" As I read it, the whole Bible says no such thing -- one individual, Apostle Paul says, i.e.,
1 Corinthians 21: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." Romans 5:14 "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned..."
Not sure what you mean by the "whole Bible". Just read Genesis, or, take the Romans Scripture you offered above, which proves my point---death entered through Adam, the first man. Evolutionary theory teaches death existed long before man.
" Now, since Paul is noted for speaking metaphorically, indeed metaphysically, one has to ask: precisely what does he mean, and what is the reality behind it?"
Yep, you're right..;.the Bible is a puzzle God uses to confuse us. Anything can mean anything, or nothing. ;)
" Answer: doubtless Paul meant what he said, but neither his nor his readers' grasp on physical reality was grounded in science."
Oh, okay. So throw out that whole "divinely inspired" thing, huh? Gotcha.
" Nor was that necessary for them to understand the higher truths Paul pointed to. And even today, those higher truths are unaffected by scientific discoveries."
Higher truths like sin and salvation don't depend on Apostle Paul's unique exegesis of Genesis, imho. That's why any supposed "contradictions" with science don't need to be resolved."
Your mistake lies in trying to reconcile the word of God with science; instead of the opposite, or "visa versa", as you put it. Trying to twist Scripture into a pretzel while wondering what on earth was REALLY meant isn't wise, nor is it necessary. Take it for what it says.
" CofA: "Jesus said in Matthew 19:4, and again in Mark 10:6, that God made male and female at the beginning. Evolution, as stated above, demands one believe that humans evolved lately. The two beliefs are a contradiction and cannot be resolved, and worse, Christians who say they are also evolutionists are, unwittingly (I hope), painting Jesus Christ as a liar."
" First, the two verses are not actually identical. In Matthew 19:4, Jesus merely asks: "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female..." In other words, Jesus pointed rather vaguely at scripture."
LOL, nothing "vague" there. Did you miss the part about male and female made at the beginning?
" But in Mark 10:6 Jesus says directly: "from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female..." "
He was no less direct in the former passage.
"Second, any suggestion that Jesus "lied" is impossible, since he and his apostles obviously believed what they reported him saying, and were willing to die for his truth."
So the truth of the Bible is subjective, and Jesus "believed" what He was saying, so technically He wasn't lying. But He could be mistaken, I assume?
This is one of the inherent dangers of theistic evolution. It waters down the truth of the Bible and plants ideas that Jesus Christ is something less than omnipotent God and co-Creator in the flesh.
" Third, from a scientific perspective, God did create male and female from the beginning of life on earth."
Really? So what about the evolutionary timetable? It says man evolved over millions of years and is a recent arrival.
" Fourth, thinking logically, when exactly did "from the beginning" begin, and when did it end?"
Are we really going to descend into silliness like this? Really? I just had a thought...what if I'm really a washing machine?
Well....you've exposed my "game", so I guess the jig is up, right? (wink) Have a happy Thanksgiving, and God bless!
Not "technically": if he believed it, then it wasn't a lie, period.
Further, regardless of how we look at it, there is still great Truth in his words.
But why do you wish to argue over the mere technicality of what, precisely, does "at the beginning" mean, when that is irrelevant to Christ's clear point here, which is:
I've found no place in the Bible, outside of Paul's unique exegeses, which expressly says: "no death before Adam".
Sure, Genesis makes no mention of death before Adam, but why would anyone suppose plants and animals did not then live & die, just as they do today?
More to the point: why would anyone suppose that God is especially concerned about the natural lives & deaths of non-soul bearing individuals?
CofA: "...what about the evolutionary timetable?
It says man evolved over millions of years and is a recent arrival."
According to science, male and female have been present from the beginning of DNA based life on earth, some two billion years ago.
At no point does the Bible contradict "male and female" from the beginning.
Nor does the Bible contradict the findings of science that mankind, in our present form, is the most recent of God's creations.
On those points, at least, there is good agreement between Bible and science.
CofA: "This is one of the inherent dangers of theistic evolution.
It waters down the truth of the Bible and plants ideas that Jesus Christ is something less than omnipotent God and co-Creator in the flesh. "
First, that's a curious argument, since the Bible nowhere directly says that Jesus is "omnipotent God and co-Creator in the flesh."
All that kind of language came later, was first codified in law at the council of Nicea in 325 AD.
Second, I don't know of a way to protect ancient biblical understandings from modern perspectives, except by remaining focused on those higher truths which every biblical episode -- however historically accurate it might or might not be -- points to.
Third, and bottom line for this whole discussion is: you are absolutely entitled to believe whatsoever you wish about the Bible versus science, so long as you don't claim that your religion is scientific, or that science is just another religion.
Neither is truthful.
CofA: "Are we really going to descend into silliness like this?
Really? I just had a thought...what if I'm really a washing machine?"
Of course we are washing "machines"!
We wash dishes, clothes, ourselves and anything else within our responsibilities.
Yes, we are only talking definitions of words here -- those we use every day, those in the Bible and those of science.
Of course, if you wish to use words to make war between your religion and science, that's your choice.
I'm only trying to demonstrate how such wars are unnecessary.
;-)