A significant number of biblical scholars hold to a view of Scripture where the creation account in Genesis is interpreted as a historical narrative compared to figurative poetry. By contrast, those with a figurative, poetic reading of Creation often presuppose from a naturalistic worldview a storyline or framework of Creation made to fit human perspective or rationale. While there is plenty of symbolism in Scripture, the tension between the two can rest upon having explanatory power corresponding to what “makes sense” from human sensory perception and reason as validated by the scientific method. Or just by what makes sense to humanity as compared to what is given by revelatory explanation from the God of ancient historical record and Scripture. Where it can feel like a prevailing view centers around what humanity can perceive and produce as an individual or its social acceptance and reliance of observation on the scientific method to support a sensible position of normalcy. At least in terms of natural law or the laws of physics.
Even though the words of Genesis are delivered or settled according to authorial intent, the meaning of original manuscripts according to historical reference, tradition, and culture bears significant weight to many as a matter of contrast and comparison about how existence came to be. So, at face value, rationale about the Creation narrative provides for a surface-level view of meaning from a Creator. Then by looking deeper at root languages across the entire text of Scripture, a fuller and more comprehensive interpretation emerges with a clearer understanding and deeper significance. Especially with respect to how the Creation account in Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 communicates speech-actions in terms of what was revealed by associated methods and sequence or timeline.
Interpretation Rests Upon Authorial Intent
It is the difference between a narrow view and a broad view in terms of four-dimensional thinking. So as to rest upon available and reasoned faith in what God has communicated through the authors of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16). If anyone can surmise that an extra-natural existence beyond our confines of space and time is possible without scientific evidence that satisfies humanity, then new questions can form around the metaphysical nature of reality.
As a few questions lead to several more questions, just maybe there becomes a willingness beyond speculation to see and hear what theologians for thousands of years have been saying about what the prophets and apostles wrote. Namely, for example, in Romans 1:19 – 23, where God has explained that He has revealed Himself in what is observed or perceived through Created reality in the everyday world around us. Yet even further throughout the Universe itself.
New Testament Recognition of Creation & Its Origin
“19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
Romans 1:19–23 (ESV)
Literal Narrative Argumentation
So to further draw a contrast between figurative poetry and historical narrative, I have outlined here a few notes from theological texts that advocate a historical narrative perspective. Much of it literal while some of it symbolic.
- Argument from Statistical Process Analysis
Produced and demonstrated to parse and quantify the Hebrew language and its grammatical details about how the Genesis written account is formed and expressed. The form of the written creation account in Hebrew supports a literal historical narrative as compared to a poetic framework.
- Argument from Literary Development
Author intended written work as reference to real events. Examples produced from customs, ancient names, monuments, pronouncements, historical references, cited sources and records, chronological references, genealogies, prophetic utterances, time anchored words, and historical trajectories.
- Argument from Doctrine
The doctrine of Scripture requires readers to accept by authorial intent that the Genesis account originated from God. A historical narrative description of real events as revealed by God in Scripture through the author of Genesis. The Bible compels the reader to a belief in the past of actual events as narrated.
- Argument from Exegetical Hermeneutics
Scholars attempt to show that the Genesis creation account is about the form of the text as if it were akin to a parable. With reference to ANE comparisons, their view is that ancient readers would have never viewed the ancient account as a literal historical account. Contrary to scholars’ view that the text is figurative, in that creation was a formative effort. By contrast and effective exegesis, the Hebrew term בָּרָא for “created” (Gen 1:1), is to bring into existence, or the verb, “bā·rā” according to the Hebrew-Aramaic dictionary.
- Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew 1343 I. בָּרָא (bā·rā(ʾ)): v.; ≡ Str 1254; TWOT 278—1. LN 42.29–42.40 (qal) create, i.e., make something that has not been in existence before (Ge 1:1); (nif) be created (Ge 2:4); 2. LN 42.29–42.40 make, form or fashion something out of elements that exist (Ge 6:7; Jer 31:22; Is 65:18).
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