This is what I’ve believed for a long time and it’s nice to see someone put it into words. The is Tim Challies summarizing what Al Mohler said at Ligonier Ministries’ annual conference.
When it comes to the confrontation of evolutionary theory and the gospel we have a head-on collision. It is our responsibility to give an answer to this question of why the universe looks old, but the most natural understanding comes to this: the universe looks old because the Creator made it whole. When he made Adam, Adam was not a fetus but a man. By our understanding this would have required time. But for God it did not. He put Adam in the garden, which was not merely seeds, but a fertile, mature garden. God creates and makes things whole.
Read the whole article.
Al Mohler was his usual spot-on self this morning. If you get a chance to listen to the entire message it would be time well spent.
The more that I read the position of young Earth creationists, the harder I find it is to take them seriously. Our scriptures are ancients texts, not a modern history or science book. Mohler’s recent comments are nothing new in my opinion.
Ancient texts? True. But what do they plainly state?
Scriptures that refer to the resurrection of Jesus are also ancient. They are also not science books regarding the possibility of someone rising from the dead after several days. They are, however, true.
Nathan, I don’t believe what Mohler said is anything new either. I’ve believed it for over 20 years but couldn’t express it as well as him.
Our scriptures are ancients texts, not a modern history or science book.
That’s the line I’ve heard over and over again but don’t see what that has to do with the issue. Does that automatically mean the earth wasn’t created in six real days?
Jeff
Most likely, though we weren’t there to time Him.
It just seems arbitrary to assume that the 24-hour day/night cycle that occurs in the natural evolutions of our planet would be the exact same length of time that God followed in His creation process. It is merely a human application of our understanding onto a being that we cannot comprehend.
This whole discussion is pretty irrelevant to me because I believe that God exists outside of time. Therefore the creation process could be instantaneous or protracted within the bounds of time.
Assuming that the creation process was not instantaneous, it seems much more probable that God created things over any length of time other than the 24-hour day/night cycle. I believe the terminology used in the ancient Hebrew was the best human equivalent to an act that was in every essence divine, and intended to convey process, not the timing (which is irrelevant).
Maybe I should post about dimensionality, hmmm.
That makes more sense than the one-liner. I still don’t see why the Bible would obscure time to us and use terminology we can understand to say something other than what it says.
It’s become more important to me lately because it speaks to the truthfulness of the Bible. But again like you say it’s not an issue of first importance. And the Bible is true no matter how long it took to create stuff.
Jeff
Agreed. I believe that the Genesis account is 100% factual, however the 24/hour young Earth model is a completely preposterous interpretation in my view. The more that I think about it, the more irrelevant the old Earth model becomes to me due to my understanding of the dimensionality of our Creator.
On the whole, this has been one of the more interesting discussions of this topic for me (across the blogosphere). Thanks for the conversation!
On the whole, this has been one of the more interesting discussions of this topic for me (across the blogosphere). Thanks for the conversation!
That really makes my day for some reason. You’re welcome.
Jeff
Mark made another post today, it’s worth reading.
Which Mark is that?
Jeff
http://revdmarkstevens.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/concerning-pastors-salaries/
The picture alone is worth visiting.