A Twenty-First Century Look at Genesis One

Author: Pastor Paul A. Bartz

Note: Creation Moments exists to provide Biblically sound materials to the Church in the area of Bible and science relationships. This Bible study may be reproduced for group use.

The goal of this study is:
A. To show how the Genesis creation account presents knowledge about the universe (science) which is far ahead of much of human knowledge (science); and

B. To build within the student of the Bible an appreciation for the scientific accuracy of Genesis where it does touch on such matters.

1.Read Genesis 1:1 – 2:3 to review the Biblical account. In this study we will take a detailed look at many of these verses.

Genesis 1:1 contains two important concepts of modern physics which believers have been teaching for thousands of years without even knowing it.

First: the words, “In the beginning” is a statement of time. Here is the beginning of time. God, who is a Spirit, is outside of time. But with His creation of matter (out of nothing) time begins.

Modern physics defines time as a property of matter. Where there is no material substance there can be no time. On this point it took man’s science only 6,000 years to catch up with the Bible – written by God, who always knew that when He created matter, He created time.

2.Another important principle is contained in the words “God created the heavens and the earth.” The word “created” means to make out of nothing.

This directs us to the origin of the material universe. God, the only uncreated, self-existing, all powerful being, created out of nothing the material of the universe. It was a supernatural (beyond the natural forces of matter and energy), event.

3.This is in agreement with a principle called the First Law of Thermodynamics, which is accepted by all scientists as an established fact. This principle says that in the natural course of things, matter and energy may change forms with one another, but cannot be created or destroyed.

Where, then, did matter come from? The evolutionist cannot answer that one. He tries to push back the creation of the present universe billions of years, and says that it all began with a huge explosion in space. But he cannot tell where or how it all started.

4.The Bible recognizes that in order to have the present material universe you must have a supernatural act. This is in harmony with this First Law of Thermodynamics, which God placed into the matter of the universe at its creation.

Again the Bible, in simple non-technical language, answers the problems which evolutionary belief cannot.

5.Discuss: Is it accurate to say that the simple, yet deep language of the creation account can teach the child of a near eastern shepherd, and also teach the most knowledgeable scientist?

Is this simple yet profound language yet another evidence of all-wise God’s authorship?

6.Eight times the Genesis creation account relates God’s act of creating with the words “God said” and without further action the newly-created appears. Compare this with John 1:1-3.

We also learn how different God’s words are from human words in the following texts: Psalm 119:50; Matthew 8:16; Matthew 24:35; John 17:17; Romans 10:17; and I Corinthians 4:20.

7.So, it becomes clear that the greatest power in the universe is the Word spoken by God. The First Law of Thermodynamics, which we discussed earlier, states that matter is only another form of energy.

It now becomes easy to appreciate how the power of God’s Word (energy), could be transformed by God into the material universe. Again we see how Genesis works within the context of physical realities which we didn’t even know about until recent decades.

8.When God created the various forms of life such as the plants (Genesis 1:11), fish and birds (verse 20), and the land animals (verse 24), He also spoke and it was done. Again we have His supernatural action performing what could not be done in any natural way.

Another scientific law or principle (the Law of Biogenesis) states that life can only come from life and never from non-life in the normal order of things. In other words, where, and when life started it had to begin when the normal physical laws of the universe were broken!

9.The Bible tells us that life was started by a supernatural act of God through His Word.

Evolution says that life came from non-life through natural processes.

Does the Bible or evolution better explain the origin of life within the framework of the Law of Biogenesis?

Does this make the Bible scientifically more accurate than evolution on this point?

10.Many other details of the creation account could be discussed in the same fashion. But we can draw some conclusions here. Is it completely accurate to say that “the Bible is not a textbook on science”?

Would it be more accurate to say that the Bible accurately reflects the true knowledge of the universe (science), even things that we have not discovered yet, but that this is not its primary purpose?

11.What is the primary purpose of the Bible? (II Timothy 3:15-17)

Genesis tells us, many times, that the original state of the creation was “very good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). When God calls something “very good,” how good is it? Is the world still “very good”?

12.And so, even in the creation account we are reminded of our need for the greatest knowledge of all, the knowledge that makes us wise unto salvation. This is the knowledge that leads to the conviction that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior from sin, death and the devil. And the hope of heaven which we have because of Him is a hope for a return to total freedom from sin and its effects which so marred all of the previous creation, including, ourselves.

13.One final point for discussion: In this modern, scientific age does the Christian need to feel inferior or “backwards” about his belief that God created the universe in six days, as the Bible states?

Suggested Closing: Pray Psalm 8 in unison.

Footnotes:

1986 Bible Science Newsletter