Featured Old or Young Earth?

Death to man didn't happen until man sinned. When death to animals started is not explicitly addressed in the Bible.

 

I am convinced that death and entropy existed long before the fall of mankind into sin.

 

I don't see it. Could you elaborate?

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Bible says that death came to men because of man's sin. Death spread to MEN.

Animals don't sin. Death could have been a part of animal life before Adam and Eve sinned. In fact, it might be why this verse says that death spread to men, because it was already a part of animal life and now it was claiming more victims.

 

That's right, that scripture clearly shows that all of creation was affected by the fall.

 

The creation story is a functional account.

There are six days of work, followed by the seventh day of rest, the Sabbath rest. Rest doesn't mean that God is sitting back in his easy chair. God doesn't get tired so rest isn't associated with doing nothing, it's related to his function; God rules!

The purpose of the seventh day Sabbath was to have God to rule.
He brings order.
Whatever was created, in whatever manner it was created, however long it took, God ordered it with purpose.

Man's sin destroyed God's order. Man broke the Sabbath.
Those that break the Sabbath don't enter God's rest (Hebrews3-4).

Creation was brought to futility awaiting the redemption of man.

Rob

 

Yes you are correct, all of creation is affected by the sin of mankind. The abuse and misuse of the clear responsibility of stewardship that God gave to mankind,

 

Could one believe in an old earth and also believe Genesis 1:5 was a 24 hour period?

I believe both of those.

 

A. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8


Who sinned first, A or B? How die the devil acquire the power of the death of Heb. 2:14 Was the death, the works of the devil? On the earth of Gen. 1:2, why did command the light to shin out of the darkness? See 2 Cor. 4:10


B. 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: Rom 5:12

Before the foundation of the world, before God said let there be light, Christ as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot, was going to shed his precious blood, in order to redeem. 1 Peter 1:18-20

Was the man, Adam who brought the death to all men , of which the devil had the power thereof, created carnal, sold under sin for the purpose of the redemption which would be of the lamb, the Christ, of which it was already predetermined would die for that purpose?

Why did God create man in his own image?

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

Who had to be created in order for the Son of God to be manifested?

 

It was subjected to futility, the death, before the man sinned for the purpose of, hope.

That hope, is the Christ, the lamb without blemish and without spot, sinless who would die the death the devil had the power of, and be regenerated as the firstborn from the dead by God the Father as the heir of God of which we are joint heirs, of eternal life. Thus destroying the devil and his power, the death.

 

I believe the sin of the devil destroyed God's order between Gen 1:1 and 1:3

God then shines out of the darkness reestablishes order, the creation of the world (Kosmos), to destroy the devil and his works.

 

For the record, John 11:9.10 is not about the sun shinning and the lack of the sun, it is about the light of this world, in the face of Jesus Christ and the darkness of this world, a description of Satan the devil and Jesus calls that a day in John 11:9,10 the same word in the Greek as the day, yom, of Gen 1:5 was translated in the LXX and Jesus says the day (light) part had 12 hours which would leave the night (darkness) part with 12 hours.

The evening and morning of Genesis 1:5 was 24 hours not relative to the rotation of the earth.

Satan, the darkness was on the earth and God commanded light, himself to shine out of the darkness and divided the two even calling the light good.

God is about to begin to deal with Satan for his sin.

 

I'll chime in with repeat of a question for any who care to answer.

I make no bones about it, I am gap theory.

But I have a friend who holds to specific creation, pretty much exactly like most of the young earthers I have met. The only difference is he allows that he doesn't know the age of the earth. He freely admits God could have created a young earth with the appearance of age. However, he believes God created the earth long ago, in 6 days but does not state their length simply because if the earth and the entire universe are very old, the length of the day may have altered somewhat. He also doesn't believe God needed the full 24 hours on any of the days to accomplish what He did, and points to scholars who consider the 7th day Sabbath rest as ongoing, hence not 24 hours.

He believes humankind was created on the 6th day, or to put it another way, very quickly after the earth was created. Not a whiff of evolution for him. He believes science simply hasn't found proof of humans that far back, but does point out scientists keeping pushing back how long they figure we have been around.

While his idea of creation is not mine, I find it within the realm of Biblical possibility and an orthodox theory. But at his young earth leaning church, he catches all kinds of flak for "not believing the Bible."

However you understand creation, would you say he is within orthodoxy or outside it?

 

I fail to see how he could be outside of orthodoxy, given that he affirms that creation is the work of God.

 

Nothing wrong with having theories about how God created everything. But when OEC or YEC claim the Bible teaches explicitly the duration of creation, and ignores Job 38, they are not exercising humility and perhaps are hindering the ministry of Christ.