How The King James Version Teaches Evolutionary Biology

King James Onlyism is the idea that the King James translation of the Bible is divinely inspired. Advocates will suggest that God preserved his word through the effort of these great translators. But KJV-Onlyism is usually associated with other fundamentalist ideas, including notions about the age of the earth. KJV-Onlyists are often Neo-Ussherians, meaning that they believe in the young earth model. But a consistent KJV-Onlyist should believe in the Theory of Evolution, because the KJV seems to teach it. If you are wondering how the King James Version teaches…

How The Ancient Near East Deluges Us With Evidence For A Local Flood

There is a concept in biblical exegesis known as the historical-grammatical method. This method suggests that in order to come to a complete understanding of the biblical text, you need to understand the literary context (the actual pages of Scripture) and the cultural context (what the author was talking about with reference to the culture). In that sense, as our knowledge of ancient cultures expands, we can expect our interpretation of the Bible to change. This could mean that church history could get it wrong because it would not know…

Why I Am A Heretic And You Should Be Too

When we talk about heresy, we usually refer to a denial of one of the core Christian claims. But sometimes overzealous Christians will extend the concept a little too far. They will refer to anybody who disagrees with them as a heretic. Any dissidence from their traditional values is thought to be heresy. When I explain why I am a heretic and you should be too, I am using the word in this latter sense. I am certainly not saying that we should deny the trinity or compromise the gospel.…

How Theistic Evolution Outstrips Both Creationism And Naturalism

The most productive way to think about the creation controversy will be in terms of models. There are rivaling models that attempt to account for all of the relevant data. If there is some evidence that contorts a model beyond its limits, that will count against that model. The fact that some model serves as the best explanation does not necessarily mean that it is true, though. It only means that according to the best evidence that we have, it is the most robust model. In this article, I will…

Why We Should Re-Brand Young Earth Creationism As Neo-Ussherianism

Anybody who followed the 2016 Presidential election understands the importance of branding. Donald Trump branded himself as the every-man, the person who relates to the struggles of the American people. He branded Ted Cruz as Lyin’ Ted, and Hillary Clinton as Crooked Hillary (though admittedly, that one was already established). Subway brands its sandwiches as fresh, made right in front of the customer with fresh ingredients. Branding is about public perception and what people think of a point of view, product, or company. There are several reasons why we should…

Why Theologians Are Not Qualified To Assess The Theory of Evolution

A sophomore is somebody who has a fact or two memorized and yet feels cocksure about her conclusions. She will tell you very matter-of-factly her immovable conclusions about controversial issues that are hotly debates among scholars. Of course, one might be willing to excuse the twenty year old in her young zeal. She has simply misunderstood the field and is overstating her knowledge. However, unfortunately, scholars often make the same sort of mistake. They will smuggle conclusions about other disciplines under their scholarship in a different field. A scientist may…

The Case For Animal Death Before The Fall of Man

The creation controversy is very important to people who hold different perspectives for different reasons. As an old earth creationist, I believe that it is important to an effective witness. Young earth creationists believe that it is important because they think that they are the bastion of scriptural authority. Perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this debate is the issue of death before the Fall of man. Typically, old earth creationists hold that God created the earth over 4 billion years ago. Before the creation of man, there…

Is Church History A Good Argument For Young Earth Creationism?

Many of the debates among professing Christians have cycled through their courses several times throughout the centuries. There are records of theologians who had the same debate fifteen hundred years ago as we have today. The objections to Calvinism, the deity of Christ, the trinity, and most other theological topics have largely not changed. As we preach the gospel to new generations, we have the same conversations as our brethren who came before. This can be helpful, because we can appeal to their answers to these objections and learn how…

A Critique Of Hugh Ross’s Interpretation Of Genesis 1

Why render a critique of Hugh Ross’s interpretation of Genesis 1? After all, I have a lot of respect for Dr. Hugh Ross. He stands as a model for scientific education being applied to Christian apologetics. I also think that some aspects of his interpretation are biblically viable. I can understand how he came to his conclusions. In fact, I was persuaded by his day-age model until certain problems pointed out by men such as Dr. John Walton began to resinate with me. I own and have read both editions…

Could God Have Used Evolution?

