I'm interested in truth & what it means for individuals & humanity. This re-vamped blog is dedicated to truth and honest questions about faith in Jesus Christ. It is an effort to engage in authentic dialogue among Christians, Atheists and all points in between. Posts that do not honor legitimate discussion may be removed at my discretion. That doesn't mean that you can't disagree, but it DOES mean that you can't be a jerk. Welcome to the discussion.
The Greek and Hebrew words that have been translated into "world" in English can also mean: earth, land, region or territory. Sometimes the difference is in context, but there are special words that can have more narrow connotations. For example, the Greek word for all of creation is "kosmos", and it is translated as "world" in the following text:
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
But in this next verse, (Luke 2:1) the Greek word used for "world" is "oikoumenhn" and it has a more specific region in mind:
Luke 2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Other Greek words used for earth, ground and land are "gh" pronounced "gay" and "ghs" pronounced "gace"
We do the same thing in English. If you go out to your back yard and you dig up a clump with a shovel, what would you call it? Dirt, mud earth? Those are all acceptable, but would you call it "world, the cosmos, universe or creation?" Probably not. The problem lies within the word "earth." Does it mean a specific clump or the entire planet? This is the dilemma that interpreters face and their decision is undoubtedly impacted by their belief, just as scientific evidence is filtered through the mind of the researcher.
All this is to say that there is some variation among the meaning of the words translated as "world" in the biblical texts. Hence, some apologists have said in regard to the flood that perhaps is was not world-wide, but nevertheless sufficient to get the job done (eradication of the inhabited areas). What need would there be to flood continents and mountain ranges where no people lived in the first place?
But I stumbled onto something amazing yesterday afternoon. "Mega Disasters: Killer Comets." If you are interested in scientific evidence for the Flood of the Old Testament, you really need to see this show. Follow the link for details on how to get it. I think you can download the whole episode for $3: http://www.TVShowTracker.com/details/262319444/263221221
This episode has nothing to do with any particular religion except that of science, and without intending to do so, it makes a VERY strong case for a devastating flood "of biblical proportions" about 2800 years before Christ. Isn't THAT interesting? It's premise is built upon solid geologic and geographic evidence for a large comet strike in the Indian Ocean off of the coast of Madagascar. The program hypothesizes that the under-sea crater is evidence for a 3 mile-wide comet that would have created a tsunami with a tidal wave of absolutely massive proportions. It goes on to say that the atmospheric fall out and turbulence could have easily created enormous, super hurricanes and extended torrential downpours. It also said that the toll on human life in the hemisphere would have been catastrophic, especially since we tend to inhabit low-lying costal areas. Are you interested yet?
What I found to be particularly interesting is how one of the key proponents of this growing hypothesis kept referring to ancient flood accounts as "myths" and then proceeded to detail scientific evidence after scientific evidence supporting the notion that a massively destructive flood did occur 4800 years ago.
Again, this is not a "creationist" show in any sense, and in many ways it's interviewees appear to be secular in every aspect. It is amazing evidence that corroborates what Christians and Jews have been taught for a very long time. Whatever side of faith you come down on, I think everyone should see this episode and consider the evidence.
Please keep in mind that comments which do not honor the spirit of legitimate dialogue may be removed at any time and without notification. You are free to disagree passionately, but not inappropriately. -CL
The Greek and Hebrew words that have been translated into "world" in English can also mean: earth, land, region or territory.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the difference is in context, but there are special words that can have more narrow connotations. For example, the Greek word for all of creation is "kosmos", and it is translated as "world" in the following text:
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
But in this next verse, (Luke 2:1) the Greek word used for "world" is "oikoumenhn" and it has a more specific region in mind:
Luke 2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Other Greek words used for earth, ground and land are "gh" pronounced "gay" and "ghs" pronounced "gace"
We do the same thing in English. If you go out to your back yard and you dig up a clump with a shovel, what would you call it? Dirt, mud earth? Those are all acceptable, but would you call it "world, the cosmos, universe or creation?" Probably not. The problem lies within the word "earth." Does it mean a specific clump or the entire planet? This is the dilemma that interpreters face and their decision is undoubtedly impacted by their belief, just as scientific evidence is filtered through the mind of the researcher.
All this is to say that there is some variation among the meaning of the words translated as "world" in the biblical texts. Hence, some apologists have said in regard to the flood that perhaps is was not world-wide, but nevertheless sufficient to get the job done (eradication of the inhabited areas). What need would there be to flood continents and mountain ranges where no people lived in the first place?
But I stumbled onto something amazing yesterday afternoon. "Mega Disasters: Killer Comets." If you are interested in scientific evidence for the Flood of the Old Testament, you really need to see this show. Follow the link for details on how to get it. I think you can download the whole episode for $3: http://www.TVShowTracker.com/details/262319444/263221221
This episode has nothing to do with any particular religion except that of science, and without intending to do so, it makes a VERY strong case for a devastating flood "of biblical proportions" about 2800 years before Christ. Isn't THAT interesting? It's premise is built upon solid geologic and geographic evidence for a large comet strike in the Indian Ocean off of the coast of Madagascar. The program hypothesizes that the under-sea crater is evidence for a 3 mile-wide comet that would have created a tsunami with a tidal wave of absolutely massive proportions. It goes on to say that the atmospheric fall out and turbulence could have easily created enormous, super hurricanes and extended torrential downpours. It also said that the toll on human life in the hemisphere would have been catastrophic, especially since we tend to inhabit low-lying costal areas.
Are you interested yet?
What I found to be particularly interesting is how one of the key proponents of this growing hypothesis kept referring to ancient flood accounts as "myths" and then proceeded to detail scientific evidence after scientific evidence supporting the notion that a massively destructive flood did occur 4800 years ago.
Again, this is not a "creationist" show in any sense, and in many ways it's interviewees appear to be secular in every aspect. It is amazing evidence that corroborates what Christians and Jews have been taught for a very long time. Whatever side of faith you come down on, I think everyone should see this episode and consider the evidence.
http://www.tvshowtracker.com
ReplyDelete/details/262319444/263221221
Copy and paste or click on the Posting's title link "Is there any scientific evidence for the flood?"