The Power of Creation

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ ConferenceOctober 14-15, 2013

What the Church Says

The Present Struggle

Old Earth Geologists 19th CenturyScriptural Geologists

The Present Struggle

BeginningsGalileo

"The intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us how to go to heaven not how the heavens go."

The Present Struggle

Francis BaconTrue knowledge of the world must be

based upon "Scientific observation."

The Present Struggle

Francis Bacon“But some of the moderns, however, have

indulged in this folly, with such consummate carelessness, as to have endeavored to found a natural philosophy on the first chapter of Genesis, the book of Job, and other passages of Holy Scripture---'seeking the dead among the living'."

The Present Struggle

Francis Bacon"And this folly is the more to be

prevented and restrained, because, from the unsound admixture of things divine and human, there arises not merely a fantastic philosophy, but also a heretical religion." 

New Theories

Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) Naturalist Wrote: Epochs of Nature (1778)

Pierre Laplace (1749-1827) Astronomer Wrote: Exposition of the System of the Universe (1796)

Jean Lamarck (1744-1829) Naturalist Wrote: Philosophy of Zoology (1809)

New Theories

Abraham Werner (Germany, Saxony) (1749-1817) Mineralogist, Professor.

James Hutton (1726-1797) Agriculturalist, Geologist. He wrote: Theory of the Earth (1795)

Georges Cuvier (French) (1769-1832), Comparative anatomist, PaleontologistWrote: Theory of the Earth (1812)

New Theories

William Smith (1769-1839) Drainage engineer, Surveyor, Geologist

Charles Lyell (1797-1875) Lawyer, Geologist Wrote: Principles of Geology (3 Volumes, 1830-33)

Uniformitarianism. “The present is the key to the past.”

Catastrophist ViewSB-------C-------C-------C-------C--------P

                    (millions of years)

Uniformitarian ViewSB?--------------------------------------------------

----------P                    (millions of years)

The ChurchWilliam Buckland (1784-1856) Anglican

Clergyman and Geology Professor at Oxford.  Began in 1813.

Adam Sedgwick (1785-1873) Anglican Clergyman and Geology Professor at Cambridge who began in 1818.

The ChurchThe first society dedicated to Geology was

the London Geological Society founded 1807.

The most powerful members were Anglican Clergymen.

Scriptural Geologists                 CW--------F-----------------------P

                       (ca. 6,000 years)

Christian Compromises with Old-Earth Geological Theories

Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) Presbyterian Minister & Naturalist.

The Gap Theory.George Stanley Faber (1773-1854) Anglican

Theologian Highly Respected individual. The Day-Age Theory.

Christian Compromises with Old-Earth Geological Theories

Hugh Miller  (Scottish Presbyterian) (1802-1856) Geologist and Evangelical.

John Fleming (1785-1857) Presbyterian Minister & Zoologist who advocated the Tranquil flood

John Pye Smith (1774-1851) Congregational Theologian who advocated Local Creation & Local Flood

What the local flood of Genesis would have to look like.

Christian Compromises with Old-Earth Geological Theories

• 1810's     Gap theory (Chalmers)• 1820's     Day-age theory (Faber)

              Tranquil flood theory (Fleming)• 1830's     Local Flood theory (Pye Smith)

               Genesis is myth (liberal theology)

Philosophical Naturalism

1. Nature or matter is all that exists.2. Everything can and must be explained by

time plus chance plus the laws of nature working on matter.

Naturalism: time + chance + laws of nature = everything.

Henning G. Reventlow"We cannot overestimate the influence

exercised by Deistic thought, and by the principles of the Humanist worldview which the Deists made the criterion of their biblical criticism, on the historical-critical exegesis of the nineteenth century; the consequences extend right down to the present.  At that time a series of almost unshakeable presuppositions were decisively shifted in a different direction."

Scriptural Geologists30 different men writing between 1815 and 1855. Lyell described them as "wholly destitute of geological

knowledge [and unacquainted] with the elements of any one branch of natural history which bears on the science . . . [They are incapable of appreciating the force of objections, of discerning the weight of inductions from numerous physical facts. . . .[instead] they endeavor to point out the accordance of the Mosaic history with phenomena which they have never studied [and] every page of their writings proves their consummate incompetence."

Scriptural Geologists1Pet. 4:19   Therefore let those who suffer

according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Scriptural GeologistsGeorge Young (1777-1848) Presbyterian

Pastor, Geologist, from Scotland. George Fairholme (1789-1846) Wealty

Landowner, Naturalist, Self taught, Brilliant and educated.  

John Murray (1786?-1851) Chemist, Physicist.William Rhind (1797-1874) Medical Doctor,

Naturalist.

Three Common Objections

Biblical ObjectionsSuperficial treatment of the Biblical text.

Theological ObjectionsDeath before the Fall.The Nature of God

The Nature of God

"Hence then, we have arrived at the wanton and wicked notion of the Hindus, viz. that God has 'created and destroyed worlds as if in sport, again and again'!!

The Nature of God“But will any Christian Divine who regards

his Bible, or will any Philosopher who believes that the Almighty works no 'superfluous miracles,' and does nothing in vain, advocate the absurdity that a wise, just and benevolent Deity has, numerous times, wrought miracles, and gone out of his usual way for the sole purpose of destroying whole generations of animals, that he might create others very like them, but yet differing a little from their predecessors!!” George Bugg, Scriptural Geology

The Nature of God"Unless we recommit ourselves to

understand who God is and what he is like, nothing else in the Bible will make sense.  Apart from understanding God's justice, wrath, and mercy, there is no way we can understand the gospel.  The cross will make no sense to us if we do not understand why God's character required it.  But if you understand the character of God, then not only does the gospel make sense, but the doctrines of Scripture, Christ and everything else fall into place.

The Nature of God“On the other hand, everything else can be

correct apart from your doctrine of God and you are still a pagan.  You are still an idolater.  You may be an inerrantist, your eschatology might be right on target; you may never miss a prayer time or an opportunity to go to church.  But if you do not worship and serve the right God, you worship and serve a false one."

The Nature of GodThe kind of God who created what the Old

Earth Geologists say He created is a different kind of God than that which is revealed in the Word.

The Old Earth view of things

• The Scripture is undermined or our treatment of it is very weak.

• The reason for the Gospel itself is under assault.

• Our understanding of who God is and what He is all about is on trial.

The Old Earth view of things

On what basis can one say, Jesus died for the sins of all mankind and then say Genesis 1 is deceptive?

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ ConferenceOctober 14-15, 2013