Science vs. the Bible: Bridging the Gap

November 3, 2008

By Joshua Remington

Everyone knows that there is a war being fought in America today. Church-goers and scientists are not able to find any common ground when it comes to explaining the origins of the universe. The battle lines are clearly drawn: either you believe in a God who created the universe in six 24-hour days, or you believe in an atheistic view of the Big Bang and evolution. But must there be a war between science and the Bible, or is this an overly simplistic way of viewing the issue?

What Does the Bible Say?

Most of the conflict revolves around the description of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. This description is stylistically built around a seven day week (presumably to place an emphasis on the Sabbath). But does this description literally mean that God created the universe in six 24-hour days? Is the universe only a few thousand years old, or are there other ways to interpret the passage?

One popular interpretation that allows for an old universe (10-20 billion years as opposed to a young universe of 7,000-10,000 years) is to read a gap in between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The idea is that in the beginning God created everything, but then there was a cataclysmic event that brought such devastation as to leave the world in the chaotic mess of verse two. (Perhaps this is when Lucifer fell?) Between the two verses lie thousands, and maybe millions of years. This view of the creation timetable offers at least a glimmer of hope that science and the Bible need not be at war.

Other possible interpretations open up as one closely examines the specific language used in the rest of the chapter. The simplest source of ambiguity lies in the word “day.” Obviously a day can be a 24-hour period of time. And this seems to be the case with the specific mention of sunrise and sunset in Genesis. But a day can also refer to a longer period of time. Frequently, the Old Testament prophets would refer to the end of time as “the Day of the Lord,” even though it was to be a long period of time. The psalmists as well were willing to bend time a little with the proclamation that a day with God is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years like one day.

Additionally, the reference to sunrise and sunset in Genesis 1 is in reverse order. The sunset and sunrise, only around 12 hours of darkness, were called one day. This could indicate a 24-hour day, but it could also point to a different intended meaning. Likewise, the creation of light before a sun or stars could also suggest that “day” not be taken in its most literal of definitions. Even though Genesis 1 is structured around a seven-day week of creation, its language is vague enough that it leaves room for interpretations other than literal 24-hour days.

What does science say?

Although the scientific view of cosmic beginnings seems to be different than that of Genesis 1, must it go so far as to deny a creator God? Many scientists do not think so. When the notion of a Big Bang was first suggested by scientists, it was rejected by many of their colleagues because it sounded too much like Genesis! And while Darwin explained the basic process of evolution, science is currently at a loss to fill in the details without looking to an evolutionary force that looks very much like a Creator with a plan.

Perhaps most interestingly, science provides a type of answer to the old/young earth debate as well. Since Einstein, science has understood time to be relative to the observer (that's why he called it the Theory of Relativity). Where someone is located, how fast they are traveling, or even which direction they are traveling in, can affect time for them--not just how they observe time, but time itself¹. This means that an observer standing on earth and peering into outer space to understand the Big Bang could view 15 billion years of history while a God standing outside of time and space creating the universe could see only six days. Which time would be right? According to Einstein, both times would be right².

So How Old is The Universe?

Sorry, but I'm not going to answer that question. The real purpose behind this article is not to determine who is right, but if the war is necessary. A study of Genesis reveals that the universe could be either young or old. Likewise a study of science leaves room for either view of the universe. So if science and the Bible are both vague on the issue why is there so much argument about it?

Now obviously there are atheistic scientists who find no place for God in the origins of the universe. Likewise, there are Christians who feel like the only true way to interpret Genesis is as a week of seven 24-hour days. These are the ones on either side who contribute to the war between science and the Bible.

However, as Christians, seeking peace and unity should be among our goals. While some people will always be confrontational, a simple admission that we don't have all the answers would go a long way toward ending the conflict. It may well be that the universe is only a few thousand years old. But it is also possible that it is 15 billion years old. To simply admit this as a possibility would remove a wall that has kept some people away from God.

Because science is the study of God's creation, we should never see it as the enemy of God's Word. God reveals Himself through both sources. If there appears to be a contradiction between the Bible and science it is most likely because we don't fully understand science or we don't correctly interpret the Bible. Instead of engaging in battle over the age of the earth, we should be trying to better understand the God who is revealing Himself to us in so many amazing ways.

ninetyandnine.com

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Joshua Remington is an alumnus of Urshan Graduate School of Theology. He is currently serving as the Discipleship Pastor at TurnPoint Church in Clermont, FL. He thoroughly enjoys studying both science and the Bible.

Footnotes

1. For instance, if two planes take off at exactly the same time with two perfectly calibrated clocks and travel around the globe in opposite directions and land at the exact same time, they will have recorded (and thus experienced) two slightly different times.

2. For a more detailed explanation of this concept check out Gerald Schroeder's The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom.