Recap of 5/12/13 (Genesis
1:26):
1. Ethics
offers two choices, Objective truth (seen in absolutes) or Subjectivism (seen
in Cultural Relativism, Situation Ethics and Behaviorism). One says that God is sovereign over life,
death, and sexuality. The other says
that man is sovereign over life (abortion), death (euthanasia), and sexuality
(gender). Cultural relativism centers on
culture, believes that culture has the power to decide what is right and what
is wrong, thus culture (man) is sovereign, there are no absolutes to guide
individuals, there are no universal moral standards, and cultural relativism
leads to individual relativism, thus ultimately truth is determined by the
individual. As Christians we believe in
ethical absolutes as found in the Word of God.
Ethical absolutes insure order and civility in civilization and bring
joy, freedom from sin, and personal fulfillment. Ethical relativism insures moral anarchy and
is self-destructive personally and societally.
Christians need to be ready to give an answer in the area of Ethics because: of the lack of absolutes in our society
coupled with the desperate need for ethical standards to guide our abilities
and technologies; of the ‘slippery slope’ nature of so many ethical questions
(e.g. abortion leads to devaluing children at all stages of life); Christians
must learn to think Biblically and Christianly about ethical issues; and
Christians often know where they stand on ethical issues but cannot defend
their position. (Source: Christian Ethics in a Postmodern World by Dr. James P.
Eckman, Ph.D.)
2. Any discussion about marriage, its’
definition, its’ participants, and how it works best, starts with a simple
premise: society doesn’t define marriage…God does. So we start a study of marriage with
creation, Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25.
3. Some diminish the Genesis account of creation
by making it simply an allegory, but that doesn’t square with the teaching of
the rest of the Bible. Adam is listed in
extensive genealogies in Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1, and Luke 3:23-28 where Luke
begins with Jesus and goes all the way back to Adam. If one is historical, the other is
historical. Jesus treats the Genesis
account as historical in Matthew 19 and Mark 10. Paul treats the Genesis account of creation
as historical with references to Adam, Eve, the Fall, etc. in Romans 5; 1
Corinthians 11:8,9; 1 Corinthians 15:22,45; 2 Corinthians 11:3; and 1 Timothy
2:13,14. Jude and John do as well in Jude 14 and 1 John 3:12. Hebrew treats the early chapters of Genesis the
same way in chapter 11, citing it with other historical people and events.
