Over the years, I’ve had so many pastors tell me that they avoid preaching the early chapters of Genesis in their churches because it’s just too controversial and can cause division.
To avoid ruffling feathers, many pastors avoid it, or if they must teach those early chapters, they are often very vague, not taking a position on Genesis or presenting all the positions and letting their congregation choose for themselves. But this approach has had major negative consequences!
You see, our biblical worldview is grounded in the history in Genesis. Think about it:
- Why did Jesus die on the cross?
- Why am I a sinner?
- What is marriage?
- What is gender?
- What does it mean to be human?
- Why do we need a new heavens and a new earth?
To answer any of these questions (and many more!), you have to start with the history God has given us in Genesis 1–11. In other words, to build a truly biblical worldview, you have to start with Genesis. But because so many pastors have avoided Genesis in their preaching (or compromised Genesis with evolutionary ideas), many Christians don’t know how to think biblically, and they end up thinking more like the world than the Word! Or they have doubts that lead to unbelief or a weak faith that compromises with man’s word.
Yes, Genesis is controversial—but not because it isn’t clear! The history in Genesis is clear. The controversy arises when people take man’s interpretations based on naturalism (evolution/millions of years) and add them into Genesis. When they do this, they’re making man, not God, the authority. And that’s a serious issue!
We need more pastors/Christian leaders who will boldly take a stand on a literal Genesis, regardless of the consequences, so their congregations can have a true biblical worldview and be equipped with answers to defend the truth of Scripture, from the very first verse.
