Genesis Interesting Find: from a "Chinese" reader perspective

[PanInVietnam]

(there is a similar topic and i am unable to take part in that forum area hence apology to create another similar topic to voice my strong interest!)

after (quick) reading the book of genesis for the first time (like a story book) and i am amazed by the story, especially with much depth (of after-read googling for more related articles from multiple sources) for a 50-ish chapters. during one of my lunch time search, came across an article from answersingenesis.org that strikes me wondering as a "chinese" descendent: "The Original ‘Unknown’ God of China".

the info blow off my mind with keen interests to further read the book again, this time with more careful read. I hope to use this thread to voice my questions on this book and hope to stick to it until i find the path of truth for a middle aged father...

 

[Deborah_]

Everyone is descended from Noah. The list of nations in Genesis contains 70 names (if I remember rightly) which is a representative number.

 

[Carl Emerson]

(there is a similar topic and i am unable to take part in that forum area hence apology to create another similar topic to voice my strong interest!)

after (quick) reading the book of genesis for the first time (like a story book) and i am amazed by the story, especially with much depth (of after-read googling for more related articles from multiple sources) for a 50-ish chapters. during one of my lunch time search, came across an article from answersingenesis.org that strikes me wondering as a "chinese" descendent: "The Original ‘Unknown’ God of China".

the info blow off my mind with keen interests to further read the book again, this time with more careful read. I hope to use this thread to voice my questions on this book and hope to stick to it until i find the path of truth for a middle aged father...

You may be interested to know that the Maori elders in New Zealand had a secret faith in the High God above all God's, they called Io - that is why as many as 90% converted to Christianity when they read the bible and realised that He came to earth as Jesus and made a way for believers to receive eternal life.

 

[Carl Emerson]

You may also be interested to know that the concepts of the Christian Gospel are embedded in the Chinese characters. There was a book written about it, but I cant remember the title.

 

[PanInVietnam]

You may also be interested to know that the concepts of the Christian Gospel are embedded in the Chinese characters. There was a book written about it, but I cant remember the title.

i am aware and awe by this info (as a chinese)

 

[Arthur81]

Genesis in Chinese Pictographs

Ancient Chinese pictographs are silent witnesses, like fingerprints, of historical events reported in Genesis. In particular, the details of these word-symbols are clues that point to how the earliest Chinese must have known basic facts of Genesis 1–11 at the very time their pictographs were...

www.icr.org

Chinese Characters and Genesis

Here are seven Chinese Characters that show that the ancient Chinese knew the Gospel message found in the book of Genesis.

answersingenesis.org

These are a couple of web pages on this topic

 

[Arthur81]

There is also an interesting article discussing whether China is mentioned in Isaiah 49:12 -

Sinim - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[PanInVietnam]

although i am chinese descendants but not trained in the ancient literature or historical studies. have to admit is somehow connected to early china-land settlers which became chinese of today. will have to dig futher when i have the feee time.

 

[Pearl]

I once read an article that said that the earth/the soil has different colours - black, yellow, red, white and brown - and it claimed that when God made Adam from the earth that all those colours were in him and through procreation have developed into the different races. So if that is true and as Noah was a descendant of Adam then the Chinese people were like all of us descended from Noah and his three sons.

 

[PanInVietnam]

looks like happy moment do not last long: before sleeping, managed to google some articles that shows the early ancient chinese characters aint like what is written as @Arthur81 posted: these articles can fool people who aint ready to dig deeper (or unable to verify due to language barrier) to double check it's legitimacy.

long story short, these chinese characters have no connections to the genesis creation accounts, period. ‍

 

[Matthias]

looks like happy moment do not last long: before sleeping, managed to google some articles that shows the early ancient chinese characters aint like what is written as @Arthur81 posted: these articles can fool people who aint ready to dig deeper (or unable to verify due to language barrier) to double check it's legitimacy.

long story short, these chinese characters have no connections to the genesis creation accounts, period. ‍

What, if anything, does the discredited claim do to your interest in reading the Bible and learning about Christianity?

 

[PanInVietnam]

‭Genesis 1:2 RSV‬
[2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

so there was an Earth but without form (no physical?) and void (emptiness?) but have water... life started via water?

‭Genesis 1:26 RSV‬
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

yesterday while googling on the chinese characters (related to creation, briefly read how the chinese gave the accounts of the creation), notice the ancient chinese legends talks about similar creation by NuWa (from wiki: As creator of mankind, she molded humans individually by hand with yellow clay.[4] In other stories where she fulfills this role, she only created nobles[5] and/or the rich[6] out of yellow soil. The stories vary on the other details about humanity's creation, but it was a tradition commonly believed in ancient China that she created commoners from brown mud.[5] A story holds that she was tired when she created "the rich and the noble", so all others, or "cord-made people", were created from her "dragg[ing] a string through mud".[6]). kind of holds some similarities with god of israel. wonder if what @Pearl was referring to?

while waiting for the service center to change my vehicle battery, writing a short note about my re-reading of genesis... to be continued...

 

[PanInVietnam]

What, if anything, does the discredited claim do to your interest in reading the Bible and learning about Christianity?

i wouldn't say is discredited, just pointing out one have to duly check from multiple sources to ensure the info is correct or accurate before blindly accepts as correct or right info.

still learning and nothing worrying

 

[Matthias]

i wouldn't say is discredited ….

Then it may possibly still be true in your mind?

