Christians and the Question of Origins
by Steve Badger
Few things capture our imaginations like reconstructed dinosaur skeletons. Our amazement at their size and ferocious appearance has made dinosaurs so popular that they are often featured in movies, cartoons, comic strips, advertisements, and toys. But, some argue, the fossilized remains of these extinct reptiles challenge the trustworthiness of the Genesis account of creation.
Although this is a very complex controversy, there are four basic approaches to the question of origins:
1. God created the universe and life in six 24-hour days.
2. God created the universe and life over a very long period of time.
3. God created natural laws and matter and then used evolution to produce the diversity of life.
4. All life was produced by spontaneous generation and then life as we know it evolved.
Bible-believing Christians typically believe one of the first three.
What should an intelligent, informed Christian believe in this scientific age? Have the methods of natural science established macroevolution as a fact? Has God been excluded as Creator? Or can a 21st-century Christian believe that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”? (Gen. 1:1, NIV)?
The Problem of Time
Time is central to the origins debate. Scientists have found much physical evidence which they claim indicates the earth is several billion years old. You may be surprised to learn that evolutionists are not alone in thinking the earth is billions of years old. Even many Bible-believing Christians with scientific training (who also recognize God as Creator) admit that much evidence indicates the earth and our solar system are at least a few billion years old. Some Bible scholars, however, think the Scriptures indicate the earth is much younger, perhaps only between 10,000 and 50,000 years old. Can we reconcile the Bible and the findings of science? Does modern science really contradict the Scriptures? How have Christians responded to the challenge?
Young Earth Creationists understand the word day in Genesis 1 as a 24-hour-day. They have offered physical evidence that they interpret to support the premise that the earth is only several thousand years old. Much of their proffered evidence has been refuted to the satisfaction of many Bible-believing scientists.
Young Earth Creationists often explain evidences of an old earth by suggesting that God created the universe with an Appearance of Age. In the same way that Adam wasn’t created as a baby, but as a mature man, the universe was created mature. But many Christians cannot reconcile this image of a deceptive Creator with the God of the Bible; therefore, they discount this theory.
Further complicating the issue is the fact that many conservative Bible scholars argue that the range of meaning of the Hebrew word (yom) translated “day” in Genesis 1 is not limited to a 24-hour day, but it was also used to stand for a period of time. (Space limitations prohibit a full discussion of this and some other points.)
The other three approaches to the question of origins accept the evidences of an old earth and see life as coming into existence over much longer periods of time. Old Earth Creationists believe that God created the earth and life, but over millions of years. They accept the Genesis account, but interpret the word that is translated day as meaning a period of time (as it clearly means in some other contexts).
Old Earth Creationists may solve the time problem a variety of ways. The Day-Age Theory solves the time problem by suggesting that each day of creation was really an epoch of unknown length. Often 2 Peter 3:8 is cited as a proof-text (“one day is with the Lord as a thousand years”). The Gap Theory posits that the original creation was destroyed by Satan, and after a very long time interval, God re-created the earth. Dinosaurs and other creatures now known only through their fossils existed during this time-gap. Many Christians do not embrace this theory because it requires an unnatural reading of the Hebrew, and it lacks corroborating Scriptural support.
Theistic Evolution attempts to embrace simultaneously the Bible’s creation account and secular science’s theory of evolution. Basically theistic evolutionists see God as the Creator of matter and of the natural, physical laws, but they think He then used evolutionary processes to produce modern life.
Alas, these not only contradict Genesis 2:7 (“the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”), but they also make several important Bible doctrines difficult to understand. For instance, when did man become “formed in the image of God” (Gen 1:26f)? In what way is Christ the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:22-23)? These doctrines are crucial to the entire message of the Bible and to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There’s more to the problem.
If this disagreement over origins is just a matter of how the word translated day in the first few chapters of Genesis should be understood, maybe this debate really does not warrant the energy that people have invested in it over the last century. Before you reach that conclusion, consider that this may be part of a larger, more critical controversy.
For a couple of centuries some scholars have tried to rationalize the miracles of the Bible naturalistically. For instance, God did not part the Red Sea, they claim; rather Moses and the Children of Israel crossed at a shallow place. Jesus was not literally resurrected, they argue; He merely revived from a coma. Thus they wish to “demythologize” the Scriptures.
But the Bible begins with a pair of ultimate miracles: the creation of matter from nothing and the creation of life from non-life. The Bible ends with a description of the miraculous conception, birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus—all of which provide for our miraculous forgiveness and everlasting relationship with Him.
Christians must not remain silent while enemies of the Gospel attempt to discredit the Bible because of the miracles recorded in God's Word. But we do not advance the cause of Christ by insisting that the physical evidence of the age of the earth is misleading, cannot be believed, and must be explained away.
