Posted on 06/29/2007 10:10:58 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Do you take the Biblical account of creation literally or figuratively? Two local ministers take firm stances on the book of Genesis account in the Old Testament.
"I am of the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis are not optional, but they in fact establish the foundation for all we believe as Christians," said Brady Cooper, pastor of New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. "If Genesis 1-3 doesn't tell us the truth, why should we believe anything else in the Bible?"
Without a right understanding of our origin, Cooper said, we have no way to understand anything about our spiritual existence. We cannot know our purpose, and we cannot be certain of our destiny.
"After all, if God is not the creator, then maybe he's not the redeemer, either," said Cooper. "If we cannot believe the opening chapters of scripture, how can we be certain of anything the Bible says?"
Genesis chapter one speaks of six days of creation.
"I believe that God made the world in six days, meaning six 24-hour periods," said Carl Wenck, pastor of the Grace Lutheran Church of Murfreesboro.
Cooper agrees with Wenck that these days are six literal days, but admits there are other views.
"Many have chosen to interpret the Hebrew word 'yom' not as a literal 24-hour day, but as a period of time," said Cooper. "The problem with this interpretation is that every time in the Old Testament that the Hebrew word 'yom' is used, it clearly means a 24-hour period."
He said some Christians are "acquiescing to evolutionary thought."
"For the theory of evolution to be plausible, billions and billions of years are needed," said Cooper. "This creates a theological quandary in that there are billions and billions of years of pre-fall death (death before Adam and Eve sinned), which clearly contradicts the Biblical account of sin leading to death."
In Genesis chapter 1, verse 31, the Bible says: "And God saw everything that he had made and behold it was good."
"God commanded and the word of God tells us that 'it was good' immediately," said Wenck. "To teach that God commanded and it took millions of years to accomplish what he desired is to imply that God is not powerful enough to do otherwise. The New Testament affirms what is written in Genesis: 'All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made'" (John 1:3).
Taking the Bible literally may conflict with what many believe about the origins of the universe, but the Biblical account of creation does not conflict with a single scientific fact, said Cooper.
"Indeed, all the geological, astronomical and scientific data can be easily reconciled with the Biblical account," said Cooper. "Evolution, on the other hand, clearly contradicts basic scientific principles. Evolution espouses that things move from chaos to order, while the second law of thermal dynamics says that the universe moves from order to disorder."
The mission of the church should not be to answer all mankind's questions in such a way that it fits within our ability to reason, said Wenck.
"As a Christian, I believe some very remarkable truths, including that there is life and salvation only through Jesus Christ. Faith holds dearly to these truths and it is this same faith that accepts the Word of God, which says God made the world in six days," said Wenck. "I find it no more difficult to believe God created the world out of nothing than to believe God has prepared a place for me in heaven. Faith empowers me to believe that which I cannot see or understand. If I had it all figured out, then I would be equal to God in knowledge. Faith daily connects me to the one true God, the creator of heaven and Earth."
We have been taught to believe that the Earth is billions and billions of years old, while the Bible tells a different story of the age of the Earth (6,000 to 8,000 years old), said Cooper.
"I choose to believe a God who was there in creation over a scientist who was not," he said.
That is the wrong question, in my opinion.
A better question is, "What does it mean?"
I am not sure that these pastors have correctly interpreted Genesis.
There’s a relativistic element involved in the in the earlier expansion by E=mc2 in which 6 days can be reckoned nicely to 15 billion years(+/-).
The Bible is certainly true. The problem is that man doesn’t always understand what it says and/or the facts of the material world. While I’m sure these ministers mean well, I question their understanding of the relevant scientific facts, and/or their capacity to reconcile those facts with Scripture.
Sometimes the greatest damage is done with the greatest of intentions. Case in point, the Scopes Trial.
I hope you stipulate the Scopes Trial was nothing like what is presented in the movie “Inherit the Wind.” Unlike the Brady character, W.J. Bryan was less opposed to Darwinism than to social Darwinism, which in his eyes justified the exploitation of the poor by the rich.
The same reason that Aesop's fables are valid as morality lessons, even though they are obviously untrue.
Nor I - How do you interpret it?
It has always seemed sensible to me to allow for a great passage of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. The Hebrew language allows for it....so why shouldn't I? It sure explains a lot....rather than trying to cram everything into a man made time schedule (6000 years).
That God has existed from all of eternity is very evident in the scriptures. One would have to ask themselves...why would he, just now (6000 years ago to present), begin creating physical things? I cannot answer that question...can you?
I know with certainty that this belief does not affect my salvation.....and like I said....it answers some profound questions.
Thank you Diego - I know, with certainty, that this belief greatly helped me when so many questions finally had answers.
