Hugh Ross - A Matter of Days: Resolving a Creation Controversy

D r . R oss e n d e av o rs t o li te r a l l y in te r pr e t Sc r iptu r es and the la t est sci e n t ific data t o sh o w h o w th e y a r e in a g r e e m e nt. E v e n if y ou disa g r ee w ith his c o n cl usi o ns, y ou w i l l b e nefit f r o m r eading this bo ok. I hi g h l y r e c o mm e nd it .

J ohn A n k e rb e r g , host, The J o hn A n k erber g S h o w

This bo ok is an in- d epth t r ea t m e nt o f the c r ea t i o n e v e nts, g i v ing d eep insi g hts in b oth the meaning o f the b iblical te xt and the la t est sci e n t ific data. A n h o nest t r ea t m e nt wo r th r eading b y a ny o ne in ter es t ed in the beg innin g . A m ust- r ead .

R o g i e r A. W indh o rst, p r of ess o r o f as t r o n o m y , A r i zo na Sta t e U n i v e rsi t y

I n A M at t e r o f D a y s, H u g h R oss sh o ws that a c r ea t i o n da t e o f b i l li o ns o f y ears a g o is not in c o mpa t ible w ith a staun c h b elief in the inspi r a t i o n and in e rr ancy o f the B ible. H e also e xplains w h y sci e n t ific argum e nts fo r y oung-ea r th c r ea t i o nism d o not hold u p . R os s ca l l fo r C h r is t ian theolo g ians and sci e n t ists o f dif fe r ing v ie w p o ints t o wo r k t og e th e r t o r eso l v e their dif fere n c es amicab l y is es p ecia l l y a p p ealin g .

R o b e r t M. B o w man J r ., e x ec u t i v e di r e c to r , I ns t it ut e fo r R eli g ious R esea rc h

S in c e G o d is not the a u th o r o f c o nfusi o n, it f o l l o ws that a n y a p pa re nt dis c or d be t w e e n faith and sci e n c e lies in the limits o f h uman un de rstandin g . A M at t e r o f D a y s urges us t o c ha l l e nge those limits. R os s c lear and ab l y r eas o ned wo r k pushes us t o be t te r c o m- pr eh e nd the inn e r wo r kin g s o f c r ea t i o n .

B r o c k Th o e ne, n o v elist, c o a u th o r o f F i r st L i g ht, ama te ur as t r o n o m e r

The is s ues o f the age o f c r ea t i o n and the l e ngth o f c r ea t i o n d a y s a r e cu r re nt l y painful p o ints o f c o n te n t i o n w ithin the e vangelical ch u rc h. I t need not b e s o . I n fa c t, these and r ela t ed is s ues can b e v e r y ef f e ct i v e l y used in e vangelism. I n A M at t e r o f D a y s, as t r o no- m e r and e vangelist H u g h R oss discusses the p r obl e m and the argum e nts o n b oth si d es o f this c o n t r o v e rsy w ith b iblical and sci e n t ific in t egr i t y , w hile a p p ealing fo r calm o n a l l si d es. H e e nds w ith a p r o p osal fo r r eso l v ing the c o n t r o v e rsy in a w a y that c ould b r ing p ea c e t o the ch u rc h and g l o r y t o G o d. I s t r o n g l y e n c ou r age a l l w ho a r e in ter es t ed in is s ues r ela t ing t o sci e n c e and the B ible t o r ead this bo ok and t o p r a y , as I d o , fo r s u c h a p ea c eful r eso lu t i o n .

K y le C u dwo r th, p r of ess o r o f as t r o n o m y , U n i v e rsi t y o f C hica g o and D i r e c to r o f Y e r k es O bs e r va to r y

2015 by Reasons to Believe

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from

Reasons to Believe, 818 S. Oak Park Rd., Covina, CA 91724 www.reasons.org

ISBN 978-1-886653-13-9

Cover design Whitney Martin Design

Anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are documented. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.

Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the HO L Y BIBLE: NEW INTERN A TIONAL VERSION (NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Societ y . Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Other versions used include: the New King James V ersion (NKJV). Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved; and the King James V ersion (KJV).

