Analysis of Rachel Held Evan’s Book “Inspired” Part 2: Chapter 1 and Adam being Symbolic of Israel

This is part 2 of our critique of Rachel Held Evans’ book titled Inspired.   For Part 1 click here.  Lord willing part 2 and 3 of our series will look at chapter 1 of the book which is on “Origin Stories.”

On page 9 Rachel Held Evans stated the following concerning the Bible’s origin story in the book of Genesis:

Origin stories are rarely straightforward history.  Over the years, they morph into a colorful amalgam of truth and myth, nostalgia and cautionary tale, the shades of their significance brought out by the particular light of a particular moment.

Contrary to what many of us are told, Israel’s origin stories weren’t designed to answer scientific, twenty-first-century questions about the beginning of the universe or the biological evolution of human beings, but rather were meant to answer then-pressing, ancient questions about the nature of God and God’s relationship to creation. Even the story of Adam and Eve, found in Genesis 2 and 3, is thought by many scholars to be less a story about human origins and more a story about Israel’s origins, a symbolic representation of Israel’s pattern of habitation, disobedience, and exile, set in primeval time.

In her own words Rachel Held Evans sees the Bible’s origin story to be in the same league with other origin stories.  And origin stories in her own words “are rarely straightforward history.”  As she later explained this means that Genesis 2-3 is “less a story about human origins and more a story about Israel’s origins.”  Evans therefore sees Genesis 2-3 as “a symbolic representation of Israel’s pattern.”

There’s so much to say with just these two paragraphs.  Here’s my response:

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Refuted: Five Alleged Bible Contradictions Concerning Judas

Here are five alleged Bible contradictions concerning Judas that skeptics online have asserted which I have refuted.

1 When did Satan enter Judas?

2 Did Judas identify Jesus with a kiss?

3 What did Judas do with the silver?

4 Who bought the potter’s field?

5 How did Judas die?

 

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Book Review: How to Be a Perfect Christian by Babylon Bee

Babylon Bee.  How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, May 1^st, 2018. 208 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

If you are a Christian and have been on various social media for any length of time you probably are familiar with the Babylon Bee, a Christian satire website comparable to The Onion.  In fact I think they are better than The Onion.  Apparently they have put out this book titled How to Be a Perfect Christian with the subtitle “Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living.”  Like their website the book itself is straight satire against unbiblical Christianity and also the quirky side of American cultural Christianity.

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Quick Devotional from Philippians 1:21 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading a few months ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of Philippians 1:21.  Here is my translation:

“SUPPORT 21 [TP ἐμοὶ TP] γὰρ [T τὸ ζῆν T] Χριστὸς
For me to live is Christ

SENTENCE καὶ [T τὸ ἀποθανεῖν T] κέρδος”
and to die is gain

Here are some observations:

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Review: New Super-Man, Volume 3: Equilibrium

It’s Friday night!  Here’s a light reading review for the weekend…because Pastors need a break from heavy theological readings too!

Gene Yang. New Super-Man, Volume 3: Equilibrium. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, June 19th 2018. 168 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This is the third volume and final volume of a fun series.  I’m not usually a fan of Superman but this “New Superman” has really been a delight to read.  This particular volume collects issues 13 through 19.  I was actually looking forward to this volume to come out; something very rare for me with comics.  I really am a fan of the writer Gene Yang and he does not disappoint in this book.

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Bible Contradiction? How did Judas die?

Previously I have dealt with some alleged Bible contradiction concerning Judas’ last moments before his death.   You might want to check out What did Judas do with the silver? and Who bought the potter’s field?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: How did Judas die?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

He hanged himself.

“And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5)

He fell down and died.

“(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.” (Acts 1:18)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Review: Domestic Abuse: Help for the Sufferer

Pastors, church leaders and biblical counselors, this is a much needed resource you need to get along with Domestic Abuse: Recognize, Respond, Rescue.

Darby A. Strickland. Domestic Abuse: Help for the Sufferer.  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, May 31st 2018. 56 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

This is from a biblical counseling series called “Resources for Changing Lives” printed by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.  The author has written two booklets in this series on domestic abuse and this specific work is addressed to the abused spouse.  I am glad that is the case since the booklet covers a difficult topic that many pastors and churches might not have thought through about seeing the various controversies in recent years with pastors, churches and spiritual leaders and how they addressed or neglected the issue of abuse.

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Solar System First Grade Homeschool Lesson 5: Mars

This is a Christian Home School Lesson Series for first graders on the Solar System that aims to fulfill the Science Content Standards from the California Department of Education.

Lesson 5: Mars

 

Purpose: To explore and know more about God’s creation of Mars.

