What do you think of the Gap Theory?

[juvenissun]

I have no trouble agreeing with the notion that God created all the planets at the same time, but considering from what matter we do see God creating things from, He appears to use stuff that was already there, not that He couldn't just speak things into existance, that is just how amazing God is, but we see from biblical record God used the earth dust to create Adam and Adams rib to create Eve

all I'm saying is there is a strong possibility that a timeless God used recycled material from who knows where, and seeing how carbon dating is all over the map on earth it stands to reason that there is a much stronger case that the matter from what the earth was created from, was not brand new material

The Genesis 2 clearly says that animals and human are made of "clays". It has both significant theological and scientific meaning.

What does God use to create other things as they are described in Gen 1 is not as significant in theology, but could be significant in science. There is nothing wrong to speculate the scientific meaning of God's creation, as long as it does not interfere with the theology.

 

[Calminian]

the bible is our historical record, It is not a record of what or from where God Got the earth, no doubt God created the heavens and the earth! but there is no record that God created them from new or old material.

For the record God appears to be a recycler, ....

Do you have any biblical evidence for this? When I read genesis it says God created the heavens and the earth, and then proceeds to explain how God shaped them. But the creation of the matter is right there in Gen. 1:1-2—the waters. The text is about as explicit as can be.

But there's an even bigger exegetical problem. Genesis describes the creation of the expansion of space in verse 6. So even if you do find a way to create a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 2, you don't have the expanse created until verse 6, and you don't have that space populated until day 4.

This is why the gap theory, and all other long age theories can't be reconciled with Genesis. I'm very open minded, but I need to start with the text, and the theories can't go outside of it.

 

[miamited]

I agree with cal. Even if we allow for gaps in the space between each evening and morning what we have is that the earth hobbled around in a vast empty black void of limitless space for a gazillion years. Then we have another gazillion years that some sort of an expanse surrounded the singular planet earth in all of limitless space. Then we have the earth spinning around for another gazillion years, still all by itself in limitless space, while some sort of solid ground becomes and it is covered with vegetation.

Then we find that throughout the next gazillion years stars begin to populate the limitless space and the planet earth is no longer the only physical body in all of space. That leaves a couple of difficulties. First of which would be, how did all the vegetation survive without sunlight for a gazillion years. I don't have a problem with vegetation being able to survive overnight without the warmth of the sun, but a gazillion years?

I find it much more logical and workable that the time frame of the written word is more likely to apply. The very first thing that God did when He set out to create this realm in which flesh would live was to form a physical form which is called the earth and in the span of time that it took for that physical form to spin once upon its axis, God made the light and in the span of time of the next spin of the earth upon its axis God made the land appear and the vegetation upon the land. In the span of the next spin of the earth upon its axis God made all the stars and lights that would allow the vegetation to grow and produce, etc.

In 6 spins of the earth upon its axis, it was all done. Complete! Finished! Then God spends the next few thousand years working in and through mankind to get to chapter 21 of the Revelation. When we pass chapter 21 of the Revelation God will have finished the final work of perfecting all that sin destroyed in His creation.

So many think that when God finished His work of creating that He had achieved His final goal of His efforts. I don't. Many think that when His Son said, "It is finished!", that God had achieved the final goal of His efforts. I don't. I find that all of these are just sub-goals or points on a map. God will not have achieved the final goal of His efforts until that day when He stands and proclaims, "Now the dwelling of God is with men and He will be their God and they will be His people." Both the angelic realm will have been cleansed of all unrighteousness and the realm of flesh, and we will live eternally with the one who created us and loves us.

God bless.
In Christ, Ted