Many in the Church question whether creation is relevant to the Christian faith or Christian living. Some say, “Don’t worry about Genesis; just believe in Jesus.” Others even call themselves ‘red-letter Christians’, concentrating only on Jesus’ recorded statements which are in red in some Bibles.
However, this position is self-refuting. Even using red letters alone, we can show that Jesus did not subscribe to this view. Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35)—for Him, what Scripture says is what God says. Many times, Jesus said, “It is written … ”, then cited Scripture as the final authority. Thus clearly He believed that even the ‘black letters’ were just as much God’s words as His own.1
In particular, since Genesis is part of Scripture, then logically, Jesus implicitly said, “Genesis cannot be broken.” And Jesus explicitly taught that Genesis is God-written real history. In Matthew 19:4–6, He said:
“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
In the above, Jesus cited Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 as real history, and the foundation for marriage as a man and a woman only, by God’s design. So much for the ‘red letter Christians’ who claim that Jesus said nothing against ‘gay marriage’, or that Genesis is irrelevant to Christian living.2 Also, the quotation from Genesis 2:24 was said to be the words of the One who made them, i.e. from God Himself. And note that Jesus started off, “Have you not read …?” insulting these alleged Scripture scholars for their ignorance of its teaching.
The parallel account of Jesus’ teaching in Mark 10:5–9 adds another detail, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’.” Note: humans were there right from the beginning—six days away from the beginning is right at the beginning of a ~4,000 year timeline from Creation to Christ. But long-agers believe that humans appeared billions of years after the universe began with a big bang—in fact, almost at the end of the evolutionary timelime.3,4
Furthermore, Jesus taught that the rest of Genesis was accurate history, including the murder of Abel (Luke 11:51), Noah’s Ark and Flood (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–27), Abraham’s life (John 8:56–58), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), including the stern warning, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17: 28–32). Indeed, Jesus affirmed even the parts of Scripture that skeptics love to mock.5 And He ought to know; since He was both with God and himself fully God from eternity past (John 1:1), and it was by Him all things were made (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16).6
Thus despite the common misapprehensions in the first paragraph, we affirm a historical Genesis because Jesus himself did! And this magazine exists precisely to affirm this view—so no red letters from now on.
In fact, this issue completes 37 years of publication, and we celebrate by interviewing the recently-retired founder, Dr Carl Wieland (p. 43–43). And over the years, we have interviewed many with the same realization: to honour Jesus is to honour the Scriptures He affirmed; in this issue, it’s a former world-class pole vaulter (p. 18–21).
Creation magazine has long shown the connection between Genesis and Jesus. In this issue, an award-winning physics professor shows the biblical connection of salvation from Noah’s Flood and salvation from sin (p. 22–24). The reality of this global flood is amply supported by the geological record, e.g. great escarpments encompassing the continents (p. 46–48) and remarkable fossils of animals preserved together (p. 38–39). And a New Testament specialist shows God’s supreme wisdom and love in giving us a book (p. 16–17). Finally since Jesus is the Designer, we always showcase some of His masterpieces; e.g. some squid turn out to be fliers (p. 12–13).
As Creation magazine enters its 38th year, we rejoice that it continues to defend Jesus’s view of Scripture in the 100+countries it goes to.
