GEN. 1:26-28; ROM.
5:12-21; 1COR. 15:22, 45
SUBJECT:
THE BIBLE VERSUS EVOLUTION
THEME:
if our Christian foundation, specifically the biblical account of our origin,
can be undermined by evolutionary teaching, then all other convictions, beliefs
and doctrines stand suspect and are reduced to myths and mere fantasy.
INTRODUCTION:
So, was Adam a historical figure
or an outdated spiritual symbol for humanity from a past era?
The
theory of evolution has dominated our society for about a century, especially
in our educational institutions. The media has been most influential in
promoting the “fact” of organic
evolution with some television programs and magazine editorial sections loyally
devoted to the evolutionary viewpoint. Usually this indoctrination is obvious
and insistent, but even when it is more subtle, it is nevertheless unmistakably
effective.
Our
current social and moral problems are largely a result of the humanistic
philosophy which has been spawned by evolutionary thinking. The so-called “new morality” we are presently
witnessing is actually “no morality,”
the inevitable result of the atheistic, evolutionary philosophy. Indeed, there
are virtually no areas of thought and life today which have remained
untarnished by the effects of this popular viewpoint. (Cloud, D.)
Consider
this thought from Huse,
Evolution has been universally accepted as fact while at the same time Biblical creationism has been generally discarded as an antiquated belief of a former age. Organized Christianity has spent the past century or so retreating and compromising before the onslaughts of the evolutionists. Consequently, the faith of many Bible-believing Christians has been seriously affected and countless sincere people have been deceived.—Scott M. Huse
My basic purpose in this article is three-fold:
— First, to expose some of the fallacies of the theory of organic macro-evolution
— Secondly, to present scientific evidence for Biblical creationism
— Thirdly, to prove that evolution and Biblical creationism are mutually
exclusive and cannot be reconciled
LESSON:
I.
The Significance of a Historical Adam in The Bible
ADAM
(red) is portrayed as the first man (Ge. 2-3). A number of New Testament references support this idea: Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45; 1 Tim. 2:13.
It
is clear that the Apostles considered Adam to be a historical man, not merely a
symbolic figure. “Adam is probably so
called either from the red earth of which he was formed, or from the blush or
flesh-tint of the human countenance” (Treasury).
A. TO DENY ADAM AND EVE AS HISTORICAL PERSONS
IS TO DENY THE BIBLE.
1.
Adam and Eve Are Mentioned 34
Times in the Bible.
2.
Adam and Eve Are Mentioned in at Least Four Books of the Old Testament (Ge.
2- 4; De. 32:8; 1 Ch. 1:1; and Job 31:33).
3.
Adam and Eve Are Mentioned in at Least five books of the New Testament (Lk.
3:38; Ro. 5:12, 14; 1 Co. 11:3; 15:22; 1 Co. 15:45; 1 Ti. 2:13-14; and Jude 14).
4. No
One Who Believes the Bible Is the Infallible Word of God Can Doubt That Adam
and Eve Were Created as the First Human Beings by a Special Act of God.
B. THE FIRST FIVE CHAPTERS OF THE BIBLE ARE
WRITTEN AS HISTORY.
1.
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE RECORD TO INDICATE THAT IT IS TO BE INTERPRETED
NON-LITERALLY, AS POETIC OR SYMBOLIC.
2.
When the Bible uses symbolism, it plainly distinguishes that it is such,
and it gives the keys for interpreting the symbols.
For
example we can see this in Revelation. In chapter 17; John describes a woman
sitting on a beast, and he plainly tells us that this is a mystery and he gives the interpretation
of the symbolic language in the passage itself (vv.
7-18). The same is also apparent in the Kingdom Parables chapter 13 of Matthew’s
Gospel. Jesus gives us the parable in verses 3-9 and then He gives the keys to interpreting this parable
and the others in verses 18-23 of the same chapter.
3. Genesis Ch. 1-5, though, is
written as history. Much like other historical passages it conveys some of the
details of what actually transpired. Our faith is rooted in real history.
4. Gen. 5:5 says that Adam
lived 930 years and then died! If Adam only represented mankind, what happened
to “mankind” after Adam died! This is obviously a reference to a very real
person who literally died.
C. IF ADAM AND EVE WERE NOT HISTORICAL
PEOPLE, THE FALL IS A MYTH.
