APOLOGETICS SECTION #3
The Bible
& Science
I. Time – Days of Creation
a.
Terminology of “days” (Hebrew, yom)
i.
3 Meanings
1.
12 hrs. (Gen. 1:4)
2.
24 hrs. (Gen. 1:5)
3.
Indefinite time period (Gen. 2:4 & other)
ii.
Which is used in Genesis for Creation Days?
1.
Young Earth – 24 hrs.
a.
Argue that yom + ordinal number exclusively
means a 24 hour day
b.
Argue that Sabbath command indicates the original pattern of days of the week
i.
Exo. 20:9-11
2.
Old Earth – Indefinite
a.
Argue the Genesis is unique & usage is figurative as in following:
i.
Hosea 6:1-2
ii.
Luke 13:32
b.
Argue Sabbath is pattern of the general pattern since it is couched in figurative language
i.
Exo. 31:12-17 (God was refreshed)
ii.
Isa. 40:28 (God does not grow weary)
c.
Argue too many things happened in Day 6 that take time to occur
i.
Naming animals
ii.
Making woman (see Gen 2:23, ‘at last’)
iii.
Plant growth
b.
Conflicting accounts of creation?
i.
Genesis 1-3 are cyclical in nature; telescoping the creation account
ii.
The accounts are not conflicting nor exclusive
c.
Young Earth Christians
i.
6000 yrs. -- Based on genealogies, 24hr.-day creation account, literal interpretation
d.
Old Earth Christians
i.
15 billion yrs. -- Based on figurative interpretation, harmonizing science with the Bible, days of creation
of varying lengths
II. Big Bang Cosmology
a.
Quick Cosmology 101
i.
In the beginning there was nothing – then something happened
ii.
Creation of near infinite mass, heat, energy
iii.
Protons & electrons form from energy (E=mc2)
1.
Time begins with the formation of matter
iv.
Universe is super hot, super chaotic, and expanding fast
1.
Begins to cool – measure of Cosmic Background Radiation (CBR).
This has cooled to a mere 4oK today.
v.
As expansion occurs space is stretched, waves of light are stretched, and time is stretched
vi.
Relativity: space and time are relative;
only constant is speed of light that relates the two
1.
Stretch space and you stretch time (time dilation)
2.
Speed up fast enough and your time slows
vii.
Time began at .00001s after Big Bang (matter formed). At
this point the universe was a trillionth smaller and hotter than today (1x1012).
So time was ticking a trillionth slower as seen from God’s perspective.
1.
Day 1-7 are then relative in time scale.
2.
From God’s perspective they are “days” (fast time as seen outside our system); but from
an Earth-bound perspective they last millennia (slow time since we are in the system).
viii.
Birth of stars, galaxies, and Earth all happened in this time scale over billions of years.
ix.
Today we still see expansion but only rapidly at farther and farther distances (Hubble Law). Locally we feel the effects of relativity much less on our time sense.
1.
However, time dilation is still recognized even in Earth’s orbit at 20miles/sec around the sun. Our time is 67sec/year slower relative to time on the Sun itself.
x.
Beginning with Adam, human history takes on the Earth-based time frame and continues on that way in the
Bible. Dates, histories, events, etc. confirm this as Earth-based
time.
b.
The Science of God Chart [Handout]
i.
Reconciling the timeframes
ii.
Dinosaurs existed on Earth for ~200million years.
1.
Divide by 1x1012 years to find the equivalent in “God’s time”. Equals 1.05 hours.
iii.
15 billion years / trillion = 6 days (of creation)
c.
Key Questions/Debates:
i.
What caused the Big Bang? Science has
no answer.
ii.
Do processes/physical laws go on through time as they do today (principle of uniformitarianism)?
iii.
Is time relative? When did the clock
start?
iv.
Could time be measured (by 24hr periods) even before the sun and moon were created?
v.
Was the universe created with the appearance of age?
III. Evolution
a.
Terminology
i.
Succession - fossils and strata
laid down over time; the oldest things being laid down first and are on bottom, while the newest things are on top
1.
Fossils show an increasing complexity of life with primitive forms below the more recent modern forms
2.
Human fossils on top showing late arrival
ii.
Evolution – change of organisms over time as seen by succession
1.
