Unlocking Spiritual Wisdom: The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Soft-Gap-Sophistry
Published: 13 June 2024
Soft Gap Sophistry: Fitting Billions of Years into the Bible
People have long sought to reconcile the idea of billions of years with the biblical account of creation. This originated in the early 1800s when a shift towards an antibiblical mindset began in universities. Before this time, the prevailing belief was that the Earth was only about 6,000 years old. It is important to note that the concept of "young-earth creationism" did not emerge in 20th century America as some modern authors suggest; rather, it was the dominant view until the 1800s.
In recent years, some proponents, such as Gorman Gray, have proposed a "soft" gap theory as an attempt to reconcile the long ages with the Bible. According to this theory, Genesis 1:1-2 refers to the creation of stars, galaxies, and matter, while verses 3-31 describe a forming and filling of the Earth billions of years later. Gray suggests that there was an undefined period of darkness before the first day of creation, during which God began to clear away the darkness. This first day marked the beginning of the Creation Week.
In contrast to this "soft" gap theory, proponents of the classical gap theory place a gap between verses one and two of Genesis 1. They propose a fictional event called "Lucifer's flood" within this gap, which they believe formed the fossil record millions of years before the Creation Week. According to this theory, God reconstructed the Earth during the Creation Week after it had been ruined by Lucifer's flood.
The classical gap theory faces several challenges. First, it contradicts God's declaration that His finished creation was "very good" (Genesis 1:31), as the fossil record speaks of death and suffering. This undermines the Gospel message, which relies on bodily death and corruption entering Paradise after Adam's sin, not before.
The soft gap theory, on the other hand, acknowledges that the six "days" in the Creation Week are ordinary days and that the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 do not allow for "deep time" to be inserted after the Creation Week. Additionally, most proponents of the soft gap theory recognize that Noah's Flood was global and created the fossil record after Adam's sin. Therefore, they do not have fossils existing when God declared His creation "very good" or death occurring before the Fall.
But why would anyone want to insert billions of years into the Bible? Some proponents claim that distant starlight and isotope dating prove billions of years of deep time. However, it is important to note that these ideas come from secular historical science, not from the Bible itself. The Bible does not provide any hints or indications of millions or billions of years; these ideas are purely based on secular science, which relies on speculation rather than experimental evidence.
Hebrew scholars, both conservative and otherwise, agree that Genesis 1:1 ("In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth") refers to God creating everything. Hebrew does not have a specific word for "universe," so it uses the extremes of "the heavens" and "the earth" to represent the entirety of creation. This figure of speech is called a merism. Just as in English we might say "she searched high and low" meaning she searched everywhere, Hebrew uses a merism to convey the whole creation process.
Genesis 1:1 summarizes the entire creation process, with the rest of the chapter providing details on how God prepared the Earth and filled it with various elements over six days. This means that Genesis 1:1 does not describe a separate creation event in the distant past; rather, it encompasses the entire creation in six days.
It is crucial to remember that the Bible itself should be used to interpret the Bible, not secular science or church authority. There are several biblical facts that reinforce the idea that there is no gap within Genesis 1:
- Genesis 2:1 states that "the heavens and the earth were completed" after the six days of creation. This echoes Genesis 1:1 and makes it clear that the six days of creation describe the work of creating the heavens and the earth. Therefore, everything (the universe) was created in six days, leaving no room for a gap with billions of years.
- Genesis 2:4 states that it is an account of "the heavens and the earth when they were created." This further reinforces that the six-day creation process is responsible for creating "the heavens and the earth."
- Exodus 31:17 declares that "in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth." Advocates of a soft gap theory may argue that God created the heavens and the earth long before the six days of creation, but the Bible clearly states that God created them in six days.
- Genesis 1 explicitly states that God made the sun, moon, and stars on Day 4 of the Creation Week. Soft gap theorists may suggest that these celestial bodies merely appeared on Day 4, but this interpretation is inconsistent with the text. Moreover, Hebrew has a specific word for "appear," which is not used in this context.
- Genesis 1:26-27 interchangeably uses the terms "make" and "create" in reference to God making man in His own image. This demonstrates that these terms are used synonymously in Genesis 1. Furthermore, Hebrew does not use the term "make" to mean revealing something hidden; it is simply used to denote creation or making something.
- In Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6, Jesus refers to the creation of mankind as happening "at the beginning." If billions of years had elapsed before the six days of creation, this would place Adam and Eve's creation at the end of time rather than the beginning.
The soft gap theory fails to stand up to scriptural validity. It is worth noting that proponents of the gap theory often claim that it is obvious in Genesis 1. However, there is no mention of any gap between verses, and various proponents propose different locations for this supposed gap. This confusion suggests that the idea of a gap only exists in the minds of those who advocate for it, not in the text of Genesis itself.
Furthermore, Mr. Gray's claims contradict the principle of the perspicuity of Scripture, which asserts that ordinary Christians can understand the Bible. Claiming that his interpretation is unique and has enlightened readers about the true meaning of Genesis goes against this principle and is presumptuous.
In addition to the theological issues with inserting a gap into Genesis 1, the soft gap theory does not solve practical problems either. The dating techniques used by geologists to determine the age of rocks, which contain fossils, are the same ones that a gap supposedly accommodates. Therefore, accepting the dating for the age of rocks logically leads to accepting the age of fossils found in those rocks, making them millions of years older than Adam and Eve. Consequently, death and corruption would exist before the Fall.
Moreover, if one accepts these dating methods, then sedimentary rocks formed over hundreds of millions of years rather than during Noah's Flood. This undermines the evidence for a global flood and leads to inconsistencies or even denial of such an event. All compromises, including the soft gap theory, ultimately lead to confusion and disbelief.
It is crucial to maintain a faithful interpretation of God's Word and believe what He has plainly told us. The Bible provides us with a clear account of creation in six days without any indication of a gap or billions of years. By understanding and adhering to the biblical account, we can embrace the truth of God's creation and the message of the Gospel.
Why This Matters: The issue of reconciling long ages with the biblical account of creation has been a topic of debate for centuries. Understanding the weaknesses of theories like the soft gap theory is important for maintaining a faithful interpretation of Scripture. By recognizing the flaws in attempts to insert billions of years into the Bible, we can affirm our trust in God's Word and its relevance to our lives today.
Think About It: How does your understanding of the age of the Earth influence your interpretation of Genesis 1? What are some potential theological implications of accepting long ages or a gap theory? How can a faithful interpretation of Genesis impact your view of God's creation and the message of the Gospel?
