The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum How old is the universe

I have to respect those who try to interpret the scripture in a literal sense out of a supposed respect for God but sometimes ,like on the subject of creation,in these days of scientific enlightenment, its a bit like an ostrich hiding his head in the sand! This subject might not be so important but from what i can understand (Hugh Ross-Creation science) the young earth view when presented to our court system in every case to try to win the right to teach the Bible view of creation in our schools is directly responsible for the issue failing each time!

There were actual trees, an actual serpent, and an actual flaming sword, just as there were an actual Adam and Eve. They may prefigure certain things, but that doesn't make them into mere metaphors. Otherwise, do you think the entire Tabernacle didn't exist? Unlike the Book of Revelation, Genesis is not an apocalyptic text.

It's true that the wisdom of God in creation is folly to modern man.

The Word of God, not modern naturalistic science, is the proper foundation of Christian thought. As I said above, the wisdom of God in creation is folly to modern man, but the Spirit teaches the truth to those in whom He dwells.

Good reply but are you absolutely sure, do you ever consider that you may be wrong? What if everyone who holds this view is wrong, do you ever consider what the consequences might be? I admit that i may be wrong and wonder about the consequences, one thing for sure we cannot both be right,but we could both be wrong.

Jim

I have to agree with Kyle about the Hebrew word "Yom" in Genesis chapter one to be referring to a literal 24 hour period of time.
Concider the following.
Normally "yom" is used in Scripture to mean a 24 hour day. But there are exceptions such as Is. 61:2 where it is used for longer periods of time. Or in the case of Genesis 2:4, where it is used as an idiom "when".
However, in Genesis chapter one it must be interpreted as a 24 hour period.
1.) Elsewhere, whenever "yom" is used with a number, it means 24 hour periods.
2.) The Decalogue bases the teaching of the Sabbath day on the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest.
3.) From the 4th day on, there are days, years, signs and seasons, suggesting that the normal system (24 hour day) is entirely operative.
4.) If "yom" refers to an age, then the text would have to allow for a period of "night". But few would argue for the night as an age. It seems inescapable that Genesis presents the creation in six days.

(From Creation & Blessing 'A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis by Allen P. Ross Page 109)

Tom

I know i am in the minority, but hoping we can learn something from each other.Its interesting to notice that Heb.3&4 seems to be teaching that the day of rest in Gen.2 is referring to the day of salvation and extends from the 7th day until today.

Have you considered the consequences of holding the very first words of Scripture to be myth or metaphor when they are clearly to be taken as literal? What if Christians also begin to hold that the new creation and incarnation of the Son of God is "myth" as many liberals do? Why is it that so many "enlightened" Christians are willing to believe and compromise with the speculative "science" of atheistic Darwinism? Are they afraid that they might be rejected and be labled "silly" by the omnescient materialists?

The consequences of unbelief in the perspicuity of Scripture and to make "metaphor" whenever we want and anywhere we wish will be deadly forever.

http://www.aomin.org/index.php?itemid=2329

Denny

Romans 3:22-24

I don't base my life around "what ifs." The Scripture cannot be broken.

Before too many arrows are shot into the air, let's consider Galileo. He is remembered not only for concluding that the sun did not orbit the earth, as taught by both churchmen, and scientists of his day, but for being excommunicated for a heresy that turned out to not be heritical at all.

Ever heard of the "gap theory" claiming an indeterminate amount of time between Genesis one, and Genesis Three in an attempt to explain the earth being "without form and void"? This was likely developed by John Nelson Darby or E.W. Bullinger, and taught by C.I Scofield and Clarence Larkin. I once embraced all that until I read and looked into "God created a mature world". That made more sense. There are many things we do not know, but if " And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5) etc., I can't see wiggle room for the gap theory.

I can be corrected here, but my understanding is that you are correct that the day of rest has something to do with salvation. However, it also has to do with a literal 24 hour period of time. Otherwise God wouldn't have given the command to remember the sabbath and keep it holy.
It is interesting to note that when we read the Old Testament how particular the Jews were to take this day to stop from their labors and worship God.

On the seventh day God rested and we as Christians will enter into that rest. But we still live here on the earth and for our own good (Mark 2:27) we shouldn't work on that day.
We of course now do this on the Lord's day, but that is another topic.

Tom