Restarting Genesis; A Covenant View of Creation

By F. Michael Colacuori

Does the Bible seem difficult to understand? Have you switched to a modern translation to make it easier? Literary devices such as hyperbole and apocalyptic language appear frequently and may limit our understanding more than the translation. Most of the Bible is expressed in terms of covenant, an important concept that is also not well understood and which is seldom explained by our churches. If we fail to understand such concepts, we will be unlikely to fully appreciate the entire Bible. Those who would applaud our difficulty and would like to dismantle our belief system entirely may have attempted to discredit early Genesis more than any other portion of scripture. If Genesis 1:1 is not true, where does that leave the rest of the Bible? Did Jesus actually die for my sins? Is God, himself, a myth? If apparent conflicts go unresolved, it becomes easier to question the relevance of the entire Bible. The resolution of much of the difficulty lies in gaining an understanding of covenant creation. If you have ever thought that the Bible is full of errors, think again. It was not written to people in the culture of the 21st century western world. It was written to a people who lived 2,000 or more years ago in a culture which had a different way of thinking, of using words, and even numbers. I hope to show that the Bible is highly accurate and relevant for today's reader. To understand it the way the original hearers would have, we must get inside the mind of the ancient near easterner. This book attempts to bring the Bible into focus for today. It is not necessary to change its teaching or to alter doctrine. However, gaining an understanding for today requires a new way of looking at it. I hope to make that possible for you, today's 21st century western reader.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645597124

F. Michael Colacuori

F. Michael Colacuori was born in 1941. World War II ended in 1945. Perhaps he might be thought of as a baby boomer. But he was a baby while things were still booming. Mike does not fit well within either the “greatest generation” or the baby boomers. He is a man without a generational matchup. While he does not fit well into a time slot, neither does he fit well into a pigeonhole that defines his thinking. While much of what he has learned has come from others, he is perfectly willing to step up and do his own thinking. “What is the next question?” the author continually asks. When we think we know the answer, nearly always there is one more question. Pushing the envelope just a little farther often brings us to the most important part of the story. It is the overlooked part that he wishes to uncover.

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Restarting

Genesis

A Covenant View of Creation

F. Michael Colacuori

ISBN 978-1-64559-711-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64559-712-4 (Digital)

Copyright © 2020 F. Michael Colacuori

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Get Ready, Get Set

What Kind of Book Is the Bible?

It’s a Spiritual Book

What Makes It a Spiritual Book?

Talking About the Physical World and Teaching About It Ain’t the Same Thing

It’s a Book About Redemption

It’s a Jewish Book

An Overview of Covenant

When Did Covenant Enter the Picture?

The Significance of Covenant

The Extent of the Covenant in Scripture and Beyond

It’s a Book Written Using Literary Devices

It Was Originally an Orally Transmitted Book

What the Bible Does Not Say

It’s Message Is Often Presented in Nonliteral Language

Heaven and Earth

Light

Thorns

World

Understanding Culture in the Bible

God’s Chosen People

It’s One Unified Book Telling One Story

The Spiritual Nature of the Creation Account

Who’s Ya Gonna Believe?

The Big Test

Two Views of Creation

Human Sacrifice

The Fall Was Spiritual, Not Physical

Why Can’t It Be Both?

The Creation Account Was Spiritual, Not Physical

Hey, Cain! Watsa Matta You?

The Scientific Side of the Creation Account

Which is it? Spiritual or Scientific?

The Age Dispute

Why Does Such a Great Dispute Exist?

Evidence from the Natural World Presented by Young Earth Scientists

Was The Earth Created at the Same Time as the Universe?

Does the Bible Reveal the Age of the Creation?

What Does the Bible Tell Us About the Age of the Earth?

Chronos or Kairos

The Symbolic Use of Numbers in the Bible

Apocalyptic Life Spans

Making Sense of the Genealogical Record

The Millennium Was Not a Literal Time Period

The Earth Goes On Forever

The Flood and the Ark

My Earliest Concerns

Was the Flood/Ark a Literal Event?

What Was the Ark Like?

The Capabilities of Ancient Man

Was the Flood a Global or Local event?

Was the Destruction Total?

What Was the Cause of the Flood?

Could a Giant Tsunami Have Been the Cause?

Could a Solar Flare Have Been the Cause?

Could a Supernova Have Been the Cause?

Could an Explosion at the Galactic Center Have Been the Cause?