Therefore,
Redemption Through the Cross of Christ Is Nonsense. See Romans 5:12-19, for the details and explanation. Paul
clearly views Adams as a real person.
D. TO DENY THE HISTORY OF ADAM IS TO DENY
JESUS CHRIST.
1.
Christ’s Genealogy Is Traced from Adam (Lk.
3:23-38).
2.
Further, the N.T. makes a direct comparison between Christ and Adam (Ro. 5:17; 1 Co. 15:22, 45).
Adam was just as real as the Lord Jesus is.
II. Evolution and the Historical Account
of Creation in The Bible (Gen. 1 – 3)
A. THE
MEANING OF EVOLUTION.
— Evolution: The idea that the world and
all existing things came into being through a process of gradual change and
progression.
— It has even been said that a person can
believe the teaching of evolution and the teaching of the Bible without any
serious contradiction. In other words, some say God used evolution as His means
of making the world.
— This, though, is impossible according to
Hebrews 11:1-6!
B. THE
CHIEF MOTIVE FOR DENYING THE HISTORY OF ADAM
. . .
IS THE
CHALLENGE OF SCIENCE AND THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION, BUT THE BIBLE AND EVOLUTION
ARE IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION.
Let me
list five of the plain Bible statements which directly contradict the theories
of evolution.
1.
Genesis Says God Created the World and Everything in it in Six Literal
"Morning and Evening" Days.
— To read “eons” of time into the six days of creation is to turn language on
its head and to make the Bible incapable of being dogmatically interpreted. This
is clearly an accommodation of this misguided theory.
— If the Bible does not mean
what it says, there is no way to know what it does mean (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).
Creation unfolded over a period of six days and no other explanation
appreciates what the Scripture undoubtedly states. (Cloud, D.)
2.
Genesis Says All Creation Was Made in a Mature State to Reproduce after its
Kind.
— The statement “after their kind”
is found nine times in Genesis chapter one.
— This is precisely what we observe in the
world. Dogs reproduce dogs and frogs reproduce frogs and birds reproduce birds
and peanuts reproduce peanuts.
— This is biblical, but it is
strictly contrary to what evolution requires.
3. Genesis Says Man and Animals Were
Distinctly Different Creations. Gen. 1:24-28
A. The animals were made to reproduce after
their kind, but man was made in the image of God and made a living soul.
B. Man has a spiritual aspect which no animal
has. The animals were made to relate to man and to provide his enjoyment and
needs.
C. Man was made to relate to God, to fellowship
with, serve, worship, and glorify Him.
John
Leslie wisely noted,
Now, if it has been found impossible—a question which I have put from time to time, but which still waits an answer—if it has been found impossible to change one species of bird into another species of bird, or one kind of animal into another kind of animal, how much more impossible would it have been to have changed an animal into a man? Or if, in other words, the blood or life of one species of animal is so radically different from the blood or life of another kind of animal, how much greater must the difference be between the blood of an animal and that of a man?—John Leslie
4. Genesis Says the World Was Created Perfect,
Then Fell under Sin and God’s Curse (Gen.
3:11-24). This is consistent with everything
we can observe. Everything is winding down. Everything is proceeding from order
to chaos. Everything is corrupting. Evolution would require the exact opposite.
5. Genesis Says Everything Was Created to
Fulfill God’s Purposes, the World and Everything in It, as Well as the Planetary
Universe.
— Teleology is the study of final
causes, of the purposes of nature.
— It is a fascinating study,
because regardless of how minutely one studies the creation, one is struck with
a sense of wonder at the brilliant purpose behind every detail.
ILLUSTRATION: Study the eye, the ear, the leaf, the atom,
light, sound, air—everywhere you find purpose and design. That is what one
would expect if God created the world precisely as the Bible says He did, but
it is not what we would find if evolution were true.
— If the latter were true we would
find incredible chaos and
happenstance and haphazardness. We would have a world filled with monsters and
unpredictable madness, part
one thing and part another, a fish becoming a bird, a frog becoming a rat,
a lizard becoming a bird, partially formed beaks which do not yet have a
purpose, partially formed feet, partially formed wings, partially formed eyes,
partially formed brains.
— We would have no fixed absolutes from which and with which to work. We would have no
atomic clock because the atom would not be stable. We would have no sure guide across the trackless oceans
because the heavenly bodies would be in fluctuation. Praise the Lord that
evolution is a lie and the Bible is true. (Cloud, D.)
