Creation or Evolution?
The Bible Says Creation (Part 2)

Brian R. Kenyon

Of the three ways to arrive at truth, observation, logic, and Divine revelation, this third avenue, the Bible, is the least recognized and/or accepted by the world. However, when properly translated and “rightly divided” (2 Tim.2:15, NKJ), the Bible is just as, if not more, trustworthy and reliable as true science and logic. In last week’s article, we noted that the Bible is truly God’s word, and as such, it is true in all that it affirms, including what it teaches about the origin of this universe. We also noted that the Bible teaches that everything created was created within the six literal days of creation week (Gen. 1:1-31 cf. Ex. 20:11). In this study, let us note two other issues concerning what the Bible teaches concerning creation.

This Universe Was Created For Mankind

Knowing that the Bible affirms creation (Gen.1:1-31; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30; Jn. 1:3; Acts 14:15; Rom.1:20; Heb. 11:3), it is also significant to realize that this entire universe was created to benefit humanity. Though some would deny this fact, and even claim it is arrogance to think such, the Bible plainly declares it to be true. Adam and Eve (humanity) were the apex of God’s creation. This is evidenced by their being the last creatures God created (Gen.1:26-27; 2:21-23), and by the fact that they were given dominion over the rest of creation (Gen. 1:28-30). The psalmist declared, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men” (Ps. 115:16). To the philosophers on Mars’ Hill, Paul preached, “God, who made the world and everything in it...does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:24-26).

This world was created so that mankind would know that God exists and that we can find God. Again, the psalmist declared, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:1-3). The Messianic prophet forth-told, “Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing” (Isa. 40:26). Paul preached that God created this world as He did “so that they [mankind] should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:27-28).

The only reason why people would believe in extraterrestrial intelligence is because they believe in some sort of theory of evolution. “Surely, we can’t be the only intelligent life in the universe. Evolution could have occurred in other solar systems,” is their reasoning. However, though celestial bodies are mentioned in the Bible, none are said to be a “dwelling place” (cf. Gen. 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:41). Furthermore, intelligent life implies free will, which implies the possibility of sinning. The Word can only be made flesh once, and He already was in order to give Himself once and for all time for our sins (Heb. 9:24-26)!

What About "Theistic Evolution"?

In another attempt to harmonize the Biblical account of creation with the theory of organic evolution, some ascribe to the doctrine of theistic evolution, which says that God indeed created the universe, but He did it through an evolutionary process. Theistic evolution, however, is false because the following truths. First, there is no statement from God’s inspired word that teaches He used an evolutionary process. As we have already seen, the Biblical text affirms that God created everything in six literal days (Gen. 1:1-31 cf. Ex. 20:11). If God wanted to teach that He used an evolutionary process to form this universe, there would have been plenty of Hebrew words Moses could have used to describe it in Genesis, but the inspired penman used the word “day” (from the Hebrew, yom) in referring to the six segments of creation week.

Second, if theistic evolution were true, then God would be deceptive and Jesus would be a liar. God would be deceptive because, as noted above, why would He use the word “day” (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), taken in context to refer to a literal 24-hour period, if He really meant vast periods of time? It would make Jesus a liar because He affirmed the Genesis account of mankind’s creation when He answered the Pharisees, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’?” (Mt. 19:4). The “beginning” of organic evolution is certainly not a fully mature man and woman able to procreate humans as were Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18-25). Why would Jesus say that humanity was created fully mature on the sixth day of creation if God really used millions and millions of years to evolve mankind?

Third, it is impossible for the Genesis account and theistic evolution to agree without re-writing the Bible.  Note just a few of the contradictions between Genesis and any theory of evolution, including theistic evolution:1 (1) Genesis teaches that the earth was created first (Gen. 1:9-10), then the sun (Gen. 1:14-19), but evolution teaches that the sun and stars existed billions of years before the earth came into being; (2) Genesis teaches that the first biological forms of life were the plants (Gen. 1:11), but evolution teaches that initial life forms were marine organisms; and (3) Genesis teaches that living things were created “according to their kind” (Gen. 1:11-12, 21, 24-25), but evolution teaches that living organisms derived from the same biological ancestor. Do not be deceived. When theories contradict the Bible, “let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).

End Notes

1Adapted from Wayne Jackson, “Are Genesis and Evolution Compatible?” Christiancourier.com, 15 Aug. 2005, 6 Jan. 2008 <www.christiancourier.com/articles/ read/are_genesis_and_evolution_compatible>.