Further Study: Creation, a Biblical Theme
The Bible is a book about God and His relationship to us humans and our 
world. The events of Creation week are unique and supernatural. They are outside the realm of scientific inquiry for at least two reasons. First, they are singularities. Singularities are events that occur only once. Science has a difficult time dealing with singularities, because they cannot be repeated and tested under differing circumstances. Second, the Creation events were supernaturally caused. They were not the natural result of the way God sustains the Creation but were special, direct acts of God. Science deals only with secondary causes, and does not—at least as now practiced—accept any explanation that depends on God’s direct action. Because the Creation events are unique and supernatural, they lie outside the reach of science.
The importance of this point is that one’s view of origins has important implications for one’s view of human nature and self-identity. Understanding our origins is so important that God had it placed as the first subject in the Bible, and the message of the Bible is based on the historicity of the Creation account. To claim that we can learn the true history of our world through science is to claim that it can be explained without appealing to any direct action by God, an error that has led to more error.
“Men will endeavor to explain from natural causes the work of creation, which God has never revealed. But human science cannot search out the secrets of the God of Heaven, and explain the stupendous works of creation, which were a miracle of almighty power, any sooner than it can show how God came into existence.”—Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 89.
Discussion Questions
- Creation is a dominant theme throughout the entire Bible. Is there any evidence that Bible writers had different views of Creation or that any of them had doubts about the veracity of any part of Genesis? Why is this answer important?
- What reasons do you think someone might give to justify the rejection of the idea that nature is designed?
- Jesus endorsed the authority of Moses (Luke 16:29-31), including the story of Creation (Mark 2:27, 28; Matt. 19:4-6). Given this background and the example of Jesus, what should be our attitude toward the story of Creation?
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We have a Bible today that is consistent from beginning to end. I see every writer concurring on origins and creation. I thank God for the words of Jesus when He was on earth and His words about the Creation of our world and God's intentions for it and us.
I was surprised to read the statements made in today's further study: "The events of creation week...are outside the realm of scientific inquiry" ..."Science has a difficult time dealing with singularities, "..."Because the Creation events are unique and supernatural, they lie outside the reach of science." After reading the section and reviewing over in english and french several verses that were memorized since childhood, I am less confused but would like to read other opinions about this. You see, I grew up to believe that God is science, He is the beginning of science etc. Therefore there would be no controversy in my mind relative to the events of creation as it related to science, except that we as humans do not have enough knowledge to decipher creation and God himself. Science itself is replete with theories, assumptions and hypothesis that are accepted by faith, I may say.
Well, when I read these verses in french, the word "knowledge" is replaced by "Science": Prov 3:20 By his 'science' the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
Job 37:16. Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in 'science'?
Ps. 139:6. Such 'science' is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Prov 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of 'science': but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov. 1:22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate 'science'?
Prov. 8:9. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find 'science'.
Therefore, I do not see that creation is beyond the realm of science, but perhaps beyond the realm of scientific understanding or knowledge. God created nature...How can creation be a supernatural event?
During the past several weeks we have been discussing creation along with evolution. More than two years ago I decided to go back to college and take up physics but God had other plans and effectively pushed me out into absolute retirement. As I look upon the whole thing I have to be honest in saying that I was rather upset. But I also remember a statement that a scientist once made decades ago, "chances are that all our knowledge is absolutely wrong" so I now wonder if God wanted me to bypass all of that and wait for something better in Heaven. Now I don't think the scientist was thinking of applied physics when he made that statement or chemistry either but about the many theories that scientists tend to argue about.
The following link is to an article that was published on a very conservative young earth creationist website. In spite of that I believe it fairly puts forth the state that theoretical astrophysics often finds itself in concerning the study of cosmology (the study of the origin and structure of the universe). http://crev.info/2013/01/you-are-not-a-clone/