Hi RonJohn
Hope your week has started out with many blessings. In a post to me a while back you wrote...
The problem is that the Gap Theory, while compelling, has some serious issues,
I agree. But then again, seems like they all do. You later wrote...
I suspect that we'll get to know the details when we see God, but for now, we just have restrain our curiousity.
I would more comfortably say that one needs to recognize when they enter the realm of speculation to make sure they do not go beyond scripure, which in turn would curtail dogmatism that may not be warranted.
the verse in Peter that says sin came into the world by one man, well, that one man is Adam-not too much dispute about that
I totally agree. Sin entered the world by one man, Adam (Rom 5:12). Which, on a side note, is enteresting. Becuase we know that Eve sinned first and Adam was not deceived (1Tim 2:14). So now we must consider that two individuals, Satan and Eve, possibly sinned before Adam. Yet Adam was the one attributed in scripture as being the one that brought sin into the world. Explanations have been attempted on both these fronts. But the point is, it is complex and incomplete, we may not know the answer completly until we meet our Father in heaven.
Also, if Satan had rebelled prior to Gen. !:!, then it would make no sense for God to say that the creation was "very good."
I agree. A smaller hurdle, I think. But I agree.
In regard to the topic of Satan's fall being much later in the account of the Bible (I know you didn't address this). It would appear to me that this view also has many problems.
In 1 John 3:8, it says,
"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning." The part I want to explore is that the devil
"sinned from the beginning". The first point, if the devil sinned from the beginning then he was fallen
before the coming of Jesus. One might consider what this "beginning" means. That is, is it from Satan's beginning or mankind's beginning or some other beginning. I would fall on the side of man's beginning. Which would place Satan in the garden with Adam and Eve (Rev 12:9). Either already fallen or the tempting was his fall point.
This "from the beginning" is also supported in John 8:44,
"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning...". Clearly the author is asserting, in these two verses, that Satan was fallen early in the mankind story, i.e. from the beginning. And what does it mean he was a murderer? Who is he accused of murdering, from the beginning?
Further, in Revelation 12:9, Satan is referred to as the
"serpent of old". Which at first blush appears to be referring to Satan as that
"serpent" known and written about in "old" times. These old times, when written, was before Jesus. When in old times was there a serpent written about? Possibly Genesis chapter 3.
We can go further and explore this
"of your father the devil" statement found in both these verses (1John 3:8, John 8:44). In 1John 3:10-12, it establishes a dichotomy of two types of
"children". There are the
"children of God" (1John 3:10 a) and the "children of the devil" (1John 3:10 b). Then it goes on to give an example for each of these spiritually familial groups. First, it gives an example for the familial children of the devil group,
"Cain" (1John 3:12) Then it gives an example for the familial children of God group,
"his brother" (Abel). All this is referring to Genesis chapter 4. It would seem apparent that the devil was already the
"god of this world" (2Cor 4:4, Eph 2:2, John 12:31, John 16:11) all the way back to Genesis chapter 4. And possibly took on this title as soon as Adam sinned (Gen 3:6). For he was not the god of the world that was "very good" (Gen 1:31). That world, that was very good, was God's creation and given to Adam to have dominion over (Gen 1:28). It was Adam's.
May peace be yours, through Christ, all the days of your life.