FROM PASTOR TIM JOHNSON:
Many thanks to all for the helpful and encouraging comments from Sunday’s message! It is always a sticky area among fervent Bible believers to address how to interpret Genesis 1.
One saint pointed out that the relationship between the Bible and Science is one that can only coexist harmoniously if we give first priority to the Bible. The saint indicated that when we trust the Bible, we actually can have more confidence in science, and when we cannot see clearly how the two interact we need to default to the Bible because it will just be a matter of time before God reveals how the two work together to reveal truth.
In other words, Christians do not need to bash science; science is an important supplement to our study of God’s Word. However, we must be cautious about giving first priority to science because when we do that we are more open to contorting the Bible to “fit” science rather than allowing the Bible to stand on its own terms. We will give priority to one or the other, and whichever one we prioritize will impact how we ascertain and appropriate the other.
In that light, I maintain that it is easier to witness to the Gospel when we have as consistent a hermeneutic as possible, and then just trust it without apology. In my view, Exodus 20:8-11 gives us an important exegetical reason to trust that God meant six days in Genesis 1.
Yes, many will call us fools, and today an increasing number of Christians who identify as Evangelicals will call us fools when we hold to six-day Creation. I get that. The wisdom of this world may be foolishness in God’s. And this is not to say that those who hold to Old Earth Creation or other forms of Theistic Evolution are fools, or, are going to hell. I don’t believe that.
I do believe it is an honest reading of the text to see a six-day Creation and a 1,000-year Millennial reign for that matter as what God intended to communicate just as clearly as the Virgin Birth, Resurrection and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Call me childish. Call me naïve. Call me what you will. But I believe.
Humbly groping through it all together, we are, by God’s grace alone…
Rescued by Christ,
Pastor Tim