Faith & Reason

Nearly everyone, religious or not, is somewhat familiar with the first chapter of Genesis.

It is here where God creates the material universe. I say material, because it is the totality of that which exists that we can empirically observe, and have evidence that it exists.

And that it was made out of nothing.

The spiritual universe, where the ever-living, most-high God lives, is a little less tangible… a little less concrete. And certainly less observable.

So in this chapter, we have God creating matter. He starts with creating heaven and earth. Without having a Greek or Latin translation tool at this point in my study, I cannot determine what word is being used for “earth.” I believe that in the Masoretic version, which I do not hold in the same esteem for accuracy, the word is “‘erets,” which means land.

Indeed, in verse 10, it is said God called the dry land Earth.

In the Latin translation, we have a lowercase version, earth, in verse one. In verse 10, where the differentiation is made to dry land, it is also capitalized… i.e., Earth.

It would be an interesting word study.

However, I view the principal job of Christians, at this point, is not to quibble about various words. Instead, we need a defense of their religion. To bring it into the marketplace of ideas, to spread the message of the Word.

I can devote an entire book to the study of a single word, and have a tiny breakthrough, and an accomplishment of scholarship.

Or, I can use the same effort to persusade someone unfamiliar with our faith, and bring them to knowledge of what God can do for them.

I think that is indeed the path that I, and other Christians, must put our energies toward. Once acquainted with our faith, we can then proceed to hammer out the details.