Could a Large Asteroid Have Been the Culprit?

Summary of Possible Causes

Can the Flood Be Identified in the Geological Record?

Was the Regional Black Sea Flooding the Flood?

Did the Flood Occur at the Cambrian/Precambrian Boundary?

Was the Breakup of Pangea the Flood?

Was the Cataclysm Circa 9500 BC the Flood?

Evidence from the Destruction of Clovis

Evidence from Mythology

Evidence from Mountain Building

Evidence from South America

Evidence from the Antediluvian Stonework in Peru

Evidence from the Giza Plateau

Evidence from the Constellations

Evidence from Their Own Eyes

Evidence from the Extinction of Mega Fauna

Why Don’t These Dates Line Up More Closely?

Summary of the Lines of Evidence

The (Rain)Bow Covenant

What Were the Final Aspects of the Flood Like?

The Tower of Babel and Human Migration

What Does It All Mean?

Conclusion

Bibliography

Endorsement

If you are going to read something of great value for learning and to add to your knowledge, be it scriptural along with engulfing the sciences, this book would be it. Mike puts all the pieces of the puzzle together, compiling evidences from notable scientists and biblical scholars, and touches on all subjects that conjure up truth, but don’t take my word for it read it for yourself. For an old fart he sure can write a hellufabook!

Anita Meyer—Author, lecturer, independent researcher

Preface

I have spent much of my life confronting the conflict between what I had believed the Bible had to say about creation and what the scientific community clearly said about it. I have never been comfortable with the wide gulf separating the two. Both sides included highly intelligent people who had spent many years, in some cases most of their lives, developing very firmly held views that were clearly miles apart.

It was clear to me that neither side was going to budge. There would never be a compromise and I began to realize that this was not an issue that was suitable for compromise. Neither side should budge. I began to see that the Bible ought to confine its effort to theological issues and science should work with the natural world only.

After many years of struggle I gradually understood that, for the most part, that was actually what was taking place. Science was dealing with the natural world and the Bible was attempting to present theological issues. Why had I not seen it before? For me it was time to step back and take a fresh look. I needed a new beginning, a restart.

Even though the Bible does contain much about the natural world, it was not teaching about it. It was using things of the natural world to teach about spiritual matters. It was using things which were understood to some degree, the physical, to teach about that which was less well understood, the spiritual. Science, on the other hand limited itself to the study of the natural world and it only entered the conflict when the theologians seemed to challenge the accuracy of scientific findings.

My computer seems to have a mind of its own. All this time I had believed that it was only an electronic device and would only do what I expected from it. This is clearly not the case. It does what it wants and my own expectations of it were never factored in. When that happens, I restart my computer and hope for better luck. Sometimes that works. It can be pretty stubborn. It seems that I type, and the computer does the thinking. That didn’t seem like it was the way it should be. Wasn’t I supposed to do the thinking and it was only to do the writing?

It seemed that neither my computer nor I were making the proper contribution. We seemed to have reversed rolls. Yum! Rolls! I should have made a stop at the bakery. Was theology attempting to unravel the problems usually reserved for science? Was science attempting to understand the theological aspects of creation? That didn’t seem right.

A portion of my writing has taken place at a local restaurant during breakfast. My best couple of hours during the entire day seems to be morning and I often take my computer along to breakfast and do battle with it for supremacy.

Recently a friend happened along and told me about a man who had been an excellent worker as a short order cook in a restaurant and was liked and respected by everyone there. He turned up missing one day and after several days the owner, rather than replacing the man decided to try to find out what was amiss. It turned out that the man could not read and was cooking the food based on what the waitresses said as they handed him the ticket. Something had changed in their procedure and the waitresses were no longer speaking to him as they handed him the order. He no longer knew what to cook.

When the owner learned of this problem, to his credit, he offered the man a job in maintaining the salad bar. It was the right decision and the man resumed work as a valuable employee. The owner had done something that usually does not happen. He found where his worker might best be used, put him in that position, and both benefited. He had thought it through and made a situation that was clearly not working reverse itself and help everyone. They made a restart.

I knew I needed a restart. My approach was not being successful. I realized that I was not understanding creation the way I needed to and decided a change was in order. It was time to restart my thinking on the entire creation. For years I had attempted to accept and understand the way creation had usually been presented to me and it was providing more questions than answers.

