Fewer and fewer Christians believe that God created the world and the universe in six days. They do believe, however, that God started the creation of the universe, but that everything has since come about through evolution (theistic evolution).

Those who claim this, believe that Genesis 1–3 is based on a myth and cannot be regarded as having historical value. This is preached at all theological colleges in Norway today.

Undermines Biblical fidelity

What is serious about this view is that it undermines the gospel and makes many of the Bible's authors liars. It weakens the view of the Bible's infallibility and divine inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19–21). The name Adam is mentioned many times in Scripture. We can read about his life with Eve, their fall, and what they did in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:25; 3:1–24). In the Bible, we can read about his genealogy (1 Chronicles 1:1).

Paul builds a large part of his theology on the basis of the first three chapters of Genesis (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 5:14; 15:22). He says: “The first man Adam...” (1 Corinthians 15:45. See Genesis 2:7). Paul built his entire theology on the premise that Adam and Eve were historical persons, the very first humans created:

“For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
1 Timothy 2:13

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:3

“For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.”
1 Corinthians 11:8–9

Jude reckoned his time from Adam: “... Enoch, the seventh from Adam...” (Jude 1:14). The Bible tells us how old he was when he begot Seth and that he died at the age of 930 (Genesis 5:3.5).

Biblical forgery

To view such biblical facts as legends or unreliable sources is biblical forgery. It is against Jesus' view of Moses not to believe his writings: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” (John 5:46) The first three chapters of Genesis are also part of Moses' writings that Jesus wants us to believe in.

Were the authors of the Bible children of their time? God Himself regarded creation as “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The creation and the fall in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve led to Jesus' death and resurrection for our sins. Paul says: “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 16:21–22) He calls Jesus “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). If the first Adam was not a historical person and the fall not a historical reality, then Jesus' death was not a necessary act, for then everything is built on a historical falsehood, on myths without value.

This doctrine also undermines the end-time doctrine of the restoration of all things. If there was no historical fall where God pronounced the curse over creation, why is there a need for all things to be renewed, where God removes pain and death (Revelation 21:4; 22:2)? The same applies to the doctrine of a future restoration (Romans 8:21; Acts 3:21).

The Bible is built on this fact

The whole Bible shows that it regards Genesis 1–3 as historical realities. Jesus' genealogy traces back to Adam (Luke 3:23–38). So where do the myths begin and end? Why is Abraham regarded as a historical person, but when you go back a certain time before Abraham, you end up with only myths and legends? Following Darwin almost all the way back leads to a theological falsehood, built on human philosophy without biblical historical support.

God Himself says that everything was created in six days: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:11)

God created different things on different days. It speaks of “day” and “night”, “evening” and “morning”. So not long epochs of many thousands of years, but days. Therefore, people were to rest on the Sabbath day, meaning a day of 24 hours. Not an epoch of thousands of years!

Jesus believed in creation

Most importantly, Jesus Himself acknowledged Adam and Eve as historical persons. He argues with marriage, that this was based on the first creation. Jesus says: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4–5) This quotation and theological conclusion regarding the truth about marriage is based on Genesis 2:24. Thus, Jesus approves the historical realities from Genesis 1–3. The validity of marriage is not built on air but on historical realities! (See Paul’s theological argumentation based on Genesis 1–3: 1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31).

All the Church Fathers believed in the historical truths from the first three chapters of the Bible. But – why is it so important to believe in the historical account of creation in Genesis? Because a weakened faithfulness to the Bible in this area will mean a weakened theological view on other areas of the Bible. It's like building your house on a wall with many cracks.

We should not recommend our children to attend theological colleges that do not proclaim faithfulness to Genesis 1–3. A bucket with many holes does not hold water.

Svein-Magne