The Book of Beginnings

1
The Book of Beginnings

• Exposition of Genesis 1-11

2
How Far Weve Come

• The biology department of Calvin College in
  Michigan issued a statement on May 7 We teach
  evolutionary theory as the best scientific
  explanation for the dynamic diversity of life on
  Earth...We teach biology from an evolutionary
  paradigm (WORLD, Sept 2010, p. 39).
• Christiananswers.net lists 220 (out of over 900)
  Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries
  in the US who accept and teach a literal Genesis
  - including a six 24-hour day Creation, no death
  before sin, a global Flood and a young Earth.

3
How Did We Get Here?

• All alternative models to a literal 6 day
  creation and a young earth are based upon an
  unquestioning acceptance of the scientific
  evidence for the antiquity of the earth and a
  compulsion to reconcile this scientific evidence
  with the biblical account in Genesis 1.
• Influenced by backlash to the 16th century
  Copernican Revolution?
• ...if the data is overwhelmingly in favor of
  evolution, to deny that reality will make us a
  cultsome odd group that is not really
  interacting with the world. And rightly so,
  because we are not using our gifts and trusting
  Gods Providence that brought us to this point of
  our awareness (Bruce Waltke, in 2009 Biologos
  interview).
• In short, men monkey with the biblical text to
  make it fit the science!

4
An Interesting Admission by an Evolutionist

• Evolution is a theory universally accepted not
  because it can be proved by logically coherent
  evidence to be true but because the only
  alternative, special creation, is clearly
  incredible (D.M.S. Watson, Adaptation, Nature,
  Vol. 124 1929, p. 233).

5
Some Wrong Interpretations of Genesis 1

• Theistic Evolution Based upon an unquestioning
  acceptance of the theory of evolution coupled
  with an acknowledgement of the existence of God
  and an acceptance of the Genesis account as
  poetical and non-historical.
• Denies the validity and authority of special
  revelation.
• Progressive Creationism Based upon an
  unquestioning acceptance of the scientific
  evidence for the antiquity of the earth coupled
  with God being actively and creatively involved
  at certain stages in the process of evolutionary
  development.
• Re-defines day as a day-age. Claims to
  interpret Gen 1 literally! Denies any
  interpretive value to Exod 208-11 3115-17.
• Hugh Ross is a well-known progressive creationist
  who accepts the scientifically determined age of
  the earth (14 billion years) but rejects the
  theory of species evolving into higher forms.

6
Some Wrong Interpretations of Genesis 1

• Gap Theory (Ruin-Reconstruction) Based upon an
  unquestioning acceptance of the scientific
  evidence for the antiquity of the earth coupled
  with God refurbishing or reconstructing the earth
  after the judgment resulting from the fall of
  Satan takes was in Gen 12 to mean became.
• Since there was a long period between vv. 1 and
  2, can still hold to 24 hour days in Genesis 1.
• Poses the gap to reconcile Gen 1 with modern
  scientific theory. No evidence for such a gap
  either in Genesis or elsewhere in Scripture.
• Pre-creation Chaos Theory Based upon an
  unquestioning acceptance of the scientific
  evidence for the antiquity of the earth coupled
  with God not giving a final word on origins, plus
  the impact of ancient mythological cosmogonies
  having included chaos prior to construction.
• Denies the account having any reference to
  creatio ex nihilo.
• Denies an absolute beginning in v. 1 and assumes
  that physical existence is present at the
  beginning.
• Poses without form and void to mean something
  negative and sinister, a watery chaos, which God
  then proceeds to overcome.
• Posits Gods creative activity only beginning in
  v. 3.

7
The Proper Response

• Recognize that the creation account in Genesis 1
  is from the Creator Himself and is in that sense
  an eyewitness account!
• Interpret Genesis 1 with a historical-grammatical
  hermeneutic, according to what the words actually
  say and in their historical context.
• Allow Genesis 1 to say what it says, without
  trying to reconcile it to scientific theory.
  Interpret creation in light of the Bible, not
  vice versa.

8
Next Week CreationPart I

• Gen 11-23