Gradually I began to realize that I was reading the Bible with a western mindset and accepting teaching from others who also had a western mindset. I began to see that the Bible was written using covenant relationships throughout and also contained several literary devices, all of which were understood by the ancient Hebrews and none of which were adequately understood by me. What was wrong with the ancients? Why didn’t they look at things the way I did? They must have been pretty messed up. As messed up as they were, I decided that I had better attempt to look at things the way they had.

As I developed an understanding of covenant relationships as well as hyperbole and apocalyptic language, things began to make sense. The changes in these three areas opened many new doors to me and I believe I have developed a better understanding of the message the Bible has always conveyed.

In this book I have attempted to restart my thinking from the very beginning. Isn’t that what Genesis is? The beginning? Here we will attempt to understand the way the ancients understood the Bible and make our interpretations based on their views, not the view generally held by the modern-day western world. If my computer isn’t happy with the result, I may have to spill my coffee on its’ keyboard. That’ll fix it.

Introduction

It has been my observation that many of us do not receive biblical teaching that takes us much beyond the level of a first year Christian. I have had opportunity to look over the Sunday school curriculum offered by several publishers. These tend to be written around a five-to-seven year overview of the Bible and are usually written to meet the needs of fairly new Christians.

These materials are important as we greatly need introductory teaching when we first enter the church. However, at the end of the cycle, a new one begins, again reaching out to untrained believers. If we are experiencing church growth, is that not what we should be doing? In addition, many churches offer special classes for new believers. At the end of a six-week class, we are deemed ready to participate in our church. A great many Bible studies for individuals or small groups are also offered, again often at an elementary level. Personal devotional booklets are of great benefit to those in need, but many of those are offered at an introductory level.

Years ago, I was asked to teach a Sunday school class for senior adults. Many of those in the class were at retirement age or well beyond. Most had been Christians for sixty or more years. In thinking about the curriculum provided, I realized that if they had actually sat through ten complete cycles of that curriculum, they would be really, really well-taught in the basics.

What was to come next? Was it fair of me to teach them at the same level that they had already been through so many times before? That experience caused me to think in terms of taking them to a higher level, but how deeply did they want to go? Was I ready to teach at that level? Were they satisfied with another repeat class? While the answer may not be the same for any two people, I felt it was time to push the envelope, if even a little.

Our pastors clearly have accumulated a wealth of knowledge which could be a great source of learning, but how many times have we heard the same basic sermon that we have heard in the past? If we sit in church and nod in agreement with the preacher, are we learning or are we passing judgement on the caliber of his teaching? Perhaps he struggles with the same issues the writers of Sunday school curriculums face. How does he meet the needs of the new believer and still help the mature Christian to further his walk with the Lord? If that isn’t difficult enough, he may have only thirty minutes to accomplish it all.

This may not be a new problem. The writer of Hebrews is clearly not satisfied with the growth of this group.

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11–14 ESV)

Notice that Paul is laying the responsibility for lack of growth squarely on the shoulders of those in the group. He did not blame the pastor or the Sunday school curriculum. If they have become dull of hearing, they may have ceased growing altogether. Should we ever stop growing in the Lord? Surely Paul was up for teaching at a higher level. Were they not ready to receive it? Deeper teaching was clearly available. The next move was up to them.

There is a plethora of writings available to anyone who wishes to dig deeper into the Word. However, where does one begin? For the most part, after our initial one-year learning period, we are on our own and can select any topic, book, time period, or doctrine and will find much which can contribute to our growth. Much of this material is written at a more advanced level.

I do not mean to suggest that no material for the intermediate level student exists. One example of a book that fits very well into that slot is An Historical Survey of the Old Testament by Eugene H. Merrill. I noticed that my personal copy was from its fifteenth printing. It has been used by many at various levels of inquiry and is a good first step for those first branching into their own study.

While a great deal of material is available for those willing to step up to the plate and undertake his or her individual study, some of it is beyond our level of readiness. It is common for authors to write for theologians, university students, or pastors and then hope that laymen will be helped as well. One author, who will remain unnamed, has said:

So why write this book? I found it necessary to write this book in an effort to clarify some important issues concerning the time frames used by the Genesis author—a clarification needed both within the scholarly community and within the community of faith as a whole.

This author clearly recognizes the needs of the nonprofessional to come to an understanding of important issues. I am wondering if it is wise to attempt to reach the scholarly community and the laymen in the same volume.

