11/25/08: Romans 5-8
A claim made by "young-earth" creationists is that no death nor decay, of any kind, existed prior to Eve and Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6). They insist, therefore, that human disobedience and rebelliousness toward God ruined all of God's "perfect" Creation. Here is the "logic":
• The basic idea is that death for everything in Creation began with Eve and Adam's sin, prior to which nothing had died yet.
• To minimize the chances of death prior to the original sin of Eve and Adam, the "days" of creation must have been literal, 24-hour days, thus minimizing the chance of death of any type occurring prior to "day" six. (On the other hand, if the universe and earth happen to be billions of years old, and if the "days" of creation actually are lengthy eras of time, then that would seem to enhance the chances of something, somewhere dying prior to creation "day" six.)
• No death prior to creation "day" six would go hand-in-hand with the notion that the universe and earth, originally, were perfect. (I disagree with the basic premise that this Creation originally was "perfect"--see "very good" vs. "perfect" and an imperfect Creation.)
• Thus, Eve and Adam's original sin instantly changed God's perfect Creation into an imperfect one, in which death reigned for all living things.
There are biblical passages to which "young-earth" creationists point, in an attempt to "prove" that death entered all of Creation via the original sin of Eve and Adam. Three of these verses are Romans 5:12, Romans 8:22, and 1 Corinthians 15:21,22. Here is a discussion of the first one:
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned..." (Romans 5:12). This verse, though, speaks of Adam's original sin and how, through that sin, sin entered the world of mankind. As a result, all men have sinned.
Moreover, "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men" (Romans 5:18). Again, all men are condemned due to the trespass of Adam. Furthermore, all men are capable of being justified by the righteous act of one man--Jesus' death on the cross. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a), and because all men have sinned, then death is the penalty mankind must pay, due to sin. In no way does this imply that death came to the animal or plant kingdoms because of sin.
The wages of each person's sin is the death of that person. Animals and plants cannot sin; they are incapable of disobedience and rebellion against God, and God does not hold them personally responsible for their actions. Animals and plants lived and died on the earth to help prepare the earth for the onset of mankind (beginning with Adam and Eve) into the world, on the sixth "day" of creation.
Of all of God's creatures, Adam and Eve were the only ones who had the opportunity to escape death. They alone were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26a,27a) and were given the capacity to live forever, had they chosen not to sin.
Whether this present creation is young or old (I believe very old--see my commentary, The Creation), it has been subjected to frustration (by God Himself). Yet, one day it will be liberated by the children of God, whose bodies will be redeemed and glorified (at the Rapture): "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:19-23). At that time, glorified believers will rule and reign with Christ over all of Creation.
• The basic idea is that death for everything in Creation began with Eve and Adam's sin, prior to which nothing had died yet.
• To minimize the chances of death prior to the original sin of Eve and Adam, the "days" of creation must have been literal, 24-hour days, thus minimizing the chance of death of any type occurring prior to "day" six. (On the other hand, if the universe and earth happen to be billions of years old, and if the "days" of creation actually are lengthy eras of time, then that would seem to enhance the chances of something, somewhere dying prior to creation "day" six.)
• No death prior to creation "day" six would go hand-in-hand with the notion that the universe and earth, originally, were perfect. (I disagree with the basic premise that this Creation originally was "perfect"--see "very good" vs. "perfect" and an imperfect Creation.)
• Thus, Eve and Adam's original sin instantly changed God's perfect Creation into an imperfect one, in which death reigned for all living things.
There are biblical passages to which "young-earth" creationists point, in an attempt to "prove" that death entered all of Creation via the original sin of Eve and Adam. Three of these verses are Romans 5:12, Romans 8:22, and 1 Corinthians 15:21,22. Here is a discussion of the first one:
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned..." (Romans 5:12). This verse, though, speaks of Adam's original sin and how, through that sin, sin entered the world of mankind. As a result, all men have sinned.
Moreover, "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men" (Romans 5:18). Again, all men are condemned due to the trespass of Adam. Furthermore, all men are capable of being justified by the righteous act of one man--Jesus' death on the cross. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a), and because all men have sinned, then death is the penalty mankind must pay, due to sin. In no way does this imply that death came to the animal or plant kingdoms because of sin.
The wages of each person's sin is the death of that person. Animals and plants cannot sin; they are incapable of disobedience and rebellion against God, and God does not hold them personally responsible for their actions. Animals and plants lived and died on the earth to help prepare the earth for the onset of mankind (beginning with Adam and Eve) into the world, on the sixth "day" of creation.
Of all of God's creatures, Adam and Eve were the only ones who had the opportunity to escape death. They alone were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26a,27a) and were given the capacity to live forever, had they chosen not to sin.
Whether this present creation is young or old (I believe very old--see my commentary, The Creation), it has been subjected to frustration (by God Himself). Yet, one day it will be liberated by the children of God, whose bodies will be redeemed and glorified (at the Rapture): "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:19-23). At that time, glorified believers will rule and reign with Christ over all of Creation.
