It seems that the subject of every sermon through Genesis 1 will be counter-cultural: this week the subject is Evolution and its lack of compatibility with the teaching of Scripture as revealed in Genesis 1:11-13.
Many Evangelical Christians today believe that God used the mechanism of evolution to create life on earth, a view called Theistic Evolution. But this view neither understands the nature of evolution nor the Bible’s teaching concerning the origin of life. The National Association of Biology Teachers stated, “The diversity of life on earth is the outcome of evolution: an unpredictable and natural process of temporal descent with genetic modification that is affected by natural selection, chance, historical contingencies and changing environments.” I am grateful that the PCA so clearly stated in response, “This is not consistent with the teaching of Scripture, ruling out ‘any supernatural activity of God in the origin and development of life and of humans, and hence makes a naturalistic metaphysic the basis of science.’”
What do we do when Christians encounter competing truth claims? E.J.Young (1907-1968), Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, made an astute observation: “Whenever science and the Bible are in conflict, it is always the Bible that, and one manner or another, must give way. We are not told that science must adjust its answers in light of Scripture. Always it is the other way around. Yes, this is really surprising, for the answers which scientists have provided have frequently changed with the passing of time. General revelation is to be interpreted by special revelation, nature by scripture, ‘science’ by the Bible.”
