creation

[armstrong29]

Was the earth created in a literal 7 days?

[Mike Miller]

6 days, actually. God rested on the 7th.

[a]

So not thousands of years in between? I know it sounds like a dumb question.
Also...There are different religions, b/c preachers interpret scripture differently...right?

[Mike Miller]

Not a dumb question at all. After all, since the spread of Darwinism, we've been told we need to make the Bible fit with what atheists believe. Unfortunately, today many Christians have been taught that the days could be thousands or millions of years. Indeed, we sometimes speak of a "day" as an extended period of time. For example, I might tell my kids, "In my day, all we had to play with was dirt, and we liked it that way." Of course, I'm not talking about a 24-hour period, but a longer period of time--and era. Of the roughly 1900 times the Hebrew word for "day" is used in the Old Testament, around 65 of those occurrences either could or definitely do refer to longer than 24 hours.

However, the language of Genesis 1 leaves no room for that kind of interpretation. We are told that there was "morning and evening," something you don't have with an era. Each day of creation is numbered, and every time the word "day" appears in the Old Testament with a number it refers to an actual day. Also, the plain sense meaning is clear. Had you never heard of Darwin or the theory of evolution, you would never think that Genesis spoke of anything other than six 24-hour periods.

Also, theologically, "day" must mean a literal day. If fish, birds, and other animals were around for millions of years before man, and if there was no death, then you have animals living very long lives. Death didn't enter the world until the fall.

Further, if plants were around for millions of years before animals (according to the order of Genesis), then where did the plants get their carbon dioxide? Animals inhale oxygen and exhale CO₂. Plants intake CO₂ and release oxygen. To go with some kind of biblical evolution is scientifically problematic.

These are just some of the reasons I believe in a literal 6-day creation. I also believe the science backs it up. Check out the really good information at answersingenesis.org.

I'll respond to your second question in my next post.

[Mike Miller]

Now as to the different religions question. To begin with, I'd like to clarify what you mean by "different religions." If you mean different, like Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, etc., then no, interpretation of the Bible doesn't really have anything to do with that. If, however, you are referring to different denominations within the Christian religion, then that's a different matter.

To say that there are different denominations/churches because preachers interpret Scripture differently would be an oversimplification. As a rule, within the major denominations and most Christian churches, you will largely find agreement (at least officially, whether individuals within those churches agree) on the core doctrines of the faith, such as the identity, nature, and uniqueness of God (including the Trinity), the identity of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth, salvation by grace through faith, etc. However, some denominations and churches disagree on things like the mode of baptism (immersion or sprinkling), church government (bishops, elders, etc.), and forms of worship. We consider these things negotiable and debatable, but we typically still get along and are about the same overall mission. So, we agree on the main things, but the things in Scripture that are less clear, we disagree on, but we all mostly get along.

Of course, I'm speaking in general terms--painting with a very broad brush--because the question is a general one. I can always address specific differences if you have any in mind. Feel free to follow up with another question.

[a]

I asked a girlfriend why she would believe half truths from a "preacher" and her reply was that she swallowed the meat and spit out the bones. Whatever didn't sit right with her spirit she wouldn't accept. That was why we have different religions (of faith) b/c preachers interpret the scriptures differently. That doesn't sit right with my spirit and so I have concerns about "men of faith" preaching the word of God. If so many false religions such as Jehovah's Witness and Mormons teach so closely to what Christians believe how can we trust what so called true believers of the faith teach?

[Mike Miller]

Hmmmm . . . again, not really sure what you are getting at (I know, I can be dense sometimes). For one thing, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are way, way off and not even close to what Christians believe. They use a bit of the same terminology, but they are radically different.

As for what might or might now sit well in someone's spirit, all I can say is that all teaching/preaching needs to be evaluated according to the Bible. No one is perfect--no preacher or anyone else. However, we preachers need to be held accountable. However, I don't want to be evaluated according to what feels right, but to what is right. The only way to determine that is by reading God's Word.

I would never sit under a false teacher--someone who denied the core doctrines of the faith. Nor would I sit under someone who is not a good student of the Word. But I also will not leave my criticism to mere feelings. I will search Scripture to determine the accuracy of what I'm being taught.

[a]

Yes I do know that those religions are way off, I guess what I meant by that was when they come knocking on my door they present it in a way that sounds biblical.
I'm sorry if I'm confusing you. Maybe I will just call you about this particular question. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

[Mike Miller]

Feel free to give me a call.

And yes, the cults do try to sound Christian. I even had a couple of Mormon missionaries tell me, "We basically believe the same thing with only a couple of differences on minor issues." Poor guys didn't know they were talking to someone who knew what they believe--and what sound Christian doctrine is. They actually brought up the Trinity and the means of salvation as minor issues.

The real problem today is that most professing Christians don't have a clue what the Bible actually teaches. So when a Mormon or JW shows up saying they believe the Bible, many just swallow it uncritically and get led astray. It's sad, really, that most Christians (yes, "most," according to all available research) spend little or no time reading God's Word. So many tell me that they just don't have time. But they have plenty of time to watch tv or hang out on Facebook. A real tragedy.