DISCOVERY AT PILTDOWN
Genesis 1:26
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
It must have been a very exciting meeting of the Geological Society of London in December 1912. Charles Dawson was presenting a paper concerning a skull that he said had been found at a gravel pit in Sussex, England. The skull appeared to be half human half ape. The prevailing opinion of the time, as it is today, was that apes and humans had a common ancestor from which they had all evolved. Dawson’s colleague, Arthur Smith Woodward, claimed at the same meeting that the find was that of the fabled missing link between apes and humans. Thus began the legend of Piltdown Man.
The gravel pits at Piltdown, Sussex, yielded a number of finds along with the skull. These finds in total were sufficient to convince the scientific establishment of the truth of the find. But in 1953, an extensive investigation of the skull indicated that the cranium was that of a human who had died about 600 years ago while the jaw was that of an orangutan. Tests revealed that these fragments had been artificially aged with various chemicals.
Today, Piltdown Man is the textbook example of a scientific fraud. However, we should remember that the skull was considered to be genuine for over 40 years.
The history of Piltdown Man is well worth studying. How many of today’s evolutionary “proofs” will turn out not to be what they appear? Throughout all this, God’s word remains the same, and remains true.
Thank You, Lord, that Your word is always true. Help us to trust Your word even when the world is against us and ridicules our belief. Amen.
Ref: Bowden, M. (1978), Ape Men: Fact or Fallacy, (Sovereign Publications). Image: Public Domain.
Genesis 1:26
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
It must have been a very exciting meeting of the Geological Society of London in December 1912. Charles Dawson was presenting a paper concerning a skull that he said had been found at a gravel pit in Sussex, England. The skull appeared to be half human half ape. The prevailing opinion of the time, as it is today, was that apes and humans had a common ancestor from which they had all evolved. Dawson’s colleague, Arthur Smith Woodward, claimed at the same meeting that the find was that of the fabled missing link between apes and humans. Thus began the legend of Piltdown Man.
The gravel pits at Piltdown, Sussex, yielded a number of finds along with the skull. These finds in total were sufficient to convince the scientific establishment of the truth of the find. But in 1953, an extensive investigation of the skull indicated that the cranium was that of a human who had died about 600 years ago while the jaw was that of an orangutan. Tests revealed that these fragments had been artificially aged with various chemicals.
Today, Piltdown Man is the textbook example of a scientific fraud. However, we should remember that the skull was considered to be genuine for over 40 years.
The history of Piltdown Man is well worth studying. How many of today’s evolutionary “proofs” will turn out not to be what they appear? Throughout all this, God’s word remains the same, and remains true.
Thank You, Lord, that Your word is always true. Help us to trust Your word even when the world is against us and ridicules our belief. Amen.
Ref: Bowden, M. (1978), Ape Men: Fact or Fallacy, (Sovereign Publications). Image: Public Domain.
LIFE BLOOD
Leviticus 17:11
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Not every animal appears to be of equal value to God. Some of them, in Genesis 1, were blessed. Then there is the way that God described some of these creatures.
Even the word creature is used in different ways. In Genesis 1:20, the Hebrew word translated as creature is sherets. The verse refers to “living creatures”. The word for “living” is nephesh. In verse 21, however, the word nephesh appears again, but is translated just as “creature”.
Another interesting place where the word nephesh appears is in Leviticus 17:11 – “The life of the flesh is in the blood”; literally, the nephesh of the flesh is in the blood. It seems that there is a differentiation between animals with or without blood, as they would be animals with or without life. That is not to say that non-nephesh animals are not living, but their quality of life is different. They are not blessed animals, like those with blood are.
So what is this blessing for nephesh animals for? It is surely because of the importance of blood. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins”. Of course, the only perfect blood was that of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood, not only as a covering for our sins, but to wash away our sins completely.
Without the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we would be lost in our sins. Only His blood takes away our sin completely. We pray that those reading these articles will, if they have not already done so, repent and trust completely in Him. Amen.
Ref: Ham, K. (2014), Was there Death before Adam Sinned?, in New Answers Book 3, (Master Books). Image: Adobe Stock Images, Licensed to author.
Leviticus 17:11
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Not every animal appears to be of equal value to God. Some of them, in Genesis 1, were blessed. Then there is the way that God described some of these creatures.