The intersection of science and faith has produced no small amount of controversy. It is at this intersection that people find it prudent to either depart from faith or depart from science, and both of these alternatives have devastating implications for the body of Christ. For if we depart from science, we assumed a stance of anti-intellectualism and rail against a methodology that has produced fruitful yieldings, such as medicine, industry and technology. Yet this is what we find in discussions about the age of the earth and evolution among…

What Is The Theory Of Evolution And Is It True?

What is the Theory of Evolution and is it true? Often this is presented in the scheme of religious discourse. Religious people are thought of as those who deny the Theory of Evolution because it cuts against their belief that mankind was personally, specially, fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator. Further, since the biological complexity of biological organisms has historically been one of the most compelling arguments for belief in a Creator God, the Theory of Evolution would seem to raise significant challenges to this apologetic. So it is…

Is The Story Of Noah Literal?

It is often said that the nineteenth century was a bad era for biblical scholars. During that time, there erupted a number of archeological discoveries from the ancient near east that have severely challenged Christians. Secular scholars have painted the issue as one of science and high learning against the Bible. Thus, Christian belief is associated with anti-intellectualism. Many Christians have participated in the rigged game, taking a stance against scientific endeavor in favor of the Bible. However, I am not persuaded that this dichotomy is legitimate. Christians need not…

Must Christians Believe In Adam And Eve?

Several traditionalists have taken a rather hardline stance against many of the brethren. It is maintained among some that for a Christian to deny the existence of a literal Adam and Eve is an act of impiety. They are behaving immorally, robbing the Bible of its’ authority in the matter and allowing our scientific endeavors a greater clout. The question is, must Christians believe in Adam and Eve? If they deny the existence of Adam and Eve, is that an act of impiety? If it were, a serious charge may…

Is It Okay To Reinterpret Scripture To Accommodate Modern Science?

Is it okay to reinterpret Scripture to accommodate modern science? Young earth creationists often charge it against old earth creationists that they are just compromising the Bible. They are taking mans’ fallible dating methods and loading them into God’s infallible word, so the argument goes. The old earth creationists are forcing things into the Bible that the Bible does not proclaim. As such, they are abandoning the word of God and trusting more in the scientific credential of men. Young earth creationists lodge these heavy charges against old earth creationists…

Do Adam And Eve Disprove Evolution?

People sometimes think that if mankind really did evolve from a single-celled organism, that there would not be room for the God of the Bible. They suggest that the story of Adam and Eve would have been proven false, and in turn, the Bible would go with it. But of course, I am not one to say that natural science has the capacity to prove the Bible false. So I render the question as such: Do Adam and Eve disprove evolution? Since the Bible is the ultimate authority of the…

Where Does The Bible Say That The Earth Is 6000 Years Old?

In a stroke of irony, Christians deny the very evidence that we spent centuries arguing for. We proclaimed over and against the atheists and the Greek philosophers that the universe was not eternal in the past. There was an absolute beginning, God being the transcendent cause. Thus the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). The Christian position was vindicated throughout the 20th century as the Big Bang was proposed and gained credibility, and finally was established as good science. The Big Bang, as…

5 Reasons The Days In Genesis 1 Are Not 24 Hours

The church as split over the issue over whether the days in Genesis 1 are 24 hour periods or long but finite periods of time, or even complete metaphors. Of course, this split is unjustified, because this is wholly a secondary doctrinal issue. One can take any of these stances and be a true Christian. People do not need to have absolutely perfect theology before they can be qualified to be a true Christian. People are often emotionally committed to the view that the days are 24 hours, and as…