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Does the Bible Condemn Genealogy?
From FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research

The Bible clearly does not reject all uses of genealogy. This can be seen through its many genealogical lists, including two such lists for Jesus Christ Himself. (See Matthew 1:1-24 and Luke 3:23-38.)

The condemnation of "genealogies" in Timothy and Titus likely came because:

  • the Christians perceived a Jewish tendency to be pre-occupied by "pure descent" as a qualification for holding the priesthood. Since only pure descendents of Levi could hold the priesthood, there was endless wrangling about one's pedigree—since Paul considers the Aaronic Priesthood to have been superceded by Christ, the great High Priest like Melchizedek (see Hebrews 5), this probably strikes him as pointless.
  • some Jewish scribes and other teachers claimed that their "traditions" were directly descended from Moses, Joshua, or some other prominent leader, and thus superior to the Christian gospel.
  • some gnostic sects had involved accounts of the descent of the Aeons (up to 365 "generations" in one scheme) and other mystic or pagan variations thereon.

Since all these genealogies were either speculative or fabricated, they could cause endless, pointless debate. Rather Paul wants the faith (in Christ) which builds up ("edifying") testimonies and lives.

Conclusion

The Bible does not condemn all genealogy per se . Rather, it rejects the use of genealogy to "prove" one's righteousness, or the truth of one's teachings. It also rejects the apostate uses to which some Christians put genealogy in some varieties of gnosticism.

Latter-day Saints engage in genealogy work so that they can continue the Biblical practice—also endorsed by Paul—of providing vicarious ordinances for the dead, such as baptism (See 1 Cor 15:29) so the atonement of Christ may be available to all who would choose it, living or dead. See: Baptism for the Dead.

The full wiki article may be access at

http://en.fairmormon.org/Biblical_condemnation_of_genealogy

If you have any topic or question you would like to see addressed pleased contact Carolyn Wright at http://www.fairlds.org/contact.php Just check the box for the Meridian Article Editor.

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