Macro-evolution – standard “evolution”; change in species across species or class or kingdom
barriers
a.
Darwinism (may or may not include God)
b.
Driven by natural selection
2.
Micro-evolution – change in species within species
(or at the most class level) barriers
a.
Adaptation
b.
Attributes to God the creativity that drives advancement
iii.
Creation – idea that God created life according to Genesis
b.
Flow Chart [Handout]
i.
See what you believe is possible
ii.
Recent Creationists – Young Earth – believe in quick one week creation
of forms; reject succession
iii.
Ancient Creationists – Old Earth – believe in successive acts of
creation over time; creation of “kinds” on different “days”
iv.
Atheistic Darwinists – Evolutionary Humanists – believe life is
result of natural forces operating at random over time
v.
Theistic Darwinists – Liberal Progressives – believe God allowed
macro-evolution to drive creation of life (on its own?); often believe Genesis is more myth than fact and have loose view
of other Scriptures
c.
The uniqueness of Man
i.
The soul – only given to humans
1.
We are made in the “image of God” (Gen. 1:26)
IV. Sticky Issues
a.
Where do Dinosaurs fit in?
i.
Depends on Young/Old Earth interpretation & you view of succession
1.
Young Earth – human and dinosaur coexisted
2.
Old Earth – humans came 200million years after dinosaurs went extinct (due to meteor impact, current
theory)
ii.
Dino’s in the Bible?
1.
Day 5 – water creatures and word term taninim
gedolim
a.
Interpreted as whales, sea monsters, dragons, creatures, etc.
b.
gedolim = big, large
c.
taneen – singular of taninim
2.
Exo. 4:3 – Moses told to throw down staff and it becomes a snake, nahash
3.
Exo. 7:10 – staff/snake referred to as taneen here
4.
Exo. 7:15 – staff/snake again nahash
here
5.
Conclusion:
a.
Seems that taneen (taninim) could refer to a general category of animal in which the snake is found – ie. Reptiles
b.
Day 5 – God created “big reptiles” … the dinosaurs
i.
This would be “late” on Day 5 as water animals were migrating inward to land
iii.
Key controversy:
1.
Evolution says birds come from reptiles
2.
Genesis seems to indicate one of the following:
a.
Interpretation One: Following the taninim theory, birds were created along with reptiles on Day 5, along with water-creatures.
b.
Interpretation Two: Birds were created on Day 5 before reptiles were created on Day 6
3.
Either Genesis interpretation is okay for Ancient/Successive Creation model, but both are trouble for
Theistic Darwinist model
b.
What about Noah’s Flood?
i.
Terms/Interpretations:
1.
Universal or Global – Flood encompassed entire earth; all land and seas
2.
Local – Flood encompassed only the human-inhabited regions of the world; mainly Middle East,
North Africa, Europe, Asia Minor
ii.
Questions:
1.
Was it Comprehensive? Did it kill
every human and every animal except those on the Ark?
a.
Gen. 6:7 indicates all of mankind along with animals; but Noah found favor with the Lord.
b.
Gen. 7:21-23 seems to focus on land animals, birds, and Man. What about fish and marine life?
2.
Was it Limited? Did it only destroy
those humans and animal life exposed to and engaged in sinful activities?
a.
Other cultures have Flood accounts/stories/myths
b.
Gen. 6:4 mentions the Nephilim
i.
Who/What were the Nephilim?
ii.
Mentioned prior to and after the Flood – see Num. 13:33
c.
Earth – adamah or aretz (Hebrew)
i.
adamah – indicates whole earth; face
of the earth
1.
Used in Gen. 6:7
ii.
aretz – could indicate a local environ
1.
Used in Gen. 6&7 flood account
iii.
Could Noah have changed God’s original intent from 6:7 to the rest of the narrative?
iii.
Did it rain before the Flood?
1.
Consider the text: Gen. 2:4-7
2.
This is a summary statement of creation days 1-6 it seems.
3.
Indicates that there was a time when there was no rain – before plant life – Days 1-3 perhaps.
a.
But is it prohibitive that no rain ever fell beyond that point in time?
4.
Rainbows? Consider Gen. 9:13-17
a.
Does this mean that there were no rainbows prior to God declaring a sign of his covenant with Man?
