SSFT Final Exam
Aristotle - answer Believed earth always existed; held instantaneous creation view; God
knew what He was doing in creation, but he did not feel the need to share it with us, so
it is okay that it is unfamiliar to humankind
Ancient Chinese - answer Believed the earth was repeated created and destroyed (over
23 billion years)
Hindu Scriptures - answer Suggest repeated bang and crunching every 4.3 billion years
Christians (before and after Darwin) - answer Differed in their beliefs of the age of the
earth (Protestants, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, etc. had different beliefs)
Mr. Origin (early 300s) - answerDid not believe there was a literal first, second, and third
day and morning and night without the sun, moon, and stars (created on the fourth day)
Mr. Basil (early 300s) - answerBelieved literal 24 hour days, the light was just "drawn
back and forth" before the creation of the stars, moon, and sun on the fourth day
Mr. Augustine (early 400s) - answer"What kind of days these were is extremely difficult
or perhaps impossible to conceive."
Bishop Usher (1654) - answerCreation date based on Biblical genealogies gives an old
idea new popularity
Calvin (mid 1500s) - answerBelieves the six-day creation (but does not discuss
specifics)
Gap Theory (19th century) - answerGave new energy to old theories, young earth,
popularity declines; neither view is the litmus test for Orthodoxy
Old Earth followers - answerC.S. Lewis, J.G. Machen, F. Schaeffer, E. J. Young, Chuck
Colson, J. I. Packer, Bryan Chapell, Alvin Plantinga
New Earth followers - answerJohn Piper, Al Mohlr, Joseph Pipa, R.C. Sprowl
Age of the earth struggle between Christians - answerExegesis (text interpretation)
versus harmonization (suitable for each other)
Early church on Genesis 1 key points: - answerThe use of ordinary day language; the
days are unique (creation days versus ordinary days); and focusing on the redemptive
view of Gen. 1
,Basic of Caesarea (329-379) - answerExplicit use of the 24-hour language focus on
difference with our days
"one day" versus "first day" terminology - relationship with eternity (wholly separated
and isolated)
The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerThis is the literal scripture translation, where
"yom" is translated as an ordinary 24 hour day.
STRENGTH OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerLiteral translation, human
identity is secure, and created in moral innocents
WEAKNESS OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerIt does align with our best
understanding of natural revelation; in genesis 2 "day" represents 1 week; in Hebrews
4:3 the seventh day is until now; the eighth day (new heavens and earth)
FOLLOWER OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerKen Ham
VARIANT OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerOmphalos/mature creation view
Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerif the earth is young, then it is created with
the mark of age. Hypothetical history: tree rings? Adam's belly button? Apparent
geological history? Light from the stars?
STRENTGHS OF Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerEve (woman or even a 9-
month-old baby), water to wine, view explains inconsistencies, protects the story
WEAKNESS OF Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerOne cannot trust
sense/looks like God made the fossils
FOLLOWER OF Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerPhilip Henry - geologist
Two views that teach the earth is old - answerDay Age View and Gap Theory
Day Age View - answerIn this view, "yom" means age (and predicts accurate
cosmology), it offers chronological account of the days, the most "concordist" (science
and Bible in agreement) followers
FOLLOWERS OF Day Age View - answerRobert Jameson, George Cuvier, Benjamin
Silliman, and Hugh Ross
STRENGTH OF Day Age View - answerUses authority of Scripture
WEAKNESS OF Day Age View - answerScripture gives best science
Gap theory - answerExplains time gap between Genesis 1:1-3
, STRENGTHS OF Gap theory - answerIt provides answers
WEAKNESSED OF Gap theory - answerIt is not popular and there is not much
supporting proof.
Meaning of "day" - answerIs it misleading? Perhaps it is not a salvation issue.
In the Bible, symbolism is used for meaning sometimes.
Example: Woman, Man, and Serpent (Gen); Mary, Babay Jesus, and Baby Massacre
(Matt. 2); and Woman, Baby, and Dragon (Rev)
Analogical Day View/Framework View - answerThe scripture does not teach about the
age of the earth
Is an analogy of ordinary days (is not the same/does not share identity)
Creation recounts the true heavenly week (earthly rest reflects Heavenly Sabbath)
Heavenly patterns for earthly realities: temple, communion, marriage, etc.
Earthly reality is a reflection of true heavenly reality (anthropomorphism: attributing
human characteristics to...)
analogy - answersimilar things that are different in nature
STRENGTHS OF Analogical Day View/Framework View - answerConnecting image
and Sabbath rest; "yom" means day in ordinary language; passage teaches nothing
about length of days; and can secure non-negotiables about faith/biblical authority
WEAKNESSES OF Analogical Day View/Framework View - answerAn abstraction and
the "more real" talk
Hermeneutical Issues (aka struggles interpreting Scripture) - answerGeneral: what is
the Scriptures teaching? What is most important? Science is a commentary for
Scripture.
Specific: Wha do the scriptures teach about Gen 1 and 2? Other issues (heliocentrism,
solid dome, etc.)?
