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Chapter 8
In the Beginning
Chapter 8ABiblical
Creationism
I. Biblical Creationism
A. Important Definitions
Biblical Creationism
The belief that the physical universe, including the earth
and all living things, was created by God
Evolutionism
The belief that the physical universe and life were not created,
but happened by natural processes
I. Biblical Creationism
A. Important DefinitionsB. What the Bible Teaches
B. What the Bible Teaches
1. God created by direct acts.
a) Spoke things into existence (Genesis 1)b) Made everything from nothingc) It was all very good (Genesis 1:31)
B. What the Bible Teaches
2. God sustains His creation. (Psalm 104 and Col. 1:17)3. God reveals His power through His creation.
a) Creation testifies that God exists (Romans 1:20)
B. What the Bible Teaches
4. God revealed the sequence of Creation in the Bible. (Genesis 1)5. God specially created mankind.
a) We are hand-made! (Genesis 2:7)
B. What the Bible Teaches
6. Because God created mankind, mankind is responsible to God.
(Psalm 100:3)
B. What the Bible Teaches
7. God’s creation is degenerating.
a) Sin and the curse (Genesis 3:6-19 and
Romans 8:22)b) Supported by 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
I. Biblical Creationism
A. Important DefinitionsB. What the Bible TeachesC. Age of the Earth
C. Age of the Earth
1. Short-day View a) Based on a literal view of the Bibleb) The Creation week was
made up of seven 24-hour days.
C. Age of the Earth
1. Short-day Viewc) Organisms were created matured) God did not need, nor
did He use, millions of years
C. Age of the Earth
1. Short-day Viewe) Using the Bible, the
earth’s age is estimated to be about 6000 years.
* Genealogies* Known as young-earth
creationists
C. Age of the Earth
2. Long-day Viewa) Each day in Genesis 1 is actually a long period
of time* 2 Peter 3:8
C. Age of the Earth
2. Long-day Viewb) Using this approach,
the Earth could be billions of years old
* 4.6 billion years* old-earth theory
C. Age of the Earth
3. Evidencea) Fossils
Fossil
A trace or remnant of an organism that has
been preserved by natural means
C. Age of the Earth
3. Evidencea) Fossils
* most fossils are sedimentary fossils (formed by sedimentation)
Sedimentation
The settling out of materials as a
moving substance slows down
C. Age of the Earth
3. Evidencea) Fossils
* most sedimentary fossils require large
amounts of water to form
C. Age of the Earth
3. Evidencea) Fossils
* most sedimentary fossils require quick burial
C. Age of the Earth
3. Evidencea) Fossils
* only could occur during a major catastrophe
C. Age of the Earth
3. Evidencea) Fossilsb) Fossil Interpretation
b) Fossil Interpretation
* Creationists and evolutionists have the same fossil evidence.* Their interpretations are very different because of their different worldviews.
b) Fossil Interpretation
* Evolutionists:–Long time to form fossil
layers–Geologic column
• Older layers on the bottom• Younger layers at the top
b) Fossil Interpretation
* Challenges:–Layers sometimes in
different orders–Some large fossils extend
through several layers–No partially evolved
organisms have been found
b) Fossil Interpretation
* Creationists:–Most fossils were formed by
the Genesis Flood• Fossils require lots of water to be formed
• Fossils must be formed quickly
I. Biblical Creationism
A. Important DefinitionsB. What the Bible TeachesC. Age of the EarthD. Other Theories
D. Other Theories
1. Theistic Evolutiona) Mixes the Bible and
biological evolution together.
b) a compromise
Compromise
to give something up in order to come to an
agreement
1. Theistic Evolution
c) Problems* It ignores a literal reading of Genesis 1* It treats man as merely another product of biological
evolution
1. Theistic Evolution
c) Problems* It suggests millions of years of suffering and death occurred before the creation of Adam (Romans 5:12)
1. Theistic Evolution
c) Problems* It limits the omniscient, omnipotent God to create using only natural
processes or random forces of evolution
Omniscient
All knowing
Omnipotent
All able
D. Other Theories
2. Gap Theorya) the belief that a “first
creation” existed and was destroyed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2
D. Other Theories
2. Gap Theoryb) problems:
* “was”, not “became” is the better translation in Genesis 1:2 based on Hebrew grammar
D. Other Theories
2. Gap Theoryb) problems:
* why would God destroy a previous creation that was good?
D. Other Theories
2. Gap Theoryb) problems:
* the destruction of a previous creation would
have to include death
D. Other Theories
3. Progressive creationisma) belief that creation
occurred in spurts over a long period of time rather than a short period of time
D. Other Theories
3. Progressive creationismb) problems:
* it ignores a literal reading of Genesis 1
D. Other Theories
3. Progressive creationismb) problems:
* It suggests millions of years of suffering and death occurred before
the creation of Adam (Romans 5:12)
RECAP
long-day theory
short-day theory
young-earth theory
old-earth theory
non-gap theory
Gap theory
Biblical Creationism
Scientific data, correctly interpreted, supports the
Christian faith.
