Between the two views of Young-Earth and Old-Earth creationism, we have divergent views of the issue of death before and after the Fall of man. This issue touches on the nature and goodness of God, the problem of evil, the nature of death, and the atoning work of Jesus.
It is an issue that Christians should be interested in and that Christian apologists should address.
As I approach the issue of death before and after the Fall, I take the theological perspective of Old-Earth Creationism. Such a perspective has three foundational truths. As Hugh Ross says in his book, A Matter of Days (2004),
- God is the initiator of both the biblical, or special, revelation and the created revelation (natural world).
- God renders both the words of the Bible and the facts of nature true and consistent.
- God’s character and attributes are expressed specifically (propositionally) in the Bible and generally (intelligibly) in nature, and neither negates or contradicts the other.
These three truths are embodied in the concept of Dual Revelation.
Dual Revelation is going to be the key to understanding this issue.
Next Week: The objective using questions
Mark Riser - Apologist 