Dubious authority to speak of Bible

Page 5

Dear Editor:

In the May 2004 Windspeaker, Prof. Jack D. Forbes alleges, among other things, that the Bible book of Genesis does not give a single "correct" form of marriage. Forbes would have your readers believe that his accounting of the Genesis story is scholarly and reliable. Not so!

Prof. Forbes speaks of Elohim and Yahweh versions of the biblical text. Numerous reputable scholars have disputed the very existence of such versions. This being not the place to go into detail on this issue, I would simply note that the accounts of Genesis 1 and 2 are entirely reconcilable.

The two chapters simply give two different angles on the same one creation story.

Prof. Forbes goes on to assert, "Christian writers of today cannot hark back to the Torah rules unless they can explain why they eat pork and otherwise violate the bulk of Torah." A simple answer to this: read the New Testament. Jesus Christ claimed in Matthew 5:17-19 that he had come to fulfill the law. At the same time, he also preached the continuing inviolability of marriage as a creation ordinance (he appeals to Genesis) in Matthew 19:4-6.

The broader New Testament witness is consistent with this teaching of Jesus.

Prof. Forbes' specialty is Native American studies. He can write with authority on Native American views of marriage in a manner that I cannot. However, his claim to write with authority on what the Bible teaches is dubious.

Sincerely,

Rev. Wes Bredenhof,

B.A., M.Div., Th.D. cand.

Fort Babine, B.C.