Purposes served
Creation Days Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five Day Six Day Seven Heavens & earth, Light Firmament (atmosphere, evaporation, clouds, etc.) Dry Land & Plants Sun, Moon, & Stars Fish, Fowls Animals, Man God Rested
From without form to From empty (or void ) to form Day 1 Light Day 2 Air Day 2 Water Day 3 Land Day 3 Plants fullness Day 4 Lights Day 5 Birds Day 5 Fish Day 6 Animals Day 6 Man
-- Genesis 1-2 answer questions that plague many people. -- Answers determine one s world view on a number of topics. -- Bible is a package. Logically, it is impossible to reject some parts of it, but accept other parts. Who determines? And on what basis?
God created Mankind Distinct From Lower Creation
God created Mankind Lower Creation Distinct From To serve
1. From where did the material universe come? Answer: -- Logically, either matter is eternal, or it was made. If always in existence, what causes disorder to go to order? -- Gen. 1 states God existed before the universe began, and it was begun by Him. -- For every effect, their must be an adequate cause. God is the Uncaused first cause.
2. Why are plant and animal life in existence? Answer: -- For man s use, sustenance, and to be under his dominion (ch. 1:26-31; see also ch. 9:2; 1 Tim. 4:4-5).
3. What position does mankind have in relation to the earth (lower creation)? Answer: -- Progression & organization of each day s events indicate purpose to serve man. -- All was made adequate for man s habitation, good & sustenance. -- Since man is to have dominion over it, he is not to worship it or any life form beneath him. Rather, he should thank God for His wisdom & power making everything on earth for his good. -- Mankind s dominion would include uses that help him (see also 1 Tim. 4:4-5).
4. What position does mankind have in relation to the Creator? Answer: -- In our image indicates that God desired this special creation (mankind) be like He is in character. Rest of Bible story squares w/this. -- In our image, after our likeness not two different ideas, but synonymous phrases combined to intensify one thought.
4. What position does mankind have in relation to the Creator? Answer: -- Man has similarities to God, not that God looks like humans since God is a Spirit (John 4:24), & a spirit does not have a material body (Luke 24:39). -- Man s differences from the lower creation & similarity to God include ability to communicate, higher degree of intelligence, self-consciousness, freedom of the will, ability to discern good and evil, and a part that is eternal.
4. What position does mankind have in relation to the Creator? Answer: -- Such attributes allow us to understand Who God is & to worship and serve Him. -- Phrase in our image emphasizes inner & spiritual essence of man as it relates to God. -- While not immediately like God in moral characteristics, we have the capacity to be similar to His character (Col. 3:10).
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 1. God created the earth full grown! -- Plants, trees created on 3 rd day could appear to be months or years old on the 4 th day, when in fact, only a day old. -- God did not intend to deceive us; rather, this was the result of the miraculous creation of the earth in a state ready to be inhabited immediately by mankind.
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 1. God created the earth full grown! -- Geologists make tremendously long estimates as to years necessary for the physical earth to be in its present condition, based on uniform rates of pressure under the earth s surface (coal, diamonds, other deposits), & erosion that occurs above the earth s surface (water forming channels, rivers, seas, etc.) at present, w/o any outside forces (such as a global flood).
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 1. God created the earth full grown! -- Presuppositions by evolutionists: 1. Matter must be eternal; not brought into existence from nothing. Creation though was instantaneous, opposed to this. -- Opposed to this: Natural processes of erosion, uniform rates, etc., are only possible after matter, with all its properties & laws, is brought into being. Creation of the earth in a fully developed state answers the time evolutionists demand for the earth to have come to its present appearance.
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 1. God created the earth full grown! -- Presuppositions by evolutionists: 2. All living creatures had to evolve from a simpler to a more complex existence; nothing began fully developed. -- Opposed to this: Gen. 1 teaches that not only did God speak dry land, plants, trees, animals & man into existence in days, but that all things began fully developed (for ex., Adam). -- A tree created on day 3, cut down on day 8, might have 40 rings. Uniform rate = appear it grew from a sapling at least for 40 years, when in truth created fully grown 5 days previous.
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 2. What about the day-age theories of evolution? -- A compromise. Attempt to allow speculative theories, while holding on to some belief in the Scripture. -- Theories assume that each of the 6 days of creation describes millions, perhaps billions of years. The days of Gen. 1 do not refer to our usual 24-hour day, but to long epochs or ages, it is assumed.
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 2. What about the day-age theories of evolution? Answers: -- One would never derive such an idea from a simple reading of the text. -- While the Hebrew word, day (yom) can sometime mean something other than a twentyfour hour period, the same as in English, it always means a twenty-four hour day when used in conjunction with a numeral such as first, second, etc.
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 2. What about the day-age theories of evolution? Answers: -- The term evening and morning points to a twenty-four hour day. -- What would be evenings in a period of millions of years? If theories are correct, millions of years would pass for plants to be in darkness. -- Could not live! -- Ex. 20:11 [7 th day was obviously a 24-hour day due to the parallel existing between God s rest and the day of rest for Israel.]
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 2. What about the day-age theories of evolution? Answers: -- Adam was created the 6 th day. If each day represents lengthy geological ages, then how long would years have been? If Adam lived through part of one age (6 th day), all of another (7 th day), and evidently part of another (8 th day), then how long did he live? If a day equals an age or long epoch, how long is a year (see chs. 1:14; 5:5).
Simple answers to evolution (theistic, atheistic, day-age), 2. What about the day-age theories of evolution? Answers: -- It is always best not to attempt to reconcile the Bible to theories that come & go. Safe route is to understand meaning of words in their primary and simple use first, then when a context demands a figurative use be understood, apply that use. The day-age theories of evolution do not stand the test of Bible investigation!
Moral & Political 1. Life is special. -- We have a Divine origin, a Divine purpose, and a Divine destiny [we know from where we came, why we are here, & where we are going]. -- Issues such as abortion, euthanasia, are answered. 2. Purpose of marriage is described (Gen. 2) -- not good to be alone (companionship, sexual relations between man & woman) -- procreation -- extension and provisions for the family (also 1 Tim. 5)
We should be thankful that all we need to know about ourselves, God, our beginning, our purpose, and our destiny, has been answered in Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Deut. 29:29). Let us use all He has given to live for Him here that eternal life will be ours in the hereafter.