Theories about Creation Creation/Evolution

Why study Creation/Evolution? You are learning about the beginning of the world/origins of life at school, and are often given a one-sided explanation It’s important for all of us to be well-prepared to explain why we believe what we believe

Does the universe have a beginning? 3 options: it’s always existed created by something/someone outside of itself (unmoved mover - Aristotle) created itself

Something/someone created the universe 2nd law of thermodynamics The universe is expanding

Is it necessary… For God to be the Creator of the universe?

It’s ultimately a faith issue We can either have faith that everything came from nothing, or that everything came from something Hebrews 11:3: By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Naturalistic Evolution Intelligent Design Theistic Evolution Was there an intelligent agent involved in creating the universe? Is the intelligent agent the God of the Bible? Did God create humans directly (without evolution)? Does the Bible indicate that God created the universe less than 10,000 years ago? YES YES YES NO NO NO Naturalistic Evolution Intelligent Design Theistic Evolution NO YES Old-Earth Creationism Young-Earth Creationism

Naturalistic Evolution Intelligent Design Theistic Evolution Was there an intelligent agent involved in creating the universe? Is the intelligent agent the God of the Bible? Did God create humans directly (without evolution)? Does the Bible indicate that God created the universe less than 10,000 years ago? YES YES YES NO NO NO Naturalistic Evolution Intelligent Design Theistic Evolution NO YES Old-Earth Creationism Young-Earth Creationism

Three Viable Options for Christians Theistic Evolution Old-Earth Creationism Young-Earth Creationism

Genesis 1

Unique to both groups of Creationism theories: God was directly involved in the creation of the world, animals, plants, etc. God directly created humans; accept Adam and Eve as real people The Genesis narrative is historically accurate

Is Adam a real, historical person? Romans 5:12-21 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 1 Corinthians 15:20-58 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Old-Earth Creationism Day-Age Framework Hypothesis Gap Theory Historical Creationism Temple Inauguration Punctuated 24-hour Theory

Punctuated 24-hour Theory Each day of creation described in Genesis 1 is a 24-hour period, but there are millions of years in between each day Millions of years

Temple Inauguration Theory – John Walton “Understanding an ancient text such as Genesis 1 requires us to consider issues the way they would have. A foundational issue is how they thought about existence. Ancient peoples believed that something existed when it had a function. This is in contrast to our belief that existence is tied to material properties. This position views Genesis 1 as an account of functional origins rather than an account of material origins. We must also recognize the cosmos functions as sacred space a cosmic temple concept, which conveys the idea that God has established order in the cosmos which has become his dwelling place. The seven days concern the inauguration of the functional cosmic temple rather than the time over which the material cosmos came into existence.”

Historical Creationism John H. Sailhamer In Genesis 1:1, the universe is already created The Genesis 1 account describes God preparing Eden for his people The days could be 24-hour periods, and the Earth can be millions of years old as well Millions of years

Gap Theory Two different views: Both gaps are millions of years First one is similar to historical creationism. There is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 Second one says there is a gap between Genesis 2:3 and 2:4 Both gaps are millions of years Some people who hold to gap theory believe that Satan, before he fell, ruled the earth in Genesis 1:1, then the first creation was destroyed Millions of years Genesis 2:3ff

Framework Hypothesis The Genesis 1 account is merely a literary/theological description of creation; it does not make any claims about the actual process God did not necessarily create in that order, and makes no claims about the length of time

Day-Age The most popular old-earth creationism theory The word ”day” in Genesis 1 refers not to 24-hour periods, but to long periods, or ages This is also known as progressive creationism, because God created progressively over a long period of time. He allowed the natural processes of life to do much of the work, but intervened and divinely orchestrated it all. Millions of years

What does “day” mean? The Hebrew word for day in Genesis 1 is “yom” In various places in the Bible, this means age, literal day, year, etc. Exactly how we interpret this word has a big meaning in terms of whether the Earth is young or old

Support for “yom” meaning “age” Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 2 Peter 3:8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Support for “yom” meaning “24-hr day” The Sabbath instructions speak as if God made the world in 7 literal days Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (see also Exodus 31:15-17) Genesis 1 attaches numbers to each day (the first day, second day, etc). Elsewhere in Scripture when a number is attached to “yom”, it refers to a literal 24-hour day.

Young-Earth Creationism Two main schools of thought: The Earth is young (~10,000-6,000 years old), and actually looks young The Earth is young, yet looks old, so God created it with apparent age Both schools affirm literal 24-hour days of creation <10,000 years

Young-Earth Creationism The most plain reading of Genesis 1 suggests that the Earth was created in six 24-hour days They arrive at ~10,000- 6,000 years by adding up the genealogies in the Bible

Young-Earth Creationism Adam was created from the beginning, so there cannot be any time period before he was created Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ Matthew 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,”

The Earth looks young Proponents of this view state that the dating methods used are incorrect and that accurate dating methods show that the Earth is young Earth’s magnetic field; half-life of 1400 years, maximum age about 10000 Radiometric dating: zero initial daughter element, closed system, constant decay rate Carbon-14 dating is inaccurate

The Earth was created with apparent age Scientific dating methods are correct in asserting that the Earth looks billions of years old However, God created it to appear that way When Adam was created, he was created as a man; he appeared older than he actually was The light we see from stars millions of light-years away from us was created in transit

Noah’s flood Geological strata were laid down by the flood; rapid deposition Continental drift has taken place since the flood, as a result Oil and coal? formed from the flood, organic material, pressure, heat, water Fossil record supports a global flood: http://www.icr.org/article/real-nature-fossil-record/

Differences Between Old and Young Earth Views What the word “yom” means The Earth appears young or has apparent age vs. the Earth is as old as scientists say it is Uniformitarianism vs. flood geology

Resources for further study http://www.icr.org Institute for Creation Research - Young Earth https://answersingenesis.org Answers in Genesis - Young Earth http://www.reasons.org Reasons to Believe - Old-Earth http://www.oldearth.org Old Earth Ministries - Old earth http://christianmomthoughts.com/18-recommended-resources- for-learning-about-creation-and-evolution-views/ General Overview