Category Archives: Science

Science

Was Adam a Real Person?

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Our Tuesday night Bible study has been going through the video series and Bible Study Is Genesis History? Last night, we finished lesson four on Adam, Eve, and the First Sin. As we wrapped up our study, one of the small group attenders asked, “Are there actually people out there who think Adam was just a myth? Why would they do that?”

I explained that yes, believe it or not, even many professing Christians deny that Adam was the first human being, created by God rather than evolved from some lesser species. I think the main reason for this is not because anything in Genesis hints at it, but because people feel the need to accommodate a “settled” scientific conclusion (that the earth is billions of years old) with statements the Bible makes about Adam and Eve.

A helpful book on this topic is Four Views on the Historical Adam published by Zondervan. It includes four different authors each sharing their view on whether Adam was real or not. Here’s a list of the four viewpoints as summarized by Richard Belcher in a Themelios article …

Denis Lamoureux sets forth the Evolutionary Creation View. This view assumes that biological evolution is true and that the debate whether Adam really existed is over. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming, which leads to the conclusion that the Adam the Bible presents never existed. Evolutionary creation asserts that God created the universe and life, including humans, through an ordained, sustained, and intelligent evolutionary process. 

John Walton argues for an archetypal view of creation. He believes Adam and Eve were real people in a real past. However, the Bible does not give scientific information about human origins, but is concerned about Adam and Eve’s function as archetypes for all humanity. Thus Adam and Eve may or may not be the first humans or the parents of the entire human race. 

C. John Collins presents the Old Earth Creation View, which allows for the biblical account of Adam but does not require that the biblical account be accepted if someone is convinced by evolution. Collins tries to carve out parameters of “right thinking” within the context of evolution, which consist of certain beliefs that must be accepted based on the biblical account. 

William Barrick presents the Young Earth Creation View that argues for a historical Adam who was created in the way Gen 2 describes his creation. God took actual dust from the ground, formed a human being from it, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. 

Most of you can probably anticipate where I land, and that I agree with Dr. Barrick — that the early chapters of Genesis should be taken literally as history, not as legend, myth, poetry, or something else. It’s a fascinating discussion. You can read the rest of the book review here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/four-views-on-the-historical-adam/. Or of course, you can do a deeper dive and read the full book.

Artwork by Antionio Tempesta, c 1600. This article contains Amazon affiliate links

Science

Genesis *Is* History

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How old is the universe? Billions of years? What if I told you it’s only 6,000-10,000 years old? To modern ears, that sounds absurd. But stop and think. If you look at the world today and keep in mind three unique events, it explains everything we see:

  1. A majestic universe built in a state of maturity by a personal, loving God
  2. A terrible curse due to human rebellion leading to sickness, disaster, injustice, and death
  3. A global flood, forming billions of fossils and thick layers of sediment across the planet

Taken together, these three events explain the world we live in today, and it wouldn’t have to be very old. Is Genesis history? Yes, I believe it is!

Henry Morris writes, “The geological and paleontological evidence is exactly what one would expect to find as the products of the Flood of Genesis. Those who deny the Bible record do so either from ignorance or because they have chosen to believe naturalistic and evolutionary (hence, atheistic) science over Scripture. The evolutionist does not accept the biblical record. The Lord Jesus, however, does (Luke 17:26-27).” (The Big Three: Major Events that Changed History Forever, p. 181 emphasis added).

Last year, I taught a class at Immanuel Baptist Church on Genesis. It was one of the more unusual classes I’ve taught, but based on the attendance and positive feedback I received afterward, it was a topic that struck a nerve and was of great help. Basically, we studied the first eleven chapters of the Bible, including the accounts of creation, fall, and flood. But instead of strictly going verse by verse, we sprinkled in theology and virtual “field trips” led by experts in the fields of geology, paleontology, biology, chemistry, zoology, and more.

The result was a nine-week series called “Is Genesis History?” I highly recommend your church go through it! Here’s the full-length documentary, and here’s a link to the Bible Study Guide.

As I taught the class, I tried to record each week and provide some handouts to supplement the Bible Study material. Links are below. I hope more of you will watch and share this material. Our class found it both encouraging and thought-provoking.

Week 1 – Introducing to the Doctrine of Creation
(blog post | audio recording | handout)

Week 2 – God’s Wondrous Works
(blog post | audio recording)

Week 3 – Continue Documentary: “Is Genesis History?
(link to full-length film)

Week 4 – The Doctrine of Revelation
(handout)

Week 5 – The Doctrine of Creation
(blog post | audio recording | handout)

Week 6 – The Doctrine of God’s Image
(blog post | audio recording | handout)

Bonus: Field Trip to Devil’s Punchbowl
(blog post | field guide)

Week 7 – Adam, Eve, & the First Sin
(audio recording | handout)

Week 8 – The Doctrine of Judgment
(audio recording | handout)

Week 9 – The Doctrine of Providence
(audio recording | handout)

Lastly here’s the entire set of teaching notes in one PDF file:

is-genesis-history-complete-teaching-packetDownload

Question: If you attended the class, what’s one thing that stood out to you?

Science, Teaching

Noah’s Flood (Genesis 6-7)

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Natural disasters like fires, floods, and earthquakes occur somewhere on the earth every day. The largest disaster in history is described for us in Genesis 6-8. This flood event was so widespread that its effects are still visible in geology around the globe, and most ancient civilizations have their own unique flood legends. In this study, we discuss…

  • Why early humans lived so long before the flood — some almost a thousand years!
  • God’s holiness and the spiritual darkness of the world in Noah’s day
  • My visit to the “Ark Encounter” in Williamstown, Kentucky
  • How the ark was perfectly suited as a life boat for humans and animals

Here’s the audio recording:

And here’s a copy of the handout:

gen-6-7-judgmentDownload


Thanks for listening. To find a full archive of sermons and Bible studies, please visit my teaching page.

(Special thanks to our friend Gloris Young for this wonderful painted illustration of the flood.)

Science

In the Beginning…

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In his kindness, God created a luscious, habitable world, with everything Adam and Eve would need to know and worship him. In this study of Genesis 1-2, we learn…

  • How these chapters lay the foundation for the rest of the biblical storyline
  • A helpful way to remember what God created on each of the six days
  • What makes the God of the Bible different from other deities and religions
  • That gender is assigned by God, and marriage is between one man and one woman in life-long, covenant commitment

Here’s the audio recording:

And here’s a copy of the handout:

gen-2-the-first-couple-bscDownload


Thanks for listening. This lesson was shared during our Sunday morning median adult Bible Study Community at Immanuel Baptist Church. For a complete list of sermons and Bible Study lessons I have taught, please visit my teaching page.

Science

Made in The Image of God

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Wayne Grudem says, “Out of all the creatures God made, only one creature, man, is said to be made ‘in the image of God.'” What does it mean to be made in God’s image? What sets us apart from the animals and the rest of creation?

In April, May, and June, I taught a class called “Is Genesis History?” Among many interesting topics, one that we covered was the image of God. In this lesson, we discuss:

  • The nature of Genesis as history
  • The many amazing facets of being made in God’s image
  • Why this doctrine does not teach God has physical form
  • Some helpful illustrations of the image of God
  • How Adam was actually the first scientist
  • A surprising hierarchy of authority found in our universe

Here’s the full audio recording:

You can also download and view the handout here.

Thanks for listening. This was week 6 in a 9-week study called, “Is Genesis History?” For more information on Immanuel Baptist Church, please visit our website. For more info and a link to the full length documentary, “Is Genesis History?” please click here.