Answering Humanist's Accusations Against 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 werent 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.
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.
You will exist forever. The question is, where? Disobeying God is the road to death, and we have all disobeyed God:
For all have sinned [disobeyed God] and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23
The consequence of sin is death. You will exist experiencing death forever.
For the wages of sin is death... - Romans 6:23a
But there is GOOD News! You can have life!
...but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23b
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8
Instead of our experiencing death forever, Christ died in our place. Repent (turn away from disobeying God), believe this, trusting that Jesus truly did die in your place.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1