03
Feb 2011

Creation Theories

How should we as believers approach the creation account? Do we believe in science like evolution? Is one way right or wrong? Do we reject everything the world has to say about our beginning? Genesis 1:1-2:3 has both confused and amazed readers and believers alike for quite some time. Here are a few theories that Christians have come up with to try and align both science and the Bible. After reading through them, let us know what you think.

Gap Theory:
God created the entire world in Genesis 1:1 but a serious disaster occurred in Genesis 1:2 in which Satan and the evil angels fell from heaven. The rest of the creation account (Gen 1:3-27) was a type of renewal that took place in six actual days after the earth had aged and lay barren for millions of years.

Literal Interpretation Theory: A six-day in a row creation account used actual 24-hour periods.

Flood Theory: The earth is a young earth and Noah’s flood was so powerful it moved sediment layers to look like something much older. Fossils found in several layers of sediment help this position.

Ideal-Time Theory: God created the world to look old, much like Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:3-10). Therefore, the earth is not actually old, but just looks like it.

Neo-catastrophism: The earth was formed in a much shorter time and that quick but extremely violent events like the Mount St. Helens eruption have formed the earth to look older.

Figurative interpretations: The Bible is not meant to teach us science, but to teach us about God and the days are topological instead of chronological.

Age-day Theory: The word “day” doesn’t mean a figurative 24-hour day, but longer periods of time.

Progressive Creationist Theory: God used this time to supernaturally create life, animals, and man as the earth aged. Therefore, God created the first cat and dog and the species evolved from there. This seems to line up with science like the Cambrian explosion.

Theistic Evolution Theory: God created the world then let the natural process work.

Pictorial-Day or Literary-Framework Theory: Moses received the revelation in a six-day format or he just arranged it into this format to more easily communicate it. The creation account is ordered logically so that the first and fourth, second and fifth, and third and sixth days line up. The first three days are God creating places and the following three days is God filling them. This theory considers the creation account a type of historical prologue for the covenant to come. The earth, heavens, and man are vassals and God is the faithful suzerain.

A proper method for engaging science requires we examine modern theories and see if they can fit the creation account as told in Genesis. The scientific theory itself could be wrong or some science is yet to be discovered that will help align scripture and science more closely. Although we should place scripture over theories that contradict it, we need to make sure we are not reading the text inaccurately and that our ideas make sense.

So all of these theories are just that… theories. They all have pros and cons and we have to remember that God is God and we are not. We cannot know for certain but we can consider all the ideas and try and come to a knowledgeable conclusion about what we think is correct.

Psalms 8:1-4 “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

In Christ, Jonathan
Website: http://awkwardchristianity.com/