The Gap Theory of Genesis

[nodak]

Matt Wade--sorry I wasn't more clear, since clearly you missed my point.

Those that adhere to the gap theory CAN HOLD TO A LITERAL READING OF GENESIS as well as to the rest of the Bible. And we do not have to accept evolution to do so.

In my little town we have a group very radical about taking Genesis literally, young earth creationism, etc. They basically deny even the law of gravity, holding that there are NO scientific laws. They believe gap theorists deny all the miracles of the Bible.

Personally, I take the Bible literally. So I don't pass off the sons of God intermarrying with the daughters of men as Seth's godly line. And when scripture tells me about angels leaving their first estate, I believe it.

I read Genesis literally. But within that, I do believe scripture teaches us that there was SOMETHING happened here before Genesis 1:2. I don't claim to understand all that did happen--just that it did. Whatever was here, it was created by God, and whatever happened did so because God made it happen. I don't believe either that evolution is the answer.

I do believe the fossil record points to that "something", and that it is sloppy thinking rather than faith that makes us try to fit the fossil record into Ussher's time frame.

I believe that evolution is wrong and untrue. I do believe God set scientific laws in place, and abrogates them at His will and for His purpose. I believe in a literal 6/24 creation. I believe the fossil record hints at something that took place before Genesis 1:2. (As does the Holy Bible.)

And I trust that if my puny reasonings are wrong, God will show me. Reasoning itself is not sinful, or God would not have spoken through the prophet "come let us reason together."

 

[Deacon]

I have not posted anything recently because I have been busy working on a book in support of the Gap Theory (to be released for publication in about two weeks). I am also in the process of producing a video commentary on the same same subject, based on the structure book. Here is a link to a brief (08:31) preview of the first part of the video. Please keep in mind that this is only a prototype of the design of the production. I would greatly appreciate constructive feedback that will enable me to improve the presentation.
Thank you and God bless.

Watch it here on YouTube: The Gap Theory of Genesis

You've done a very good job producing the video.
There are a few elementary problems with the interpretation of Peter that you offer in the video.

I found it humorous that you showed the earth rising out of the water... as if there were a down side in the universe.
In space there is no up or down, so the image is not accurate and very misleading.

Rob

 

[Pastor Larry]

Westin W. Fields completely buried the Gap Theory back in 1976 in his book Unformed and Unfilled. The only gap left is between those who believe the Bible and those who hold to the Gap Theory.

Okay, so I overstate slightly. But on a serious note, the Gap Theory is completely untenable grammatically and exegetically, not to mention scientifically as well.

There is no need for the Gap Theory, and there are tons of insurmountable reasons to reject it.

 

[Bob Alkire]

I too, at one time believed in the Gap Theory. But back in the early 60's I met Dr. Henry Morris and he showed me where I was wrong. A few years later I met Dr. John Whitcomb and he went into it a little more, what a teacher. So I do not buy into the Gap but still have and use my Scofield Bible.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

There is no need for the Gap Theory, and there are tons of insurmountable reasons to reject it.

Such as? If there are tons, should be no problem supporting your statement.

 

[Pastor Larry]

Such as? If there are tons, should be no problem supporting your statement.

There is no problem supporting it. Fields did a magnificent job in a way that is easily accessible, even by those who don't know Hebrew. The fact is that the grammar and syntax of Gene 1:1-2 does not allow for a gap.

 

[RAdam]

There are hundredsa millionsa fossils in thousandsa museums worldwide, and plain evidence of many geological events that couldn'ta occurred in a short time(erosion of the Appalachian Mts, the formation of "devil's tower" of "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" fame) all over earth. And over 9/10 of all animal species that ever existed are now extinct. But Scripture sez that at least one pair of EVERY species of animal & bird was aboard the ark, so mosta the extinctions had already occurred.

As for "neanderthal man", there's no dispute that "he" existed, nor that he built shelters & used fire. But does that mean he was a man? Not at all. No man has ever built a more-complex structure than a common beehive or weaver-bird nest. God built this ability into them, but He didn't make them intelligent as He did us. Bees "speak" thru their "dances" & birds thru their "songs", but they can't read one worda Scripture. God coulda simply added the ability to use fire to those which He built into neanderthals.