Even the word creature is used in different ways. In Genesis 1:20, the Hebrew word translated as creature is sherets. The verse refers to “living creatures”. The word for “living” is nephesh. In verse 21, however, the word nephesh appears again, but is translated just as “creature”.
Another interesting place where the word nephesh appears is in Leviticus 17:11 – “The life of the flesh is in the blood”; literally, the nephesh of the flesh is in the blood. It seems that there is a differentiation between animals with or without blood, as they would be animals with or without life. That is not to say that non-nephesh animals are not living, but their quality of life is different. They are not blessed animals, like those with blood are.
So what is this blessing for nephesh animals for? It is surely because of the importance of blood. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins”. Of course, the only perfect blood was that of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood, not only as a covering for our sins, but to wash away our sins completely.
Without the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we would be lost in our sins. Only His blood takes away our sin completely. We pray that those reading these articles will, if they have not already done so, repent and trust completely in Him. Amen.
Ref: Ham, K. (2014), Was there Death before Adam Sinned?, in New Answers Book 3, (Master Books). Image: Adobe Stock Images, Licensed to author.
ADAM�S ATTITUDE
Genesis 3:6
�And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.�
It is impossible for us, 6,000 years later, to get into the mind of the first man. For a start, he was created perfect, and we have no idea what it is like to be perfect or to have a perfect mind. Then again, given that he was perfect, we have difficulty in understanding why he would deliberately choose to disobey God and eat the fruit. But while we cannot get into his mind or understand why he did what he did, the fact that he did what he did is a matter of record.
Most of the action in Genesis 3 seems to concern Eve rather than Adam. How can we then say that Adam�s sin was important, when clearly Eve had sinned before him, and the devil had sinned before that? The reason is that Adam had a federal responsibility. He was our federal head. That is why, in Romans 5, Paul tells us that in Adam all die.
The devil�s sin was his own. Each angelic being was separately created, so they have no federal head. Eve�s sin was also her own, as she had been formed out of Adam�s side. But Adam represented all humanity. Eve was tempted by the devil in the form of the serpent. But Paul tells us that Adam was not deceived. In fact, Genesis 3 tells us that the woman gave some of the fruit to her husband.
We still don�t know why he did it, but we do know that it was Adam�s sin, as our federal head, that separated all of us from God.
Thank You, Lord, that although we have been born in trespasses and sin, You can wash away our sin completely if we will trust wholeheartedly in You.
Genesis 3:6
�And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.�
It is impossible for us, 6,000 years later, to get into the mind of the first man. For a start, he was created perfect, and we have no idea what it is like to be perfect or to have a perfect mind. Then again, given that he was perfect, we have difficulty in understanding why he would deliberately choose to disobey God and eat the fruit. But while we cannot get into his mind or understand why he did what he did, the fact that he did what he did is a matter of record.
Most of the action in Genesis 3 seems to concern Eve rather than Adam. How can we then say that Adam�s sin was important, when clearly Eve had sinned before him, and the devil had sinned before that? The reason is that Adam had a federal responsibility. He was our federal head. That is why, in Romans 5, Paul tells us that in Adam all die.
The devil�s sin was his own. Each angelic being was separately created, so they have no federal head. Eve�s sin was also her own, as she had been formed out of Adam�s side. But Adam represented all humanity. Eve was tempted by the devil in the form of the serpent. But Paul tells us that Adam was not deceived. In fact, Genesis 3 tells us that the woman gave some of the fruit to her husband.
We still don�t know why he did it, but we do know that it was Adam�s sin, as our federal head, that separated all of us from God.
Thank You, Lord, that although we have been born in trespasses and sin, You can wash away our sin completely if we will trust wholeheartedly in You.
MUCH STUDY
Ecclesiastes 12:12b
�Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.�
There is a time and a place to defend your faith. Scripture tells us that we are always to be ready to give that defense to someone who asks us the reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). But what if the questioner is not interested in asking about the hope?
I remember thinking that I had to give an answer to everyone regardless of their attitude. I soon learned, however, that not everyone is humble enough to receive the answers that we might give. On one occasion, a questioner online said that there were millions of contradictions in the Bible. I asked him to name just three. He posted 45. I spent several hours researching each of these alleged contradictions and posted a reasonable answer to every single one. In less than a minute, he posted that my comments were nonsense. He had not had sufficient time even to read the first answer, let alone the other 44.
