Information passed on concerning Genesis 1:1

[HankD]

One of the founders of the "New (Neo) Evangelicalism" and the man who coined the term, Harold Ockenga, stated at Fuller Seminary, in a speech he gave in 1947 at the founding of Fuller Seminary:

“We repudiate the ‘Come-outist’ movement which brands all Denominations as apostate. We expect to be positive in our emphasis, except where error so exists that it is necessary for us to point it out in order to declare the truth. The positive emphasis will be on the broad doctrinal basis of a low Calvinism.”

Looking back on this epic speech thirty years later, Ockenga commented:

“Neo-evangelicalism was born ... in connection with a convocation address which I gave in the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena. While reaffirming the theological view of fundamentalism, this address repudiated its ecclesiology and its social theory.

"The ringing call for a repudiation of separatism and the summons to social involvement received a hearty response from many evangelicals. The name caught on and spokesmen such as Drs. Harold Lindsell, Carl F.H. Henry, Edward Carnell, and Gleason Archer supported this viewpoint.

"We had no intention of launching a movement, but found that the emphasis attracted widespread support and exercised great influence. Neo-evangelicalism... different from fundamentalism in its repudiation of separatism, and its determination to engage itself in the theological dialogue of the day. It had a new emphasis upon the application of the gospel to the sociological, political, and economic areas of life.

Neo-evangelicals emphasized the restatement of Christian theology in accordance with the need of the times, the reengagement in the theological debate, the recapture of denominational leadership, and the reexamination of theological problems such as the antiquity of man, the universality of the flood, God's method of creation, and others." (Ockenga, foreword to Harold Lindsell’s book The Battle for the Bible).

Unfortunately more Christians don't have a clue what Neo-Evangelicalism really is. Most think it is "anybody who disagrees with me."

Yes, I was in a KJVO church in the Boston area an the 60's. Ockenga teaching was the brunt of many a sermon at our local church. We would do outdoor preaching in the Boston Common within shouting distance of Park Street Church. Nothing they could do cuz we were in the Common. Though we didn't preach when they were having services.



HankD

 

[Van]

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This says who (God) what (heavens and earth) and when (pre-creation only God existed in Three Persons. The initial condition, with only God existing is described in verse 2, the earth (or possibly land) did not exist, and light did not exist and God exists in an unknown realm. Water, waters, the deep, the surface and so forth all being used metaphorically to refer to the unknown realm in which God existed alone.

Some say that this view of Genesis 1:2 (shapeless and empty equaling none existence) does not account for the water, but that objection holds no water if water is simply a metaphor for the unknown, which it is. This view allows the earth to be formed out of the unknown on the third day.

Basically the Gap Theory is based on reading between the lines of scripture (verse 1 and verse 2 of Genesis Chapter 1) in order to explain what the Bible does not explain. My problem is simple, we should base our theology on what the Bible says, and not on what it does not say.