Debates between Christians and atheists often focus on Genesis chapters 1 through 11. Honest Questions: A Personal Commentary on Genesis 1 through 11 discusses some of the controversial questions and then gives personal insights into deeper questions. For example, going beyond, "How long did Creation take?" the first chapter of Genesis answers the question, "Who created the universe?"
God is not embarrassed by honest questions. He is the author of truth. Like most evangelicals, the author believes that God inspired the writers of the Bible. So, understanding what God says is important. Faith in God and confidence in the Word of God, the Bible, is the starting point of this book. A distinctive feature of Honest Questions: A Personal Commentary on Genesis 1 through 11 is untraditional interpretations of some passages based on literary features. These yield insights into the message of Genesis. Each chapter also includes devotional thoughts on the current passage for meditation. Even though the message of Genesis is thousands of years old, it is relevant to life today. God is the same today as back then. Unlike some others, this book is not designed to convince a skeptic to become a believer, nor to help win points in a debate with an atheist. This book also does not try to explain whether modern science and Genesis are compatible, nor does it argue whether secular mainstream science is valid, or not. Honest Questions: A Personal Commentary on Genesis 1 through 11 is not an academic commentary, but the opinions of evangelical scholars are carefully considered. The book includes a wealth of Bible cross-references, citations with a bibliography, and an index.