Summary: The Creation stories of Genesis 1-11 form an essential foundation for life in the Kingdom of God. They are true but are not part of human history. The enlightenment replaced these marvelous stories with the dull story of the eternal cosmos. The result is an emptiness that we all feel everywhere.

Did Adam Ride a Dinosaur?

Many evangelical Christians (around 40%) believe that Adam and Eve were the first human beings, created in a universe that is less than 10,000 years old. The problem is that there is overwhelming evidence that the universe is much older than this and that Adam and Eve were not the first two humans. The geological record reveals a world that is more like 4.5 billion years old and the Human Genome Project has shown that there is no way the diversity in the human population could have originated from a single couple such a short time ago.

Many feel backed into a corner by this. To accept the findings of science means to abandon their faith. To cling to their faith means to live in the Dark Ages. You must choose science or religion. As Albert Mohler, President of Southern Seminary, put it, “If other Protestants want to accommodate science, fine. But they shouldn't be surprised if their faith unravels.”

But it’s not science or religion. This conflict is caused by misunderstanding the nature of the stories in the Bible, particularly Genesis 1-11.

Creation Stories

Every culture has a creation story. The Greeks believed Gaia (earth) sprang out of chaos and gave birth to Uranus (sky). The Cherokee Indians say a water beetle came from the sky, dove into the water, and brought up earth. In a Hindu myth, four types of human beings emerge from the eternal Parusha. There are hundreds of stories like this.

Creation accounts are not part of human history. They are the basis of it. They are the ground beneath our feet. They provide a framework for life as we know it. 

Creation stories lie outside the realm of normal human existence. They take place in a far off realm in a distant age. They are filled with characters and events unlike anything we normally experience. They begin with phrases like, “a long time ago” or “in the beginning” which set them apart from human history as we know it. 

Although creation stories are separate from human history, there are bridges between the two, otherwise what would be the point?  In some stories divine beings interact with figures in human history. Genealogies are used to tie historical figures with pre-history. Towns and sacred sites are named for characters in the stories. Religious rituals commemorate events in the stories. Creation stories are of a different nature than human history but the two are vitally connected. 

Are creation stories true? If by “true” you are asking if they can be placed on our timeline the answer is no. If by “true” you are asking if they provide the foundational truths of our existence, the answer is yes.

The Genesis Creation Stories

Genesis 1-11 contains five creation stories: two creation accounts, the story of Cain and Abel, the tale of a great flood, and the Tower of Babel. These are interspersed with genealogies that build a bridge with human history. They contain elements like talking serpents, enchanted fruit, gods who have sex with human beings, giants, and a boat that can carry every created animal. These characters and events lie outside the realm of normal human existence.

The Bible makes no sense without its creation stories. They lay the foundation of everything that follows. In them we learn that… 

There is one God who created all things. 

Creation is good but something has gone horribly wrong

Human rebellion is the heart of creation’s problem

God does not give up on his creation

God can bring order from of chaos