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BEREAN STUDIES ON THE CREATION

THE TEXT-BOOK USED FOR THIS COURSE IS SCRIPTURE STUDIES, VOLUME VI—STUDY I

“In the beginning.”

JUNE 19

(1) What is signified by the opening sentence of the Bible, “In the beginning God created,” etc.? And are there other beginnings recognized in the Bible? If so, what? P. 17, par. 2.

(2) Does the Genesis account relate to the creation of our earth? If not, why not? And what are the limitations of the creative work as recorded in Genesis? P. 18, par. 2.

(3) Does the word day apply invariably to the twenty-four-hour periods generally so called? If not, describe other uses of the term day in the Scriptures and give citations. P. 19, par. 1.

(4) How may we be sure that the Genesis days do not signify solar days, as in the more common usage of the word? P. 19, par. 1.

(5) Should we understand that all of the days of the creative week are of uniform length? And if we ascertain the length of one of those days, would we be justified in assuming that the others were of similar length? P. 19, par. 2.

(6) If we were to estimate those creative days as of seven thousand years each and the entire creative week as of forty-nine thousand years, how would these figures compare with the usual estimation of geologists? P. 19, par. 2.

(7) What had Professor Dana to say on this subject? What were his opinions of “scientific guesses”? And how much must we suppose the writer of Genesis understood of the full import of his words? P. 20, par. 1,2,3.

JUNE 26

(8) Which is more logical, to believe as science teaches, that a blind and intelligent force is operative in the development of our planet, of which we can learn only by comparisons and guesses, or to suppose the manifestation a part of the Divine handiwork showing forth Divine wisdom, order and arrangement, and these items of the Divine Program revealed to us by a gracious Creator who foreknew the longings infinite of our minds? P. 20, par. 4.

(9) Summarize the views of the Higher Critics and Evolutionists respecting creation. P. 21.

(10) Do we object to Mr. Darwin’s theory because he was a foolish man or on what grounds? And what can we say of his theory and of his test respecting pigeons, etc.? P. 22, par. 1,2.

(11) What great error has helped to confuse Bible students and how should we understand the formation of our earth’s crust in various layers of clay and rocks, evidently deposited in a liquid or plastic form? P. 22, par. 3.

(12) Has God revealed anything respecting the manner in which the atoms of matter composing our earth were brought together? Or is there anything in the Bible to answer this question? P. 23, par. 2.

(13) What is signified by basic, igneous rocks, and what does their location deep under the earth’s surface indicate? And what do the higher layers of water-laid rocks and clays imply? P. 23, par. 3.

(14) Explain in harmony with the Genesis account how the firmament or expanse or atmosphere surrounding our earth must have been formed and whether or not it probably required considerable lapse of time. P. 23, par. 3; P. 24, par. 1.

(15) Explain the process by which the various strata of clay and sand, etc., were piled upon the igneous rocks, which evidently once had been in the molten condition. Tell why they were called rings and explain their influence. P. 24, par. 1,2.

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— May 15, 1910 —