{"id":226,"date":"2012-09-16T23:31:32","date_gmt":"2012-09-17T06:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/?page_id=226"},"modified":"2012-09-16T23:31:32","modified_gmt":"2012-09-17T06:31:32","slug":"foundations-in-genesis-genesis-1-11-today","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/?page_id=226","title":{"rendered":"Foundations in Genesis: Genesis 1-11 Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Published in\u00a0Ordained Servant<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Rowland S. Ward, Th.D., Foundations in Genesis: Genesis 1-11 Today<\/em>, \u00a9 1998 by Rowland S. Ward, New Melbourne Press, 358 Mountain Hwy., Wantirna, Victoria 3152, Australia. 208 pages, paper. Available from the publisher, $12.00 (+$3.00 shipping and handling). Reviewed by John W. Mahaffy, pastor, Trinity Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Newberg, Oregon.<\/p>\n

\u201cFoundations\u201d aptly describes Dr. Rowland Ward\u2019s study in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. Too brief to be a full commentary, the book explores the foundation set in Genesis and its relationship to the structure of the rest of Scripture. Foundations in Genesis<\/em> starts from the position that the Bible is God\u2019s word written. Dr. Ward understands Jesus\u2019 words to the disciples in Luke 24 as he writes: \u201cIt is therefore not for us to contrive Christ into the Book of Moses to make it a book suitable for Christians, for Christ is already there\u201d (p. 15).<\/p>\n

The author is clearly conversant with recent scholarship, but he writes in non-technical language. The book grew out of preaching to Knox Church in Melbourne, which this pastor-scholar, a minister in the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, serves. Several tables help to focus on the structure of the book. A few minor typographical errors detract slightly.<\/p>\n

Because he does not shirk the hard questions, some of the author\u2019s conclusions are controversial. Likely few readers will agree with all of them (this reviewer does not). But he writes with an irenic spirit. Further, he maintains an (increasingly rare) ability to distinguish between the clear teaching of the text of Genesis and his own, sometimes tentative, conclusions.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ward\u2019s approach is balanced. He distances himself from those who \u201center the holy place of Genesis 1-11 . . . visiting this cathedral\u201d primarily to seek ammunition for their own view of the date and length of\u00a0 time of\u00a0 creation. But he also decries others who dismiss the early chapters as myths or legend and \u201chave their own too narrow agenda which prevents Scripture from being heard for what it is, the word of God to sinners\u201d (p. 5).<\/p>\n

The three brief introductory chapters are worth the price of the book. After beginning with \u201cOur Approach to Scripture,\u201d he focuses on \u201cOur Approach to Genesis,\u201d and then examines \u201cThe Structure of Genesis.\u201d\u00a0 That approach is evident as, near the end of the book, he reminds us, \u201cWe must not interpret the narrative by our benchmarks of significance, but by God\u2019s\u201d (p. 178).<\/p>\n

The serious student of Scripture will find fresh perspectives in this book. Pastors would do well to read it before preaching on Genesis. Ruling elders will find it a useful tool as they prepare for teaching classes. It is clear enough that the ordinary, discerning believer, as well as the ordained servant, will benefit from Dr. Ward\u2019s pastoral concern.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the book does not have a U.S. distributor. It is available from the author at the address above. (Due to the high cost of handling foreign checks, cash is the preferred form of payment for single, or a few, copies. In the experience of this reviewer orders are shipped promptly by air mail.)
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Published in\u00a0Ordained Servant Rowland S. Ward, Th.D., Foundations in Genesis: Genesis 1-11 Today, \u00a9 1998 by Rowland S. Ward, New Melbourne Press, 358 Mountain Hwy., Wantirna, Victoria 3152, Australia. 208 pages, paper. Available from the publisher, $12.00 (+$3.00 shipping and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":39,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-226","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=226"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227,"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/226\/revisions\/227"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahaffynet.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}