Atheist's Attacks
Answering Humanist's Accusations Against the Bible
Don't Make Assumptions
Is the following a contradiction in the Bible?
HUMANIST QUESTION: Genesis 1:2-3 claims that God created light and divided it from darkness on the first day; but Genesis 1:14-19 tells us the sun, moon, and stars weren’t made until the fourth day.
Everything stated above is 100% correct. However, I am guessing they are expecting us to make an assumption that light can only come from the sun, moon, or stars.1 Since they were not created until day four, how could there be light on day one?
To start, we need to make sure we make the correct assumptions. Is it true that light can only come from the sun, moon (reflected from the sun), or stars? Can you think of any other light sources? Light bulbs? Fire? Maybe God Himself?
Genesis 1 describes God creating by simply speaking things into existence. That is power. However, God does not even need to speak... He can create everything or anything in a single blink of a fraction of a microsecond with no effort at all. Think about it. Does the creator God need a sun to make light? No.
One thought is that God Himself is the source of the light. Scripture talks about God's glory being a source of light. For ex-ample, Revelation 21:23-24 describes the New Jerusalem that will exist in the new heaven and new earth:
And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Scripture does not identify the source of the light in Genesis 1:2-3, but it could very well be that God's glory was the source, just as described in Revelation 21. On the other hand, God might have done it another way. Do not limit the Creator of the uni-verse based on your limited human assumptions.
On the other hand, God could have simply created the light. He does not need a source for light... He can just make light. Don't make the assumption the atheists hope you will make, that light can only come from the sun, moon or stars.
Don't limit yourself to human assumptions.
God is not limited by assumptions humanists try to force you to make.
So there is no contradiction here... we are ready for the next accusation.
Chapter 1 reports that the fruit trees were created before the man, while chapter 2 indicates they were made after him.
We are still in Genesis, so this statement is about Genesis chapters one and two. Notice that once agin the humanists do not raise a specific question. They make a statement, and they want you to assume there is a problem (question). That is a technique used to confuse and misdirect people. But, as you saw, the answer about light was not that difficult to figure out and this next one is just as easy.
Tap here to go to the next accusation...
Footnote 1: Once again, the humanist author has not provided a specific accusation. He has left it to the reader to assume there is a contradiction.
THE GOOD NEWS
Before you get the good news, you need to know the bad news. It's about you. God says:
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23
Sin means disobeying God, aka breaking God's law. God is perfect and perfection is required to enter heaven. It's a standard none of us can achieve. We all fall short. For example, compare yourself with just one of the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie?
All liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. - Revelation 21:8. Or what about:
Have you ever taken something that does not belong to you, no matter how small? Have you ever looked at another person with lust? In Matthew 5 Jesus said:
Everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.' Have you done that?
You have broken God's laws. You have sinned. There must be justice, and that means eternity in hell, the lake of fire, the second death. Unless...
Unless there was someone willing to pay that penalty on your behalf. Someone who will take on themselves the consequences you deserve. And there is. There is one person who can and will do that. That person is Jesus Christ. If you trust this is true (believe), and repent (turn away from disobeying God), Jesus' death is applied to your account and you are freed from the penalty of sin to be with God forever.