The Bible as science

[Crabtownboy]

And this concept of darkness followed by light being a day symbolizes the fact that humanity was encased in darkness but then came light..
Just as Darkness was upon the face of the deep, then God said "Let there be light"...

Very interesting liberal interpretation Tiny, one that would make a very good line in a sermon and would slip by most people as being liberal ... as it really is.

No, I am not disagreeing with you

 

[Marcia]

Rememebr how long a day was? So why not? I would contend that the day was longer before the water fell from the sky to the land if the conservation of momentum is true.

Since God compares 6 days in Exodus, which were 24 hour days, to the 6 days of creation, it follows that the 6 days in creation were the same amount of time.

Another option is to translate, “Evening came, and then morning came.” This formula closes the six days of creation. It seems to follow the Jewish order of reckoning time: from evening to morning. Day one started with the dark, continued through the creation of light, and ended with nightfall. Another alternative would be to translate, “There was night and then there was day, one day.”

sn The first day. The exegetical evidence suggests the word “day” in this chapter refers to a literal twenty-four hour day. It is true that the word can refer to a longer period of time (see Isa 61:2, or the idiom in 2:4, “in the day,” that is, “when”). But this chapter uses “day,” “night,” “morning,” “evening,” “years,” and “seasons.” Consistency would require sorting out how all these terms could be used to express ages. Also, when the Hebrew word יוֹם (yom) is used with a numerical adjective, it refers to a literal day. Furthermore, the commandment to keep the sabbath clearly favors this interpretation. One is to work for six days and then rest on the seventh, just as God did when he worked at creation.

NET Bible footnote

 

[Marcia]

I believe it is possible the Genesis account uses metaphor and hyperbole, so there is the chance the day-age theory is correct.

If metaphor or hyperbole are used, one can usually discern that from the context. The context of Gen. 1 does not give indication for that.

 

[Marcia]

uhhh, okay, I wasn't arguing that point at all. I was simply noting that the OT day starts with the evening first, then morning.

Right, which only affirms the Gen 1 account as being 6 literal 24 hour days if one translates it the way NET Bible editors say is an option:

Another option is to translate, “Evening came, and then morning came.” This formula closes the six days of creation. It seems to follow the Jewish order of reckoning time: from evening to morning. Day one started with the dark, continued through the creation of light, and ended with nightfall. Another alternative would be to translate, “There was night and then there was day, one day.”

 

[Jedi Knight]

Where do we get our year from? The Earth circling the Sun. Where do we get the month from? The moon circiling the Earth. Where do we get 24 hours from? The Earth's rotation. Where do we get the week from? Genesis is the answer.

 

[gb93433]

morning and evening, day and night, 24 hours just like now.

So are you saying that before the flood that the days were the same length as today after the flood?

 

[Steven2006]

I voted extremely important. If pressed I fall on the side of six literal 24 hour days. But I am not completely dogmatic about the first three days.

Gen 1:14 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;

It seems clear that from that point forward each day has been a 24 hour day. I don't know if it is quite as clear that prior to that point is was so.

 

[Crabtownboy]

I voted extremely important. If pressed I fall on the side of six literal 24 hour days. But I am not completely dogmatic about the first three days.

Gen 1:14 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;

It seems clear that from that point forward each day has been a 24 hour day. I don't know if it is quite as clear that prior to that point is was so.

The question I posted in the OP was not limited just to Genesis ... but to all the Bible wherever it makes a statement that is scientific.

 

[Steven2006]

The question I posted in the OP was not limited just to Genesis ... but to all the Bible wherever it makes a statement that is scientific.

I believe every word of the bible to be the true word of God. It doesn't matter, scientific,historic or whatever the statement, I believe every word.

 

[Thermodynamics]

To me it is critical that the Bible be accurate on matters of science (and history among other things). If the Bible teaches that the earth is flat for example, we know that is not the case. So in a case like that how or why would we trust the Bible to be accurate on spiritual matters?

 

[donnA]

So are you saying that before the flood that the days were the same length as today after the flood?

I'm saying, God knew what He was talking about, but we let 'science' tell us God's word isn't good enough for us.

 

[donnA]

I believe every word of the bible to be the true word of God. It doesn't matter, scientific,historic or whatever the statement, I believe every word.

:applause:

 

[Marcia]

God created the world and all the scientific laws by which it operates. So His word is not going to contradict science, thought it might be that some people make mistaken interpretations about science and think there is conflict.

 

[Revmitchell]

To me it is critical that the Bible be accurate on matters of science (and history among other things). If the Bible teaches that the earth is flat for example, we know that is not the case. So in a case like that how or why would we trust the Bible to be accurate on spiritual matters?

At this point one must be forced to shift to rely on their personal experience to give them faith. They must rely on how they feel about parts of scripture and whether they can know it is of God. Contrary to scripture of course.

 

[Jon-Marc]

How long are those days?

I believe they were days as we know them. Just because the Bible tells us that 1,000 years is the same to God as one day doesn't mean that those "days" were each 1,000 years long. Those who can't seem to accept that God was perfectly capable of creating EVERYTHING in just six 24 hour days believe it was a LOT longer than that.

After each day's creation, we read, "And the morning and the evening---." I don't believe God needed to take six days to create everything; He just chose to take six days. He also didn't need to "rest" after the creation. Does God get tired? It simply means He stopped creating--at least at that time. Personally, I believe He is still creating great sights for His pleasure that mankind will never see while we're in this limited body.

 

[Jedi Knight]

I believe it is nothing less than heresy to say God didn't mean 6-24 hour days leterally! Unbelief gets fired up when you compromise the truth.

 

[preachinjesus]

How in the world did this turn into a creation thread?

that's a head scratcher...

 

[Crabtownboy]

The question is much broader than creation. Let me try to widen it and hope the discussion remain narrow dwelling on Genesis 1 and 2.


The Bible says:

Leviticus 11:21-25
21 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth. 22 These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

New King James Edition

Insects have six legs, not four.

The value of π (pi)
The mathematical number π is the ratio of a circle's diameter to its circumference. The value of π truncated at 10 digits is 3.141592653. The bible itself gives us a different value of π.

Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high. A line of thirty cubits would encircle it completely. Genesis I Kings 7:23 King James Version

.
A circle with a diameter of 10 units should have a circumference of 31.4 units not 30. There is some controversy over this. Some may take it as God being powerful enough to change the value of π, while the other end of the scale some believe it is clearly an approximation; indeed, both figures of 10 cubit diameter, 30 cubit circumference and π of 3 are correct to 1 significant figure.

http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Scientific_errors_in_the_bible

 

[sag38]

Crabby, what you are doing is called quibbling.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Crabby, what you are doing is called quibbling.

No, I am trying to make the focus of the discussion broader.

Are these two mistakes in scripture important. To me they are not. Are they to you? I hope not.