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Gap Theory Just Has Too Many Gaps |
Pastor David |
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A reader wrote: I came upon your website and briefly read some parts of it. I am not particularly seeking to have my article posted on your site [although that's not impossible], but I thought you might be interested to read it. I do not consider 'the gap' to be a theory although I have read some theories about it. The gap theories, however, are not really conclusive and sometimes contain false ideas. For example, a gap theory may allow for evolution or have a false notion that the original earth had humans, animals (dinosaurs perhaps), and plant life as we know it. The true gap doctrine does not allow for either of those nor anything else that would contradict scripture. I hope that my article will help you and I would appreciate any feedback (positive or negative). My reply is as follows: Hello in Christ! Though I am unable to start an extended debate with any believer that accesses bibleteacher.org (time is so limited - please forgive me), I will address your letter on the GAP theory. GAP was proposed by Brother Schofield, a great believer, and a God gifted teacher, and he endorsed it in his Schofield reference Bible. Though I do not intend to disrespect Brother Schofield nor any Christian who is a Christian by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, the GAP Theory fails on certain key points. 1. First you state: "Here in Genesis 1:1, heaven is singular in contrast to "the heavens" of Genesis 2:1, proving that verses 1:2-31 are not a description of 1:1. ..." Your assumption that heaven (in verse 1) is singular is incorrect. The Hebrew word for "heaven" in verse 1 is SHAMAYIM {pronounced shaw-mah’-yim}, which is a PLURAL - and can be translated heavenS, PLURAL. To use this one word to prove that the following text of Genesis does not refer to Genesis 1:1 is, in itself, incorrect. The Hebrew is plural. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance further states that the word may be rendered, legitimately, in any one of these ways: 1) heaven, heavens, sky
When I search the Hebrew text of our Scripture I find that this same word, SHAMAYIM, is used in the following texts: Genesis 1:8 (NASB) "And God called the expanse HEAVEN. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day." Genesis 1:9 (NASB) "Then God said, "Let the waters below the HEAVENS be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so." Genesis 1:14 (NASB) "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the HEAVENS to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;" Genesis 1:15 (NASB) "and let them be for lights in the expanse of the HEAVENS to give light on the earth"; and it was so." Genesis 1:17 (NASB) "And God placed them in the expanse of the HEAVENS to give light on the earth," Genesis 1:20 (NASB) "Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the HEAVENS."" If you'll notice, the KJV (by the way, you're using the 1769 VERSION of the KJV) renders the same word SHAMAYIM as both "heaven" and "heavens" - there was no consistency among the translators. So to emphatically state: "Here in Genesis 1:1, heaven is singular in contrast to "the heavens" of Genesis 2:1, proving that verses 1:2-31 are not a description of 1:1. ..." Is a leap of logic not related to the EXEGETICAL CONTEXT of the Scripture. If you reject this argument (because I know that many KJV onlyists do not recognize the original language text of Scripture) then there are several other problems you must consider. In the Law which God gave Moses He specified a literal SIX DAY creation: Exodus 20:11 (KJV) "For IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (by the way, SHAMAYIM, heavens is again used in this text) God mentions nothing of a GAP in the giving of the Law. He refers to six literal days of creation. Lest you state that these were not six literal 24 hour days, I point your attention to the Genesis text: Genesis 1:5 (KJV) "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE FIRST DAY." Genesis 1:8 (KJV) "And God called the firmament Heaven. And the EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE SECOND DAY." Genesis 1:13 (KJV) "And the EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE THIRD DAY." Genesis 1:19 (KJV) "And the EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE FOURTH DAY." Genesis 1:23 (KJV) "And the EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE FIFTH DAY." Genesis 1:31 (KJV) "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE SIXTH DAY." In every day of creation God repeats a phrase designed to show that the day He is referring to in Genesis is based on a 24 hour cycle, the movement of the earth around the sun (evening and the morning). Second, the Bible makes is plain that SIN ENTERED CREATION when Adam fell: Romans 5:12 (KJV) "Wherefore, as BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Sin entered creation when Adam disobeyed God. We understand that there could not have been human sin or death before Adam. The Bible teaches (1 Corinthians 15) that Adam was the first man, and as a result of his rebellion (sin), death and corruption (disease, bloodshed, and suffering) entered the universe. Before Adam sinned there could not have been any animal or human death. Romans 8:22 teaches us that "we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now." Clearly the whole of creation was, and is, subject to decay and corruption because of sin. The fossil record shows disease, decay, and death. When gap theorists believe that disease, decay, and death existed before Adam sinned, they ignore that this contradicts the teaching of Scripture. I could go on and on, but as I said, my time is limited. There is an excellent apologesis on GAP located at: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-gaptheory-problems.html But for me, the answer is this - When the plain sense of Scripture makes sense, seek no other sense. When we have to dance on the head of a needle to support a Bible Doctrine, it's time to call it a day. God is not the Author of Confusion, 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV) "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." but of peace. When I have to twist and turn to support a "Biblical truth" then I begin to wonder whether it's Biblical - or just divisive, another ploy of our adversary designed to confuse the Christian. The evening and the morning were the first day. It's kind of hard to manipulate that. Further, so many Christians have fallen to compromise with the world - even inadvertently. I refuse to compromise a belief in a literal six day creation WITHOUT a Gap unless I can find clear, Biblical truth - truth supported by exegetical, historical, topical, and the immediate contexts of the Scripture - that supports such a claim. The enemy has confused and tricked me many times, 2 Corinthians 1:12 (KJV) "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that IN SIMPLICITY AND GODLY SINCERITY, NOT WITH FLESHLY WISDOM, BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." 2 Corinthians 11:3 (KJV) "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST." By complex schemes designed to make things "better". You know what's best? When evolutionists discover fossils that they claim are MILLIONS of years old, refuse to take a bite of that forbidden fruit. Believe what God has said, that He created the earth and the heavens in six literal days, then move on. He who is the Ancient of Days: Daniel 7:9 (KJV) "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire." Daniel 7:22 (KJV) "Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." can make things ANCIENT from the beginning, if He so desires. There's no mystery there. The biggest mystery to me is that God loved us enough to save our sorry selves when we fell into sin, that He would shed His blood for you and for me. That puzzles me. But what unbelieving heathen evolutionists do or say bothers me less than the ants that build hills next to my garden. By His hand, Pastor David |
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