Ross, Hugh (Hugh Norman), 1945

A matter of days : resolving a creation controversy / Hugh Ross. -- Second expanded edition.

pages cm.

Includes index.

Previous edition: Colorado Springs, CO : NavPress,

c2004.

ISBN 978-1-886653-13-9

1. Creation. 2. Earth (Planet)--Age. 3. Biblical

cosmolog y . I. T itle.

BS651.R765 2014231.7652

QBI14-1564

In loving memory of Alice Coles, the Arkansas grandma

Acknowledgments

A long list of theologians, scientists, and philosophersthose who agree with me and those who do notall helped make this new book stronger than its previous editions. Special thanks to Bible and theology scholars Krista Bontrager, Robert Bowman Jr., Daniel Janosik, John Rea, and Walt Kaiser; to philosophers Norman Geisler, John Mark Reynolds, and Kenneth Samples; and to fellow scientists Samuel Conner, Guillermo Gonzalez, Alex Metherell, Fazale Rana, and David Rogstad.

This manuscript reflects the editorial skills not only of its original editors, including Patti Townley-Covert, Marj Harman, and Tani Trost, but also of my current team: Joe Aguirre, Sandra Dimas, Maureen Moser, and Elissa Emoto. Thanks for your dedication to making this book both understandable and accurate. Special appreciation goes to Phil Chien for his work on tables and figures. Im deeply grateful also for the artful touch of designer Christine Talley, Grv Creative Communications.

Once again I want to acknowledge Kathy, my wife, who helped me hone the arguments presented in these pages. Thank you for translating complex explanations into understandable prose. Your moral support and encouragement played a major role in carrying this book into the hands of our readers.

Hugh Ross

2015

F o r e w o r d

If y ou a r e unfamiliar w ith a n y o f H u g h R os s p r e v ious c o n tr i bu t i o ns t o the discussi o n o f the ha r m o n y that e xists be t w e e n sci e n c e and Sc r iptu r e, this se c o nd e xpan d ed edi t i o n o f A M at t e r o f D a y s y ou hold in y our hands w i l l b e an un e x p e c t ed t r eat. I n addi t i o n t o his o u tstanding a c c o mplishm e nts in as t r o p h y sics, H u g h has b e e n an e x c e l l e nt gui d e fo r the e vangelical c o m m uni t y b y sh o w ing h o w C h r is t ians can and ou g ht t o e n g age ea c h oth e r and the sci e n t ific c o m m uni t y w ith gr a c e, h umili t y , and e x c e l l e n c e in the fields o f b iblical s c hola r ship and c u t t ing-edge sci e n t ific r esea r c h.

I t se e ms t o o la t e in the d a y fo r the C h r is t ian ch u r c h t o b e so v i go r ous l y e n g aged in the c r ea t i o n-d a y/ag e c o n t r o v e rsy that is a l l- t o o- o f te n fi l led w ith d e c lama t i o ns and i n v e ct i v e. S u c h discussi o n th r ea te ns t o t ear apa r t the bo d y o f C h r ist. H u g h r e minds his r ea de rs that nea r l y fo rt y y ears o f s e r ious at te mpts t o r e c o ncile this disp ut e h av e not s u cc ee d ed. One w ould h av e thou g ht that b y n o w the f o cus o f the j o int ef fo r ts o f the C h r is t ian c o m m uni t y w ould h av e b e e n t o e n g age the secular sci e n t ific wo r ld and their me c hanis t ic c o n cl usi o ns that the un i v e rse, m o r tals, and a l l that e xists o n the plan e t came a b o u t w itho u t the c r ea t i v e wo r d o r hand o f G o d. Sa d l y , h o w e v e r , t o o ma n y in the C h r is t ian aca de mic c o m m uni t y h av e e xhaus t ed their ef fo r ts in c o n de mning f e l l o w b eli e v e rs fo r not a g r eeing that the un i v e rse is v e r y y oun g , and that the d a y s in G e nesis 1 a r e 24-hour d a y s.