Theistic Evolution
Is ‘Theistic Evolution’ consistent with scripture? Theistic evolution is the philosophy that God used evolution to create the world. Those who teach this claim that God started creation and then allowed natural processes to evolve us into what we are today. One thing that amazes me is how people will see hidden doctrine between the verses of scripture but can’t see or even deny the plain truth presented in scripture. By the end of this study, I think you will see clearly that evolution is completely incompatible with scripture. My goal is not to force anyone to believe what they don’t want to believe. My hope is that you will see and choose truth, but my goal is to force a decision. I want this to be a fork in the road. The Bible commands that we compare teaching to the revealed word of God. We are commanded to test all things in light of scripture and then choose what is good, and abstain from all that is evil – or contrary to God’s word. I want to begin by summarizing the ‘Gap Theory’ or ‘Theistic Evolution’.
The Gap Theory
This is based on the assumption that there is a pause between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Verse two says, the earth was without form and void. The Gap Theory claims that there is a break between these two passages that we can’t see. God created a world that was later destroyed in judgment. Genesis 1:2 picks up after the judgment has occurred.
There are a few ‘proofs’ that Theistic Evolutionists use as evidence. It is presented that God created the heavens (plural), which would imply that this is at least the second time heaven was created. It is then argued that Genesis 1:28 in the KJV says that God commanded man to replenish the earth, possibly implying that man was destroyed. The same word is used in Genesis 9:1 when Noah was commanded to replenish the earth after the flood. In Genesis 1:2, we are told that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Since water was used as judgment in Genesis 8-9, it is assumed that the waters in Genesis 1 are a previous judgment.
Another proof text is 2 Peter 3
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
This is interpreted to mean that a day in the Genesis account is not a 24 hour day, but could mean a thousand years or longer. Some theorize that each day represents a time period that could have even been millions of years.
Another piece of evidence provided is satan’s presence in the garden as a fallen creature. Since he was already a fallen creature, he must have been condemned before creation. In the Garden of Eden, he was already an enemy of God. When did He fall? Theistic Evolution teaches that satan’s fall is the cause of the judgment that brought the world to its flooded state in Genesis 1:2. Perhaps he led the old world into sin and God judged it.
Though this overview is not in great detail, I believe this accurately summarizes the Gap Theory / Theistic Evolution position. This view of scripture means that Christians can accept evolution without denying their faith. Instead of choosing evolution or God, they marry the two into a theistic evolution doctrine. This allows Theistic Evolutionists to agree with Darwinism on the age of the earth and fossils. The geological layers are not as the result of a flood, but millions of years worth of accumulation from fossils and catastrophic events. Man can then evolve because God has set the process in motion. He created evolution and laws that govern evolution such as mutations, natural selection and other evolutionary theories.
Adding to the Word
It is a serious offense to dilute or pollute the word of God. Diluting the word of God is to water it down and remove plainly stated truth. For example, many modern churches eliminate the nature of God when it conflicts with their feel-good message. The Bible tells us that God is merciful and He is just. Mercy forgives, but justice demands retribution for violations against the law of God. The Bible says that Jesus is love and compassion, but He also is the judge who will use a rod of iron to shatter the rebellious like a potter’s vessel. God’s mercy does not nullify God’s justice. His compassion does not end judgment. It was because of God’s mercy that He paid the penalty demanded by His justice. Contrary to the opinion of some, God will never violate His own character. The law is based on God’s own character. God does not change. Yet, we somehow think that God should change to fit our idea of what fairness should be. Jesus did not change God’s character, nor did the cross change the way God looks at sin. Romans 3 tells us that God was just and the justifier of the one who puts their trust in Jesus. The penalty for justice was paid through the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, God was just – the penalty for sin was paid, and God justified us by our faith in His provision for our sin.
When someone eliminates God’s justice and declares Him merciful only, then it becomes impossible for us to understand what mercy is. Without judgment, what is mercy? Mercy from what? It is impossible to understand the gospel message without understanding sin. Until I see that I am hopelessly lost because of my sin, I can’t grasp my need of salvation. When I see that I am a sinner, then I see clearly the value of God’s mercy. I then can truly understand how much God loves me as an individual.
Polluting God’s word is the opposite, but just as harmful. Polluting the word is adding to it. When I have a belief that I value over God and His word, I will insert into scripture what is not there. The Gap Theory does just that. Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 there is nothing. The Gap Theorist adds volumes of books into it and can create any doctrine they wish. The Bible warns sternly against both of these methods of error. Look at Revelation 22
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Some will argue that this only applies to the book of Revelation. However, this warning is strongly given in Proverbs 30:
5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
As we continue on, we will clearly see that the Bible rebukes every theistic evolution and the gap theory argument as well.