Many authors who are frequently quoted are among the most intelligent and most highly trained people available. In addition, some have spent years in developing their own positions and still must do battle with other equally qualified scholars before their position is eventually accepted by the body as a whole. This tends to produce a text that best serves the scholarly community. While attempting to reach both the scholarly community and the ordinary laymen, the same author quoted above includes the following:

However, there is another possibility to consider when it comes to biblical interpretation in the reformed view, and that is that it had been directly influenced by later hermeneutics within post-Talmudic Judaism. As we have discussed before, Jewish hermeneutics were split, as were the Patristic views, between figurative and literal interpretations of texts like Genesis 1-2; but as arguments in favor of Christianity, whose claimed adherents had by and large oppressed the Jewish community, often came in the form of allegorizing hermeneutics, Judaism began to adopt a more rigidly literal hermeneutic to counter these claims.

Did you understand that? Was that meant for someone just beginning to broaden his horizon? I had to read it more than once. So he wants to reach both the scholar and laymen in the same volume. Is it really written at a level that an untrained person will quickly understand? I doubt it. Attempting to reach too broad of an audience may leave some readers befuddled. That paragraph is typical of writing offered with theologians in mind.

The author has a great depth of understanding of his material and builds a good case for his position. I believe his thinking is of great value to both the scholarly community and the laymen as well. While the information may be useful to both groups, the level of writing may not be.

Some laymen may be ready for this author’s thinking. However, is the person just taking his first timid steps into doing his own biblical research ready for a discussion at that level? Perhaps not. This book has been written with just such a person in mind. In preparing this discussion, my hope has been to deal with difficult issues, many of which the church has struggled with for generations, and yet not overwhelm my audience. I have attempted to deal with less understood issues using everyday vocabulary, even while keeping the discussion at a lighter level, and have made attempts to include occasional humor. This work has been written according to the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. I couldn’t do it any other way. That is not to say that you will find this easy. My writing is simplistic. The material is not.

For most people, the subject of creation is very straightforward. They want to know when and how the creation occurred. Perhaps a more important question might be asked. What is the nature of the creation? I suspect that many people have tended to read their Bible in hopes of learning when the creation occurred while never realizing that there could be a question as to the nature of the creation. Nevertheless, it is these two questions—the when and the nature of creation—with which we will deal. For the most part, many Christians are very much aware of the age question since a major debate is now ongoing concerning this issue. The question as to the nature of creation is sometimes overlooked. Since a highly literalistic view of the creation story is held by both Christians and science, people often think they already possess an understanding of this part of the issue.

You may find that my approach will differ from what you may have been accustomed to in three ways. First, I will be putting an emphasis on the effect that language and culture have on our interpretation of the Bible. Second, I will show that the entire book is written from the perspective of the Jews as opposed to the entirety of the world population. Third, the importance of the covenant relationship will come to the forefront of the presentation.

This discussion will be presented in five chapters. The first chapter is Understanding the Language and Culture of the Bible. In it, I will offer information about language and culture that appear regularly throughout the Bible which affects our understanding of the text. In order to better understand chapters two, three, and four, a better understanding of the way language and culture is presented in the Bible should prove helpful.

It will become important to recognize that the Bible frequently speaks on more than one level at the same time.

As our discussion progresses, it will become evident that there is a strong connection between the creation account presented in Genesis and the closing book of Revelation. Many points which are introduced in early Genesis have their fulfillment either in Revelation or in Christ. I have included information from the ancient biblical world in an attempt to demonstrate how the literalistic and futuristic interpretations of scripture are often confusing and misleading. The way the ancients viewed the world and how they presented their case is not how modern westerners would present theirs. Thus, my purpose in chapter one will be to show that both language and culture greatly affect our understanding of the text.

The second chapter is titled The Spiritual Nature of the Creation Account. I will show that the Bible is not making a case for material creation, but rather is talking about the creation of a covenant relationship between God and man. My teaching in chapter two will center around the idea that the Bible speaks about God’s relationship and his dealing with his people from beginning to end. While the Bible does have a great deal to say about the natural world, I believe these passages were not written to teach about the physical world; rather, they were included to use the natural world to teach about the more important subject, the spiritual world.

While I do not think that the Bible makes a case as to how the physical world was created, I do believe that it was created by the Lord. However, the subject of the Bible does not deal with how or when it was created. Therefore, I will leave that to science.