III. Why We Should Hate Evolution as
Lovers of Truth
Popular
opinion says the Christian is not supposed to hate anything. The Bible, though,
says differently. In Psalm 119:128, we
are impressed with these words, “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to
be right; AND I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY.”
The
godly Psalmist hated those things which were contrary to the inspired
Scriptures. A Christian that does not hate sin and error is a Christian who
does not love truth and righteousness. One of the things I hate as a Christian
is evolution. Why?
A. FIRST, WE SHOULD HATE
EVOLUTION BECAUSE IT DENIES THE BIBLE.
— Some make silly statements that there
is no proof of contrast between the Bible and evolution, that they can be
reconciled.
— Kitty Ferguson, in The Fire in the Equations published in
1995 by Eerdmans, claims that "one
is free to believe that God invented the process of evolution in order to
create."
— That is nonsense. Evolution denies
the plain and literal statements of the Bible.
— Let me list seven of these plain
Bible statements which directly contradict the theories of evolution.
How
Evolution Differs from the Bible:
1.
The Bible Says God Made the World and All Things Therein in Six Days.
A. That these were six normal days by man's
reasoning—24-hour days rather than 1,000-year or million-year days—is proven in
Genesis chapter one by the repeated use of the phrase “the evening and the morning were the first day.” God would not have chosen this expression if He had not
desired to communicate the idea of a normal day.
B. Also, in Exodus, the Lord revealed that the
days of creation were the same kind of days as those kept by the Israelites for
Sabbaths (Ex. 20:8-11; 31:16-17). Genesis and Exodus were written by the same person. He
understood what he wrote in each book.
C.
Evolution, on the other hand, says the present world is the product of
millions of years of evolutionary process.
2. The Bible Says God Made Plants and
Animals in Such a Way That They Are Divided into Distinct Categories.
A. The dividing lines between “kinds” of animals cannot be
crossed.
— One kind cannot be
successfully interbred with another.
— Fish cannot become birds;
bats cannot become eagles; dogs cannot become cats.
— It is true that there can
be crossing over and interbreeding within kinds--one type of dog can be bred
with another type of dog. But the major kinds of animals cannot cross over into
other kinds (Ge. 1:21, 24, 25).
— Evolution teaches that all
animals grew from some type of common stock. One kind produced another kind.
Fish became land animals; lands animals became birds; and animal became a man.
B. This is directly opposed to the Bible. It is
also contrary to the impassable gulf we observe existing today between animal
species.
3.
The Bible Teaches That Man Is Not an Animal. Man Is the Only Creature on Earth
Made in God's Image in Order to Have Direct Fellowship with God.
A.
Man did not grow out of the animal kingdom.
— He was created directly by
God to rule over the creation and to walk and talk with God (Ge. 1:19-31).
— Man was man the very hour
he was made by God (Ge. 2:7; 5:1-2).
B.
As soon as man was created, he had the ability to name all the animals
of the world (Ge. 2:18-20).
C.
Man was never an unintelligent animal.
D.
Evolution, though, teaches that man arose from the animal kingdom,
gradually becoming more and more intelligent, civilized, and self-conscious.
4.
The Bible Teaches That Mankind Was Made Perfect and Rebelled Against God.
A.
Ever since that day, the human race has been growing increasingly more
perverse and corrupt.
B.
According to the Bible, man is not evolving, he is devolving (Ge. 1:26-31; 6:5-7; Ec. 7:29; 2 Ti. 3:13).
C.
Evolution teaches that the human race began as dumb animals and has been
growing increasingly better and higher. Please do not confuse clever
technological advances and inventions with the improvement of humanities essential
nature and behavior.
5.
The Bible Teaches That Man Was Created Intelligent and Inventive.
A.
Adam’s children, in the very first centuries after creation, knew how to
make music, keep cattle, farm, and work with brass and iron (Ge. 4:1-4, 16-22).
B.
Evolution says it took men thousands or millions of years to learn these
things. Also see Gen. 1:26-28, for more evidence of this.
6. The Bible Teaches That the Origin of the
World Must Be Understood by Faith Because the Process Is No Longer Visible (He. 11:3). Heb. 11:3,
says, “Through faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear.”
