Answer by John Mackay and Diane Eager Creation Unfolding: A New Perspective on Ex Nihilo by Ken. P. Coulson, was published by Phaneros Press in 2020. The core idea of Ken Coulson’s work is that he has devised a new explanation of creation, which he calls Supernatural Formative Process Theory (SFPT). The claimed benefit of […]
Category: Bible
TIM KELLER ON EVOLUTION & ADAM: Is evolution compatible with Adam and Eve and the Fall of Man? Keller says it is.
Answer by John Mackay and Diane Eager This question relates to an article by Time Keller on the Gospel Coalition website. Tim Keller (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Manhattan, chairman of Redeemer City to City, and founder of The Gospel Coalition. Tim Keller was […]
PARABLE? Is Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus a parable?
Answer by Diane Eager and John Mackay The account of the rich man and Lazarus is recorded in Luke 16:19-31 and contrasts two very different Jewish people: an extremely wealthy man living an indulgent lifestyle in opulent accommodation, and a poor beggar named Lazarus who suffering from diseased skin (most likely as a result of […]
MAN & WOMAN: Is there a real definition of man and woman in a world that wants fluid gender?
Answer by John Mackay and Diane Eager The easy bit is that the word “man” refers to an adult human male, and a “woman” is an adult female human. But can we actually give a testable, provable meaning to the traditional words “male” and “female”, or are they just roles allocated for convenience which can […]
HUMAN RACE? Is there only one race of man?
Answer by John Mackay Mankind! This word has been a great description down through the years of who we are, and what we were made to be. It is derived ultimately from the old English Mann Cynn, back though several thousand years of traditions in Sanskrit about the hero Manu who survived the big flood […]
DOG EVOLUTION? Dogs have undergone many changes since people have been breeding them. Surely this is evolution?
Answer Diane Eager and John Mackay Some variations in dog size, head shape, coat colour are just normal ranges of variation that occurs in any living thing, including humans. None of these are evolution. But what about the extreme and unusual differences that have come about through breeding, such as giant Great Dane vs micro […]
GENESIS ASSUMPTIONS: A preacher stated Genesis assumes the existence of God. Is this correct?
The original question was: Recently I heard an evangelical pastor preach a message on Genesis, where he told us that the first verse assumes the existence of God. Is this correct? Answer John Mackay and Diane Eager The first verse of Genesis makes the straightforward statement that: “In the beginning God created the heaven and […]
SYMBOLIC? How do we know Genesis is not a symbolic account of creation with the real point being God did it?
Answer by John Mackay There are several issues here that must be thought through: How do we know when words are symbolic? For example: one generation said: “That was great!” The next gen said: “That was wicked!”, which then became: “This is epic!” Did they mean the same thing? What clues tell us one word […]
GENESIS 3 SERPENT: could it speak, was it changed, and why God did punish it and not Satan?
Answer by John Mackay and Diane Eager. These questions arose from a longer criticism of the events described in Genesis 3, especially the verbal temptation of Eve and God’s judgment on the serpent. The main issues raised were: The serpent is described as a wild animal, and according to today’s scientific classification system it was […]
How can we know Moses wrote Genesis? Part 1: Is it in the record of Babel?
The original question was: Why do people say Moses is the author of Genesis when the book doesn’t even mention his name? Answer by John Mackay Moses is certainly mentioned in four of the first five books in the Old Testament i.e. Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy. Since his death and burial are recorded in […]