Many people feel that the Bible does indeed show how the earth was created. Some may bring up the idea that the Lord either breathed or spoke the earth into existence. They would be correct to do so. However, both expressions are given in anthropomorphic language (assigning human characteristics to a non-human entity) and were not meant to be understood literally. Neither idea actually offers an explanation of the exact means he used in the creation.

While a straight-up reading of the Bible will almost invariably cause one to believe that the creation of the natural world is being described, I do not think that a literal reading will provide one with a picture that aligns itself with the intent of the original writers. I believe they were speaking of the creation of a relationship between the Lord and mankind, a special covenant relationship, a concept affecting our understanding of the entire Bible.

Since ancient culture is very distant from our culture (both in time and distance), much misunderstanding occurs when attempting to interpret biblical thinking using twenty-first century western reasoning. I will attempt to demonstrate that the creation as presented in Genesis is not primarily about the creation of the physical world or the universe. Thus, my purpose in the second chapter will be to disengage the Bible from any dispute with science over the nature of the creation.

Next comes the non-chapter. In it, I will be presenting scientific evidence that does not support the firmly entrenched position that the earth is quite old. While science believes that the age issue has been thoroughly studied and understood, much evidence is available which brings up serious questions that challenge that view. In large measure, some of this evidence has been overlooked or completely ignored by science. My own belief is that the age of the earth should be established by science, not by the Bible.

However, the large amount of evidence amassed for a young earth has not been adequately investigated and should be reexamined by science and either accepted or proven to be in error. The failure of science to examine this current evidence has led to even more confusion about the age of the earth, the solar system, and the universe. The evidence I will present in the non-chapter for a young earth comes directly from science itself. No biblical information will be included in this chapter. Thus, my purpose in the non-chapter will be to show that science has done an incomplete job of establishing a timeline, not just for human history, but for the entirety of the history of the planet.

Chapter three is titled Does the Bible Reveal the Age of the Earth? The genealogies given in early Genesis are frequently used to construct a literal timeline for the physical creation; but I will show that these genealogies are not intended to create such a time line. Since there is no other scripture which might be used to establish the age of the earth, I do not believe that the Bible makes any case for the age of the physical earth. Neither science nor researchers of the Bible have done an adequate job of calculating the age of the physical earth. Thus, my purpose in the third chapter will be to disengage the Bible from the debate over the age of the earth.

Chapter four will be an overview of the Genesis Flood. I believe the flood is badly misunderstood; while the flood was an actual event, it was much different than what most of us usually envision. It was a far more complex event and included many more elements than what a straightforward reading of the Bible would seem to indicate. We will examine both the scriptures and the sedimentary record to see what actually made up the entire event and when it happened. You may be surprised how much physical evidence is available to demonstrate what it was like.

My hope is that by the time you reach this chapter, you will have an understanding of the covenant nature of the scriptures and also of the way the Bible uses several literary devices in presenting its teaching. If that has been achieved, you may find this section easier to grasp. Thus, my purpose in the fourth chapter will be to provide a better understanding of the spiritual aspects of the flood.

I have seen statistics showing that 24 percent of Christian kids leave the Lord during college. I am also told that 66 percent of churched kids leave the church by age eighteen. These numbers are a huge problem for the church and no solution seems to be forthcoming.

While many factors probably contribute to this problem, I believe that a big one can be eliminated as we progress through this discussion. If atheists can destroy our view of the very first verse of the Bible, they will have taken a big step in weakening our trust in the entire book. Genesis 1:1 is absolutely correct; however, it’s meaning may be a bit different than we are accustomed to thinking it is. My hope is that through this discussion, we can build a much stronger belief that the Bible is absolutely true and can be trusted. We can structure our own lives on its truth, and our kids can be in a position to resist the attacks of the enemy. It will be the purpose of this effort to leave us with improved confidence and greater faith in both the Bible and the Lord.

In chapter two, we will see that the literal view of creation has been built on information that does not exist (Hold on to your hat!) In the non-chapter, I will show that geology has built its view of earth’s history using information that is incorrect (Try to keep your seat!) In chapter three, I will show that building a case for a literal genealogy cannot be made from the scriptures (Don’t let this blow your mind!) In chapter four, I will show that the flood/ark was an actual event, but quite different from what has traditionally been taught (Come on, you can handle this!) Should you reach a place where you feel that neither science nor the Bible is fully understood, you might conclude that no dispute is in order.

