1. Introduction: Three Approaches to the Question of Origins
Evolution: The Four Phases
Creation: The Basic Facts
Intelligent Design

3. Introduction: Three Approaches to the Question of Origins
Evolution: The Four Phases
Creation: The Basic Facts
Intelligent Design

4. Evolution: The Four Phases
1. Cosmic Evolution
(Origin and Development of the Universe)
• “Big Bang” starts the Universe
• Later formation of stars, galaxies, and planets
2. Chemical Evolution
(Origin of Life)
• Life’s molecules form through random chemical reactions
• Eventually living cells come into being

5. Evolution: The Four Phases
3. Biological Evolution
(Origin of Life’s Diversity)
• From the first living cells, all life forms eventually develop (“molecules to man” evolution)
4. Cultural Evolution
(Origin and Development of Human Societies)
• Human beings learn agriculture, build cities, and continue to improve their technology and their culture

6. Introduction: Three Approaches to the Issue of Origins
Evolution: The Four Phases
Creation: The Basic Facts
Intelligent Design

7. Creation: The Basic Facts
• The universe began when God formed
the space-time-matter-energy complex, including a water-covered Earth,
on Day One, a few thousand years ago.
• God did not create the Sun, Moon, and stars until Day Four, after He had formed
the Earth on Day One and had rearranged it
so land appeared on Day Three.
• The first life-forms were land plants,
which God created on Day Three.

8. Creation: The Basic Facts
• The first animals were aquatic organisms and flying creatures, which God created
on Day Five. God created land animals
and Man just one day later.
• The various types of land plants, aquatic organisms, flying creatures, and land animals were all created “according to their kinds,” with the capacity to reproduce themselves.
Basic types (“kinds”) of organisms were thus formed separately, not by evolutionary development from other basic types.

9. Creation: The Basic Facts
• God formed the first man and woman as special creations, through unique processes. Among all life-forms on Earth, only man and woman were made “in the image of God.”
Humans did not arise by evolution from non-human primate ancestors.
• During a period of six consecutive
normal-length days, the universe, life,
and biological diversity were commanded
into existence by an Intelligent Designer.

10. Creation: The Basic Facts
• At the completion of creation, everything was “very good”: there was no sin, suffering, disease, predation, carnivory, thorns, thistles, animal death, or human death.
• Most of the fossil record was produced by a year-long catastrophic global
flood at the time of Noah, which was
a judgment on human sin by the Creator.

11. Introduction: Three Approaches to the Issue of Origins
Evolution: The Four Phases
Creation: The Basic Facts
Intelligent Design

12. (creationists oppose these concepts)
Intelligent Design
- attack biological evolution (macroevolution), chemical evolution, and naturalistic philosophy
(so do creationists)
- argue for evidences of intelligent design in cells, organisms, Earth and universe
(so do creationists)
- often accept the “Big Bang,” cosmic evolution, and geological evolution
(creationists oppose these concepts)

13. Intelligent Design
- tend to dodge the issue of the age of the Earth (some explicitly accept an “Old Earth”)
(creationists take a clear position on “Young Earth” and “Young Universe”)
- generally avoid any discussion of the Bible, especially the Genesis record of Creation, Curse, and Flood; tend not to identify who the “Designer” is
(creationists are able to focus strictly on science for a given audience, but affirm the inerrancy of Scripture, and often present a gospel message)

14. Five Arguments for Genesis 1 and 2 as Straightforward Historical Narrative
FuSSy GiRL!
Framework
ScriptureS
Genealogies
Real world items
Literary indications

15. The framework (or skeleton) of the book of Genesis indicates
that the book as a whole
is intended to be taken as history.
“These are the generations” (or
“This is the book of the generations”) appears 11 times in Genesis.