And there's the little problem of the speeda light. the farthest object we can see with the unaided eye is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 10 times the siza the Milky Way & is so distant that it takes light some 2.5 MILLION years to reach us. God has allowed us to discover that the maximum speeda light is some 186 K miles/second in a vacuum. We can slow light down to about 38 MPH in certain transparent gels, but we cannot speed it up past the max it reaches in a vacuum.

I believe GOD has preserved all those fossils & geologic evidence to show us empirical. tangible evidence of past ages or epochs. Simple fact is, were it not for GOD'S WILL, there'd be no fossils, etc.

Do I believe in evolution ? NO. If evolution were true, there'd be no bacteria, protozoans, etc. They woulda all evolved into "more advanced" life forms. And neanderthal & other 'cavemen' weren't made in God's own image any more than gorillas are. Only HOMO SAPIENS fills that bill.

Fact is, the earth & the universe are QUITE old. No one can prove otherwise.

Here's what happens when people look outside the bible for definitive answers. How did those things happen in such a short period of time? It's called a worldwide flood, you know a cataclysm. The entire earth was covered with water, every human and animal on the planet not inside the ark were killed, and the earth was forever changed. In that flood you had incredible geological occurances take place as well as the fossil record laid down.

Noone can prove that the earth isn't old? How do you figure? I can do so using only one thing - God's word. It plainly declares the age of the universe to be a little over 6,000 years old. I believe it. I wish you did too.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

Here's what happens when people look outside the bible for definitive answers. How did those things happen in such a short period of time? It's called a worldwide flood, you know a cataclysm. The entire earth was covered with water, every human and animal on the planet not inside the ark were killed, and the earth was forever changed. In that flood you had incredible geological occurances take place as well as the fossil record laid down.

Noone can prove that the earth isn't old? How do you figure? I can do so using only one thing - God's word. It plainly declares the age of the universe to be a little over 6,000 years old. I believe it. I wish you did too.

It doesn't plainly declare any such thing. It declares that God created the world in a series of steps. It delcares that God made man specially from the rest of creation. It delcares that Man fell from grace. It really doesn't go into details beyond that. I'm tired of christian speculation that turns into pseudo-science. Like lions were originally vegitarians.
In fact my youth pastor teaches in such a way to my kids that he pretty much discards all science and gets my kids to believe in myth. Like lions were originally vegitarians. I have to keep explaining that the youth pastor is expressing his view of the bible but the bible doesn't discredit scientific finds and actual evidence and that they need to have a critical mind not accepting what ever anyone tells them but to look at observable data and come to a conclussion based on the evidence. And there is plenty of evidence that 1) death existed before Man existance 2) the earth has been around for a very long time. 3) that there was a pangea and by the time that contental drift were to bring about the current state of continents millions of years would have to be involved. 4) light travels at a constant rate of speed which also suggest an older universe etc... However, since the "youth pastor" is teaching about "God" obviously in my kids mind that man's interpretation is the only right one. So I reinforce as I can the value of modern science because in the end I don't want my kids to follow a created myth based on an inconclusive interpretation of the bible and ignore truth as it is a constant. One of the reasons we're looking for another church because I don't want my kids to be ignoramous.

 

[matt wade]

It doesn't plainly declare any such thing. It declares that God created the world in a series of steps. It delcares that God made man specially from the rest of creation. It delcares that Man fell from grace. It really doesn't go into details beyond that. I'm tired of christian speculation that turns into pseudo-science. Like lions were originally vegitarians.
In fact my youth pastor teaches in such a way to my kids that he pretty much discards all science and gets my kids to believe in myth. Like lions were originally vegitarians. I have to keep explaining that the youth pastor is expressing his view of the bible but the bible doesn't discredit scientific finds and actual evidence and that they need to have a critical mind not accepting what ever anyone tells them but to look at observable data and come to a conclussion based on the evidence. And there is plenty of evidence that 1) death existed before Man existance 2) the earth has been around for a very long time. 3) that there was a pangea and by the time that contental drift were to bring about the current state of continents millions of years would have to be involved. 4) light travels at a constant rate of speed which also suggest an older universe etc... However, since the "youth pastor" is teaching about "God" obviously in my kids mind that man's interpretation is the only right one. So I reinforce as I can the value of modern science because in the end I don't want my kids to follow a created myth based on an inconclusive interpretation of the bible and ignore truth as it is a constant. One of the reasons we're looking for another church because I don't want my kids to be ignoramous.