Conclusion
Science cannot answer all of our questions or solve all of our problems. It has not—and cannot—satisfactorily answer at least two basic questions: What is the ultimate origin of matter? (Most atheistic scientists assume mass-energy to be eternally existent.) And what is the ultimate origin of life? (Most atheistic scientists assume life arose spontaneously from non-life, an idea that has no supporting scientific evidence.) The Bible answers that both originated in the will and power of God to serve His purposes—and these answers will be relevant to every generation.
The Scriptures also answer other vital questions. Does life have purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Where did evil come from? Can a person hope to overcome evil? What is right and wrong behavior? The methods of science cannot even begin to address these.
What conclusions should a Christian form about origins? If we are to believe the Bible, must we also conclude the earth is only a few thousand years old? Can a Christian believe the Bible is true and embrace an old-earth theory?
The theories of science change quickly, but Scriptural truths remain constant forever. We must not connect our interpretation of Scripture so closely to current scientific speculations that, when these theories change, our successors are left with having to reinterpret Scripture to their generation. Rather we must find and proclaim the unchanging truths of the Bible.
Developing a personal position on the age of the earth is probably not essential for every Christian. But—regardless of your personal preference—knowing God as Creator is absolutely essential because it inspires faith that God has the power, creativity, and will to re-create you in His image today (2 Cor. 5:17).
The Christian community needs an open and honest dialog about origins. Christians who are also scientists should not have to repress their opinions for fear of being ostracized and branded a heretic.
Can Christians believe in a young earth today? Certainly. But we should remember that it is a faith statement, and we must not consider Christians who think otherwise to be spiritually inferior. Can Christians believe in an old earth? Sure. But this is also a faith statement, and we must not consider Christians who think otherwise to be intellectually inferior. In both cases, we must not require others to agree with our position. Paul’s admonition fits us well: “In humility consider others better than yourselves” (Phil 2:3, NIV).
The Bible is absolutely trustworthy with respect to everything it purports to reveal. The Bible does not attempt to reveal the age of the earth; therefore, Christians must not allow the controversy over origins to cause us to miss the truths which all Bible believers must accept: The universe and life did not arise by chance, but by the design and purpose of the Creator who is still in control. The creation stands as a witness to and reflection of the character of God (Rom. 1:18-20). God created humans in His image, but our disobedience brought God’s judgment. And the findings of science can never change this eternally non-negotiable message of Genesis.
With respect to dinosaurs, Bible-believing Christians have two basic options:
1. If we believe in a young earth, then we must either conclude:
Dinosaurs must have lived from the time of Adam until the Flood, so scientists must be mistaken about the age of dinosaur bones. Further, all of the other physical evidences of an old earth are misleading.
or
If dating of dinosaur bones is even roughly accurate, then God created the earth containing the fossilized skeletons of creatures which never existed and made them so they seem old.
2. If we believe in a old earth, then we must conclude that Genesis does not indicate how old the earth is, and dinosaur remains are just what they seem to be: ancient remains of now extinct giant reptiles.
Guidelines for researching the problem of origins:
 | Don’t just read material that reinforces your position; consider the arguments of people with different opinions. |
| Don’t confuse someone’s interpretation with the physical evidence. All of us have the same evidence, but often we interpret that evidence differently. Recognize the difference among empirical data (facts), a theory with some supporting evidence, and subjective speculation. |
| Distinguish among the methods of science, the content of science, and the practitioners of science. |
| When you read a book or article about the creation/evolution controversy, check the writer’s credentials: Is he/she a scientist? a theologian? a philosopher? Are his/her college degrees from accredited institutions or from a diploma mill? Are they honorary or earned? |
| Try to discover the author’s presuppositions. Does he/she approach the question of origins assuming there is no God? |
Guidelines for discussing origins with evolutionist friends:
| Perhaps winning an argument should be less important than winning a friend. You might avoid arguing origins with a non-Christian friend in order to establish a redemptive relationship. |
| If your friend does not recognize the authority of the Bible, citing proof-texts in your argument will not prove your point to him/her. |
| Try to discover your friend’s presuppositions. Does he/she begin by discounting the existence of God? |
| Don’t let people with scientific credentials intimidate you. A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument. |
| Listen to your friend. Don’t try to think of your next argument while you should be listening to his/her argument. |
| The scientific method may be objective, but those who use it are often as subjective as anyone else. Try to help your friend recognize any lack of objectivity. |
| See if you can agree on definitions of terms (for example, evolution, microevolution, macroevolution). |
| When necessary, be willing to say, “I don’t know.” |
| Explain why the problem of origins is a philosophical rather than a scientific question. |
| Do not make a “young earth, six 24-hour day creation” the litmus test for Christian fellowship. Many conservative, committed Christian scholars who hold a high view of Scriptures understand the word “day” in the Genesis 1 as meaning an indeterminate period of time. |
