Cosmic Compromise

Matt Miles • July 22, 2022

     The amazing and beautiful account of creation in Genesis 1 answers the questions of origins. Details written about each of the first six days demonstrate order, design and purpose. There is an ongoing desire by many to not allow the simple reading of the text to trump all other documents on the subject of origins. One such compromise position comes from Wheaton College Old Testament professor, John Walton.

     Walton believes our understanding of Genesis 1 should be one of “functional origins”, not material origins. He argues that we must read Genesis in light of other ancient Near East literature and continually reminds readers to reference it for insights to how God’s people would have understood Him. When read in this manner with this comparison, Genesis poetically reveals how God moves into His “cosmic temple,” the universe, emphasizing how God interacts with His creation as opposed to how He actually created it.

     To say the least, this interpretation does not answer why the rest of scripture refers to Genesis 1 as a historical record and not a poetic allegory about what might have happened. Or why there is no reference anywhere in God’s Word that we should refer to other outside texts for more insight into what He needs us to know about Him. Walton’s interpretation smacks of Documentary Hypothesis underpinnings that question the very inerrancy of scripture and push its origin off to the influence of other cultures. It places a greater significance on outside sources that supposedly preceded the Scriptural texts for our understanding of God’s Word rather than on the author Himself. These are always compromising positions that we should be extremely cautious entertaining.

     Our desire and focus here at CTF will always be to show the trustworthiness of Scripture on its own, breathed out by the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Yes, we use outside resources at times to help us support what the text is teaching us, but those outside sources will never trump the Word of God. That the Bible is the great influencer of all, rather than it being affected by others, is of foundational importance in worldview development. If we cannot trust what the Lord gave to us in His revelation, then how do we know which of His promises are trustworthy? It’s all or nothing to me. We accept the Word of God as it is written, or we don’t. No other literature in the world was written with the same inspiration as the Bible, and much of it has been written in an attempt to explain the origins of the world without our Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ.

By Ryan Cox June 18, 2025
Moses & History (part 3)
lined up books
By Matt Miles June 18, 2025
Over the course of time a person can accumulate many things. Most of the stuff we collect is meaningless to most everyone else, but when a person collects books, they can be treasured for a lifetime and even beyond. In this age of digital media, physical books seem to be less important to many people. Digital books are searchable, and copy/paste functions make it easy to use those great quotes. Yet, there is still something great about a physical book, things you can’t get digitally: the turning of pages, the feel of it in your hand, and the “book” smell. For our founder Dr. Sharp, physical books could never be replaced by digital. While my collection of books is growing each year, it is dwarfed by Dr. Sharp’s collection. Over the years he collected thousands of titles for research and enjoyment. Through the course of his ministry he had to sell his book collection a couple of different times to support his family, only to start collecting again when he was able to do so. When Doc passed his office full of packed bookshelves to me and said he would clear the shelves, I laughed out loud at the prospect of having loads of empty bookshelves. So I urged him to instead leave his books for my, and anyone else’s, use. Little did I understand that the four bookcases in my office were only a fraction of his entire collection. A couple of years back when Doc moved from his house, it was decided that his book collection would be stored at the office. Our thought was to establish a library, yet none of us had time to plan, organize and catalog all 79 boxes of books. They sat piled in his office until last year when my daughter Megan joined our ministry. She has a love of books, both reading and writing. So we offered her the task of cataloging and establishing Doc’s library. Can you picture me, a bbq lover, being offered a table full of succulent smoked offerings - brisket, sausage, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey and all sides? Yep, that was Megan’s response to the library. For over four months she cataloged and organized the entire collection. The Dr. G. Thomas Sharp Library was completed earlier this year in his old office space, with overflow into my office. The entire 2700+ volume agglomeration is digitally cataloged for searching and locating. As you might expect, there is an extensive collection of creation and evolution subject matter, yet the library is full of many different categories. It very much reflects Doc’s love of gaining knowledge and research. An extensive commentary collection and multiple Biblical reference sections are invaluable to our ministry. There is even a whole bookcase housing books that are over 100 years old. Our desire was not to just house books but to also make a place of honor and inspiration. One wall exhibits Doc’s many diplomas, and throughout the library we have placed personal memorabilia of the mission trips he took over the years. Come, grab a book, relax in the sitting area and allow Doc’s handwritten notes from the margins or post-it notes bring a smile to your face. For those who may be more ambitious, Doc's office chair resides at the credenza for anyone to sit and be inspired to study. This is a place to honor Doc’s life and love for books. We at CTF have already utilized this great resource for further study, and we are so thankful to Diane and their family for donating these books for continued Kingdom growth. Blessings.
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