Christian Apologetics| Lecture 9 : BC212-CA-20260910

Okay good morning to class everyone good morning so let's pray yes good morning let's pray and let's get started my apologies were starting late today okay let me only go ahead I will pray Father Lord we thank and press you for this day in your presence just ask O God for your blessing your guidance your protection your wisdom and unceasing upon our lives Lord we thank you for life strength and peace that you have poured into our lives and Lord as we take time in your world we pray Lord that you will clarify to us the doubts the questions that we may be carrying in our heart so God and help us Father to be equipped to be a blessing to many people we thank you Lord we thank you for who you are in our lives we worship you we honor you we surrender all things into your hands Father Lord we continue to pray for those who may be unveiled in our minds Lord we Pray for those who may be going through difficulties and challenges and we ask Lord that You will intervene in supernatural ways in their lives. Father we thank you once again in Jesus name we are sure. So in the last class I had mentioned today is questions right. So we'll look at some of the common questions that we all have concerning you knowing some things about the Bible. So we will discuss we will get into it. But I realized in the last class one portion was left out before we get in that would anyone like to summarize the points of the previous chapter: what are all the approaches that we have seen for a creation case for Christ, what are the approaches and the various disciplines that we considered, so someone can share that, so I will touch on the part that I missed out and then we will go to chapter five. Please feel free either on campus or online anyone can unmute and share or yes. Cosmological Constant But What Is That Broad Discipline? We look at certain disciplines right what are the disciplines yes very good so just tell me the list of those things or so can we say like astronomy physics then what else cosmology yes biological ination anything else astronomy or astronomy we covered just now just look please look at your notes and share with me please past consciousness as well yes or consciousness but what does that come under what discipline and stream of study could we consider ah that as a part of if I am not mistaken it is biochemistry first so biochemistry is a discipline in itself but if we say consciousness that would lean more on philosophy and may be even we can say like spirituality. So those are the you know those are the disciplines that it kind of connects to but yes consciousness is one of the points. So thank you Joshua for that, yes. So we have looked at all these disciplines. Now the part that we missed out is we said that from these disciplines we can understand that they are pointing to a creator. Now we will refrain from just saying intelligent creator. Some people use that word intelligent creator and ah intelligent being. Because when we say that we are not necessarily saying that it is God. But what are we saying? We are saying God is the Creator. The God of the Bible is the Creator. So all these streams provide evidence to the existence of the God of the Bible. So that's what we are saying. Now to add to these things we are also saying that this God is a very personal God to us. So He is not just a God who has created all things, created us and then abounded us, but He is a God who seeks relationship and that is the picture of the God of the Bible. So this is what we receive. So, these things are pointing us to a God who is all powerful but at the same time he is calling us for relationship. So this is our understanding. Right? We have certain references at the bottom of the lesson. You can always go back and take time and study these things. So now we come to chapter five and there are some questions which we are going to answer. We may not be able to complete everything. So we will touch upon it even in the coming session. So these questions are mostly pertaining to Genesis Chapter One and Genesis Chapter Two. I'm assuming that we already have Red Genesis One and Two. But if you want to take a glance you can quickly take a glance. Do you want to look through it? At least the themes on top like what is happening God created the heavens and the earth and there is a certain order in which he creates creation. So just have a glance. You don't have to read through the whole thing because we don't have time for that. Ok we are ready to give you a glance and you need some more time right. So Broadley What Do We See? Creation Creation of the Universe, Creation of the life here on Earth and also Creation of Man. Man and woman. So This Is What The Entire Like This The Two Chapters Cover For Us. So what are some common questions that people have? Let's begin with a few and then we may touch on more. So question one in our notes is scientifically the Earth and the universe are billions of years old how do we respond to that from a biblical perspective. So when people say that the things have taken a long time how can we as believers respond or speak a little louder use the mic please can we use the mic in the bible it says like the god created the earth in six days yes and seven day he took the rest ok correct but then how can we