Creation and the Driscoll Essay - Critique

CREATION AND THE DRISCOLL ESSAY

OBST 591-D10 LUO

2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

THE THEISTIC EVOLUTION QUESTION: AN OVERVIEW 4

CONCLUSION 5

BIBLIOGRAPHY 7

INTRODUCTION

We must approach Mark Driscoll's essay knowing that it brings forward all the historical and current genre-resemblances from the best theological and scientific narratives on the creation account today. Driscoll's potent opening brings a strong "preceptual" kerygmatic Old Testament story of the first good news to mankind, the creation story. Driscoll's words although hard hitting, and sometimes "sermonesque," gives a good explanation to any vantage point on explicit questions and therefore giving deeper meaning and understanding on matters moral and theological. Central to this essay is the declarative knowledge of what the creation possibilities are from all possible views, and the opportunity to find the truth for one's self. There are six creation possibilities Pastor Driscoll uses in his essay. They are view (1) Historic Creation, view(2) Creationism, view (3) Gap Theory, view (4) Literary Framework, view (5) Day-Age View, and view (6) Theistic Evolution.

We will attempt to make a case for view (1) Historic Creation for this paper by analyzing key verses in Genesis 1 through 3 and will be looking specifically at views 1, 2, and 6 in the creation story. We will not be looking at views 3, 4, and 5 because there was no biblical basis for their explanation, theory, and they are the least commonly accepted. We will use the New International Version of the Bible throughout.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEING THE OLD TESTAMENT BIG PICTURE

Let us begin by clarifying the point we will be trying to make in a general way. The American poet, James Weldon Johnson, has written a poem about creation, The Creation, in which he eloquently writes:

And God stepped out on space,

And He looked around and said

"I'm loney

I'll make me a world."

There is a teaching here and it is an opportunity to approach Genesis de novo and try to see the big picture of Old Testament history. God made Him a world and the Genesis covenants springboard into the OT and then find their way in again and then again in New Testament fulfillment and promises. Dr. Gary Yates unfolds the Genesis story stated in a lecture. Here he states, "The beginning of the Bible is about the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1-3 and how humanity is going to lose the most important thing it possesses,