Gap Theory - the poll

[Salty]

There has been quite a disscussion on the Gap theory, on another thread.

So lets do a poll, ok?

 

[TC]

Gen 1:1-2
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

I am kind of on the fence on this one. The Bible does not say how long the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. It could have been a long or short time. I just don't know. I was not there when God made the Earth. Lest anyone accuse me of not believing the Bible, I am a creationist and believe that God created everything that was made. I do not believe in evolution - evolution is nothing more than fanciful story telling and seems like a lot of wishful thinking to me.

 

[Marcia]

In order to believe the Gap theory, one must assume it from outside the text. Nothing in the text indicates such a "gap." It doesn't matter how long the Spirit of God hovered - there is no indication earth was destroyed and re-created.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

No Gap Theory in the Bible. Good fiction though.

 

[JMSR]

I'm not up on this Gap theory. What is it exactly? If it pertains to Genesis then it will surely interest me. I've always been fascinated by Genesis.

 

[Johnv]

I'm not up on this Gap theory. What is it exactly? If it pertains to Genesis then it will surely interest me. I've always been fascinated by Genesis.

Gap Theory asserts that the Genesis six-day creation involved literal 24-hour days, but that there was a gap of time between two distinct creations in the first and the second verses of Genesis.

It's actually a misnomer, because it doesn't qualify as a theory according to the definition of what a theory is. Like Intelligent Design, it can be best described as a gap philosophy. A literal reading of Gen 1 does not suggest a gap consisting of two creations.

 

[JMSR]

How do they come up with two distinct creations?

 

[Thinkingstuff]

How do they come up with two distinct creations?

The way it was put to me was. In the begining God created the Heavens and the Earth - Now would God make anything imperfect or full of Chaos? Then we see - The earth was formless and void - Well, what happened I thought God just created everything. Thus a Gap of an unspecified period of time.

 

[JMSR]

I don't think void meant nonexistent, but rather, plain, featureless, desolate, etc. There was obviously water existing, and apparently there was no separation between the heavens and earth. Like one big empty canvas I guess.

 

[Marcia]

I don't think void meant nonexistent, but rather, plain, featureless, desolate, etc. There was obviously water existing, and apparently there was no separation between the heavens and earth. Like one big empty canvas I guess.

Right, nothing in the language suggests chaos or previous destruction. The Gap Theory came about, as far as I know, after evolution theories in order to make Genesis and evolution compatible.

If a gap were implied here, people before evolution came along would have discerned it in the text.

 

[JMSR]

I'm no scientist but the world ain't no billion years old. Excuse my southern.

 

[Johnv]

I'm no scientist but the world ain't no billion years old. Excuse my southern.

To be specific, the field of geology and geophysics estimate the age of the earth to be 4.5 billion years old.

Now that we've opened that can of worms, it's probably best to get back to the topic of Gap Theory, rather than have this thread denegrate into another needless debate and veer it off topic.

 

[JMSR]

To be specific, the field of geology and geophysics estimate the age of the earth to be 4.5 billion years old.

Now that we've opened that can of worms, it's probably best to get back to the topic of Gap Theory, rather than have this thread denegrate into another needless debate and veer it off topic.

I'd say their estimators broke. :smilewinkgrin: Sorry for the off topic. I don't see where the gap theory is possible. It doesn't really matter what you perceive the details of verse 2 to mean, verse 5 says it all happened on day 1.

 

[Johnv]

Huh? Verse 5 reads "... every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground." All that says is that man was not yet around to till the earth. That verse in and of itself doesn't say what happenned and when.

 

[JMSR]

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

 

[Johnv]

No fair, you didn't say what chapter :wavey:

Thinkingstuff makes a good observation: That prior to v5, according to Gap supporters, there existed an earth, but it was without form.

 

[JMSR]

Gap Theory asserts that the Genesis six-day creation involved literal 24-hour days, but that there was a gap of time between two distinct creations in the first and the second verses of Genesis.

Chapter 1 of course. :tongue3: Sorry I didn't clarify.

 

[OldRegular]

Gap Theory asserts that the Genesis six-day creation involved literal 24-hour days, but that there was a gap of time between two distinct creations in the first and the second verses of Genesis.

It's actually a misnomer, because it doesn't qualify as a theory according to the definition of what a theory is. Like Intelligent Design, it can be best described as a gap philosophy. A literal reading of Gen 1 does not suggest a gap consisting of two creations.

There is as much evidence for the Gap Theory as there is the Macro-evolution Theory, NONE. They are both figments of a tired imagination!

 

[Johnv]

There is as much evidence for the Gap Theory as there is the Macro-evolution Theory, NONE. They are both figments of a tired imagination!

So much for staying on topic.

 

[Salty]

Interesting articles from Institute of Creation Research