For what it’s worth, I don’t think it has any credibility. I inquired about it years ago with a Korean Christian professor and he quickly dismissed it.

… just pointing out one have to duly check from multiple sources to ensure the info is correct or accurate before blindly accepts as correct or right info.

That’s a very good point.

still learning and nothing worrying

Glad to hear it.

 

[PanInVietnam]

korean on chinese characters? unless is korean with chinese descendants? anyway i take it as a typo error.

things has developed (from BC3000+) too far (till 2024) to know where to begin from (writings developed), hence if is true, has to be something we can verify easily (i think).

 

[Matthias]

korean on chinese characters? unless is korean with chinese descendants?

I don’t know about any Chinese descendants but he does have Chinese ancestors. I can’t remember now if he has any children or not. He reads and speaks Chinese and Korean. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s right about the the credibilty. I was just passing it along for your consideration.

anyway i take it as a typo error.

things has developed (from BC3000+) too far (till 2024) to know where to begin from (writings developed), hence if is true, has to be something we can verify easily (i think).

I think it’s largely a meaningless exercise and wouldn’t spend much time going down that rabbit trail. That’s just me though. The important thing from where I’m sitting is that it hasn’t dampened your interest.

 

[Arthur81]

looks like happy moment do not last long: before sleeping, managed to google some articles that shows the early ancient chinese characters aint like what is written as @Arthur81 posted: these articles can fool people who aint ready to dig deeper (or unable to verify due to language barrier) to double check it's legitimacy.

long story short, these chinese characters have no connections to the genesis creation accounts, period. ‍

I do not know how you checked. I did not ask my Chinese friend about that specific article I posted, but in the past I've shown him similar articles showing the ancient Chinese characters claiming to mirror the Genesis creation account, and he said they were correct. Since my friend is originally from the PR of C I'll go with his evaluation.

 

[Arthur81]

korean on chinese characters? unless is korean with chinese descendants? anyway i take it as a typo error.

things has developed (from BC3000+) too far (till 2024) to know where to begin from (writings developed), hence if is true, has to be something we can verify easily (i think).

Pan, I've done a web search using several AI search engines. The idea of some of the Genesis creation account are in ancient Chinese characters, is controversial and it seems most secular scholars disagree with that idea. My Chinese friend is a more recent convert to the faith of Jesus Christ, so possibly his enthusiasm colored his evaluation. It is merely a point of interest, while the important Biblical statement for you to consider is the statement of redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

(Revelation 5:9 NRSVue) "They sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;"

Pan, I pray you are like Lydia as recorded in the book of Acts -

"Acts 16:14 NRSVue) "A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul."

 

[PanInVietnam]

nowadays there are too much info jamming legit stuff and one have to really has the determination to dig further to get the real stuff out. this is generally big issue: junk info vs real info

 

[PanInVietnam]

‭Genesis 1:31 RSV‬
[31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

evening then morning = new day. kind of opposite to what we know to be new day - morning or 12am. something new and never came across a new day can start from evening...

‭Genesis 2:3 RSV‬
[3] So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.

wonder if this is the origin of the 7 day a week thingy?

‭Genesis 2:15 RSV‬
[15] The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

garden of eden = earth?

‭Genesis 2:17 RSV‬
[17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

first rule: do not eat without permission? if eat then die (consequences of eating "posion" i-created-it-i-know or punishment of disobedience? ), dont eat = dont/wont die = live forever or live long life?

‭Genesis 2:22 RSV‬
[22] and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

i read/recall that tissues cell from the rib can grow cells of other parts of the body?

‭Genesis 2:24 RSV‬
[24] Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.

first marriage, first victim of domestic violence

‭Genesis 3:1 RSV‬
[1] Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”

ok, a talking serpent - first enemy of human beings baiting human to the serpent's motives (who knows what?)

‭Genesis 3:3 RSV‬
[3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

exaggerating info more than is required, exposing ownself to dangerous challenge..

‭Genesis 3:6 RSV‬
[6] So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.

greed of food?

‭Genesis 3:8 RSV‬
[8] And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

first we read the spirit of god (over water), and this spirit of god is walking (has legs)?

‭Genesis 3:12 RSV‬
[12] The man said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

finger pointing and pushing the blame to god

‭Genesis 3:13 RSV‬
[13] Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.”

what did the serpent cheated her of? the serpent just told her the truth that she didnt die (instant death or slow death? god didnt state) after eating the fruit.

‭Genesis 3:14 RSV‬
[14] The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

ancient serpent has legs and talks (remind me of the dragon: one of the 12 zodiac animals (11 real animals and +1 made up animal of the dragon? could this hint a dragon? probably a chinese one? is REAL?)

‭Genesis 3:17 RSV‬
[17] And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

life lesson #1 by Mr. Adam - do not take your wife's advise = more work! and why the serpent, and the (poor) ground be cursed? Woman got the pain, man have to work (no free lunch, work to eat).

maybe Mr. Adam is not referring to single man? but a group of humans beings??

‭Genesis 3:22 RSV‬
[22] Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” —

second time 'us' appeared. but us by definition is more than 1 and not limiting to 3... no wonder on the another thread people still talk about this 1 or 3 or many god(s)...

‭Genesis 3:24 RSV‬
[24] He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

ok, once you got married, starts to work to your death and got kicked out of your comfort zone - overview of a life cycle

cherubim, flaming sword not mentioned in the creation accounts yet exists?