I definitely prefer a literal reading where possible, certainly as the best place to start. With Genesis though one has a unique set of problems. Taking the text as it stands, as one connected and coherent narrative, the summary statement of Gen. 1:1 tells us the really important thing - everything was created by God. Thence we have a problem, language is meaningful when we know something of what is being referred to; ‘and the earth was without form’ now how would we go about understanding what that refers to?

As we go further we seem to approach more familiar ground, heavenly bodies, land separated from water, fish, birds and animals and finally man. But is this only an apparent familiarity. Did Adam and Eve resemble ‘modern’ mankind? How would we know?

It seems to me that the uncertainties involved are very great indeed…

Live to serve : Serve to live