Thank God for the youth pastor at your church! Hopefully he's planted enough seeds in your children that they will grow up believing in the God of miracles and not the God of the little box that you want to put Him in.

 

[RAdam]

It doesn't plainly declare any such thing. It declares that God created the world in a series of steps. It delcares that God made man specially from the rest of creation. It delcares that Man fell from grace. It really doesn't go into details beyond that. I'm tired of christian speculation that turns into pseudo-science. Like lions were originally vegitarians.
In fact my youth pastor teaches in such a way to my kids that he pretty much discards all science and gets my kids to believe in myth. Like lions were originally vegitarians. I have to keep explaining that the youth pastor is expressing his view of the bible but the bible doesn't discredit scientific finds and actual evidence and that they need to have a critical mind not accepting what ever anyone tells them but to look at observable data and come to a conclussion based on the evidence. And there is plenty of evidence that 1) death existed before Man existance 2) the earth has been around for a very long time. 3) that there was a pangea and by the time that contental drift were to bring about the current state of continents millions of years would have to be involved. 4) light travels at a constant rate of speed which also suggest an older universe etc... However, since the "youth pastor" is teaching about "God" obviously in my kids mind that man's interpretation is the only right one. So I reinforce as I can the value of modern science because in the end I don't want my kids to follow a created myth based on an inconclusive interpretation of the bible and ignore truth as it is a constant. One of the reasons we're looking for another church because I don't want my kids to be ignoramous.

If you say death existed before man than you have discarded the clear teaching of scripture. Of course, you've already done that. You'd rather take the word of atheists who have themselves discarded the true principles of science in their quest to disprove the bible and Christianity than you would take God's word. It's sad to see Christians do this.

Modern science, as you call it, isn't science. It's religion. Science is based on observable, provable facts. Their dating methods are so unreliable and inconsistent that I'm frankly surprised anyone trusts them.

God's word says He created the earth about 6,000 years ago. You can either trust it or throw it out. But, if you don't trust it to tell you those things, how can you trust it to tell you about the truly important things like salvation, resurrection, heaven, etc? If you were consistent you'd throw the whole thing in the trash. It literally amazes me that people won't trust God's word and instead trust in modern, atheistic, pseudo-science that masquerades as true science.

 

[webdog]

Thank God for the youth pastor at your church! Hopefully he's planted enough seeds in your children that they will grow up believing in the God of miracles and not the God of the little box that you want to put Him in.

AGreed...sadly in this instance I hope his son believes his youth pastor over his own parent.

Thinkingstuff, are you going to also discount Scripture where in the future, the lion will once again be a vegetarian?

 

[thegospelgeek]

We're not putting YOU down, worddigger. We're putting down the theory. This board is not a place for the faint of heart, true. If you earnestly believe something to be true, be prepared to defend it because this is a debate section and that's what we do here. If someone shoots your theory full of holes, defend it or change your view. Don't run away and take your cookies with you.

Maybe you just got off on the wrong foot by touting your book right off the bat. See, there are many published writers here, but we get to know each other before advertising our credentials. So, try again. Try getting to know us in the fellowship forums if the debate area isn't for you. Don't run away all offended. We're not as mean as you think we are.

Don't believe her. She is VERY mean:tongue3:

 

[Amy.G]

If you say death existed before man than you have discarded the clear teaching of scripture.

Romans 5:12 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:


Adam brought death. There was no Adam before the "gap". So how could there have been death before Adam's sin???

 

[RAdam]

Romans 5:12 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:


Adam brought death. There was no Adam before the "gap". So how could there have been death before Adam's sin???

Exactly. That's the clear teaching that thinking stuff is discarding.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

Thank God for the youth pastor at your church! Hopefully he's planted enough seeds in your children that they will grow up believing in the God of miracles and not the God of the little box that you want to put Him in.