respond because they are saying it took millions of years the bible is saying it took only one week including the rest of god how can we answer because it's two completely different logic we can say that our god is super natural the major attributes of who he is and he is capable of doing anything so even what feels impossible to man he is wisdom and he is higher true so we have already spoken about the god that the bible introduces the one who is infinite in power infinite in time and infinite in wisdom so in the creative Acts of God only is able to compress all of these elements. Now the other way of looking at things is when we have creation such as man. So when one would look at Adam, he looks like I mentioned earlier, he may be a 30 year old, 40 year old. So when we look at Adam we feel like 40 years have gone by and here is Adam in front of us but how long did it take for God to create him not even a second but when you look at that creation it looks like he has been through 40 years of life to get to where he is similarly if we look at several other creations and it seems like they have been around for a long time. The Way God Has Created Them Compressing Time It Seems Like They Have Been Around But As For What The Bible Says It Didn't Take God Not Even I Don't Know Even Seconds May Be A Too Long He Just Quickly Formed Them Are You With Me Or So When We Look At That Creation It May Testify That It Took The Creation Has Passed Through Many Years But According To What The Bible Says That Has Not Happened But In The Creative Acts Of God He Is Able To Compress Time As Well Now We Could Look At Later On We Will Discuss There Is Something Known As Carbon Dating. So we find certain elements in the in the part of the creation like such as the bonus. So when you do that carbon dating also you can say this has been around for many years but God can create something that looks ancient yes and no those elements can very much be in that ah creature. So, these are all things to think about. I know , people may not ready accept it. But this is also logical. So, why can't God in His creative acts create a creation, because when you examine that creation, it seems like thousands of years have passed by. Because the elements and the products in that creation, see like that. It's it's very much possible. Ok? So anyway hold on to that thought. If you are fine with that we can go ahead and answer the next question. So the next question that people ask is where are there really six days for creation? And did God really rest on the seventh day? Because the Bible is contradicting the popular thought that it took billions and millions or whatever millions and billions of years for creation to get to the place of even seeing a human being right because even evolution takes place from a single simple cell to a more complex form of life such as human beings. So when we look at the account of Genesis one and two there you must have just seen when you read through it says and then there was morning then there was evening. So basically each day God is making something. Either the days are 24 hours and could it be that each day itself is billions of years who knows. So let's examine. Right? So there are three theories which people use and many of them you may call them even as Christians and believers. One is what we call the gap theory. Ok. So gap theory means between each one of the milestones of God's creation there is a gap. So God created God said let there be light. Then billions of years went by and then he created the next set of creation. So that's called as a gap theory. Right? Now the gap theory is not widely accepted because it is a little bit bizarre. If we were to go with the gap theory Genesis chapter one verse one and Genesis chapter one verse two for the creation of the universe according to what science says as the timeline 14 billion years old right is the time when the universe was created and then you look at the Earth the Earth started taking shape like 4 billion years that is the scientific age of the Earth now are you telling me that in the beginning you know God said let there be light. So the creation of the universe 14 billion years ago and then you see God starting to work on the Earth. So 10 billion years in between a few scriptures. But it's very bizarre to think that God waited for so long in terms of time to start the next creation. But if we were to use the gap theory we could account for all the billions of years. But it doesn't make sense. Are you with me? So it's just an assumption where we say between every stage of creation God is taking billions of years. But the Bible is not mentioning it. It's for us. So that is the gap theory but people find it hard to accept. And we don't have any scriptural evidence to state that there is a gap between them. Because the Bible is talking about everything continuously. Is it clear cap theory yes and no confused okay right connecting to gap theory righty no so what we are saying is we are trying to accommodate what exists the common and the popular thought that the universe is taken millions of years for creation. We are trying to fit it into the Bible. Are you understanding? So people have all these options, maybe after God created the universe he gave time for billions of years. And then he created the earth. It's just