Doctrine of Creation

Definition

Doctrine of creation- Teachings regarding God’s act of bringing into existence all that is (Millard Erickson)

Age of the Earth

When did creation occur? roughly 6,000 years ago (Young Earth Creation)

How do we get this age?

The genealogies show us their is about 2,000 years between Adam and Abraham

Scholars Christian and secular put Abraham living around 2000 B.C.

We live in 2024 A.D.

2,000 + 2,000 +2,000 = 6,000

Their are some people who hold to Old Earth Creationism which is an attempt to combine evolution and big bang theory with the Bible

This view teaches that Genesis 1 is symbolic that each day is symbolic of long periods

This view is dangerous and not necessary scientifically

Why is it dangerous?

It is a slippery slope when you start compromising

This is the number one place I see doubt placed in young people to make them doubt the Bible

Science

Refresher on theory and law

Theory- a formal set of ideas that is intended to explain why something happens or exists (Oxford)

Law- the fact that something always happens in the same way in an activity or in nature (Oxford)

Old Earth Creationism came about to conform to the theories of evolution and Big Bang theory

Galatians 1:10 ESV

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

A view that comes more from pleasing man than listening to science

Big Bang theory teaches universe came about 13 Billion years from an explosion of a singularity witht he earth forming 4 billion years ago

This has been a theory for roughly a 100 years with countless dollars thrown at it to prove it

Big Bounce theory

Multiverse theories

Several issues with it:

Violates the laws of thermodynamics

First Law of Thermodynamic- energy can be converted from one form to another with the interaction of heat, work and internal energy, but it cannot be created nor destroyed, under any circumstances.

Intelligent design has to have happened or the mass in the universe has to have always existed somehow

Second Law of thermodynamics- the state of entropy of the entire universe, as an isolated system, will always increase over time

In other words energy becomes less useful over time. Energy steadily becomes more chaotic. If the universe is eternal, should it not be in a state of complete entropy?

Questionable dating methods

Radioisotope dating is based on three assumptions.

Conditions at Time Zero

In other words they assumed to know the amount in the hourglass before it started to pour.

Yet lava flows that have occurred in the present have been tested soon after they erupted, and they invariably contained much more argon-40 than expected.1 For example, when a sample of the lava in the Mt. St. Helens crater (that had been observed to form and cool in 1986) (Figure 1) was analyzed in 1996, it contained so much argon-40 that it had a calculated “age” of 350,000 years!2 Similarly, lava flows on the sides of Mt. Ngauruhoe, New Zealand (Figure 2), known to be less than 50 years old, yielded “ages” of up to 3.5 million years. (Radiometric Dating: Problems with the Assumptions | Answers in Genesis)

No Contamination

They assume weather and natural disasters had no affect on the radioisotopes

The Noahic flood could have caused great contamination

Constant Decay Rate

Recently experiments have happened that point to the possibility of variety in decay rates.

Also we know God did create things with age, Adam and Eve were not created as babies

Evolution

Another reason for old earth creationism is to bend to evolutionary theory

First a quick glance at the order of events shows this does not work

Refer to chart

Also like Big bang theory the science does not work on evolutionary theory (macro-evolution)

Evolution depends on mutations to create information to get us from singular cell organism to what we are now

What do mutations do?

Destroy information, never once have they been observed to create information

Which can give you change within a species but not species to species

For instances in the dog family a wolf has the most complex DNA and the poodle has the worst DNA

So you can breed wolves long enough and could technically eventually get a poodle, but no matter how many times you breed a poodle you will never ever get a wolf

Some will then point to scientific discoveries such as the Neanderthal where their is observable DNA

The Neanderthal is not the dumb caveman Hollywood makes him out to be

Not another species of human, they were just humans with less corrupt DNA

10 mutations compared to 210 today

contrary to what evidence scientist need

Less death and age causing corruptions

Which would lead to what? longer life spans that we see in the Old Testament

Neandrathals really are just humans that lived before the flood

Cambrian Explosion holds problems for evolution.

It is an abrupt appearance in the fossil record. Most major animal body plans appear at this time in a short time period. Their is no gradual appearance, their is no transitional figures.

Evolution needs a slow steady appearance of animals with lots of transitional forms.

What Biblical event answers the Cambrian explosion? the flood (Genesis 6-7)

Common Questions

How do we have different races?

We don’t, from a science perspective their is only one race

The difference between any human on a genetic level is .2%

Of that .2% only 6% of it is “racial” or you could say racial difference is 0.054%

So why do we have different ethnicities?