Biblical Truth
In the next few sections, I will explore clear biblical truths that make it impossible to marry Theistic Evolution with scripture. As we examine scripture, it is important for us to examine our own beliefs in light of scripture. My goal is for each person reading this to decide whether they believe God’s word or not. My aim is to ‘uncloud’ the waters so that each of us can see where we stand in relation to the Bible. Truth becomes clouded when it is mixed with world philosophy. When it is mixed, it is easy to stand on error without realizing it. When the truth of God’s word is made clear, then we can clearly choose whether to stand on it, or in the world’s beliefs.
Word Usage
Theistic Evolutionists confuse the interpretation of words and apply interpretation rules inconsistently. Rules applied to Genesis 1 and 2 are not applied anywhere else in scripture. Two examples of this are the words ‘heavens’ and ‘replenish’ used in Genesis.
First look at the word ‘heavens’.
Theistic Evolutionists argue that the plural word for heavens proves that more than one heaven was created. However, the first rule of biblical interpretation is to compare scripture with scripture. If someone zeros in on a selected phrase and discounts the rest of the Bible, they will fall into error. Therefore, let’s look at the rest of scripture and see if more light is shed on the usage of the word ‘heavens’. In Genesis 1 and 2, the Bible references the heavens. Genesis 2:1 says, ‘thus the heavens and the earth were finished’. Gap theorists point to this as proof that more than one heaven was created. However, we see this term outside of Genesis. 2 Peter 3:7 says:
But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Notice that ‘heavens’ is not past tense, but present tense. The heavens are now preserved by the same word. Hebrews 8:1 shows another present tense usage:
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
God’s throne is now in the heavens. Someone might argue that this is Greek and the words are different because Genesis is written in Hebrew. Let’s look at the Old Testament passages that also use the same Hebrew word found in the creation account in Genesis. A quick look up of the word yields many, many references. Psalms gives glory to God and uses the heavens as God’s throne. Look at these two passages:
Psalm 2
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision.
Psalm 8:1
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
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3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
Notice what the Bible says here. God sits in the ‘heavens’ – same Hebrew word used in Genesis. When I consider Your heavens – the Psalmist is marveling at the creation work that he sees. ‘Heavens’ is also the same Hebrew word. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the word ‘heavens’ is referenced as existing now. It is NEVER referenced as something that has passed away. Why doesn’t the rule for interpretation of Genesis 1-2 apply to the rest of scripture?
Some people argue as though the King James Version is the original scripture. The Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. To dig in to find word usages, we must go to the source, not the KJV.
Replenish the earth.
The argument of many Theistic Evolutionists is that the word ‘replenish’ is used in both Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 9:1. In Genesis 1:28, when man was created, he was told to ‘replenish’ the earth. In Genesis 9, Noah is commanded to replenish the earth because man has been destroyed off the earth. Gap believers say that this proves that the earth was destroyed prior to Adam. However, once again we must compare scripture to scripture and look at the original word usage.
Genesis 1:28 uses the word ‘male’’ (pronounced maw-lay). The KJV translates this into the word ‘replenish’ while most other translations use the word ‘fill’ in this passage. This Hebrew word can accurately be translated into ‘fill, full, fulfill, consecrate, accomplish, replenish, overflow, and satisfy’. In fact, the KJV translates the word ‘male’ into the word ‘fill’ in Genesis 1:22, ‘multiply and fill [male’] the waters’. The KJV uses this same word as fill throughout the Old Testament. Exodus 10:6, the locust ‘shall fill [male’] your houses’. Psalm 17:14, ‘whose belly thou fillest [male’] with hidden treasures’. There are dozens of other passages using this word where it is not translated as ‘replenish’.
The important point is that we should look at scripture in light of scripture and when there is doubt, go to the Greek or Hebrew text. To believe that God has hidden messages in the Bible that contradicts what He plainly states in the Bible is false. We are commanded to study so that we can accurately divide the word of truth. As we will see in the rest of this study, evolution is in direct, unmistakable violation against the plainly stated truth of God’s word.
