Creation Day 2

Science is not a hermeneutic for interpreting Genesis, or for that matter, for interpreting any other portion of Scripture. The Bible does not bow to science. An article in the Washington Post once drew attention to activists who wanted parts of biblical creation taught in public schools. Scientists and teachers opposed the idea because they said that creation is based on theology, not science. As one educator put it, anyone who criticizes evolution is, quote, trying to undercut sound science education.

Of course the question is, what is sound science? Well today on Grace To You, John MacArthur continues his study titled, The Battle For The Beginning, showing you biblical answers to questions like, are teachers neglecting science if they teach creation? And should the Bible be considered scientifically accurate?

With that, here's the lesson. Now as we come to Genesis chapter 1, we come to that now very familiar verse to us, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and that answers the question of origins, the heavens and the earth, which was the Jewish phrase substituting for the absence of a word for universe by which they described the universe. And it answers the question of origins, in the beginning God created the universe. And let me sum up what the Word of God in Genesis teaches about origins.

It is really unmistakable. It is plain language. There is an inescapable account here in Genesis telling us about the origin of the universe.

And summing it up, this is what it says. The eternal God at some point in the past created out of nothing without preexisting material, the universe as it is now in six solar days. He kept His creation on the sixth day by creating man in His own image, that is, intelligent with personality, with self-consciousness and cognition, or the ability to think and reason. This creation occurred in six days, the seventh day it was over and God rested from creating.

It occurred about six thousand years ago and the entire creation was mature and aged at the instant of its creation. Science is not a hermeneutic for interpreting Genesis, or for that matter, for interpreting any other portion of Scripture. Science is not a hermeneutic.

It is not a principle of interpretation. The Bible does not bow to science. The accuracy of the Genesis text is no different than the accuracy of any other portion of Scripture. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. All Scripture is God-breathed.

All Scripture comes not by any private interpretation, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Jesus summed it up when He said, Thy word is truth. The Bible is true whether you're talking about revelation and eschatological prophecy, or whether you're talking about Genesis and historic origins. The Bible is true whether you're talking about the history of Israel or the history of the Canaanites. The Bible is true whether you're talking about salvation or sanctification, whether you're talking about the life of Jesus or the theology of Jesus.

Whatever the Bible says is absolutely true. And the Bible is as true in Genesis as it is anywhere else and everywhere else. Furthermore, since origins are not repeatable, they are outside the realm of science. Since origins were not observable, since there was only one there and that was God, no one can comment on origins but God. And so what you have in Genesis is the only and accurate firsthand eyewitness account of origins by the Creator Himself. Now in spite of that very clear-cut approach to the Word of God, many people, including Christians, have turned to science and turned to scientists to speak authoritatively on Genesis. In fact, there are theologians, many of them, Bible commentators, pastors, well-known popular pastors and preachers, some of whom you would even know, who deny the Genesis account. They flatly deny the Genesis account because they accept evolutionary science to one degree or another.

I've said this to you all the way along and I'll repeat it again without going into all the verification. Science has proven nothing that negates the Genesis record. In fact, the Genesis record is what answers the mysteries of science.

But sadly, Christians and Christian theologians, Bible commentators, Christian college professors, as well as pastors and teachers, have denied the Genesis account being intimidated by science. Now, there is one book...there is one book that comments on Genesis of great note. One book that I would say is absolutely authoritative and it's the only authoritative book. One true infallible, inerrant authoritative commentary that has been written on Genesis. One unarguable divine book, one heavenly inspired commentary on Genesis that speaks with absolute authority is to be unchallenged in its truthfulness and frankly, for me, this book forever settles the issue of the accuracy of Genesis.

What book is it? It's the New Testament. It's the New Testament. It was not written by any scientist and not even by a creation scientist. It was not written by theologians or a theologian.

It was written by simple men who were given the word to write by God Himself so that the Creator is the author. You have in Genesis the account of the creation. You have in the New Testament the Creator's inspired commentary on the Genesis record.

If you go to the New Testament, you will find there is an affirmation there of six-day creation. There is an affirmation of divine fiat or instantaneous creation. There is an affirmation of man being made in the image of God, an affirmation of Adam being created and then Eve. There is an affirmation of the fall there in very specific terms. There is an affirmation of the flood there in very specific terms.