Perhaps the amount of study was wearisome. It was certainly helpful to me, but not to my questioner, who had a closed mind.
There are many well-researched books about these alleged contradictions. I have even contributed to one myself. Of the making of these sort of books, there seems to be no end. The writer of Ecclesiastes noted that �much study is a weariness of the flesh�. Without reference to God, our study does become wearisome. But if it points humble hearts to God, then it is one of the most important things we can do.
Help me to show myself approved, Lord God. Help my study not to be wearisome, but to bring honor and glory to Your Name. Amen.
Ref: Ham, K. (ed. 2010), Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Volume 1, (Master Books). Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
Ecclesiastes 12:12b
�Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.�
There is a time and a place to defend your faith. Scripture tells us that we are always to be ready to give that defense to someone who asks us the reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). But what if the questioner is not interested in asking about the hope?
I remember thinking that I had to give an answer to everyone regardless of their attitude. I soon learned, however, that not everyone is humble enough to receive the answers that we might give. On one occasion, a questioner online said that there were millions of contradictions in the Bible. I asked him to name just three. He posted 45. I spent several hours researching each of these alleged contradictions and posted a reasonable answer to every single one. In less than a minute, he posted that my comments were nonsense. He had not had sufficient time even to read the first answer, let alone the other 44.
Perhaps the amount of study was wearisome. It was certainly helpful to me, but not to my questioner, who had a closed mind.
There are many well-researched books about these alleged contradictions. I have even contributed to one myself. Of the making of these sort of books, there seems to be no end. The writer of Ecclesiastes noted that �much study is a weariness of the flesh�. Without reference to God, our study does become wearisome. But if it points humble hearts to God, then it is one of the most important things we can do.
Help me to show myself approved, Lord God. Help my study not to be wearisome, but to bring honor and glory to Your Name. Amen.
Ref: Ham, K. (ed. 2010), Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Volume 1, (Master Books). Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
AS ONE APPROVED
2 Timothy 2:15
�Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.�
When you come up against a Christian who believes in evolution, your conversations with him will be qualitatively different from the conversations that you might have with an unbeliever. It can be very frustrating and even depressing to encounter a Christian who says that he believes the Bible but does not believe the literal truth of what the Bible teaches in Genesis 1. How can you defend creationist truth in such a situation? It can often seem overwhelming to try to do so.
In such circumstances, you should try to remember these three points.
1. Just because your friend does not believe in a literal six-day creation does not mean that he is an unbeliever. Jesus does not require belief in a literal six-day creation for salvation.
2. You do not need to know everything. There are great websites and books to point people to that will help you answer questions.
3. You should at least know a few facts, especially those that are derived from Scripture. You may not need to know quantum mechanics and string theory, but you should be reading your Bible and knowing a little of what it says.
The answer to point three is to do a little studying. You should at least look at a couple of easy-to-read books or web pages so that you can answer some common questions.
The Bible says that you should �do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.� (2 Timothy 2:15)
Thank You, Lord, for making Your word clear about how creation happened. Help us to be gracious but knowledgeable about creation when talking with my Christian friends. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:15
�Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.�
When you come up against a Christian who believes in evolution, your conversations with him will be qualitatively different from the conversations that you might have with an unbeliever. It can be very frustrating and even depressing to encounter a Christian who says that he believes the Bible but does not believe the literal truth of what the Bible teaches in Genesis 1. How can you defend creationist truth in such a situation? It can often seem overwhelming to try to do so.
In such circumstances, you should try to remember these three points.
1. Just because your friend does not believe in a literal six-day creation does not mean that he is an unbeliever. Jesus does not require belief in a literal six-day creation for salvation.
2. You do not need to know everything. There are great websites and books to point people to that will help you answer questions.
3. You should at least know a few facts, especially those that are derived from Scripture. You may not need to know quantum mechanics and string theory, but you should be reading your Bible and knowing a little of what it says.
The answer to point three is to do a little studying. You should at least look at a couple of easy-to-read books or web pages so that you can answer some common questions.
The Bible says that you should �do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.� (2 Timothy 2:15)
Thank You, Lord, for making Your word clear about how creation happened. Help us to be gracious but knowledgeable about creation when talking with my Christian friends. Amen.
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