Creation is Very Good
In creation, the Bible tells us that God called each step of His creation ‘good’. When He created light, it was good. When God separated the land from the waters, God saw that it was good. God created the trees and plants and designed them to yield after their own kind and it was good. The birds and animals were created and were designed to reproduce after their own kind, and God saw that it was good. God saw each step of creation as good. Yet when God finished all of creation, God put a new stamp of approval on it. Look at Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Very good? How can God call creation very good in verse 31 if sin and death entered between verses 1 and 2? Can creation be “very good” if it has sin, death and disease? In the fossil records themselves, we see dinosaur skeletons and other animals with evidence of disease. How can a diseased world be very good? God doesn’t call death, disease and sin part of a very good creation. God calls sin, death and disease the curse that afflicts creation. In fact, the Bible tells us that all of creation groans for His return when the curse will be removed. God’s declaration of a very good creation should alone dispel any assumption that sin was already in the world.
Genesis 1:27 says, “God created man in His own image”. How does this fit into Theistic Evolution? At what point did man become a reflection of God? Are man’s so-called relatives also images of God? Are they also the crown of God’s creation? Are the animal rights people right then when they claim that there is no difference between the value of human life and animal life? If evolution is true, they have an argument. But the Bible tells us that only man was created in God’s own image.
Morning and evening
Using Peter’s words, “a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day” is not a valid argument. Why don’t Gap believers reverse the logic? Peter does. Why don’t they argue that a thousand years is only a day? This would be more fitting for the text. The Bible claims that God fit each portion of creation into one day. Perhaps God is able to do in a day, what we can’t imagine in a thousand years. Instead, people argue the opposite and try to stretch a day to fit evolution when they should be focusing in on the power of God to work the miracle of creation into 6 days. The context of Peter’s statement has nothing to do with creation at all. Peter is reminding those who are impatient because God isn’t acting quickly that God is not bound by time. God knows what we need, He remembers His promises, and His delay isn’t slackness but it is His patience. God could act now, but He is patient for our sakes. Those who trust Him will inherit His promises in God’s timing, not their own. God isn’t limited by time, but He acts according to His plan. Time is irrelevant. Because God is not bound by time, He is always on time.
The Bible affirms the six-day creation repeatedly. Look at Exodus 20
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11 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.
The six days of creation was not for God’s benefit, but for man’s. God could have created everything in an instant. However, God used a week to set the example for man. Six days we work and on the seventh, we rest. God worked to show us what is best for us. God rested to show us what is best for us. The Sabbath comes directly from God’s example. How do millions of years fit into this? Even the historic Jewish day was fashioned after God. To the Jew, the day began in the evening and ended in the evening. That is why the Jews wanted Jesus off the cross by six in the evening. That is when the Sabbath began. The Bible plainly states that the evening and the morning were the 1st – 7th days. Why would God define the day as evening and morning if it were symbolic of a time period other than a 24-hour day?
Satan’s fall
Gap theorists argue that satan had already fallen before creation because he was an enemy of God in the Garden of Eden. It is then argued that satan’s fall must have been the cause of God’s judgment against the old world. There are a few issues that don’t agree with this assumption. First look at Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.
Who are all the hosts of heaven? The Bible always identifies this as angels. According to Genesis 2:1, the hosts of heaven were a part of the creation process in Genesis 1. Satan was created during the six days of creation. His fall is not described in Genesis, but it is described in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Ezekiel 28 calls satan the king of Tyre and vividly describes his fall:
12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ’Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
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14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
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17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.
According to the book of Ezekiel, satan walked in the Garden of Eden before his fall. God laments his fall and remembers the glory days when he walked in the Garden of Eden, stood on the holy mountain of God and all the other glories he once had. Then he was cast down to the ground. The scriptures contradict the assumptions of the Gap Theory. Satan was created in Genesis 1 and fell somewhere between this creation and Genesis 3 where he tempted Eve.
Death Came By Sin
Perhaps the final nail in the coffin of Theistic evolution is scripture’s claim that death came by sin and sin by man. Romans 5 states:
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned –
One Gap Theorist argued that satan brought sin and death into the world. However, the Bible clearly states that death entered the world by man, not by satan. We do not inherit our sin nature from satan. His fall had nothing to do with man’s fall. Man’s fall was a direct result of disobedience to God. Satan may have tempted man, but sin did not enter the world until man chose to willingly side with satan and against God. Satan’s sin was pride and that is exactly what he tempted man with. “You will be like God knowing good and evil”, satan promised. It was an empty deception. Man did gain the knowledge of evil, but that did not make him like God. At least not in the way he expected. Pride was the reason for the fall. Man, like satan, wanted to be like God. It is crucial to understand that satan’s fall cursed himself and the angels following him, but it did not curse the world. It was by man’s sin that death entered the world. Look at 1 Corinthians 15:
21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
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47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
Verse 21 says ‘by man came death’. Verse 22 says, ‘in Adam all die’. Where does this leave Theistic evolution? It is in direct conflict with the Bible. In order for evolution to occur, death would have had to come before Adam and before the fall. Adam took sin from the tree and Jesus – the second Adam – paid the debt owed to sin and nailed sin back to the tree. The message of the gospel can’t be fully understood without a literal Adam, a literal fall, and a literal cross.