There is an affirmation of Noah and the surviving family of Noah. All of the Genesis record is very carefully referred to by the inspired New Testament. For example, Matthew 13.35, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world, indicating there was a point in time when the world was founded. Mark 13.19, for in those days shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created. John 1.3, all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. That is there alone a verse that would immediately cancel the creation of anything by chance, by some random process. Everything made was made by God. Acts 4.24, Lord, thou art God which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.

That's as comprehensive as you can say it. Acts 14.15, that you should turn from these vanities, these idols unto the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are therein. Everything, the heaven, the earth, the sea and everything that inhabits all of that. Romans 1.20, for the invisible things of Him that is of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen. 2 Corinthians 4.6, for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness.

That's exactly what He did on Day 1. He commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Colossians 1.16, by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible. All things were created by Him and for Him. Hebrews 1.10, and thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands.

And we're going to see that a little later on Day 2. Hebrews 11.3, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. He spoke them into existence so that those things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

That's ex nihilo, He created things which are seen but they weren't made from anything which existed before. In Matthew 19, Jesus said, Have you not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female? Again, speaking of mankind as being the direct result of the creative act of God.

Acts 17, 26, God has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth and has determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation. He is the Creator of all the nations of men. First Corinthians 11, 8 and 9, For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.

Again, created. First Timothy 2, 13 and 14, For Adam was first formed, then Eve. Romans 5, 14 takes us to the fall. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses. Romans 5, 17, By one man's sin, Adam's death reigned by one. First Corinthians 15, 21, Since by man came death, by man, meaning Christ, came the resurrection from the dead.

And I remind you again of 2 Peter 3, 5 and 6, how that Peter refers to the Flood and even to the pre-shaped world when it was engulfed in water when he says that by the Word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water and so forth, as we noted last time. Ephesians 3, 9, The mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. James 3, 9, Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God.

Again, God is the one who made man in His image. Revelation 4, 11, Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for Thou has created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 10, 6, And swear by Him that lives forever and ever who created heaven and the things that therein are and the earth and the things that therein are and the sea and the things that therein are. Revelation 14, 7, Worship Him that made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of waters. Romans 1, 25, Men worships and serves the creature more than the Creator and so it goes. Hebrews 2, 10, It became Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things.

And so it goes. Over and over and over and over in the New Testament, creation account is referred to. Now as we have been saying, evolution has been introduced really as an atheistic alternative, as a godless alternative. And evolution demands irrational faith in impotent chance. Evolution can't happen.

It is impossible. It has been proven by science that it can't happen, as we saw, because of DNA, genetic codes, information systems. Creation is rational faith in Almighty God. Evolution is irrational faith in impotent chance. Evolution is really naturalism. Any sort of evolution is a form of naturalism.

Naturalism believes that God exists only in the mind of non-intellectuals, only in the mind of low-level religious people. Naturalism says nature is all there is, that's really all there is. And that is virtually the assumption that underlies all natural science. It underlies all naturalistic, humanistic philosophy. It underlies all intellectual work. It underlies all morality or better immorality. In other words, the underpinning of our entire culture is this idea of nature is all there is. If naturalism is true, then man created God. God didn't create man.

And belief in God is nothing more than a groundless superstition and more importantly, since it is a superstition, we don't have to listen to anything in the foolish Bible, certainly not the Ten Commandments, the moral laws and so forth. So we aren't interested in what religious people think. They're a threat. They're non-intellectuals.

They're more than a bother. They intrude on our moral freedoms. In fact, we don't even talk about morality anymore. We just talk about rights and values, don't we? Rights and values. And rights and values are to be decided on by every individual. People don't do wrong because of sin. They do wrong because somehow they overextended their rights. Somehow they had warped values.

They are psychologized rather than theologized. There is no Creator. There is no moral law. There is no moral judge. There is no purpose for life. There is no reason for life except to get through it as happy as you can. There is no destiny and there is no true theology.

Folks, I want to take you there because that's the most important thing. There is in a naturalist world, the humanist world, the evolutionary world, no true theology. So a theologian is really a useless interruption. In fact, they would probably hope that theologians are so low on the evolutionary chain as to be unable to survive.

