Prof Zebulon No E18

A) Creation (Scientific & Biblical Creationism)

When we read the Bible as Christians, we understand it to be the infallible and inerrant Word of God. When we discuss issues such as Creationism with non-believers, we are faced with the fact that not all people believe the Bible. So what are we to do? Let us look at the difference between Biblical Creationism and Scientific Creationism.

BIBLICAL CREATIONISM

This is pretty straightforward; the Creation account in Genesis is self-explanatory. There are differences of opinion but we can still talk about how the Lord planned His creation in detail, assuming the audience is composed of believers. In Genesis 1, there is a day-by-day explanation of Creation and we see the progression to the final masterpiece of God's work: man and woman. In Genesis 2 there seems to be a repetition of the Creation account, but this time the order is not chronological but more on a priority basis where the Lord begins with the creation of man.

SCIENTIFIC CREATIONISM

When we talk about Creation with non-believers, our strategy has to be different; don't forget, they do not accept the Bible as we do. So you ask, is it possible to speak to non- believers about Creation and not mention the Bible, not even once? The answer is yes, definitely yes. We use non-Biblical facts such as : a young earth (not more than 12, 000 years old); the world's population; a shrinking sun; DNA in all living things; age dating methods; the strata in mountains (Grand Canyon/ Mt St Helen's); the fossil record; and many, many, more. However, discussions with non-believers about these scientific subjects require some knowledge and one can acquire this knowledge by reading good books on the subject or going to the following web site and downloading the information : The Institute for Creation Research at www.icr.org.

We must not be afraid to confront people with this information. By doing this, we level out the playing field because we talk their own language and, Lord willing, we will be able to present the Creator and His wonderful plan of salvation for all mankind.

D) The Bible (Its inspiration and inerrancy)

The Bible is probably the most controversial book in the whole world. Many have lost their lives because of it; many have been persecuted because of it and many have even tried to destroy it. I wouldn't be surprised that right at this moment in time someone somewhere is trying to prove the Bible wrong or to discredit it. But as the Lord Himself said in Matthew 5:18 - "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

It was God Himself who inspired the many writers and who preserved His Word all through the centuries. The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:20, 21 - "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Some have said that the Bible contains errors of dates and events and that the reigns of certain kings are inaccurate. Every supposed error has been proven wrong; the Bible contains no errors whatsoever. Once

there was a man who was given a challenge by an associate to try to prove that the Bible is wrong and has many errors. This man was rich and set out to the task and did so for ten long years. He went through archeological findings, read manuscripts, looked at ruins in the various cities of the Bible, questioned people about their cultural habits, etc, etc, etc. When he had finished his work, he came to the conclusion that not only is the Bible accurate to each and every detail but it also has the power to save someone from eternal damnation. This man accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and began wondering what he could do with all the documents and information he had accumulated over the years. The Lord put to his heart to write about all this and he went on to tell the story of Ben-Hur.