Two trends in church history - answerconservatism and concordism
Herodotus (500 BC) - answerBelieved most features were the result of sudden violent
processes because he observed the Nile deposit silt during floods
Aristotle (384-322 BC) - answerDiscovered fossils were once living creatures and that
positions of land and sea changed (over a long period of time) because river deposits
and oceans both had seashell fossils
Theophrastus (374-287 BC) - answerWrote a popular book in the Middle Ages:
"Concerning the Stones" (Minerology book) and he did not think fossils were once alive
Aristotle - answer Believed earth always existed; held instantaneous creation view; God
knew what He was doing in creation, but he did not feel the need to share it with us, so
it is okay that it is unfamiliar to humankind
Ancient Chinese - answer Believed the earth was repeated created and destroyed (over
23 billion years)
Hindu Scriptures - answer Suggest repeated bang and crunching every 4.3 billion years
Christians (before and after Darwin) - answer Differed in their beliefs of the age of the
earth (Protestants, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, etc. had different beliefs)
Mr. Origin (early 300s) - answerDid not believe there was a literal first, second, and third
day and morning and night without the sun, moon, and stars (created on the fourth day)
Mr. Basil (early 300s) - answerBelieved literal 24 hour days, the light was just "drawn
back and forth" before the creation of the stars, moon, and sun on the fourth day
Mr. Augustine (early 400s) - answer"What kind of days these were is extremely difficult
or perhaps impossible to conceive."
Bishop Usher (1654) - answerCreation date based on Biblical genealogies gives an old
idea new popularity
Calvin (mid 1500s) - answerBelieves the six-day creation (but does not discuss
specifics)
Gap Theory (19th century) - answerGave new energy to old theories, young earth,
popularity declines; neither view is the litmus test for Orthodoxy
Old Earth followers - answerC.S. Lewis, J.G. Machen, F. Schaeffer, E. J. Young, Chuck
Colson, J. I. Packer, Bryan Chapell, Alvin Plantinga
New Earth followers - answerJohn Piper, Al Mohlr, Joseph Pipa, R.C. Sprowl
Age of the earth struggle between Christians - answerExegesis (text interpretation)
versus harmonization (suitable for each other)
Early church on Genesis 1 key points: - answerThe use of ordinary day language; the
days are unique (creation days versus ordinary days); and focusing on the redemptive
view of Gen. 1
,Basic of Caesarea (329-379) - answerExplicit use of the 24-hour language focus on
difference with our days
"one day" versus "first day" terminology - relationship with eternity (wholly separated
and isolated)
The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerThis is the literal scripture translation, where
"yom" is translated as an ordinary 24 hour day.
STRENGTH OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerLiteral translation, human
identity is secure, and created in moral innocents
WEAKNESS OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerIt does align with our best
understanding of natural revelation; in genesis 2 "day" represents 1 week; in Hebrews
4:3 the seventh day is until now; the eighth day (new heavens and earth)
FOLLOWER OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerKen Ham
VARIANT OF The Familiar View (Young Earth) - answerOmphalos/mature creation view
Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerif the earth is young, then it is created with
the mark of age. Hypothetical history: tree rings? Adam's belly button? Apparent
geological history? Light from the stars?
STRENTGHS OF Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerEve (woman or even a 9-
month-old baby), water to wine, view explains inconsistencies, protects the story
WEAKNESS OF Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerOne cannot trust
sense/looks like God made the fossils
FOLLOWER OF Omphalos (Mature creation view) - answerPhilip Henry - geologist
Two views that teach the earth is old - answerDay Age View and Gap Theory
Day Age View - answerIn this view, "yom" means age (and predicts accurate
cosmology), it offers chronological account of the days, the most "concordist" (science
and Bible in agreement) followers
FOLLOWERS OF Day Age View - answerRobert Jameson, George Cuvier, Benjamin
Silliman, and Hugh Ross
STRENGTH OF Day Age View - answerUses authority of Scripture
WEAKNESS OF Day Age View - answerScripture gives best science
Gap theory - answerExplains time gap between Genesis 1:1-3
, STRENGTHS OF Gap theory - answerIt provides answers
WEAKNESSED OF Gap theory - answerIt is not popular and there is not much
supporting proof.
Meaning of "day" - answerIs it misleading? Perhaps it is not a salvation issue.
In the Bible, symbolism is used for meaning sometimes.
Example: Woman, Man, and Serpent (Gen); Mary, Babay Jesus, and Baby Massacre
(Matt. 2); and Woman, Baby, and Dragon (Rev)
Analogical Day View/Framework View - answerThe scripture does not teach about the
age of the earth
Is an analogy of ordinary days (is not the same/does not share identity)
Creation recounts the true heavenly week (earthly rest reflects Heavenly Sabbath)
Heavenly patterns for earthly realities: temple, communion, marriage, etc.
Earthly reality is a reflection of true heavenly reality (anthropomorphism: attributing
human characteristics to...)
analogy - answersimilar things that are different in nature
STRENGTHS OF Analogical Day View/Framework View - answerConnecting image
and Sabbath rest; "yom" means day in ordinary language; passage teaches nothing
about length of days; and can secure non-negotiables about faith/biblical authority
WEAKNESSES OF Analogical Day View/Framework View - answerAn abstraction and
the "more real" talk
Hermeneutical Issues (aka struggles interpreting Scripture) - answerGeneral: what is
the Scriptures teaching? What is most important? Science is a commentary for
Scripture.
Specific: Wha do the scriptures teach about Gen 1 and 2? Other issues (heliocentrism,
solid dome, etc.)?
Two trends in church history - answerconservatism and concordism
Herodotus (500 BC) - answerBelieved most features were the result of sudden violent
processes because he observed the Nile deposit silt during floods
Aristotle (384-322 BC) - answerDiscovered fossils were once living creatures and that
positions of land and sea changed (over a long period of time) because river deposits
and oceans both had seashell fossils
Theophrastus (374-287 BC) - answerWrote a popular book in the Middle Ages:
"Concerning the Stones" (Minerology book) and he did not think fossils were once alive
