PPt by Mark E. Hardgrove, PhD, DMin

Providence

Creation—explains the world’s

existence (its coming to be).

Preservation—explains the world’s

continuance (its continuing to

be)

Providence—explains the world’s

control (its direction of being)

Providence

Providence comes from the Latin

pro and video, meaning

“foresight,” and by that “a

careful arrangement prepared

beforehand for the

accomplishment of

predetermined ends.”

ProvidenceProvidence is:

1. Personal

2. Thoughtful

3. Careful

4. Universal

5. Particular

6. Effectual and

7. Supernatural

ProvidenceSome claim God has only

general providence over the

world, but not over every

particular in it. However,

God’s providence must be

both general a particular.

ProvidenceGeneral providence refers to God’s

superintendence over the general

flow of events.

Particular providence relates to

His superintendence over each

thing.

These two are interrelated and

inseparable.

ProvidenceThat God’s providence is also particular

and not general only is emphasized by the

following:

God can’t control the general without

controlling the particular.

God’s love for the general prompts

concern for the smallest detail.

The Bible confirms particular providence:

Job 23:10; 2 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 3:1

Views on Origins

Naturalistic Evolution: No God

involved in creation—things

emerged by a purely natural

process.

Views on Origins

Naturalistic Creation: There is no

Theistic God beyond the world—

only creative Mind within the

universe that creates. They would

account for the anthropic principle

using this view.

Views on Origins

Theistic Evolution: Holds that

there is a Theistic God beyond the

world who created it, but that

from that point on all living things

emerged under His control by

largely natural processes.

Views on Origins

Theistic Creation: Contends that

God directly created the universe,

living things, and human beings.

There is differing opinions about how

many things were created and how

much time it took, but there is

agreement that God was directly

involved in creating the world, life,

and humankind.

Appendix Three: (pp. 1526-1533):

Views on “Days” of Genesis

Twenty-Four Hour-Day View:

Contends that the Hebrew word

yom (day) is 24 hours unless the

context indicates otherwise.

Genesis 1, does not indicate

anything other than a 24 hour day.

Appendix Three :

Views on “Days” of Genesis

Days as Long Periods of Time:

There are indications in Scripture

to support the believe that

creation “days” were longer than

24 hours.

Appendix Three :

Views on “Days” of Genesis

The Revelatory-Day View: This view

holds that the reference to the days

are not the 24 hour days of creation,

but the 24 hour days of revelation,

meaning that God revealed to Adam

or Moses the creation of earth on day

one, the separation of sky and earth

on day two, and so on, for six days.

Appendix Three :

Views on “Days” of Genesis

The Alternate-Day-Age View: Some

hold that the days of Genesis are 24

hour periods of time in which God

created the things mentioned but

that they are separated by long

periods of time in between.

Appendix Three :

Views on “Days” of Genesis

Gap Theories: Made popular by

Scofield, it proposes a long span of

time between the first two verses of

the Bible. The argument is that the

Gen. 1:2 represents a time of chaos

that God would not have created.

Therefore, a cataclysm of some type

occurred after the initial creation of

Gen. 1:1.

Appendix Three:

Views on “Days” of Genesis

The Ideal-Time View: According to

this perspective, the earth and all

living things were created mature.

Trees had rings, animals were

mature enough to reproduce, Adam

and Eve were young adults, the earth

and the universe also were created

at the ideal age to sustain itself.

Appendix Three:

Views on “Days” of Genesis

The Literary-Framework View:

Holds that the use of “days” and

“evening and morning” are merely

ancient literary devices to frame

certain periods of time in order to

encapsulate them in that literary

form much like we use a “chapter”

to do the same.

• The following slides are questions using the layouts in the Quiz Show template. Use this session as a study aid. To get the full effect you should view in the Slide Show format of PowerPoint.

Providence explains God’s control of the

world, its direction of being. [Place your curser over True of False and click.]

The word providence comes from what two

Latin words?

Within the context of a Christian theistic

worldview, providence takes on which

seven characteristics?

What are the three arguments in support of

God’s “particular” providence?

1. God can’t control the general without

controlling the particular.

2. God’s love for the general prompts

concern for the smallest detail that affects

the general.

3. The Bible confirms particular providence:

Job 23:10; 2 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 3:1)

What “scientific evidences” does Geisler

provide for the “Long Days” in Genesis?

Carbon 14 dating of rocks

The salinity of the oceans in light of the rate of salt going into the oceans.

The speed of light and distance of the stars

The rate of expansion of the universe

All of the above

Match the theory to the short definition:

Revelatory-Day View

The Alternate-Day-Age View

Gap Theories

The Ideal-Time View

The Literary-Framework View

The “days” and “evenings and mornings” are merely ancient literary devices to frame

certain periods of time, used like a chapter to divide a block of information in a book.

Genesis records a second creation, with a first creation hinted at in verse 1 followed by a large gap of time before the contemporary

creation account begins in verse 2

The days and weeks represent the time it took God to reveal the

story of creation to Adam or Moses

Each day in Genesis is a 24 hour day, but there were long periods

between the days.

The earth and all living things were created with the appearance of age. The trees, for example, created with

rings.

Naturalistic Evolution

Naturalistic Creation

Theistic Evolution

Theistic Creation

Absolute Pantheism

Creation is an illusion, we exist only in the imagination of God.

There is a theistic Creator beyond the world who created it, but that from that point on all living things emerged under His

control only by largely natural processes.

There is no God involved in creation, it all occurs naturalistically.

There is no theistic Creator beyond the world—only a creative Mind within the

universe that creates.

God directly created the universe, living things, and human beings.

Match the view on origins to the short

definition.