There's no such thing as a true theology because there's no such thing as a true God. The issue for evolutionists is not that Genesis is not believable, it's just a simple straightforward account. It's not that they want to argue about whether Genesis is true or not. I mean, that...they've already won that battle.

And that's why I'm going back there. Listen, they've already convinced most of the Christian world that Genesis isn't true. They have successfully attacked with their relentless theories and scientific illusions and sleight of hand and misrepresentation. They have successfully attacked Genesis and gotten most of the evangelical Christian world to believe that Genesis is not a true account. But that's not really...they're just not trying to debunk Genesis.

I mean, that in itself doesn't gain them much ground. The real issue with evolutionists is that if God created man and cares so greatly about what He does as to identify eternal consequences for His behavior, that is a serious threat to their sinful pleasures. The naturalistic evolutionist hates God and loves sin. Sometimes you should read Paul Johnson's book, the historian's book on the intellectuals.

Read the biographies, it's absolutely riveting reading, the biographies of the people who shaped Western society. They were perverse, to put it mildly, in their own personal lives. The naturalist hates God and loves sin. The theistic evolutionist who wants to bring evolution and impose it on Genesis and kind of marry it up with God, he will say he loves God and he will say he hates sin, but he actually loves God a little and his academic reputation a lot. Now let me tell you something.

The governing discipline in the world, the governing discipline in the world, the governing discipline in the matter of life on this planet, the most important realm of thought, the most important arena of understanding is not science. Did you hear that? Now you would think it was.

You would think it was. And what do we do? I pick up three magazines to read them, Newsweek, Time magazine. One of them had some kind of a missing link on the cover.

The other one promised on the pages on the inside to show the difference in the brain makeup of a criminal from a normal person, and it had some kind of photographs of some medical analysis of brain patterns. And then the discussion is all about the processes of evolution that lead to or away from that kind of behavior. Listen, the queen of sciences in our world today in the sense of knowledge is naturalistic science.

They're supposed to have all the answers for everything and the fact is they don't. The governing discipline in the matter of life in the universe at every single point is not science. The governing discipline is theology. Give evolution the throne and you make the Bible the servant of man and you court disaster. But the queen of sciences today is natural...naturalism. Everything goes back to it and naturalism is defined in evolutionary terms. So what rules our whole society is evolution. It's even gotten into theology to the point now, I am reading a number of different resources lately where the writer is saying God Himself is also evolving.

Oh yeah, this is God in process of becoming what He would like to become. So even God has been swept up and God is just another little piece of the evolutionary process. Give evolution the throne and it takes over everything.

Give it the throne in the first few verses of the first book of the first page of the Bible and you've abdicated at the very outset. And in a world that evolves, it's very hard to have any fixed points. That's why educators today are relativists.

They're basically relativists on everything. You know, you hear all this about we've got problems in the schools. What are we going to do? What are we going to do? We can't have kids going shooting up the schools.

What are we going to do about this? We've got to teach them some standards. We've got to teach them some standards. So I have a great solution.

Just take into every single school the very finest Bible teachers in a given community and let them have the kids every day for a week and just let them teach the Word of God to them. That's the standard. That's the absolute standard. Fat chance. That isn't going to happen. And until it happens, things are going to get worse because there are no answers. What they're talking about when the educators get into this and they say, we need help, we've got to do something, they use this phrase, values clarification. Values again. What does values clarification mean?

Well, it basically, you know, they've got it down to you work hard and you don't hurt people. Moral reasoning, which means I have all the freedoms to do whatever I want, but my freedom stops where your nose begins. If I want to go out and beat my head against the wall and if I want to go out and behave in a certain fashion, that's fine, but I cannot take a weapon and shoot you because now I've invaded your space. So I have to learn to reason morally and know that my freedoms have some moral limitation and the limitation is where by society's standards I've stepped over some line that affects you. By the way, that gets very, very fuzzy and the society is so fuzzy on it, they don't know what to do about it.