16. Genesis: The Literary Framework
2:4
“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth,
when they were created.”
5:1
“This is the book of the generations of Adam.”
6:9
“These are the generations of Noah.”
10:1
“These are the generations of the sons of Noah,
Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
11:10
“These are the generations of Shem.”
11:27
“These are the generations of Terah.”
25:12
“These are the generations of Ishmael.”
25:19
“These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son.”
36:1
“These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).”
36:9
“These are the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites.”
37:2
“These are the generations of Jacob.”

17. Five Arguments for Genesis 1 and 2 as Straightforward Historical Narrative
FuSSy GiRL!
Framework
ScriptureS
Genealogies
Real world items
Literary indications

18. Jesus himself so understood these chapters.
ScriptureS
The New Testament writers, as well as other Old Testament writers, clearly understood Genesis 1 and 2 to be true history.
Jesus himself so understood these chapters.
Genesis 1 and 2 are confirmed by:
Exodus
Jeremiah
1 Corinthians
James
Psalms
Matthew
2 Corinthians
1 Timothy
Isaiah
Romans
Hebrews
2 Peter

19. Genesis: Confirmed by: Subject: 1:1ff. Hebrews 11:3
Creation “ex nihilo” by God’s Word.
1:1-2:3
Exodus 20:8-11
Creation in 6 days; rest on 7th day.
1:1
Psalm 8:3
The heavens made by God.
1:3
2 Corinthians 4:6
God commanded light to shine.
1:6f.
Psalm 19:1b
God made the sky.
1:6,9
2 Peter 3:5
Earth formed out of water, by water.
1:14-18
Psalm 104:19
Psalm 136:7-9
Isaiah 40:26
Jeremiah 31:35
Purpose of the moon God made.
Purpose of sun, moon, stars God made.
Stars created by God.
Purpose of sun, moon, stars.
1:20-22
Psalm 104:24f.
Seas filled with life by God.
1:26f.
Psalm 8:6-8
Matthew 19:4
1 Corinthians 11:7
James 3:9
Man given rulership over creation.
God created them male and female.
Man is the image and glory of God.
Man was made in the likeness of God.
1:31
1 Timothy 4:4
Everything created by God is good.

20. Genesis: Confirmed by: Subject: 2:2 Hebrews 4:4,10
God’s rest on the 7th day
2:7
1 Corinthians 15:45,47
1 Timothy 2:13
Man made of earth, a “living soul.”
Man was created before woman.
2:17
Romans 5:12
Death came through sin.
2:18
1 Corinthians 11:9
Woman was created for man’s sake.
2:21-23
1 Corinthians 11:8
Woman originated from man.
2:24
Matthew 19:5
Verse spoken by “the Creator.”

21. Five Arguments for Genesis 1 and 2 as Straightforward Historical Narrative
FuSSy GiRL!
Framework
ScriptureS
Genealogies
Real world items
Literary indications

22. No dividing line can be specified where
Genealogies
A tight genealogical continuity is given from Adam through his sons and the succeeding generations right up to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
No dividing line can be specified where
“myth” clearly ends and true “history” begins.

26. Five Arguments for Genesis 1 and 2 as Straightforward Historical Narrative
FuSSy GiRL!
Framework
ScriptureS
Genealogies
Real world items
Literary indications

27. There are 64 geographical terms, 88 personal names, and some
Real world items
There are 64 geographical terms,
88 personal names, and some
20 identifiable cultural items
specified in the (disputed)
first eleven chapters of Genesis.
In chapters 1 and 2, such
“real world” categories are found
notably in Genesis 2:8-14.

28. Five Arguments for Genesis 1 and 2 as Straightforward Historical Narrative
FuSSy GiRL!
Framework
ScriptureS
Genealogies
Real world items
Literary indications

29. to be taken as allegory, legend, parable, poetry,
Literary indications
There is no substantial literary indication in Genesis 1 and 2 that these chapters are intended
to be taken as allegory, legend, parable, poetry,
or any other sort of “non-historical” material.

30. Genealogical continuityF
Review:
Framework (Skeleton) SS
Scriptures (both Old
and New Testaments) G
Genealogical continuity R
Real world items L
Literary indications