a may be. So since you are saying it's a little bit confusing let me go ahead. C Genesis Chapter One Verse One In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. Then It Talks About the Earth. The Earth Was Without Form and Void and Darkness Was on the Face of the Deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of others. So we can see the heavens are created but in one breath the Bible says heavens and earth then it goes to verse to verse it talks only about the earth now but if we apply the gap theory the assumption and what we are saying may be the Bible is not telling us but God created the heavens and allowed 10 billion years time is going by after 10 billion years he is creating the earth there is a gap you see but what is the problem with the gap theory see a theory can be correct and it can be incorrect so what is the problem with the gap theory there is no evidence now tell me where in the Bible can you find another scripture that says or God gave gap and time between the creation of the universe and the earth is there any other scripture exactly there is no scripture it is just one of the Explanations that people have tried to use to accommodate popular thought, but as we can see right now, it doesn't make sense. Mainly because there is no scriptural evidence. We have learned in hermeneutics that in interpreting Scripture we need at least to. So when somebody is proposing gap theory we don't have sufficient Scripture to back it up. Now is it clear? Make sense? Ok. Okay it's just a theory but we are discarding the theory because we don't have evidence is that fine okay great ya mic please summer online students can't hear you so ma'am my question is that revolution chapter 21 verse one it says new so godly destroy this present universe and it will make him will make the new creation and how he will renew this universe how it's going to be correct so the answer is yes god is going to destroy the current you know universe the earth everything by fire okay so again again this gap theory will come when god will create this one more haves and the year as it can be how ya so god will create the new haves and the new earth but gap theory see when we call something a theory it's just a theory it has to be tested what we are saying is it's not true gap theory is not true now whenever that Happens right God will create the New Heavens and New Earth. If you go by the Bible roughly the Earth is 600 years old not billions millions it is not if you go only by the Bible now what is going to happen after ah right now what are we waiting for the return of Christ then once the earth gets taken place there will be a thousand year rule of Christ after that God will create the new heavens and the new earth so even at that point if you take the biblical measuring of time for the earth it will not be billions it will still be thousands of years so where is the gap theory or the gap theory doesn't hold true it's just a theory and because there is not much evidence we are going to discar. That somebody is proposing may be because science says that billions of years are there may be this is how God did it. So science is also correct. The Bible is also correct. You got it? So it's just a theory, a way of coming to terms with the ah verdict of science as well as the Bible. But as we have examined that kind of thought process of a gap existing has no scriptural evidence. You got it? And also I have one small doubt is it like we have this merry big universe that we have you know small planets. It's Not Small But It's When We See In The Maps It Will Be. So is it only on this earth humans have to live and do we have another planet people they live as a human what science says I don't think so for this or there are or other planets are there but he is asking life or life as we no life as humans that we have is it that so there are theories again that extra terrestrial life exists theory people have proven okay as of now there is no strong evidence for the existence of extra terrestrial life but if you look at the Bible what is the Bible says only the earth is a place where God has created human beings we don't have human beings anywhere else so God only spoke to the people those who are on the earth here so what about the apart from this what about the God has created or so what about it I mean did God how to make it I am not sure that we are the human Being as well living we know the Christ and the Bible also it is written by the human being itself so they got the revolution from the God and they rot for only this year what about the universe which God has created is there anything is that that people they rot about it and God show them the wisdom and through the revolution is it anything that people rot in the Bible not in the Bible but apart from from the Bible it can be is it or people have written a lot about the universe when you I mean we wont get into it because it is a diversion from what we are discussing. But you have people who gaze at the stars and who study constellations or the arrangement of stars. You have a lot of literature on things like this and in the olden times many people were involved in studying the universe like that yes and no you would agree with me all civilizations have studied much of the universe to whatever capacity today man has gone much