Introduction: Are Genesis and Science at odds with each other? If you
say, “yes,” it should not be that way. As we have previously
discussed, Psalms 19:1 tells us that the heavens and the earth
declare God’s glory. Central to the glory of God is His Creation. So,
where does the problem arise? Does it arise in a misunderstanding of
the declaration in the heavens and earth? Does it arise in a
misunderstanding of the Bible? Does it arise because the forces of
evil want to make a conflict appear? Let’s explore our Bible to see
what we can learn!
- Simple Lies
- Read Isaiah 40:21-22. Have you heard that Christians of
old argued that the earth was flat? - If so, what is the purpose of reporting that
argument? (To show that followers of God are ignorant
and against science.) - What does this text teach about the shape of the
earth? (It calls it a “circle.”) - Read Job 26:10 in either the KJV or the ESV. The ESV says
“inscribed a circle on the face of the waters.” The KJV
says “hath compassed the waters with bounds.” What kind of
shape do these describe? (“Compassed” is a reference to a
compass – which describes a circle.) - The text refers to “waters.” Is this the same as
describing the shape of the earth? ( Genesis 1:6-7
refers to a division of the waters above and below.
This suggests a circle between the waters.) - Is a circle the same as a sphere? (No. But it seems
reasonable to understand the reference to a circle as
being a sphere or a circular flat plane.) - Read Revelation 20:7-8 and Revelation 7:1. Can a circle
have corners? (Obviously not.) - Do these texts form a basis for believing in a flat
earth? (We still refer to “every corner of the
earth,” without assuming the shape of the earth
actually has corners.) - As you consider the texts we have just read about the
shape of the earth, what should you conclude? (The Bible
is not making an authoritative statement about the shape
of the earth. You could argue a sphere, or a plane, or a
table.) - If someone claimed that God revealed that the earth
was flat, how should that be viewed? (As a
misstatement of the Bible.) - Bible as Chronology
- Read Genesis 5:1-3 and Genesis 5:32. Then skim the verses
in between. Would it seem reasonable to conclude that you
could calculate the period of time from the creation of
Adam to the flood? (That seems reasonable to me.) - Read Genesis 11:10-11 and Genesis 11:24-26. Then skim the
verses in between. What has happened to the longevity of
humans? - Why do you think that God put this detail in the
Bible? (It shows that those who lived before the
flood lived much longer than those after the flood.) - What does this fact suggest to you? (The earth
was quite different after the flood.) - Do you think that we can use these chronologies to
determine the age of the earth? - If you say, “Yes,” how do you reconcile the
apparent conflict withe science? (Science tends
to show that time in the heavens has been
relatively uniform. But, the radical reduction
in longevity after the flood suggests that
conditions on earth were not uniform. Thus,
dating things to a point before the flood
involves assumptions that are unlikely
warranted.) - The New Testament and Creation
- Read Matthew 19:4-5. We recently examined this text to
consider the Creation Account as the basis for settling
theological disputes. Let’s look at it in a different
light. What does this tell us that Jesus thought about the
accuracy of the Creation Account? (Jesus doe not treat it
like a myth or an allegory. He treats it as a historical
fact.) - If humans evolved, what would be the implications of
Jesus referring to the origin of men and women in
this way? - Read Luke 11:50-51. What other part of the Genesis account
does Jesus specifically endorse? (He makes a general
reference to the “beginning of the world.” But, He then
endorses the account of the murder of Abel after the fall.
Jesus expresses no doubt about the way Genesis describes
the Creation and the fall of humans.) - Read John 1:1-3. We believe that the Holy Spirit inspired
the Bible. What do we learn here about the origin of
humans and our Creator God? (The Old and New Testaments
are consistent on the Creation Account. There is no hint
of the theory of evolution.) - Read Acts 14:15. On what is the superiority of our God
based? (Unlike “worthless things” (other gods), our God
created the heavens and earth.) - Read Romans 1:18-20. What “truth” about God is being
suppressed? (The truth of God arises from His creation.) - This is just one of many texts in the Bible in which
God bases His claim to worship on the fact of His
creation of the heavens and earth. If we reject the
Creation Account, what is left of our claim to
believe in God? - If you accept the theory of evolution, how would you
argue the superiority of our God over other gods?
What would be your approach? - Read James 3:9. How does James use his belief in the
Creation Account to build a teaching about how we should
treat others? (Believing that humans are made in the image
of God encourages us to treat them well.) - If you believe in natural selection, how would that
inform the way you treat other humans? - Read Romans 5:12-14. How is our understanding of sin based
on the Creation Account? - Read Romans 5:15. How is our understanding of
righteousness by faith alone based on the Creation
Account? - How much different would our faith be if we
disbelieved that Genesis is an actual factual
account, and thought that it was a myth or analogy? - This week I was listening to a conversation between my
wife and her brother. They agreed that almost every person
that made up their neighborhood when they were growing up
was now dead. Would it be more natural to believe in a God
who has a vested interest in us, and who has promised us
eternal life if we believe in Him? - What motivation is there to believe that God has no
special interest in humans or our future? - Read Romans 1:21-23. What causes humans to deny God’s
claim as their Creator? Why would they deny Him that
glory? (Because they are fools, claiming to be wise.) - If you have done research on your family history,
what did you hope to find? (That royalty or very
successful people are your ancestors.) - Would any reasonable person hope to find that their
ancestors were apes? - Consider the “sales” job that Satan has been
able to accomplish by getting a large
percentage of the population to believe that
they descended from monkeys instead of being
created in the image of God! (This belief is
absolutely unnatural. It shows that there is an
active agent arguing against the principles of
the Bible.) - Friend, does this study remind you that our belief in the
Genesis Account is at the heart of most of our theology?
Will you determine to retain your faith in the Bible, and
look for a way to reconcile it and the claims of science? - Next week: The Bible as History.