Adam and Eve were created with perfect DNA, early human DNA had a wide variety of information

Diversity would have still been great within Noah’s DNA, also his sons could have been of mixed skin tones

It is scientifically possible for humans with the right genetic code to have any “race”

Then the question comes up how did the ethnicities end up so spread out

Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)

Different languages appear at this point and God starts to spread people around

Different people go to different areas as they disperse

How did people get to the Americas after this?

So the Tower of Babel occurs roughly 100 years after the flood

The volcanic eruptions that would have happened as the flood happened would have put a lot of ash in the atmosphere causing an ice age to happen which would have formed a land bridge

Why did certain skin tones settle in certain areas?

Genetic variety started decreasing

Some would have been related to language separation

Some would have to do with who was genetically more suited for certain areas

For example most of your darker skin tones (more resistant to skin cancer)are suited more for life near the equator while you lighter skin tones (are better for Vitamin D synthesis in low sunlight conditions) are more suited for way from the equator

How does dinosaurs fit into a biblical worldview?

A question that arises a lot is how do dinosaurs fit into a Biblical timeline

They were created in the garden, which answers some complications in the last few years

Dinosaur DNA is being found in some bones. Science has shown DNA in ideal circumstances can last 6.8 million years old. Science theorizes Dinos went extinct 65 million years ago.

When did Dinosaurs exist? Primarily between creation week and the Noahic flood. The world did not exist before creation week and we know fossils prove dinosaurs. So how does this all come together?

Originally all dinosaurs would have been plant eaters (Genesis 1:30). Now post curse some would become meat eaters, death entered the world. Dinosaurs like T-Rex could be the mutated cousins of the first dinosaurs. Records show earliest dinos were plant eaters

So why are there fossils? The flood (Pangaea, lava flows, and extreme movements of the tectonic plates) would have made prime conditions for the fossils we find. Explains the Cambrian explosion. We have fossils of mammals and people and plants also.

Why do dinosaurs not exist today? I believe several reasons. Genesis 2:6 suggest that instead of rain a mist came up to water the ground. So their is speculation that the pre-flood world had different atmospheric conditions. I believe these conditions may would have been more dinosaur friendly then what exist today. After the flood though the atmospheric dynamics changed and this could have played a role in dinosaurs capabilities to survive. Keep in mind 99% of all animal species are estimated to be extinct. 100s go extinct every year.

Flood was followed by an ice age

Also post flood we see the fear of man enter animals. Genesis 9:2. Up to this point nothing seems to imply their was a fear or tension between man and animals (further evidence a second curse occured). Dinosaurs would have been intimadating, but also man is now allowed to eat animals (9:3). So some breeds of dinosaurs would have been sen as good sources of meat. So many may have been hunted to extinction for food and out of fear.

Leviathan has a dinosaur like description, really a dragon like description. Which I think dragon tales originate from post flood dragon sightings.

Look at history, China, Mesopotamia, all over Europe, the Indians, Mayans, Aztecs, Eskimos, Aboriginals, and Egypt ancient cultures have tales of dragons. they vary in description but have many similarities. Dinosaur encounters could have occured more recently in history than we thought.

Dragons are just post-flood sightings of dinosaurs (term didn't exist until 1842).

Look up: Dracorex Hogwartsia, Stygimoloch, Pterodactyl, and Plesiosaurus

Genesis 9:2 ESV

The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.

Also their is some Biblical references that show dinosaurs existed for some time post flood.

Job 40:15–24 ESV

“Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron. “He is the first of the works of God; let him who made him bring near his sword! For the mountains yield food for him where all the wild beasts play. Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh. For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him. Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth. Can one take him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare?

This is very much a description of a Brachiosaurus.

Isaiah 27:1 ESV

In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Job 41 ESV

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls? Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again! Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him. No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame. Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth. In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him. The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable. His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves. Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; for him, sling stones are turned to stubble. Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins. His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire. He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be white-haired. On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride.”

Trace Through Old Testament

Exodus 20:11 ESV

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Application: Creation is celebrated weekly in our lives. We spend six days working the creation, and spend the seventh to rest and worship

Joshua 10:13 ESV

And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

Application: God has complete control over his complex creation

Trace Through New Testament

Hebrews 11:3 ESV

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Application: We will never be able to completely wrap our minds around the complexity of creation, but must have faith in the creator

Revelation 21:1–5 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Application: Creation has been corrupted, but God’s salvation plan not only restores us, but the world we live in