ahead so we have scientific tools to study so the answer is yes there is literature where people have studied the universe. Great. Ok. So we talk so much about the gap theory but the point is it is incorrect. Somebody proposed it but it is incorrect. OK, now let's try to combine the Bible and the ah scientific thought. And let's see what is the next theory people are proposing. They Call It the Day Theory. So in Genesis am one where you read about each piece of creation. The Assumption is that each day is so many millions of years old. So if we think like that may be what science is saying and the Bible saying can be combined yes and no this makes little more sense compare to the gap theory now why did people even try out this theory because we have a passage in the Bible in second Peter chapter 3 and verse eight and basically that passage says for God a day is like a thousand years thousand years like a day so if we apply that scripture here may be each day is very long. So That Is The Day Theory. Now we have to examine would that be correct? Let Us Look at More Scriptures. So if we go deeper into this theory to check it out if we go to Genesis chapter one and verse five it says after God you know set the lights. Divided the Light from the Darkness. In verse five it says God called the light day. And the Darkness He Called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. You see what we saw in second Peter a three doesn't hold true here. Because we said one day could be thousands of years. But Genesis is contradicting that thought when there is light when there is darkness when there is evening when there is morning what does that make us feel about the day it is 24 hours it is not thousands of years. So here we have a contradiction. Now let us examine some more. Ok. Let's see are there any other things we can look at okay. So we can also ask many many other questions like arguments. It's All There in the Notes. I'll just pick up one and that one is there is a reference to Genesis chapter one verse one to 31 and there we see that one second or there we see that God created for six days and he rested for one day seventh day what do we call seventh day Sabeth and from the time God instituted Sabeth in the Jewish culture ah and their faith they follow one day of rest yes or no and even biblically two we don't really say oh it's Sunday and Saturday we also believe in Sabeth we have to keep the Sabeth. A Holy Unto the Lord It Is There in the 10 Commandments Now If One Day Is Thousands of Years One Day Proves Means What? How much rest should we take? Or my whole life because I am roughly whatever 100 years old I will live so if God took rest for one day one day is thousands of years then I will also take rest my whole life I will take rest does it make sense doesn't make sense you see these are the kind of arguments against the day theory there are you know many other arguments also. So God in Genesis chapter two verses from verse 25 through verse 35 says that animals and man were created on day six. Alright? So after man was created, what did Adam start doing? He started naming the animals. He could not find a suitable mate for himself. And so then only God created Eve to have Adam married to Eve. But if we apply this thousands of years concept we will get a weird conclusion where we would say that Adam was naming animals for roughly about 7000 years so when he is marrying Eve how old is he 740 how can I mean how can God create Eve who is then a suitable match for someone who is 7000 years old. So many challenges, so many problems we are running into if we apply the theory. Are you with me? Ok. So this is how we are examining the day theory. I just presented two arguments for us. But like this we can apply many arguments and we can find out that even the day theory is bazaar. So it won't hold true. Now there is a third theory that people have about how to combine the Bible and science, and that is called theistic evolution. Ti Theo Means What? It's a Greek word theo means God. T is stick evolution means god guided evolution. So where we assume that yes God created but God created the way evolution presents the ah you know the coming of each creature. So that is why evolution has tract it accordingly and God also has made that happen. But again you know if we look at the we will come to this particular point later on if you look at the order in which evolution presents like which creature was formed first and you know which creature comes next you will find that the order of the Bible is not concurrent with the order of evolution okay. So that in itself proves that we cannot superimpose evolution and creation, it won't work. So we are just trying to figure out how to satisfy the requirements of evolution and say yes it happened, God guided it. But if you compare the stages of what creatures and forms in evolution and you compare the stages of how God created them, there is going to be a clash, so then theistic evolution is not at all a concept that we must adopt. So these are the popular theories used by several believers Also they say Science is not wrong Evolution is not wrong May be there was a gap between the works of God but we already said there is no scriptural basis for it Second may be a day is worth a thousand and billions of years We have already contradicted