Why Genesis 1 is essential

In contemporary evangelicalism the age of the earth and the nature of Genesis one are no longer thought worthy of real debate. They are considered minor issues. Thinkers like Hank Hannengraff argue that Genesis is not even concerned with the history of the earth, but is a poetic expression of monotheism. Therefore for Hannengraff the age of the earth is a useless debate.
But any time read any great work, we are supposed to study the 3 main parts: the introduction, the climax, and the conclusion. Plus, anytime I have to write a research paper I have to focus the very beginning with a theses statement. Why do we think the beginning of the greatest book, the Bible would not be essential?
Many Christians look at this debate and only think on a shallow level of understanding. (like Hank!) But if we give up the history in genesis one, what are the effects of our understanding of world history? Then what will those effects have on the rest of our worldview. I will show here after learning from critical scholarship the implications of getting rid of genesis one is a logical inevitable path towards apostasy.



If Genesis chapter one is not a historical narrative, then Bible history is not objective.
The history of the Bible no longer provides a complete world view. Whereas a fundamentalist can look at the Bible and declare that this is history and anything else has to conform to it. The Old-earth advocate now must understand that the Bible is really just a history of the Hebrews. The Bible no longer provides the context for Jewish history. Because it is really only Jewish history.

The Bible’s history is insufficient, therefore secular history is valid
If the Bible cannot explain world history and it is just a history, then what is the context? The histories of other groups are valid. Whether, the history of ancient ethnic groups (Egypt, china, Aborigines, Assyria etc.) Even more staggering is that scientific speculations on the origins of the universe are valid. Because, the Bible no longer competes with them. ( after all what do they have now?)

Since secular history is valid, evolutionary history is valid and ordained
The secular history assumes naturalism. Naturalism assumes evolution. Therefore history is arrange in a way that things evolved.
This history already had logical problems of evolutionary gaps. Therefore, evolutionist had to come up with evolutionary leaps. Intelligent design scientist just changed the language so that God had to miraculously make these leaps. Therefore evolution becomes a divine plan and God then endorses evolution.
*I have personally talked with an Old Earth theorist who believes that science is an extension of natural revelation. Therefore, science is divine.
The theistic evolutionary/Intelligent Design picture
Theory: prior to the Bible God started evolution and filled in gaps along the way.
The universe started in the big bang 15 billion years ago.
The earth was naturalistically formed 3 billion years ago
Geology follows a naturalistic scale of dinosaurs and billions of animals who died prior to Adam and Eve. Death suffering are then natural processes unaided by the fall of man.
Man is a product of divine evolutionary leaps as oppose to a true special creation.
The nature of man evolves, (after all God creating man in his image was not historic event, but a poetic declaration) Therefore even though this a divine evolutionary leap, it is still evoplutionary
Therefore, social life is a divine evolutionary process Religion then evolves.
Man starts out polytheistic
Judaism is polytheistic then it has an evolutionary leap into monotheism
Therefore, revelation is subject to evolution
God is behind this evolution.
When he inspires the prophets he also lets his revelation evolve by handing it over to man.
He lets it evolve through oral tradition
God must let evolve through other editors
He then lets it evolve through manuscript transmission (variant changes in manuscripts)
Therefore, divine religion is subject to change
Christianity is an evolution of Judaism
Revelation is no longer immutable or unchanging
The canon of scripture is not static but still open
Religious changes are not apostasy but an unfolding evolution
Catholicism, Islam, Mormonism and New Age are all equally valid divine religions

Henceforth, the end of the Christian worldview.