Feedback: One Bible, Many Interpretations?
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.SC., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, August 19, 2025 (Donate)
Letter, unedited:
I
thought the Scopes Trail was over, evolution is the deal here folks. I am so
proud to be a Jew, a Jew who understands that the bible has many
interpretations and shouldnt be read in a fanatical one sided view. Your Museum
is an affront to education and crosses the same line as Christianity in the
separation of church and state.
M.P., U.S.
Response:
It is nice to hear from you. Please see my sincere comments below.
I
thought the Scopes Trail was over, evolution is the deal here folks.
Actually, the
Butler Act, which forbade the
teaching of human evolution, was
upheld at the Scopes
Trial, and John Scopes was fined for teaching human evolution (although
this was later overturned on a technicality). The main setback to Christianity
came when William Jennings Bryan, who accepted long-age ideas despite the clear
teaching of Scripture to the contrary, was unable provide sound answers to
questions that merely require a straightforward reading of the Word: Who was
Cain’s wife?[1]
Were the days in Genesis 1 normal length days?[2]
Today, the
situation has reversed, and laws in certain places forbid the teaching of
creationism and the questioning of evolutionism. Even evolutionary scientists
who thrive on questioning ideas and hypotheses are restrained because they
cannot critique aspects of evolution.
This also
brings up other important points: one should not judge God and His Word based
on the actions of fallible and sinful Christians; and how compromising Genesis
leads to unbelief in subsequent generations.
I
am so proud to be a Jew,
Good. I want
to encourage you to trust what Moses wrote in Genesis over the secular humanistic
religion that has evolution as a tenet. The Jews were entrusted with the
oracles of God; they are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and they
were the people group to whom Jesus Christ first brought His message of
reconciliation with God (Luke 3; John 1), but keep in mind that pride is a
dangerous thing (James 4:6). But thanks be to God who, through the
work of Christ, has made Jews and Gentiles one:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:28–29, NKJV).
Sadly, due to an evolutionary mindset, Nazi’s tried to exterminate the Jews throughout Europe. Darwin heavily influenced these Nazis and Hitler in particular when he wrote that the “civilized Caucasians” should exterminate the other “races”. It is too bad they didn’t listen to God’s Word about all people being of the same race—the human race!
a
Jew who understands that the bible has many interpretations and shouldnt be
read in a fanatical one sided view.
Using this
philosophy of multiple interpretations, how do you know a Jew is a Jew? Perhaps
“Jew” is better understood as “Gentile” so as not to have a “one-sided” or
“fanatical” view. But instead of this all-is-relative approach to
understanding Scripture (which is a humanistic belief), it is better to let God
speak on His own terms and let Scripture interpret Scripture.
God’s Word
dictates that we stick with the plain reading of the Bible, understanding it as
the original authors intended it and as the original audiences would have
understood it (2
Corinthians 4:2, Proverbs 8:8–9).
For example,
we need to accept historical narrative passages as actual history and poetical
passages as poetry. We must use Scripture to interpret Scripture taking into
account the language and culture of the original audience.
Further, we
need to consider that the God who established the rules of logic could not
possibly contradict Himself in His Word, so the “many interpretations” idea
doesn’t work. God does not allow for interpretation A to be equal to
interpretation not-A at the same time in the same instance.
In today’s
culture, many people appeal to relative truth, but truth is not truth if it’s
relative—it’s merely fallible opinion (hence, arbitrary and false). The God of
the Bible is the absolute truth, and His Word is a perfect reflection of His
truth, and His purpose was to communicate this truth to us through it.
Your
Museum is an affront to education
Actually, the
Creation Museum is an educational
institution, although the main message isn’t new. For thousands of years,
people taught biblical truths such as creation in six days, a global Flood, and
an earth thousands (not billions) of years old.
In fact,
educational institutions such as Harvard,
Oxford, Yale, and Princeton once taught these truths. Are you suggesting
that these institutions were an affront to education for so long?
and
crosses the same line as Christianity in the separation of church and state.
So, you were
opposed to King David, King Hezekiah, and so on who mixed religion with state
affairs? It is interesting to note that
the oft-used “separation of church and state” clause isn’t found anywhere in
the U.S. Constitution; it comes from a Supreme Court ruling regarding the First
Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits government and government-funded
places to endorse one specific religion—like England was with Anglicanism
in the past. In fact, the Constitution protects the right to freedom of
religious expression elsewhere.
But keep in
mind that the Supreme Court also stated that African Americans were not
protected by the Constitution and could not be U.S. citizens in the Dred Scott
decision…so the Supreme Court isn’t perfect like God’s Word is. It can make
mistakes.
Keep in mind
that the Creation Museum isn’t a
state-run organization as many natural history museums are. It is a privately
owned museum with they have the ability to speak freely about religious issues. If you
truly want to keep religion separate from state institutions, then consider
challenging the religion of humanism that is promoted in state schools and
museums that are state funded.
With kindness
in Christ,
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website.
He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker,
writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Originally at Answers in Genesis; Edited; Republished
by permission.
[1]
For a thorough answer see: New Answers Book 1, Ken Ham, Gen. Ed., chapter by
Ken Ham entitled: Cain’s wife – who was she?, Master Books, Green Forest, AK,
2006.
[2]
For a thorough answer see: New Answers Book 1, Ken Ham, Gen. Ed., chapter by Could
God Really Have Created Everything in Six Days?, Master Books, Green Forest,
AK, 2006.
