In the beginning…….
I have been doing a little study on Genesis as preparation for our Sunday Bible Study at 9:15 am. One of the questions that always comes up is whether Genesis is historically true or not. Lutherans believe that all Scripture is inspired and inerrant, so for conservative Lutherans there is no doubt that Genesis and indeed all of God’s Word is accurate, true, inspired and without error. But this argument will usually not impress a sceptic.
What we can point to are archaeological discoveries that help confirm the historicity of Genesis. There are actually quite a few that can be pointed to:
- The Ebla Tablets, which come from the 3 rd millennium BC. The Tablets mention a creation story similar to the book of Genesis.
- The Epic of Gilgamesh, which tells of a universal flood that in some respects parallels the story of Noah.
- The Temptation Seal, which comes from about 3500 BC and depicts a man and woman reaching for fruit from a tree with a serpent behind them.
- Secular sources confirm kings and cities mentioned in Genesis 14.
- Excavations southeast of the Dead Sea reveal many clues that confirm the Sodom and Gomorrah account.
- A two thousand year old stone at Machpelah commemorates the place as the burial site of the Patriarchs.
There are other discoveries that could be pointed at, and every year brings new, exciting finds. As Christians, we can trust God’s Word precisely because it is His Word. As Christ said, God’s Word cannot be broken. That is, it is free from error because it has God as its source.
In Christ,
Rev. David L. Putz, Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS)
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Good things are happening at Holy Cross! Praise God for that. When we keep Word and Sacrament ministry at the heart of what we do, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sown. As we share the Word, God gives the growth and we rejoice as humble stewards of the God who changes lives and hearts. Help us always, Lord, to keep Your Word at the center of our life together under your Holy Cross!
Please continue to pray for our congregation and each other. Don’t forget to visit our church website www.holycross-crawfordsville.org to find links for all our services on YouTube.