ESSAYS IN CHRISTIAN THOUGHT

Introduction

Many questions have arisen about the origin of man and the age of the earth.  This work has no definitive answers for either.  In many respects one must constantly refer to Deuteronomy 29:29, "Some things are for men to know and pass on to successive generations, but the secret things of God are to be known only by Him."  His archetypal knowledge is, and shall remain, far superior to man''s ectypal knowledge.  One cannot even be certain about the age of human culture.  It is known that the earliest Mesopotamian documents have been dated to about 3500 BC, but to say that that is the beginning of writing would be extremely shortsighted.  It would not allow for writing''s development up to that time.  One would logically have to conclude that writing began prior to 3500 BC, as obviously a system of written language had already been developed as evidenced by these very texts dated about 3500 BC. As to when it began is hard to ascertain. Any date given would be purely conjecture.  Certainly prior to 3500 BC.  As to the age of the earth, one couldn''t come close.  Even modern day scientists and many evangelical scholars create a huge "ballpark," with estimates running from tens of thousands of years to tens of millions and beyond.  Present human culture began with Adam and progressed to present. This writer would personally place Adam''s creation somewhere between 6500- 10,000 BC.  Another huge ballpark and all that it implies.  The earth itself is many years older as evidenced by fossil remains of prehistoric life forms such as dinosaurs, and the record given by what scientists deem the "geological clock" used to determine periods and dates of the earth''s various layers and rock formations.

Even when we move closer than the 3500 BC date of the Mesopotamian texts to 2350 BC (some 1150 years later), we cannot know all of the story. It was about this time that Sargon of Akkad, the first Semetic king who conquered the Sumerian cities, reigned.  He was probably the first "imperialist" king to systematically organize the various cities in his empire and establish a central "capital" at Akkad.  His daughter collected temple hymns throughout the Tigris-Euphrates Valley.  These surviving texts reveal a great deal about the religious theology of the "Holy Mountain Ziggurats" up and down the Tigris-Euphrates Valley, but they cannot give us a complete picture of all that enveloped the culture in this tiny area of the planet. Again, Deuteronomy 29:29.  Man will never know it all, but what we do know should lead us closer than ever before to the realization that there is in fact a Creator who is concerned with the creature. A principal hope of this work is to bring the reader closer to Him.  Others outside of Abraham''s family were believers and many more outside of Christianity proper are as well.  Believers were scattered throughout the world from the beginning.  Abimelech acknowledged God as Lord. Also, Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham as Priest of the Most High God" (Genesis 14).  Since Melchizedek was a priest, it stands to reason that he was a priest to a group of believers.

This work is not intended to answer the reader''s myriad of questions surrounding God''s Holy Word to man (the Bible), but rather is designed to stimulate one''s interest on the ideas presented.  It is believed that the reader''s interest will be sparked and the appetite wetted sufficiently to lead him to engage in further study of God''s Word. It is the hope that in doing so, one would be drawn closer to the Creator and have his faith in Jesus Christ strengthened.  Having not only studied that which is presented in this work, but much much more, has led this writer to such a relationship.