They're letting people produce video games, television programs, music, movies that cross the line by miles in creating evil influences in the lives of young people that are as deadly as if somebody put a gun to their head and fired it. There is no hope for a society where naturalistic evolution is the queen of the sciences where everything has to answer to that. Students are supposed to be given values clarification by teachers who don't have any moral standard. They're supposed to be taught moral reasoning by people who don't have any absolutes and then they're told they need to forge their own lifestyle, no authority, no sin, no fixed divine law, no shame, no guilt, no set consequences. But there's one thing in our society that they're not relativistic about.

You know what it is? Evolution. That is the one dominating absolute in our society. If you say you don't believe in evolution, you literally are viewed as a moron, somebody who doesn't have all his marbles, somebody who's bereft of normal reasoning ability.

There's a sweeping relativity until it comes to the one fixed absolute that makes the relative system work and that is evolution. But contrary to all of that, theology is the queen of sciences. Theology is what is the most important realm of thought. Theology is the controlling element in all of human understanding and an unwavering faith in the accuracy and truthfulness of the Bible is at the heart of all sound theology. And it starts with believing the Genesis account. That's Grace to You with John MacArthur.

Thanks for tuning in today. Our current study is titled The Battle for the Beginning. John teaches here every day on Grace to You.

He also serves as Chancellor of the Masters University and Seminary. And now, John, even though you talk a lot about science in this series, you never say that science can provide ultimate proof that Genesis is true, but instead you rely on Scripture to prove that Scripture is true. For example, today you talked about how the New Testament never contradicts Genesis and how that itself is proof of the creation account.

So talk about that strategy a little bit. Tell us why Scripture is the most effective advocate for its own validity. Well, Scripture is its own greatest defense because of its consistency. The Bible in Genesis 1 and 2 says God created in six days and rested the seventh. The rest of the Bible affirms that. You will never find theistic evolution or intelligent design or any of these other terms ever anywhere in the Bible.

You just have a reaffirmation, a reaffirmation, a reaffirmation. You come to the New Testament. It's really important what the New Testament writers thought about the Old Testament. And the New Testament writers believed the Old Testament. Jesus believed the Old Testament. So our Lord's view of the Scripture is very important, and there was never any equivocation with regard to him on any part of the Old Testament whatsoever.

But beyond that, the apostles even never questioned that. I mean, Paul makes this massive case in Romans for the fact that in Adam all died, that the whole human race came out of the loins of Adam, that Adam is not some final piece in an evolutionary chain, that God created Adam. Adam was created in innocence but fell, and as the father of all humanity, he brought upon all humanity a curse. So as in Adam all died, then he makes the comparison in Christ are all made alive. So his whole point there is how the actions of one man can affect so many. And Adam is the illustration. One man, one sin, damns the whole human race. Christ, one man, one glorious redemption, redeems all the elect of all the ages. So the whole point is lost if Adam is just the product of some evolutionary chain and death has come before Adam, then you couldn't possibly say that as in Adam all died if death existed long before Adam.

So again, the Scripture consistently upholds the Genesis account. We have a book that will help you with that a lot called Final Word, and you need to get a copy of this, and here's the good news. We're sending them out free to anyone who asks. Final Word, why we need the Bible, just request a copy for a limited time. We'll send it to you free of charge.

Yes, friend, make sure you ask for this book, Final Word, on the power of the Bible and how it can strengthen your trust and deepen your worship. You can get your free copy of Final Word by contacting us today. Call our toll-free number, 855-GRACE, or visit the website gty.org. Final Word looks at what the Bible says about its own authority and why the steady intake of Scripture is the true path to becoming more like Christ. Again, you can get a copy of Final Word at no cost to you.

Just call our customer service team at 800-55-GRACE or go to the website gty.org. And as you contact us, tell us which Grace to You messages have struck a chord, maybe helped you understand a passage that you've struggled with. Perhaps John's current series is strengthening your belief in the truthfulness of Genesis 1 and all of Scripture. Send your email to letters at gty.org, that's letters at gty.org, or you can write to us at Grace to You, Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412. Now for John MacArthur, I'm Phil Johnson, reminding you to watch Grace to You television this Sunday, check your local listing for Channel and Times, and also tune in again tomorrow at this same time when John continues his look at what the Bible says about the origins of the universe. It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on Grace to You.