In the beginning is probably one of the most controversial phrases in the English language. In mid-19 th century the controversy between science and religion met head on when the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin were confronted by a rejuvenated creationism postulated by the newly organized Seventh-day Adventist Church, and by the "young earth" model based on Flood geology presented by a self-taught scholar named George McCready Price.
This controversy, however, is not only between science and religion. It rages within the Christian community.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning was God ... All things were made through Him." John 1:1,3
Here are presented two beginnings. Are they the same or different? Both imply that God existed before the beginning and that the beginning involved creation. The "heavens and the earth" of Gen. 1:1 includes about everything as does the "all things" of John 1:3. Just when this beginning occurred, however, is a different matter. Did all things begin at the same time or different times? Did angels, the universe, the solar system, earth and all the life on it have a common beginning? Some fundamentalist Christians believe that they did, that Gen. 1:1 was a part of creation week. Others do not think so, they believe that a time "gap" occurred between "the earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep" and "the Spirit of God moved upon the waters," that the solar system and the universe with all its myriad stars and galaxies existed prior to creation week. Others, called theistic evolutionists, believe that God created all things including life on the earth eons ago.
Theistic evolution has difficulties with the biblical account of "evenings and mornings" of creation week, which indicates 24-hour days. It also has a problem with the weekly cycle and the Sabbath day. Those who believe that all things were created during creation week have a problem with stars that are billions of light years away. Also, their belief that the sun, moon, and stars were made on the fourth day would have the earth hanging alone in space for three days without being a part of a delicately balanced solar system. The "gap" theory seems to avoid many of these difficulties; it leaves the creation week intact, allows for a weekly cycle of 24-hour days, provides for the Sabbath day, and concurs with observations of modern astronomy. It also would accommodate certain data from radioactive dating.
Whichever theory a person accepts as most biblical and logical, it is certain that an eternal, self-existent God created "in the beginning."
