How does evolution / young and old earth work with the biblical narrative

  1. A non-soteriological issue
    • is not foundational to salvation
    • this issue can lead to strengthened or weakened theology
  2. Evolution
    • the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations that leads to new species does not conflict with the Bible
  3. Creation
    • Genesis 1-3 – what is the purpose of the creation account?
      • not meant to be a scientific account
      • places God as the creator of the universe
      • establishes God’s special relationship with mankind
      • sets the scene for Christ’s redemptive work
    • old earth creation
      • evolution has been developing new species for thousands of millions of years
        • evolution of all life forms from a primitive cell
        • death, decay, and animal suffering existed long before humans appeared
        • Genesis 1 to 3 are read as non-literal but containing great truths about God the creator
        • Romans 5:121 “death spread to all men“. Men is the Greek word anthrōpous which refers to men and women (people)
        • Most old earth creation models affirm that Adam and Eve were real historical individuals, specially created by God2
      • young earth creation
        • evolution has been developing new species for several thousand years
          • evolution cannot account for the multitude of life forms we have today
        • requires supernatural intervention by God
  4. Interesting links between science and creation
    • the Big Bang. Rejected by the astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle as he found the idea that the universe had a beginning to be pseudoscience, resembling arguments for a creator.3
    • Historical Adam and Eve. Genetic research suggests that we are descended from a single female and a single male who may have lived at the same time as each other4

  1. 12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (ESV) ↩︎
  2. Faith. (2019, April 4). Michael Strauss on the Age of the Earth, Adam and Eve, and Evangelism – Christ and Culture. Christ and Culture. https://cfc.sebts.edu/faith-and-science/michael-strauss-on-the-age-of-the-earth-adam-and-eve-and-evangelism/ ↩︎
  3. Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, May 5). Fred Hoyle. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hoyle ↩︎
  4. admin-science. (2023, December 20). Genetics. Genetics. https://scienceofbiogenetics.com/articles/genetic-eve-and-adam-unearthing-the-ancestral-origins-of-humanity ↩︎