![]() In Acts 17:28 Paul also quoted from Epimenides, as well as Aratus, a third-century BC Greek poet. In Titus 1:12, the Apostle Paul quoted a single line from Epimenides, a sixth-century BC Greek poet. Nor is the Book of Enoch alone in being quoted in the New Testament. But this quote is only one sentence from a very lengthy book. Another defense is that the NT writer Jude (vv. However, all this proves is that for whatever reasons, the Qumran sect liked it. One defense is that it was included with the Qumran scrolls. ![]() Several defenses are put forth for holding the Book of Enoch in such high regard. But the Book of Enoch doesn’t claim to be a commentary, but instead comes across as a revelation, at least implying the claim that it is an inspired text. Some Christians who teach that the earth is flat try to split the difference, treating the Book of Enoch as a sort of commentary on the Bible. However, to the Christian, the Book of Enoch is in a totally different category from Scripture, though it may be of some value as a window to what some ancient Jews thought. To the non-Christian, the Book of Enoch is just another ancient manuscript, on par with the Bible. Neither Jews nor Christians have considered the Book of Enoch to be part of the canon, though some smaller sects (especially in Ethiopia) have given it some status. However, most scholars believe the Book of Enoch was written in the second and first centuries BC, not three millennia earlier when Enoch most likely lived. What is the Book of Enoch? As the name suggests, this ancient book (sometimes referred to as 1 Enoch) ostensibly was penned by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Some flat-earthers have appealed to the Book of Enoch to support their argument that the Bible teaches that the earth is flat. Unfortunately, some Christians of late have swallowed this faux history (and much more false history) and begun proclaiming flat earth as truth in a misguided attempt to defend the Bible. Only in recent decades have Christians fallen for this lame attack on the authority of Scripture and foolishly begun reproducing these figures as if this is what the Bible taught all along. But it was Bible critics, not Christians, who introduced these diagrams. Depictions of an enclosed dome over a flat earth (Figure 1) supposedly taught in the Bible did not start appearing until the 19th century. Where do flat-earthers get this notion? Contrary to common misconception, for the two millennia of the Christian age, the church did not teach that the earth is flat. However, flat-earthers have failed to learn this lesson, because they insist that their understanding of biblical passages teach that the earth is flat. This should be a lesson to all of us not to read into Scripture (eisegesis) our preferred cosmology. Even today we live with the consequences of both mistakes. The second example resulted in the Galileo affair. The first example ultimately led to the poor translation of rāqîa as “firmament,” which in turn led to much confusion (including flat-earth movement today). Examples include the Septuagint’s translation of rāqîa as stereoma, and Thomas Aquinas’ endorsement of the Ptolemaic model. Nevertheless, throughout the ages, people have chosen to understand these verses from the creation account, as well as other verses throughout the Bible, in terms of the cosmology of their day. If God had done otherwise, it would have needlessly exposed the Bible to ridicule in nearly every age, for man’s cosmologies have changed continually over time. God exemplified his wisdom in not endorsing any of man’s cosmologies in his Word. ![]() These statements briefly describe God’s creative acts during Creation Week, but they hardly teach any particular cosmology, such as geocentrism or heliocentrism, whether the earth is flat or a sphere, or whether the universe is expanding or static. ![]() The Day Two account (Genesis 1:6–8) tells us that God made the rāqîa (firmament or expanse or sky), and that God called it “heaven.” On Day Four (Genesis 1:16–19), God made the luminaries (astronomical bodies) that he placed in the rāqîa. For instance, Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created heaven and earth. There I made the point that the Bible doesn’t endorse any cosmology, but instead gives only bare details regarding cosmology that could be understood several ways. In a previous article, I discussed a few of the biblical passages that, according to some people, teach that the earth is flat.
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