God created all of the cosmos intentionally in a series of actions, some (including the very beginning) ex nihilo
and instantaneously, and others using pre-existing material (the body
of man from the dust) and perhaps by processes over long time periods.
The day-structure of Genesis 1 is primarily a literary
structure (in view of the exalted poetic prose of the text, its
parallelism, and its geocentric perspective) and secondarily a temporal
pointer to creative (perhaps overlapping) periods of indefinite length
(owing to technical arguments involving Hebrew usage of yom -- "day" in English).
This view is in harmony with a belief that scientific
evidence strongly points to an old earth and is artificially forced
when interpreted in favor of a young earth (10,000 years or less).
True man with God-consciousness is a recent creation (by what
process is unknown) in view of human (written) history and archaeology,
and Biblical genealogical data. Man is an intentional creation by God,
being made in His image.
Flood geology, the
view of modern diluvialists who claim Noah's flood produced the
geologic column planet-wide, is incorrect. Rejection of Flood geology
is a conclusion based on general science, and also on Biblical data --
trying to resolve a literal Eden's geography with a Flood-destroyed
planet would necessitate that Moses' geographic description of Eden be
considered a fantasy, contrary to traditional literalism.
Evolutionism
is unsupportable in its atheism, materialism and other philosophical
presuppositions, unsupportable probabilism, and militant
anti-Christianity. One can accept microevolution (variation-produced
biological varieties, species, and families), yet dispute
macroevolution (gradual accumulation of chance-caused variations from
amoeba to man without Divine intrusion).
The evangelical position on these matters is diverse.
Traditional fundamentalists and many evangelicals hold to a young-earth
creationism. Many other evangelicals (in the Assembly of God, orthodox
Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, and conservative Roman Catholic circles)
hold to an old earth and subscribe to a variety of positions on
biology, from "progressive creationism" to "theistic evolution." The
diversity is represented in colleges ranging from the Institute for
Creation Research and Liberty University to Calvin College, Westminster
Theological Seminary, Wheaton College and the Institute for Christian
Studies. The views presented above will be found in the middle ground
of those represented by these groups and institutions.
References:
Munday, J. C., Jr. 1992. “Creature mortality: from creation or the Fall?” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 35/1 (March) 51-68.
Munday, J. C., Jr. 1996. “Eden’s geography erodes Flood geology.” Westminster Theological Journal 58 (1996) 123-154.
2002-2005 © John C. Munday
All rights reserved.
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