it and said it is observed now The third way is God is the one who guided evolution But even that we are saying there is a contradiction between evolution and God's way of creating. So that theory also does not stand. Right? So these theories are just theories and we basically come to the conclusion that each day of Genesis One is what? 24 hours day and night. So literally God created in six days. Yes Amar as you said that for God one day is a thousand years and he created a day and night. So how will you say that day and night for us it becomes 24 hours for God it is 10000 so here is a question that how it becomes for us 24 hours and for God it is year okay see if you take the passage from Peter the one that we refer to it's basically figurative language okay we can't literally apply it here it's just figurative language. So when God created 24 hours it was 24 hours even in his sight and 24 hours for man also. So the account of Genesis One is God created the universe and the Earth in six literal days. There was morning, there was evening , there was day, there was night. There was a two thing that God created like for us it is it will be in 24 hours day and night and for God it is it will be 000 years is it and no I am saying it is the same for God also and for us also don't apply the second Peter passage here it is it won't be the correct way of applying so God okay great there are two questions in the chat I think we have I only to touch on it. So now that you're understanding the track that we're taking, we'll cover more questions tomorrow. So Sam Says Some Theology Says God Created Heaven and Earth in Its Perfect Form and Before Genesis He Placed Lucifer as a Governor to Rule the Earth and He Rebelded Against God. That is why in Genesis One to the Earth was formless and void. So Sam's sounds like a good story, very nice, but we would go back to hermeneutics and we would ask us to give some scriptures to substantiate this concept that God put Lucifer as governor. There isn't. So when the Bible doesn't support it with scripture, we will only have to discuss this. We don't have evidence. Sam, okay, so that would be my very brief answer, sir. Now coming to Rajiv, if two Bible-believing Christians agree that God is a creator, but disagree on the earth's basis, as to which creation beliefs are essential to the gospel, and which differences can be accepted without them. Okay, so good question, I feel, and others would agree on the core beliefs. Aren't core beliefs? Belief means what the gospel means? We all agree on the gospel. Salvation through Jesus Christ. We all believe our purpose on the earth is the Great Commission. We all agree. On two things right so those are the core beliefs we all believe in the Holy Spirit gifts of the Spirit baptism in the Spirit those things unite us things give us that one faith that we hold on to now people may have varied opinions on certain thoughts true as I am just saying true as Earth is 6000 years old another believer will say 8000 years old it's okay we don't have to bring everybody to agree on one thing in those matters because it's not core belief now again in hermeneutics we saw the cultural aspects right like okay if we talk about women wearing jewelry and you know the length of women's hair everyone can be arguing about it because that's not core those are they have a cultural side to them. So are you understanding Rajiv? So, if the core is we are all holding on to the core, that will still keep us united in our faith. We don't have to argue about these pages. Yeah, so we can still work together, we can walk together, we can pray together. It should be fine. Ok. So I think it's a good start. But please read and come. Because it's only going to get more complicated from here. Ok? So tomorrow we're going to touch on other questions, similar questions, and I'll be faster. So if you read and come only then you will be able to understand. So with this let's close with the word of prayer. How about one person from online batch unmutes and leads please. Can I pray, please God, we thank you for this glorious day? We thank you that you are a super natural God. Nothing is impossible for you, God, that you said anything too hard for me. So I pray, through us, as well as learning about your super natural ways, things don't align with things of this world. I pray, you will fill us with all faith. Jesus, you are the author and finish of our faith. So, for anyone who still questions between science and creation, I practice, you will give the deep revolution. You will search the deep secrets of God and reveal it to our spirits. God is our bond with our spirits. And I pray, that we will be great and mighty disciples for your kingdom. That we will go out and we will preach and we will share the truth of how you have created everything, God. Knowing that it is only through your hand that these things are possible, Lord, we thank you for Healing and health over each Andri one of us and we will come back energized and refreshed and excited to learn again tomorrow we thank you and we ask all this in your match precious name Jesus and Andri thank you thank you Trish thank you pastor or before okay one second let me just check alright no worries I wanted to give us a link but may be I will do that tomorrow so by for now everyone God bless you