils don't usually contain much carbon. I know, minor technicalities.


So, it begs the question, What did Jesus sayabout all this? Did he say anything at all about fossils?
Take a look at the context. Jesus was a Jew. Jews, at the time, did not question the Genesis record. You can bet that there were fossils around at that time. But the interpretation of their origin was not in conflict with the account in scripture. They had no compulsion to exclude G-d. We have a compulsion to exclude G-d, not because we have no reason to believe,but because we don't want to live his way. The Bible is inconvenient to modern life. So we turn toward myth. Nothing new here.


It's not that scripture avoids the subject of evolution. It rejects it completely. There is no discussion in scripture about the processes of evolution because it was never a question with regard to origins. The thought that comes to my mind is, Maybe people were smart enough back then to realize that there was no way to know exactly what date a fossil was produced.


Here's how John's Gospel puts it:


Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d.


2 The same was in the beginning with G-d.


3 All things were made by him; and without him
was not any thing made that was made.


The word translated 'beginning' is 'arche'.It means 'origin' in the greek. There was no
question about how biological life began. The questions that Jesus had to answer were mostly related to G-d's plan for man -- questions about how we are supposed to live, given that we are created beings and have a Divinely inspired purpose.


The greek word translated as G-d is 'theos', and is used about 1320 times in the NT. It means 'the G-dhead' which is the same Divinity as in the OT. We embrace the doctrine of trinity because Jesus taught that He was one with theFather, and the Spirit -- the 'theos'.
Just understand that when the NT says 'G-d', from the greek 'theos', it includes Jesus. Don't ask me to explain it.


It was the Apostle Paul that had to address the question of origins, because he was preaching the Gospel to Gentiles, and they didn't have the illumination of scripture. So, his message began with the preaching of the resurrection of Christ and went from there. Non-jews were shown the way of salvation in Jesus. Then their ideas about origins were addressed. Here's one passage:


Acts 15:17 That the rest of men may seek after
the Lord; All the Gentiles who are called by my
name, Says the Lord, who does all these things.


18 All his works are known to G-d from
eternity.`


19 "Therefore my judgment is that we don`t
trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn
to G-d,


20 but that we write to them that they abstain
from the pollution of idols, from sexual
immorality, from what is strangled, and from
blood.


21 For Moses from generations of old has in
every city those who preach him, being read in
the synagogues every Sabbath."


Here it says that the Hebrew scripture is taught in every Gentile community. That would include the Genesis account and the Ten Commandments.


But when the city of Rome, in particular, is the subject, then Paul has to address ideas popular among the Gentile community. These ideas were not in vogue in Israel during the ministry of Jesus to the Jewish people. Here's the letter to the Romans:


Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called
to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of G
-d,


2 which he promised before through his prophets
in the holy scriptures,


3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed
of David according to the flesh,


4 who was declared to be the Son of G-d with
power, according to the spirit of holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our
Lord,


5 through whom we received grace and
apostleship, to obedience of faith among all the
nations, for his name`s sake.


6 Among whom you are also called to be Jesus
Christ`s.


7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of G-d, called
to be saints: Grace to you and peace from G-d
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


8 First, I thank my G-d through Jesus Christ for
all of you, that your faith is proclaimed
throughout the whole world.


9 For G-d is my witness, whom I serve in my
spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly
I make mention of you always in my prayers,


10 requesting, if by any means now at length I
may be prospered by the will of God to come to
you.


11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to
you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be
established;


12 that is, that I with you may be comforted in
you, each of us by the other`s faith, both yours
and mine.


13 Now I don`t desire to have you unaware,
brothers, that often I planned to come to you,
and was hindered so far, that I might have some
fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the
Gentiles.


14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners,
both to the wise and to the foolish.


15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach
the gospel to you also who are in Rome.


16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of G-d to salvation to
everyone who believes; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek.


17 For therein is revealed a righteousness of G
-d from faith to faith. As it is written, "But
the righteous shall live by faith."


18 For the wrath of G-d is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness,


19 because that which is known by G-d is
revealed in them, for G-d revealed it to them.


20 For the invisible things of him since the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being
perceived through the things that are made, even
his everlasting power and divinity; that they
may be without excuse.


21 Because, knowing G-d, they didn`t glorify him
as G-d, neither gave thanks, but became vain in
their reasoning, and their senseless heart was
darkened.


22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools,


23 and traded the glory of the incorruptible G-d
for the likeness of an image of corruptible man,
and of birds, and four-footed animals, and
creeping things.


24 Therefore G-d also gave them up in the lusts
of their hearts to uncleanness, that their
bodies should be dishonored among themselves,


25 who exchanged the truth of G-d for a lie, and
worshipped and served the creature rather than
the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.


From the passage above, it's clear that gentiles have other versions of origin, not accepted by Jews in the time of Christ. You can see, I hope, that the evolutionary theory of origins is not
really a new idea. It's old mythology.


ITim 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is
committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and
vain babblings, and oppositions of science
falsely so called:


21 Which some professing have erred concerning
the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.


They called it 'science' in those days too. I'm lead to believe that the appeal of myth has always been a weakness of the human condition because it allows pursuit and rationalization of
our insatiable physical lust. The Bible tells us that this physical appetite is a consequence of our fallen sinful nature. It's not part of the original design, it's part of the curse of sin that Adam brought down on the human race. And the practice of sin results in human misery,while obedience to the Law of the LORD, allows us to experience human satisfaction. So, that's why Mick Jagger couldn't get no satisfaction. We spend too much of our time looking in the wrong places for the things that can't provide what we want. We can find satisfaction knowing that our created purpose is to serve the LORD. That means living the way he designed us to live. Imagine that.


Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying I found it already. Not at all. I'm still struggling every day in pursuit of happiness. All I'm saying is that I know that happiness is going to be found by living the way I was created to live. It's not my fault that being at peace with G-d, means being at war with the world.