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Dealing with Disappointment Part 1: Finding What will not Disappoint

I’ve been thinking a bit on the topic of dealing with disappointments mainly for the guys that I love in my church who are going through things.  Lord willing there might be future posts.  But here’s my first post.

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Coping With Criticism Message by Dr. Joel Beeke

 

In the past I’ve listened to Joel Beeke’s message on Coping With Criticism on Sermon Audio.  Apparently someone has also loaded it up on Youtube.

Enjoy.

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Presuppositional Apologetics’ Links: Third Week of July 2018

Here are the links related to Presuppositonal Apologetics gathered from July 15th-21st, 2018.

1.) Analysis of Rachel Held Evan’s Book “Inspired” Part 1: Introduction

2.) BibleintheRaw: Episode 11 – The Deity and Personhood of the Holy Spirit

3.) An Apologetic for Apologetics (Part 2)

4.) Rachel Held Evans Inspired – Reviews

5.) Wednesday Testimony – Jeff Durbin (He is a Presuppositional apologist and pastor)

6.) THE PRIMACY OF REVELATION (3)

7.) Book Review: John M. Frame, Christianity Considered: A Guide for Skeptics and Seekers

8.) Christ without Compromise: The Application of Covenantal Apologetics to the Crisis of Identity in the Urban Context

9.) Tim McGrew on street epistemology

10.) Buswell and Van Til

 

Missed the last round up?  Check out the re-blogged post from a friend OR that of Another REBLOG HERE

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Bible Contradiction? Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Does the gospel of Luke contain everything that Jesus did?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Yes.

“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” (Acts 1:1-2)

No.

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.” (John 21:25)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

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Review: The Flying Tigers

A nonfiction leisure weekend reading review!  Because Pastors and apologists also need a break from heavy reading!

 

Sam Kleiner.  The Flying Tigers. New York, NY: Viking, May 15^th, 2018. 304 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This is the story of a military aviation volunteer group comprising mostly of Americans that fought against the Japanese in China during the 1940s.  I have heard of the Flying Tigers for many years but know so little about them until I got a hold of this book.  What prompted to read this book was the result of reading a previous book on China and America titled The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom.  That book talked about the Flying Tigers and their commander Claire Chennault and although it was too brief the reference to the Flying Tigers that book made me want to find a longer discussion of the famous fighter outfit.  I’m glad I read this book.

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Pete Enns: Christians are not to trust in the Bible?

After writing “Analysis of Rachel Held Evan’s Book “Inspired” Part 1: Introduction” yesterday I noticed that Rachel Held Evans sees Peter Enns as a mentor.  I have written on Peter Enns before on our blog (see the link in the analysis to Evans’ book) but seeing his name again led me to look up Enns and I found he wrote a recent piece on his blog titled “How Can I Trust the Bible?” (You Might Be Asking)”

It is strange in a piece titled “How Can I trust the Bible?” his essay doesn’t answer that question but instead does the opposite.  Liberals need to quit the click bait inaccurate titles.

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Analysis of Rachel Held Evan’s Book “Inspired” Part 1: Introduction

I was asked by brother Alf to consider reading and offering my thoughts on liberal Rachel Held Evans’ book titled Inspired.  Usually I take a long time reading books I disagree with and posting about it on my blog since I want my critique to be accurate of their view, logically sound in my arguments and that what I say is true.

In an interview Rachel Held Evans said this about her male critics who are pastors and seminarians:

Actually they don’t criticize my hermeneutics or my exegesis. They just say, “This woman has no authority to write about the Bible.” They don’t even attempt to engage the arguments that I make, and that’s what irritates me.

(Source)

Note here she said they didn’t handle her hermenuetics, her exegesis nor her arguments but attack her as a woman.  In this post and future posts I won’t be attacking her as a woman.  I also think Rachel Held Evans’ statements about her detractors thus far shouldn’t be attributed to all those who disagree with her; that would not be fair.  I think thoughtful reviews of any books takes time, even responses to terrible books because it takes time to be fair and offer sound arguments against a book’s perspective.  Her book was released on June 12th, 2018 and her statement in that interview was on July 6th.  Sometimes in academia it takes months or even over a year before there’s a critique from the other side.  So for her to say no one who is a pastor and in seminary has critiqued her hermeneutics, exegesis and arguments is rather premature.  It’s also strikes me as a bit narcissistic for someone who is professing to write a book admitting she’s not a Bible scholar to think meaningful responses from pastors and those in seminary should be served right away (3 weeks) when others who are more serious scholars get their response much slower.

In this post I will offer my thoughts on the “Introduction” for the book.

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