......Ping
My point was that the trial pitted “science” against the Bible, and there was too little knowledge of either in the courtroom. Since that inept defense of biblical creationism, the Godless have been skewering Christianity and the Bible as so much superstition. Would that Bryan had presented Christian scientists of various disciplines to show the true harmony of the material world with God’s written revelation.
I have heard a number alternative explanations that are worth considering. Two in particular come readily to mind.
First, it has been suggested that the days mentioned in Genesis 1 refer to revelatory periods. That is, on the first day, Moses was shown the creation of light and the division of light from darkness; on the second day, Moses was shown the creation of the firmament; on the third day, he was shown the division of the land and water and the creation of plant life; and so on. In this view, the revelation to Moses took seven 24-hour days, but the actual creation could have lasted much longer.
Another interpretation is that six days mentioned in Genesis 1 refer to periods of preparation in heaven before the physical creation. In other words, God took six days to prepare the creation before setting it in motion. This is based on Genesis 2:4–7:
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,Genesis 2:5 says that plants were created before they were in the earth, and did not begin to grow until after the mist watered the ground; this seems to have happened on or after the seventh day. However, this appears inconsistent with Genesis 1:11-13, which says that plants were created and bearing fruit on the third day. This inconsistency can be resolved if Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are describing different events.5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground;
6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground;
7 And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Likewise, Genesis 2:7 talks of the creation of Adam alone, apparently on or after the seventh day; but Genesis 1:27-30 describes the creation of Adam and Eve together on the sixth day. Again, this can be resolved if Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are describing different events.
In this view, God took six days (either 24-hour days or 1000-year days) to prepare the creation in heaven, but the physical creation could have taken much longer.
Everything up to Eber was written as quasi-history but in actuality is prophecy that ties into Revelation (e.g. Babylon).
All of it has a spiritual meaning of course because the Word is God.
Good point. In Genesis 1:1, we are told, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." In Genesis 1:2, the earth and the waters exist, but they are empty and without form. A reasonable reading is that the earth was created before the first day, when God said "Let there be light." (Genesis 1:3).
That God has existed from all of eternity is very evident in the scriptures. One would have to ask themselves...why would he, just now (6000 years ago to present), begin creating physical things? I cannot answer that question...can you?
I believe that this earth is but one of infinitely many worlds that have been created and will be created.
I know with certainty that this belief does not affect my salvation.....and like I said....it answers some profound questions.
I agree with you. Indeed, I suspect that the message of Genesis is that God created the heaven and the earth; it is not intended as a blueprint for creation.
Then again, you could ask ...
Why would he, just now (5 billion years ago to present), begin creating physical things?
A finite time frame, no matter how long, is irrelevant to a being that has always existed.
Don’t conuse the avtual impact of that trail with the liberal legend. The defence was totally frustrated in its efforts to get the matter to a higher court. The contraversy,of course, did stall the efforts to get more states to ,ake laws defending the Biblical account, but that was in part because of Bryan’s death, but also because of the Democratic defeat in 1924, which stalled Bryan’s brend of progressivism. In any case, it took another 40 years and the ideological approach of the Warren Court to impose another form of progressivism on the law and overturn the laws of Arkansas and others on the matter.
Strong's #1961. hayah (haw-yaw)a primitive root to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary) This is the word translated "was" in Genesis 1:2. As you can see the Hebrew also allows "became" instead.....which makes sense. [1 Corinthians 14:33] For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. The Earth "became" chaotic....it was not created that way.
Strong's #8414. tohuw (to'-hoo)from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain. This is the word translated "without form" in Genesis 1:2.
Strong's #922. bohuw (bo'-hoo)from an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, i.e. (superficially) an indistinguishable ruin. This is the word translated "void" in Genesis 1:2.
I do not believe Our Lord created this Earth in such a state. I believe it became that way....probably because of some type of catastrophe....perhaps a rebellion?
What theological problem does this theory solve?
There is no problem here....and you are correct. It is a theory. It only answers some simple questions about the unlikely idea that mainstream churchianity has....thinking this universe has only been around for 6000 years.
You are certainly free to not believe it.... while I, on the other hand.....think it shows some logic applied to a question that most people have an opinion on. It has no bearing on anyone's salvation.....so there is no theological problem at all.
Just what Our Father has been doing in the dateless past is anyone's guess as He has not see fit to inform us [Deuteronomy 29:29]. The only thing we know for sure is that sometime ago He brought this universe into existence and all things.....originally were created. The present things that we see on this Earth were evidently recreated after some type of destruction took place. We should not attempt to put some type of time frame on the original creation as we are never told this in scripture. It would be as futile as trying to determine the date of Our Lord's return....which we are told not to attempt either.
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