Bible Studies
An ongoing argument is the one about whether or not creation was completed in six literal days or over thousands of years. I am not an expert in creation science, but allow me to add a few insights from scripture on the side of a six-day creation.
First of all, if one says that creation was equal to "one day is as a thousand years," as some folks like to say, then that means that the seventh day of rest was also a thousand years. There must be consistent theology. It cannot be said that the first six days were each equal to a thousand years and then change the seventh day to a literal day. It is also not spiritually reasonable to think that God rested for a thousand years.
The verse that people like to use in associating a day with a thousand years is II Peter 3:8, where it says, "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years." This line of reasoning is simply unacceptable in terms of biblical interpretation because the verse has nothing to do with creation.
The context of II Peter 3 is judgment. Then, in the middle of this chapter, verse 9, we read that "the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentence."
When verses 8-9 are put together they are saying that God is taking his time to judge the world and the ungodly people in it, to give them plenty of time to repent. One day equaling a thousand years refers to God's grace and patience, not creation.
This is an example of how people choose verses out of context to support a particular belief.
Now go to Genesis 1:8, where it states that "there was evening and there was morning." At what point in a thousand years does an evening and morning occur?
Genesis 2:2-3 say "And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."
To use the thousand year argument is preposterous because these verses would have to read something like this: "And by the end of six-thousand years God completed His work which He had done; and He rested for a thousand years from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the thousand years and sanctified them, because in them he rested from all His work which God had created and made."
To logically take this one step further, and to be consistent theologically, it would also mean that a Sabbath day is one thousand years long. WOW! That could be a long church service.
It is not only correct and consistent scholarly biblical interpretation, but it makes a whole lot more sense, especially in this case, to take the Bible literally.
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