Rick Phillips posts an article on the Reformation 21 blog that asks: if Old Testament teachers tell us that Adam and Eve weren’t real people because that is not compatible with current scientific theory, how do we maintain faith in other content of the Bible that is not supported by modern science?
An example of the sort of teaching about the early chapters of Genesis that Philips questions can be read here.
These questions are not particularly new. They have been raised throughout the 20th century.
The main difference is that the questions generally were asked by evangelicals of those who did not accept the Bible as inspired and fundamentally different from all other writing.
Now the questions are being posed within evagelicalism of those who maintain a position that the Bible is inspired and inerrant.
Michael Bird posts commentary that objects to Philips’ article on the basis that it is an ad hominem attack on the Old Testament teachers in question. (ad hominem means ‘against the man’, a needlessly personalised argument)
I think that he means that Phillips is ascribing positions to the Old Testament teachers that they do not hold, making it on the basis of what they have stated.
Phillips has posted in the comments section of Bird’s post seeking clarification about his characterisation of Phillips’ article.
For the record, I think Phillips’ article raises issues that need to be addressed.
I think that the rhetoric that Phillips engages in is similar in tone to that which is used by those whom he questions in their writings.
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