See, thats the kind of nonsense I'm talking about. Just because evidence supports and older earth and observable data show things to be different than the midieval interpretation of the creation of a flat disk world 6,000 years ago and I'm willing to admit that doesn't mean I don't believe in a God of miracles. In fact if you think about it. I'm not the one who places God into a box. You do. You've interpret the bible insuch a way as to say this is only how God did it based on your understanding. Thus you limit God. I haven't. God may have made the universe in many divergent and wonderful ways that are still consistent with the Genesis account. The fact that I'm open to explore these and not disregard facts, data, observation for my own creative myth is much more truthful. Its not the scientist that make communes where everyone has to believe the church leader. Only people doing that are religionist who insist that their children are uneducated learning science and learning to be skeptical. What you want my kids to believe drilling holes in someones head lets out demons? Or that every illness is due to demonic activity? I leave that to the supersticious. I still hold to the incarnation, the virgin birth, the feeding of the 5,000, the ressurection, etc... But I don't have to close my mind believe exactly as you do with your interpretation which doesn't meet the discoveries we've made.
its like the same nonsense that I heard growing up in Christian schools. "did you know men have one less rib than women?" It this misinformation that keeps getting promoted and every generation has to come face to face with the facts that men do not have one less rib than women no matter what their interpretation of genesis is. I can't wait to get my kids away from this unscientific guy who holds to his mythology and ignores fact.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

AGreed...sadly in this instance I hope his son believes his youth pastor over his own parent.

Thinkingstuff, are you going to also discount Scripture where in the future, the lion will once again be a vegetarian?

See you misapply scripture again. No where, and I mean no where in the bible does it say a lion will "once again be a vegitarian". What you seem to infer by your own understaning is that the verse "and the lamb will lay down next to the lion" as meaning it will be a vegitarian. But again we're speaking of apocalyptic literature which is symbolic. I find it interesting what you choose to take as literal and what to take as symbolic. No doubt according to you jesus keeps changing his apprearance from man to lion to lamb to shiny bright thing and back again never setteling on a specific form. Wait... literal or symbolic?

 

[Thinkingstuff]

Exactly. That's the clear teaching that thinking stuff is discarding.

Death entered for whom? All the world? All the animals or Man? It doesn't specify does it. Yet if there were herbavors I'm certain that specific plants were killed off in the eating unless you assume in your own created mythology that everything ate fruits.

it's this kind of thinking that says jesus never turned water into wine but Welches grape fruit juice. Another myth that certian christians believe that "dumb" down believers. And limits God to your interpretation.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

Exactly. That's the clear teaching that thinking stuff is discarding.

The fact that the fossil record shows animals dieing long before the existance of man. You're so called clear teaching as I've noted previously isn't so clear. Just your interpretation of it. Its certain that death came to mankind by one man. But there is not indication that the author meant to all life.

 

[RAdam]

My interpretation? We aren't talking about prophetic language. We are talking about clear, literal language that even a child can understand.

How do you think the fossil record came about? Why do we have such an extensive fossil record? Because there was a world wide flood 1656 years after the creation of the world in which all manner of animal and human life on the planet were immediately depositied inside the fluctuating levels of soil thereby preserving extensive remains. These fossils do not show death existing before man. If so called scientists were honest about their dating methods it would be shown they have no idea how old those fossils are.

The fact is you would rather side with modern pseudo-science than with the clear teaching of scripture, and then you have the nerve to tell bible believers that we are believing in myths, limiting God, and all sorts of things like this. I fully believe Jesus turned water into wine. I also believe He created the earth in 6 literal days about 6,000 years ago. I also fully believe that no death existed prior to man as all of God's creation was good and very good and was a paradise. It was man that messed things up by sinning, death entered by his sin, the world was cursed by his sin, God eventually flooded the earth because of sin, and God will one day destroy the earth with fire before of his sin.

 

[webdog]

See you misapply scripture again. No where, and I mean no where in the bible does it say a lion will "once again be a vegitarian". What you seem to infer by your own understaning is that the verse "and the lamb will lay down next to the lion" as meaning it will be a vegitarian. But again we're speaking of apocalyptic literature which is symbolic. I find it interesting what you choose to take as literal and what to take as symbolic. No doubt according to you jesus keeps changing his apprearance from man to lion to lamb to shiny bright thing and back again never setteling on a specific form. Wait... literal or symbolic?

And you STILL deny Scripture! Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

The future prophecy is for the earth to be as it was before sin entered it.