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The most fundamental message of this periodical and the Does God Exist? ministry is that science and faith in God and the Bible are symbiotic. That simply means that they are friends and not enemies. The dictionary defines “science” as “knowledge.” If there is knowledge and the Bible is God's inspired Word, there can be no conflict between them. There is no more explicit example of the compatibility of science and faith than Genesis 1. If there is a conflict between science and Genesis 1, we have misunderstood either the scientific evidence or what the Bible says.
In a discussion like this, we need to understand we are talking about what the Bible actually says, not someone's opinion of what it says. We are also talking about scientific evidence, not what philosophers or theologians might attribute to science. Here are some things we learn from Genesis 1 that are supported by factual scientific evidence:
1. THERE WAS A BEGINNING.
The Hebrew word reshith, translated as “beginning” in Genesis 1:1, means “first in time or place.” The message is that the cosmos is not eternal. Hebrews 11:3 tells us “… the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was NOT made out of what is visible” (emphasis mine). This verse also indicates that God is distinct from his creation. The pantheistic teaching of some religions that says that God exists only in the creation itself is not part of the biblical narrative. Time, space, and matter/energy are created entities that had a beginning. Quantum mechanics clarifies that time is a created thing and that space and matter/energy had a particular start.
2. THE CREATION WAS NOT MADE OF PRE-EXISTING MATERIAL.
The laws of physics, such as the second law of thermodynamics, clearly show that matter/energy is not eternal, so there could be no pre-existing material that produced the cosmos as we see it.
3. THE CREATION WAS GOOD.
In Genesis 1:21, 25, and 31, we read about God saying, “It is good.” From a biblical standpoint, we learn that the Earth and all that was created on the Earth were in balance. Verse 31 says, “It is VERY good.” The more scientists study the ecological structure of life on our planet, the more we learn that all of life is in balance, and whenever things are messed up in any environment, humans made the mess. In its original form, it was perfect — VERY good (emphasis added).
4. GOD IS DISTINCT FROM HIS CREATION.
The biblical concept of creation, as seen in Genesis 1, is that the Creator is distinct from the creation. The pantheistic beliefs of many religions state that god and the creation are all one body. That means rocks, soil, and water are all a part of “god” and thus should be worshipped. From a scientific standpoint, objects such as rocks, water, and air are all independent of any theological nature. Storms are not because a god became angry; volcanoes are not because a goddess jealously protects the rocks. The idolatry of ancient pagan cultures derived from the oneness they saw between gods and nature. This idolatry led to horrors like human sacrifices to placate the gods and goddesses.
5. THE CREATION INVOLVED THREE DISTINCT AGENTS.
From a scientific perspective, we know that creating time, space, and matter/energy involved multiple agents. String theory tells us that there are many dimensions to the creation process. Dark energy and quantum gravity make it clear that the creation is still being molded and shaped. Genesis 1:1 uses the plural Hebrew word elohim. Throughout the Bible, the term “godhead” refers to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 tell us that Christ was involved in the creation. The terms “Spirit” or “Holy Spirit” are always used with an action verb. In Genesis 1:2, we read that the Spirit of God was active over the waters, and scientific evidence shows that life began and was catalyzed in a marine environment. The action of Christ in the creation produced color and beauty, which we see throughout the Earth.
Professor Henry F. (Fritz) Schaefer, one of the most distinguished physical scientists in the world, made this observation about the creation: “When I make a new discovery or gain a new understanding of the creation, my response is always ‘so that is how God did it.’ ” Who has not marveled at the beauty under the ocean, in the Grand Canyon, or in a place like Yosemite?
Genesis 1 challenges us to look at the world around us. The more we scientifically understand the complexity of creation, the more we appreciate Romans 1:20, which tells us we can know there is a God through the things he has made. In Acts 17:15-28, Paul challenges the Greek intellectuals on the Areopagus. In his address to them, he describes the nature of God in a way that parallels Genesis 1. We find Genesis 1 laying the foundation for understanding the presence and purpose of humans in the creation. Because God created us in his image, we are uniquely able to understand the creation and serve God as we take care of it.
Reference: Schaefer, III, Henry F. Science and Christianity: Conflict or Coherence? Watkinsville, Georgia: The Apollos Trust, © 2003.
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Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.