Are we to believe that the Gap theorists are right and that hidden in the Bible is evolution, but the plainly stated truth is inaccurate? Both can’t be true. Either death came by Adam’s sin or the Bible is wrong.
Jesus’ Warning
Consider what Jesus said in John 5:
46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
47 "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
What did Moses write about Jesus? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth by His word. In Genesis we are told that in six days He created all things. In Exodus, Moses again wrote, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them”. How does this mean that Moses writings were about Jesus? Jesus is the word of God. John 1 tells us that in the beginning was the word, Jesus was that word and that word was God. Hebrews 1 tells us that God created the worlds through Jesus Christ. John 1:10 says that Jesus created the world and the world did not know Him. Colossians 1 tells us that by Him, all things were created and all things are held together by His power.
The first 5 books of the Old Testament are the writings of Moses. Jesus said, that if you believe Moses, you would believe Him. But if you don’t believe Moses’ writings, how can you believe Jesus’ words? To declare creation according to the Bible to be false is to declare the word of God false. 1 John 5 tells us:
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
Jesus made it clear, if you don’t believe Genesis, you don’t believe the witness of Jesus and you are making Him to be a liar. Colossians 2 gives us another warning:
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
Theistic Evolutionists are allowing world philosophy to cheat them from God’s grace and a faithful inheritance. The Bible says that to have friendship with the world is to be an enemy of God. This is even truer with evolution. People want to be accepted. People want to be affirmed. No one likes to be called un-intellectual or ignorant. But it is ok to be rejected by the world and called names if you are standing on truth. The world chooses evolution, not because of evidence (evolution suppresses rival evidence). The world chooses evolution because it replaces God and undermines morality. If God did not create us, who is to say what is right and wrong? Then the world can also ask, who has the right to define marriage? Who has the right to define when life begins? Who is to say that all human life has value? All of morality finds its roots in Genesis. All of Christianity finds its roots in Genesis. If the first Adam is a fraud, the second Adam (Jesus) is also a fraud. There is no need for redemption through Christ if sin did not come through Adam.
It is a problem when those claiming to be Christians fear the world more than God. When Christians are ashamed of the Bible because the world ridicules, they can’t stand on its truth. It is a problem when those calling themselves Christians value the praises of the world more than the approval of God. This is the basis of Theistic Evolution. People are seeking to conform to the world’s beliefs. People feel more important when they can side with an evolutionist. This is because they seek self-worth in the world and draw their value from the accolades of others. Those who are faithful find their value in Christ and their accolades will be heard on the last day when Jesus says, “Good and faithful servant”. What reward is there for siding with the world? James 4 says,
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
You Will Know by the Fruit
God declared that He will not give His glory to another. How then can we give His glory to evolution? Jesus and the apostles gave us a clear measurement for doctrine. Is Theistic Evolution of God? The Bible says that we will know by the fruit and how it aligns with the revealed word of God. What fruit does theistic evolution produce? As faith in evolution increases, society becomes more alienated from God. Atheism abounds. Carl Sagan once said that the natural conclusion of evolution is atheism. Churches and Christians that believe in evolution are not turning the world upside down for Christ. The opposite is true. Romans 1 concludes our study:
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Does evolution undermine morality as we seen in verse 24? Do men who believe in evolution worship what is created? Talk to any atheist and see if they don’t worship themselves. Sagan referred to ‘Cosmos’ as his god and even said in His book ‘Cosmos’ that it is more accurate to worship the sun than God. Just a little research and you will see that many leading evolutionists worship creation even though they may not call it worship.
Evolution is supported by propaganda alone. It does not have the facts. It produces alienation with God. It produces ineffective churches. It pits Christians against the Bible. And Jesus said that if you don’t believe the scriptures, you don’t believe Him. Where do you stand? On scripture or in the world?
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