Description

In the Beginnings: The Story of the Original Earth, Its Destruction and It’s Restoration

by Steven E. Dill

In the Beginnings is a defense of the biblical Gap Theory of Creation. This theory, once popular in the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, has been rejected by many modern-day creationists as being without biblical or scientific support. This book takes an in depth look at both science and the Bible. It’s purpose is to show how the Gap Theory better fits the scientific and biblical facts. More importantly, its main purpose is to reach out to unbelievers who think the Bible teaches things contrary to science. The scientific facts and true biblical truths do not contradict. The basic assumption of the author is that God is smart enough and powerful enough and sovereign enough to make His works and His Words agree. Because God reveals His invisible attributes in His handiwork, the author uses both God’s Word and His work to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Steven Dill, once a staunch evolutionist, began investigating creationism after becoming aware of some scientific facts that seemed incompatible with his own beliefs. Taking the position that truth will stand the test, he began challenging even his own ideas about the origin of the Universe. His conclusion was that true scientific facts and true biblical facts do not contradict, and in this book he presents a new look at an old theory that preserves the integrity of both science and the Bible. Steven earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 1979 and his doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1985 at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The Truth About Truth
2. The Creation-Combo Special
3. Apparent Problems
4. Day-Age Solutions
5. Young-Earth Solutions
6. A Closer Look at the Bible
7. The Restoration Theory
8. A Closer Look at the Six Days
9. The Original Earth
10. Earth’s Two Beginnings
11. Science and the Restoration Theory
12. The Meaning of HAYAH

A Note From the Author

This book is about earth’s two beginnings. Putting it as bluntly as I can, it is a defense of the Gap Theory of Creation. This theory is also called the “Ruin-Restoration” theory because it deals with the destruction of the original earth and its later restoration. This theory is very unpopular these days. I say this right at the start because I don’t want you to waste your time reading it if you have already decided to hate the Gap Theory.

Christians have become extremely divided over the “correct” interpretation of God’s Word concerning creation, and it has become a very emotional topic. Christian Creationists have divided themselves into camps, huddled around various creation theories. These camps are so divided that people often want to know your stand on these theories before they’re even willing to accept you as a fellow creationist, or sometimes, even as a fellow Christian. Many good Christians have been labeled as evil people simply because they hold opinions about creation that differ from someone else’s. I suspect I will be one of them.

Ironically, this book had two beginnings. It’s first beginning was as a final chapter in another book, Objections to the Doctrine of Evolution, Book Two. That book was written to show how Scripture disproves the Theory of Evolution. It’s predecessor, Objections to the Doctrine of Evolution, Book One was written to show how science disproves the Theory of Evolution. These books are an apologetic for Biblical creation. At first, I didn’t mention the different creationist’s theories. They seemed relatively unimportant compared to the issue of exposing evolution as a fraudulent theory. Eventually, I added a chapter on the Gap Theory, because people wanted to know my opinion. I knew more than a few creationists would reject it, but I thought it might help unbelievers. Much of the unbeliever’s objection to Biblical Creationism is based on the fact that some creation theories are not only unscientific, but anti-scientific.

I wanted unbelievers to know that there was at least one creationist theory that agreed with true scientific observations. It wasn’t long before I realized that adding it to the other books was a mistake. It made the books too long. A section defending the Gap Theory made the book unpublishable. It needed to be its own book. Although I decided to give my defense of the Gap Theory a new beginning, some of the material in this book remains in the other books as well. Some arguments are useful in both places. For example, I show how the six days of creation in Genesis are literal, 24 hour days. This is useful both as biblical proof against evolution and as a defense of the Gap Theory against the Day-Age Theory.

The purpose of this book is simple. I want you to know the truth about our Creator. The Word of God reveals the truth about our Creator, but so do the works of God. I believe God is smart enough and powerful enough and sovereign enough to make His works and His Words agree. If you read the comments from the various Creationist’s Camps, you get a feeling that this isn’t true. There is so little agreement among creationists about science and Scripture that it makes you wonder if God didn’t make a mistake when he created creationists! I believe all the bickering harms the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than it helps. I believe it ought to stop. I believe that only truth can make it stop. I believe the Gap Theory is true. It would be nice if I could convince all the other creationists to agree with me about the Gap Theory, but that’s not my goal. My real goal is to help unbelievers learn about our Creator.

BK511

$21.95

372 pages