Comment on Video show LSU undermining church doctrine by Mary Kelly.

Hi this is what my pastor wrote in response to my Question about the statement made by Richard Meyers:

It is written in this note that,

“Genesis 1 was written in Hebrew and the Hebrew does not say that planet Earth was created in six days. Genesis 1:1-2 deal very briefly with the creation of the universe, of which planet Earth is a part. My translation: ‘In the distant past …'”

My reply to the author of this statement (Please pass this on to all who got the original message):

So, you translate what is usually translated ‘beginning’ to mean ‘distant past’.

But re’shiyth, means, ‘first’ in time, rank, or order, sometimes, ‘choicest’. Please refer us to the lexicon, Hebrew dictionary where you find it is said to mean ‘past ‘ or ‘distant past’. Something tells me you are not going to be able to come up with strong support for your position. By the way, in answer to a later statement to the effect that re’shiyth is “an undefined time long ago,” it is clear, as one looks at standard lexical definitions of the term, that this is a defined time in the past. In the beginning you offer up the essential foundational point of your argument. If the foundation is faulty (false) then the entire argument falls apart. If the text does not clearly state that shâmayim was created in the ‘distant past’ an undefined time long ago, your position has lost all lift. It cannot fly. That is precisely what happens here. Re’shiyth is not the ‘distant past’ it is not an undefined time long ago. Hence, your whole logical structure crumbles. You are not getting any lift and you had better pull out the throttle and put on the breaks before you crash at the end of the runway.

The following explanation is perhaps just a poor choice of analogy. But, to the Bible believing Christians you are trying to convince it is going to come across as far worse–it is a terrible insult to class even one word in God’s Sacred Book as. ” … roughly equivalent to the well-known opening line of many fairy tales: ‘once upon a time…’ ” Especially since your interpretation of re’shiyth is paraphrase not faithful translation.

Pastor Bradley Williams

Chula Vista SDA Church

———- Original Message ———-
From: “Mary”
To:
Subject: Hi I never heard anything like this before. Is any of this true?
Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 22:37:31 -0700

1. Richard Meyers wrote: “The earth was created in six days and while many will believe a lie, many will not.”

While I strongly believe in the creation record of Genesis 1, the sentiment expressed in this statement — that the Earth was created in six days — is actually part of the problem. Genesis 1 was written in Hebrew and the Hebrew does not say that planet Earth was created in six days. Genesis 1:1-2 deal very briefly with the creation of the universe, of which planet Earth is a part. My translation: “In the distant past Elohiym created the universe and the Earth. 2The Earth was chaotic and useless, and darkness covered the surface of the oceans, while the life-giving breath of Elohiym hovered peacefully over the waters.” Allow me to unpack this a bit.

In verse 1, this time period is a reference to what Elohiym has already done in the distant past, in an undefined time long, long ago. It is roughly equivalent to the well-known opening line of many fairy tales: “once upon a time…” Moses is telling the reader that at some undefined time in the past, perhaps millions, billions, or trillions of years ago, Elohiym acted to bring the universe and planet Earth into existence. This word sets the context in which the God of the universe turns His attention to planet Earth to change it from an unorganized mud-ball in the universe to a vibrant biosphere.

The word translated heavens is shâmayim, and is not just a reference to the atmosphere where birds fly and clouds move, but can include the wide expanse of the sky in the sense of where all the celestial bodies can be observed. This wide expanse with everything in it is the entire universe. This word is used seven times in the first chapter of Genesis, and in four places it indicates a reference to space beyond the Earth’s atmosphere (vs. 1, 14, 15, 17), while in three places (vs. 8, 9, & 10), the word means the Earth’s atmosphere. This word is used again in Genesis 2:4 after the Earth has been turned into a place suitable to support life and seems to mean the Earth and its atmosphere.

Along with having created the universe, Elohiym created planet Earth where nearly all the action recorded in scripture is about to take place. Planet Earth is about to become center stage of the universe where important events will occur that will reveal the true character of this creator Elohiym.

Verse 2 expresses a contradiction in the observable value of planet Earth before creation week as unorganized, chaotic, desolate, worthless, and useless, and the peaceful contentment of Elohiym in the midst of this. The Earth is tôhû (to’-hoo), which means to lie at waste, in ruin, to be desolate, unorganized, chaotic, or to be worthless. The Earth is also bôhû (bo’-hoo), which means to be empty, vacant, or useless. The Earth is shrouded in thick clouds so that the surface of the Earth is always dark. In contrast to this, the spirit of Elohiym is described as being content with this situation.

The word for spirit is rûach (roo’-akh) and is the ordinary word for wind or breath. This is a way of indicating that the life-giving breath of Elohiym was present during this long expanse of time into the distant past, but had, as yet, not engaged in any commands that would organize the Earth into a place of value.

Elohiym is said to be râchaph (raw-khaf’), that is, hovering or fluttering over the waters. The KJV translates this as moving. However, it is not moving in the sense of having a direction or destination, but in the sense of being present like a mother bird fluttering to cover her nest. The word also conveys a sense of calmness and being relaxed, of being at rest and peaceful.

The final word in verse 2 is mayim (mah’-yim), which is translated to be waters, but also includes all kinds of fluids. The clouds of the atmosphere would also be part of the fluids of the Earth over which the presence of Elohiym presides. Though planet Earth has no obvious value before the six days of creation, the presence of Elohiym surrounds the planet and He is calmly content with its condition.

Verse 3 begins the creative statements and acts of Elohiym to transform the chaotic, worthless, and useless mud-ball of planet Earth into a vibrant biosphere suitable to support all kinds of living things. This is the beginning of the counting of the six literal days of creation week, but it is not the beginning of the existence of planet Earth. While Elohiym is definitely the creator of planet Earth, scripture clearly tells us the Earth itself was already in existence for a long period of time prior to the events that begin with verse 3.

There are all sorts of other interesting things one can learn about the words of Genesis 1 & 2, but this much should aid in helping people understand the Hebrew context of Genesis 1, what we should understand the six days of creation to apply to, and sorting out the controversy between some of the issues in the evolution – creation disagreement. The universe and planet Earth are very old, but the events of creation week are relatively young

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