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A different creation account

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 6:27 pm
by Gman
I was just wondering. I heard a really neat interpretation the other day about the creation of man and the book of Genesis. It goes like this (perhaps it is somewhere on this web site also), God creates mankind on earth in Gen 1:26, the asians, the africans, europeans, etc... But then when he get's to the garden of Eden, it is a separate creation account. He creates Adam and Eve to work the Garden of Eden.

Why a separate creation of man account? Because it has to do with the lineage of Christ in the Jewish ancestry. I've also heard that the Garden of Eden was an enclosed park, (separate from the rest of the world). Anyone have a thought about this?

G -

Re: A different creation account

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:35 am
by Canuckster1127
Gman wrote:I was just wondering. I heard a really neat interpretation the other day about the creation of man and the book of Genesis. It goes like this (perhaps it is somewhere on this web site also), God creates mankind on earth in Gen 1:26, the asians, the africans, europeans, etc... But then when he get's to the garden of Eden, it is a separate creation account. He creates Adam and Eve to work the Garden of Eden.

Why a separate creation of man account? Because it has to do with the lineage of Christ in the Jewish ancestry. I've also heard that the Garden of Eden was an enclosed park, (separate from the rest of the world). Anyone have a thought about this?

G -
I have some problems with it.

First, while I believe the creation account interpreted through an Old Earth Framework allows for hominids prior to the creation of Adam, there seems to be clear indications in the passage that Adam was THE first man and Eve was THE mother of all.

Second, while I know you are not purposely introducing it, this type of interpretation is often times introduced by those who have a racist outlook that sees mankind as created each to his own "kind." The fact is that color of the skin has nothing to do with speciation within mankind. We are all the same species in that regard. This type of teaching lends itself to racial division.

The Garden of Eden is accepted by most creationists, OEC and YEC as having been a separate location, not the entire earth. The most conjectured location is at the convergence of the Tigress and Euphrates rivers. I don't personally have a strong opinion in terms of exact location, nor do I think it matters.

OEC'rs tend to see Eden as a special location with special rules or situations in effect possibly separate from the rest of creation, which would have been in existence for a considerable time before God introduced man into the creation.

YEC'rs tend to see Eden as maybe a separate location but that the whole earth at this time was a paradise where there was no death, no carnivores (obviously .. or there would by definition be death) etc.

I can look into it more and hopefully others will chime in.

What is the source of this interpretation? Radio or TV preacher?

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:54 pm
by Gman
Hi,

I got this from a friend of mine the other day. I'm not sure where he got it from. He listens to a group called the "Sheperd's Chapel"a lot, perhaps he got it from them.
Second, while I know you are not purposely introducing it, this type of interpretation is often times introduced by those who have a racist outlook that sees mankind as created each to his own "kind." The fact is that color of the skin has nothing to do with speciation within mankind. We are all the same species in that regard. This type of teaching lends itself to racial division


I'm not sure if I follow you on this one... Does the fact that the different human races that exsist today, (with different color of skin, hair, etc..) mean that God is a racist regardless of how they came into being? (or being separate creation accounts?) Couldn't we all be part of mankind, (being either white, black, brown, purple or green) and all still be created in the image of God?

On the other hand God could have created man, (and not the different races) in Gen 1:26 and spread them throughout the world after the tower of Babel and still could have created a separate Garden of Eden for mankind again, (the jewish race). This too could possibly explain where Adam and Eve's children got their spouses as well.

Perhaps the only real racist thing I see here is a creation of the separate Jewish race, (Adam's bloodline from where Christ would come out of). We know that God is no respector of person's Acts 10:34, but then again he did say his people, (being the Jewish people) would be a kingdom of priests to the rest of the world. But this could be more of a functional thing (in the Old Testement) than placing them on a higher level.

I guess I think I'm looking for a biblical justifications or non-justifications for this account.

Just a thought nothing more... Im not here to promote this theory, just to discuss it.
THE first man and Eve was THE mother of all
THE first in the Garden of Eden...

G -

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:17 am
by Canuckster1127
Gman wrote:Hi,

I got this from a friend of mine the other day. I'm not sure where he got it from. He listens to a group called the "Sheperd's Chapel"a lot, perhaps he got it from them.
Second, while I know you are not purposely introducing it, this type of interpretation is often times introduced by those who have a racist outlook that sees mankind as created each to his own "kind." The fact is that color of the skin has nothing to do with speciation within mankind. We are all the same species in that regard. This type of teaching lends itself to racial division


I'm not sure if I follow you on this one... Does the fact that the different human races that exsist today, (with different color of skin, hair, etc..) mean that God is a racist regardless of how they came into being? (or being separate creation accounts?) Couldn't we all be part of mankind, (being either white, black, brown, purple or green) and all still be created in the image of God?

On the other hand God could have created man, (and not the different races) in Gen 1:26 and spread them throughout the world after the tower of Babel and still could have created a separate Garden of Eden for mankind again, (the jewish race). This too could possibly explain where Adam and Eve's children got their spouses as well.

Perhaps the only real racist thing I see here is a creation of the separate Jewish race, (Adam's bloodline from where Christ would come out of). We know that God is no respector of person's Acts 10:34, but then again he did say his people, (being the Jewish people) would be a kingdom of priests to the rest of the world. But this could be more of a functional thing (in the Old Testement) than placing them on a higher level.

I guess I think I'm looking for a biblical justifications or non-justifications for this account.

Just a thought nothing more... Im not here to promote this theory, just to discuss it.
THE first man and Eve was THE mother of all
THE first in the Garden of Eden...

G -
I thought it might be Shepherd's chapel.

We've had some proponents of that group here from time to time.

I understand you are asking and not promoting.

You may want to take a look at these sites regarding their doctrines and practices for some background and you'll maybe see why I raised the issue of racism and why an interpretation such as your suggesting can serve as a means for advocating racial separation.

http://www.carm.org/chapel/shepherds_chapel.htm

http://www.carm.org/chapel/chapel_teach.htm

Hope this helps.

Bart

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:07 pm
by Gman
Thanks Canuckster. I really don't know much about this group. I'll check it out.

G -