From, if not before, the time that evolution began to be proclaimed as proven and accepted by the academic world as fact, the question has been asked, “Does science contradict the Bible?” And in no greater place has this been asked than in the creation account, as found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. Theologians had for centuries taught that, according to the Scriptures, the earth could not be much older than 6 to 10 thousand years old, while secular scientists declared that the evidence proved the universe to be over 4.5 billion years of age.
Well the truth is that the Bible doesn’t actually tell us how old the earth is. All it says in Genesis 1:1-2a is that, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” But for many well-meaning Christians, the search to find an answer to the supposed contradiction between the Bible and science (since many of them had evidently accepted science as the authority), can be found in verse 2 that we just read. According to them, God originally created the world (verse 1), but then something happened that totally destroyed the planet (possibly a result of God’s judgment on Satan and his followers after they rebelled against Him). According to them, this left the planet in the condition described in verse 2. For those that adhere to this view (known as ‘the Gap Theory), this explains the problem caused by the geologic ages and the fossil records which support the claims of evolutionists. According to Christians that hold to this view, the earth and everything in it was destroyed during this cataclysm, and what we have beginning in Genesis 1:3 is not the original creation, but a re-creation of the earth to restore it from its ‘without form and void’ condition.
Now, this sounds like an easy way to avoid dealing with evolutionists and others that claim that science disproves Genesis’ record of the creation and still hold to the truth that God created (or re-created) the earth in six days. But if one looks at the actual text of Genesis we find a problem, one pointed out by Henry Morris in his book “The Genesis Record.” There he says, “It is significant that every verse in the first chapter after verse 1 (except first 27) begins with the conjunction ‘And’ (the Hebrew word ‘waw’). This structure clearly means that each statement is sequentially and chronologically connected to the verses before and after. Each action follows directly upon the action described in the verse preceding it. Thus, there is no room for a chronological gap of any consequence between verses one and two.”
But Morris pointed out a theological problem with any evolutionary or scientific statements which declares proof for the existence of any animals (including dinosaurs) existing millions or billions of years before man based on the fossil record. For fossil records are the result of death. And the Bible is clear throughout that, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Or to put it bluntly, the Bible declares that there was no death before sin existed, and Genesis 3 tells us exactly how that came about.
Now, while I don’t claim to have all the answers as to why some things in geology or science seem to sometime contradict the Scriptures, there are a couple of things I do know. Over the last century, science has discovered many things that, when examined honestly, point to truth of a Creator (like every individual’s DNA, the building blocks of life). I also know that there is a very plausible explanation for all the strata layers found throughout the world with fossils buried in them, a world-wide flood. If that can be proved, and many Christian geologists believe it to be the case, this would do severe damage to secular geologists’ claims that the earth is billions of years old. Finally I also know that, over and over, unbelieving man has trotted out one piece of evidence on top of another to show the unreliability of Scripture, only to eventually be proven wrong by the archeologist’s spade.
So if I’m going to have to choose between what the Bible teaches on any subject that man rejects and I’m absolutely certain I understand what the Scripture is saying, I’ll take my chances with the One who wrote the book and has promised us, “… whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11 – NASB).
For God’s glory and His alone,
Pastor Terry.