Lost World Of Genesis One - Huh?

[Hamilton Porter]

I loved Lost World of Genesis One so much I read Walton's book on ANE thought and OT. And now I'm using his IVP commentary (excellent if you're into comparative ANE).

But his thesis is that "creating" something in the ANE means assigning something a function, not a material creation.

But anybody who's had a biology class knows something's function depends on its structure. And its structure is material. So how can you give something a function without creating it materially?

[David T]

Giving it a purpose, new or otherwise. I love the idea that God found our world, and, by placing his Covenant Children in appropriate hosts already here, gave this rock and the biology here an exalted eternal purpose, or.function, rather than just the deterministic courses of nature.

Edited June 19, 2012 by David T

[Hamilton Porter]

Does a spoon have a purpose without its shape or materials?

[altersteve]

Giving it a purpose, new or otherwise. I love the idea that God found our world, and, by placing his Covenant Children in appropriate hosts already here, gave this rock and the biology here an exalted eternal purpose, or.function, rather than just the deterministic courses of nature.

I like that idea too.

[David T]

Here's a great post Ben S did on Times and Seasons about Functional Creation: http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2012/02/institute-report-genesis-week-4/

From that post:

A corporation doesn’t exist just because it has a building or a sign out front. Think of God as CEO, and the building is already there. What he does is assign employees their jobs, how they’ll interact, and what they’re supposed to do; once all of those are in place, the CEO takes his seat in the head office, and opens for business. Now everyone knows what to do, the company can begin to carry out those functions as assigned, as assured and watched over by the CEO.

Bara’ then, the word translated as “create” may well, under the hood, mean something like “to assign a function within a system.” Prior to being bara‘ed, it would be tohu and bohu, functionless. Walton lays this out in great detail with plenty of evidence from within the Hebrew Bible and texts from the surrounding civilizations. It solves a multitude of problems, and I’m quite excited about it.

[altersteve]

A corporation doesn’t exist just because it has a building or a sign out front. Think of God as CEO, and the building is already there. What he does is assign employees their jobs, how they’ll interact, and what they’re supposed to do; once all of those are in place, the CEO takes his seat in the head office, and opens for business. Now everyone knows what to do, the company can begin to carry out those functions as assigned, as assured and watched over by the CEO.

I've actually never thought of it that way. I like that a lot. It kind of fits with what Joseph Smith said about God being the most intelligent of all the eternal intelligences.

Thanks for the link, David.

Edited June 20, 2012 by altersteve

[Hamilton Porter]

Where does this guy teach institute?

Here's a great post Ben S did on Times and Seasons about Functional Creation: http://timesandseaso...genesis-week-4/

From that post:

Where does this guy teach institute? I want to go to a class where they talk about the Enuma Elish!

[bcuzbcuz]

"A corporation doesn’t exist just because it has a building or a sign out front. Think of God as CEO, and the building is already there. What he does is assign employees their jobs, how they’ll interact, and what they’re supposed to do; once all of those are in place, the CEO takes his seat in the head office, and opens for business. Now everyone knows what to do, the company can begin to carry out those functions as assigned, as assured and watched over by the CEO."

So life is a corporation and God is the CEO. Beautiful. In a sick and weird kind of way.

You are on a religion message board. Do not denigrate God.

[Vance]

Does a spoon have a purpose without its shape or materials?

When a spoon is created from wood, was the wood specifically created to make said spoon?