Evolutionists,
though, are attempting to learn the process or origins through observing
present conditions. The process is no longer evident; it cannot be studied
because of this. It is possible to make observations about the visible world
and its nature, but how it came into existence cannot be observed today.
7.
The Bible Says Divine Interventions Have Altered the State of the World since
Creation—Noah’s Flood (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Evolution assumes a process unaltered from without—a
closed system. Yet, the Scriptures repeatedly claim marvelous and extraordinary
interventions and even judgments from God.
2 Pet
3:3-7, Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his
coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5, For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were
of old, and the earth standing out of
the water and in the water: 6, Whereby
the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished: 7, But the heavens and the earth, which
are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire
against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Simply
put the world we live in today is vastly different from the original creation
because of catastrophic events and divine judgments. We cannot assume the world
we live in came about merely by long slow processes of change. Without this
kind of insight we assume such ridiculous notions as the Colorado River
creating the Grand Canyon over long periods of time.
B.
SECONDLY, WE SHOULD HATE EVOLUTION BECAUSE IT DENIES GOD.
1. The God of Evolution Is Certainly NOT the God
of the Bible.
The
God of the Bible is intimately involved with His creation. He did not make some
primordial soup and then invent some strange evolutionary process and stand
back and wait for pre-man to slither out of it.
If that is your idea of God, you do not know the God of the Bible.
2. The God of the Bible Lovingly Formed Man from
the Dust of the Ground and Breathed into Him the Breath of Life So That He
Became a Living Soul (Gen. 1-3). The
God of the Bible walked and talked with that man from the beginning, and He
lovingly and patiently prepared the way for man's salvation after his fall
(having prepared it in eternity).
3. The God of the Bible Not Only Created the
World, He Intimately Sustains the World.
“And he
is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17).
A.
The God of the Bible is involved with every detail of creation. He says,
“I know all the fowls of the mountains” (Psalm 50:11).
B.
It is God who “visiteth the earth, and
waterest it” (Psalm
65:9).
C.
Jesus said not even a sparrow falls without His knowledge.
D.
Every detail of creation was designed to bring glory to God. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). This, friends,
is not the strange god of evolution. This is clearly the work of a Creator and
Sustainer!
C.
THIRDLY, WE SHOULD HATE EVOLUTION BECAUSE IT DENIES SALVATION.
1. If Genesis 1-3
is Not Literal History, the Rest of the Bible, the Doctrine of Christ and
Salvation are Fairy Tales—because these
are based on a supposition that these
were real historical events.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ Referred to the
Creation of Woman and the Institution of Marriage (Matthew 19:8). He views these as real history. He spoke of them as real
events and activities that truly took place. Adam and Eve were real people to
the Lord Jesus and they should be perceived as such by us today.
3. Paul Said That Sin Entered the World Through
One Man, Adam (Romans 5:12-14). Paul said Adam was first formed, then Eve, and Eve was
deceived (1 Timothy 2:13, 14).
4. There Is Not a Hint Anywhere in the Bible
That Genesis 1-3 Is Not Literal
History.
5. Man Was Created in God’s Image on the Sixth
Day of Creation and Placed in the Garden of Eden as the Master of the World.
Man was given a commandment not to eat of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The man and the woman disobeyed;
they sinned; they fell. They were judged by God and evicted from the Garden and
condemned to toil and to suffer and to die. But they were also given the offer
of salvation through the Atonement which would be provided for them by God’s
own Son. If Genesis 1-3 is not literal history, there was no fall. If there was no
fall, salvation is a myth. Yet, the Lord Jesus died for our sins precisely as
the Scriptures predicted He would!
6. I Hate Evolution, but I Love the Bible and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
If our
Christian foundation, specifically the biblical account of our origin, can be
undermined by evolutionary teaching, then all other convictions, beliefs and
doctrines stand suspect and are reduced to myths and mere fantasy.
The
irony of this whole situation is that the very concept of organic macro-evolution
is completely absurd and impossible. It is absolutely astonishing that an idea
which is so devoid of any legitimate scientific evidence could have attained a
position of such prestige in the name of science.
Biblical
creationism, however, has recently been revived and is gathering impressive
momentum. Literally thousands of distinguished scientists are rejecting
evolution in favor of creationism. Many states are considering including
creationism in the science curricula, and numerous lectures and debates have
been hosted on university campuses to clarify these matters.