Since both questions concerning the creation issue (the nature and the when) stem from an incorrect interpretation of Genesis, both have led to poor conclusions. The main point of the Bible is not about the material creation of the earth, and neither is it about the age of the earth. Since my approach to both aspects of this discussion will be new to you, and since both may cause red flags to go up, a thorough explanation of both is in order.

If you want to ask me how the physical earth was created, my answer is, "I don’t know. If you want to ask me when the physical earth was created, my answer is, I don’t know." As you can readily see, this author cannot answer the two questions for which you most want answers. However, as we rephrase these topics into the way they were viewed by the ancient Hebrews and as we deal with those questions in the way they would have received them, I believe things will become more clear.

If you believe that Genesis is dealing with the physical aspect of creation, that’s not the whole story. It’s only the beginning. Be prepared to think.

Get Ready, Get Set

While teaching this material to a local men’s group, I noticed that their difficulty in absorbing or accepting it varied from chapter to chapter. In chapter one, we were attempting to see that some parts of the Bible were not to be taken literally as previously thought. Segments such as Light or Thorns proved fairly easy to understand, and in some measure, it was even fun. However, no choices had to be made as to how to apply this new information. The group did not find this difficult or upsetting, and few serious questions arose.

The Non-Chapter saw a total reversal. This chapter included scientific information of a non-biblical nature for which nobody seemed prepared. There was not a single geologist in the group! Can you believe it? Panic ensued. It was too difficult. It did not appear that anyone had ever taken a position on whether they were of young earth or old earth persuasion, and I was pleased to find that they really wanted to discover the Biblical position on that issue.

Up to that point, I had largely taught using lecture as my teaching method, but after the dust settled, I changed methods. We passed out copies of the lesson for the day and had each person read, in rotation, after which we would discuss the material that had been read. They could then read, hear, talk about, and digest it. Getting more senses involved helped a lot. As you read this, it might be helpful to stop frequently and ponder what you have read. Thoughtful digestion helps.

Things became more difficult as we progressed with the study. In chapter two, the new information from chapter one had to be applied to our understanding of specific passages of scripture. We needed to interpret the new information.

Our understanding of the Bible was much more directly affected, and our view of the meaning of specific passages needed adjustment if the new approach was to be accepted. Many questions and even confusion resulted.

A retired minister with a four-year degree from an evangelistic Bible college eventually took exception to parts of the teaching, and a healthy discussion resulted. Because of his extensive background, his belief system was much more developed than anyone else in the class, and this made it much harder for him to consider a new view. I might have been tempted to think that he was stuck in an old paradigm while he may have thought that his view represented current thinking.

He seemed to think that I was a loose cannon. With his belief system well in place, it was difficult for him to consider a new way of interpreting the scriptures. Others in the class did not have such a well-developed belief system but still had to struggle with parts of it. To everyone’s credit, the entire class hung in there (they didn’t have to) and they gradually got a good grasp of the material. They had come to learn! That is not to say that everyone fully accepted it as their own, but they were very interested in learning about my research and my view.

I was not surprised to find that there was some level of disagreement as I had already expected it. Some accepted the teaching fully, while others continued to struggle with further questions, and some did not accept the newer parts of the material. I consider the divergence in thinking a normal outcome. Some accept, some reject, and others continue to ponder.

The same sort of spread seems to come about in other venues. At the time of the American revolution, the colonists seemed to be of three schools of thought. Some were totally disenchanted over taxation without representation and wanted independence from Great Britain, some wanted to remain loyal to the crown, and still others didn’t seem interested in either. The groups were somewhat evenly split. The group that eventually prevailed was the group that cared the most and put everything they had into the cause. In the political arena, the Republicans, Democrats, and Independents are divided into groups of similar size. In sports, fans from both teams are equally enthused over the support of their teams while others could care less.

So it may be with you. As you read this, you may accept some things, reject some, or just lose interest. I will be okay with your choice of direction. However, I am hoping that this study will help you to digest material with which you are unfamiliar and come to a conclusion of your own. Far too often, we tend to accept without question what we are told by others. We definitely need input from reliable sources, but the conclusions need to be our own. If we can learn to think for ourselves and come to a valid conclusion, we will have taken a huge step forward.

That being said, let’s go.

Chapter One

What Kind of Book Is the Bible?

It’s a Spiritual Book

So, here we go! In the Gospel of John 18:33-38 (ESV) we read:

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your