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I The Position

Origen of Alexandria (died c. 254) practiced the allegorical method of interpretation. He is credited (blamed) w. being the first to interpret the creation “days” as allegory For various reasons, many have followed his lead. I The Position.

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I The Position

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  1. Origen of Alexandria (died c. 254) practiced the allegorical method of interpretation. He is credited (blamed) w. being the first to interpret the creation “days” as allegory • For various reasons, many have followed his lead

  2. IThe Position 1. Secularists are enamored with “science” (falsely named, 1 Tim.6:20). Not everything deserves the label • A scientific theory, when supported by “experts” and accepted generally, takes priority over Scripture • E.g.: “theory” of evolution

  3. Views of Gn.1-2 • Karl Barth: “saga,” thus non-historical • S. H. Hooke: “cultic liturgy” • Gordan Wenham: a “hymn” • Walter Brueggemann: a “poem” • Claud Westermann: a “narrative” • John Stek: a “metaphorical narration” • Gerhard von Rad: a “doctrine” • Others: myth, parable, story, allegory

  4. 2. Some “believers” are enamored w. latest theories . . . • Force Scripture and “science” to agree • If science says the universe is 13.7 billion years old, we need to go to Scripture to figure out the literal meaning of the word “day” regarding the creation days of Genesis • Never this: if the Bible indicates a young earth, we must restudy the “science”

  5. Gleason Archer • “From a superficial reading of Genesis 1, the impression would seem to be that the entire creative process took place in six twenty-four-hour days. If this was the true intent of the Hebrew author, this seems to run counter to modern scientific research, which indicates that the planet Earth was created several billion years ago…”

  6. Time is the issue • Dr. Robert Jastrow says: “The key to Darwin’s explanation is time, and the passage of many generations”(Until The Sun Dies, p. 112) • George Wald (Harvard University) said, “time itself performs the miracles”(Scientific American, 1954)

  7. The need for time produced: 1. Gap Theory • Gn.1:1, billions of years ago • Fall of Satan; “without form and void” • Gn.1:3ff, re-creation, six literal days 2. Day-Age Theory 3. Punctuated Equilibrium • Evolution tends to happen in fits and starts • Gn.1: aeons between each literal day

  8. IIThe Problems • The track record of “science” is not very good • (Today’s science is tomorrow’s superstition) 1. With reference to accuracy: • Sargon II, Is.20:1; Hittites • “Religion without science is lame, but science without religion is blind”(Albert Einstein) • “Unless science and religion work together, they are both useless”(ib)

  9. 2. Withreference to attitude: • Sir Arthur Keith: “Evolution is unproved and unprovable. We believe it because the only alternative is special creation which is unthinkable” • What if we said this of Christianity? • Professor Louis T. More (one of the most vocal evolutionists): “The more one studies paleontology [the fossil record], the more certain one becomes that evolution is based on faith alone”

  10. Julian Huxley: • “I had a reason for wanting the world to not have a meaning, and consequently, assumed it had none. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world, is concerned to prove that there is no reason why he should not do as he wants to. For me the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation – sexual and political”

  11. B.Science and human reasoning cannot understand miracles • Modern scientific research says: • No one can be born of a virgin • No one can walk on water • No one can rise from the dead • These attacks are not new. Cf. Ac.26:24-26

  12. C.Scriptures are product of divine reve-lation / inspiration, 2 Tim.3:16-17 • Scripture has an authority not found in the “book of nature” • Dt.13:1-3; 2 Tim.2:15-18 • Scripture depends on eyewitnesses whose testimony cannot be overthrown • Gn.1-2 – Jn.1:3 (Ro.1:4; Mk.10 • What scientist can produce an eyewitness?

  13. D. Those who compromise the beginning seldom know where to stop • Gn.1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:1-3 • A day follows another day • Nu.29:17, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35 • A day follows another day • How long were these days? • How much time elapsed between these days?

  14. Ex.20:8-11 • Requirement: Remember Sabbath, (8-10) • Reason: In six days...(11) • Based on pattern God set at Creation Ex.31:13-17 • Requirement: work…six days… (15) • Reason: for in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth… (17) • Historical precedent • Each Sabbath was a reminder

  15. James Barr “So far as I know there is no professor of Hebrew or OT at any world-class university who does not believe that the writer(s) of Genesis 1 through 11 intended to convey to their readers the ideas that (a) creation took place in a series of six days which were the same as the days of 24 hours we now experience; (b) the figures contained in the Genesis genealogies provided by simple addition a chronology from the beginning of the world up to later stages in the Biblical story; (c) Noah’s flood was understood to be world-wide and extinguished all human and animal life except for those in the ark”

  16. IIIThe Principles 1. Gn.1-2 discusses the miraculous • If we grant existence of “God,” it is not hard to believe Gn.1-2 • Hb.11:3, ex nihilo • Gn.1:3, divine fiat • He speaks things into being! • This is not natural law, but supernatural

  17. 2. “Day” is not hard to understand • Gn.1:5 uses “day” in two senses: • light portion of 24 hour period; • entire 24 hour period, including darkness • Skinner: “The interpretation of yom as aeon, a favorite resource of harmonists of science and revelation, is opposed to the plain sense of the passage and has no warrant in Hebrew usage”

  18. “Day” is not hard to understand • Dillmann: “The reasons advanced by ancient and modern writers for construing these days to be longer periods of time are inadequate” • No one ever argued for the day-age theory in Gn.1-2 because the plain sense of the passage demands it

  19. 3. Gn.1-2 informs us about God’s method of creation • No one can justly charge the Lord w. dishonesty • 1:11-12, the vegetable kingdom: trees and fruit before man • A tree loaded w. fruit must have looked several years old (2:16) • 1:12, grass… also would have had the appearance of age

  20. – 1:14-18, lights: Sun, moon, stars • Just as trees came loaded w. fruit, heavenly bodies were already shining • Remember: we are dealing w. the miraculous (Hb.11:3) • 1:14, “day” is distinguished from seasons and years • 9:12

  21. – 1:20-23, water creatures and fowl (fifth day): • Reptiles, fish, etc. before eggs, w. ability to reproduce (22); these have appearance of age • Birds before eggs

  22. – 1:24-30, land creatures (sixth day): • Animals, fully grown (25) • Man (26-27), fully grown; able to: • Rule, 28 • Reproduce, 28 • Eat vegetation, 29-30 • Not baby formula or milk • They had the appearance of age

  23. Adam, Eve, In The Garden • 2:7, Adam • 2:21-23, Eve • Ruth 1:11 • Appearance of age • 2:8, Garden • 2:10-14, gold, onyx stone, rivers, all w. appearance of age

  24. Gn.2:1-3 • 2:1-3, a description of Gn.1 • Sixth day: finished creative work • Seventh day: rested. Cf. Ex.20; 31

  25. 4. Science argues against long ages in Gn.1-2 • Symbiotic relationships: • Gn.1:21. Cf. bees and pollination • Which evolved first, plant or bee? • They must have been created at about the same time • Flowers need bees for pollination • Bees need flowers for food

  26. A problem for day-age theorists • Vegetation on 3rd day (v.11), bees on 5th (v.21) • Vegetation would not have reproduced w/o bees; bees would not have survived w/o honey • Vegetation on 3rd day (v.11), but sun on 4th (v.14-19) • Vegetation would have died in the 3rd aeon (“day”) waiting for the sun to appear

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