Dear Chris,

What is history except a narrative that is pieced together in order to determine as best as possible what happened in the past and its significance.  We can and should ask the question, “How did the narrator know what happened concerning any particular event?”  One such situation that comes to mind is the long prayer in the Garden that John narrates.  In this type of situation I would say that you just have to examine it on its own value, and not accept it as true just because it is in the Bible.  I would say that it does ring true logically and theologically.

Looking at Genesis 1 we certainly cannot say where the information about the Creation came from.  The problem with arguing about the details is that the basic meaning of the text can be lost.  If the details bring important light to the present, that is a bonus.  Let us not forget then forest because we don’t unstand the trees.   

No doubt that is why we call it revelation.  None the less it is revelation about a historical event, the beginning of the universe and thus is history.  Part of the confusion could be that other non-Biblical religions are based on ahistorical myths, so people think that the Bible must be mythological too.

The problem with this is that the myths depict a static universe and a closed static society, while history is the story of movement and change.  While many are still attracted to a traditional order that favors them, history seems to attest to the need to change, to develope and to grow toward the future, rather than cling to the past.  Some may still be attracted by the classical Greek and Roman tradition which was built on myth, rather than change.          

Now it is true that some want to treat the Bible as mythos which in its classical form means a story written in stone, accepted as truth based on authority and tradition.  Socrates was put to death because he was accused of undermining the social order because he allegedly encouraged people to question the myths.  The religions that were based on the myths died because people did begin to question the myths and decided that a religion based on the historical events, the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, made more sense.    

Again, while like anything else history can be abused, but for me it makes sense.  The reason I think that I can say this from a Christian point of view is because the Christian standard for history is the historical person, Jesus the Messiah.  Some may say that this is circular reasoning, but if history does not attest to the meaning of Jesus, Who was historical as well as transhistorical, then something is very wrong with our faith, while we need to do our best to make His kingdom into a reality.     

Peace and Joy,

Relates