New Book to Challenge the Church

Dr. Terry Mortenson (an AiG speaker, writer, researcher) has co-edited a unique new book that I wanted to inform you about. This is a book for the serious scholar—but a very needed resource for the church today. Here is Terry’s report on this book:

I would like to draw your attention to a new book in defense of young-earth creationism. It is called Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth (Master Books, 2008) and is available in the AiG web book store.

I am co-editor of the book and one of the 14 contributing authors (nearly all of whom are members of the Evangelical Theological Society). With forewords by Dr. John MacArthur and the late Dr. Henry Morris, this book is unique among creationist books as it defends young-earth creationism historically, exegetically and theologically (but it does contain an appendix recommending creationist books and DVDs that present the scientific evidence for a global Flood and recent 6-day creation). The book is written in honor of Dr. John Whitcomb, co-author (with Dr. Henry Morris) of The Genesis Flood (1961), which launched the modern creationist movement. Many of the authors are former students of Dr. Whitcomb.

The chapters deal with such topics as the New Testament evidence for young-earth creationism, the church’s belief in young-earth creationism for the first 1800 years, the role of Ancient Near-Eastern literature in the exegesis of Genesis, the framework hypothesis, the chronological value of the Genesis 5 & 11 genealogies, strong evidence that Genesis 1 is history, not poetry, myth, song, prophetic vision, parable, or any other kind of non-literal genre of literature, a careful analysis of the Genesis Flood account, an analysis of the biblical teaching on death, and the character of God as it relates to millions of years.

My co-editor and I have worked hard to make this scholarly work understandable also to serious-minded lay people. The target audience is seminary and Bible college professors and students, pastors, missionaries, and well-read lay people, and as such we hope that many seminaries and Christian colleges will want to use it as a primary or secondary text in a variety of courses. We believe it will make a very significant contribution to the debate in the Church worldwide about the age and history of the creation.

Many Christians in America and around the world think that the age of the earth is not important but rather is a divisive side-issue and that the Bible is not clear about the age of the earth. This book will show any Christian who is serious about his faith in the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God that Scripture indeed is clear on this issue and that it really does matter enormously what we believe about the age of the creation. As we argue, the idea of millions of years strikes at the very heart of the issue of the authority of the Word of God. What the Bible teaches about creation, death, the character of God, the Flood, and the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 are foundational to the gospel that we are all proclaiming to a lost world that has been thoroughly indoctrinated in the ideas of evolution and millions of years.

So, I strongly urge you to get and read this book and encourage others (especially pastors, missionaries, seminary and Christian college professors, and other Christian leaders) to do so also. Consider making it a Christmas gift to some of these people.

For the cause of God’s truth, Terry

Please pray this book has a great effect on challenging Christians/Christian leaders to stand boldly on biblical authority beginning with Genesis.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken