Page 248 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

EVIL AFFECTED - EVOLUTION

holy God is not responsible for the evil that entered His 1. The Bible says God made the world and all things
universe, as many blasphemously charge, and this verse therein in six days. That these were six normal days by
does not support such a wicked idea. man’s reasoning—24-hour days rather than 1,000-year
(5) The testimony of 1 Co. 14:33 says God is not the or million-year days—is proven in Genesis chapter one
author of confusion. This is in the context of the local by the repeated use of the phrase “the evening and the
church and the exercise of spiritual gifts. Thus we know morning were the first day.” God would not have chosen
Is. 45:7 does NOT teach that God creates confusion or this expression if He had not desired to communicate
error or problems in churches or among people. God the idea of a normal day. Also, in Exodus, the Lord
can use any sort of problem and can work all things for revealed that the days of creation were the same kind of
good for those that love Him (Ro. 8:28), but this does days as those kept by the Israelites for sabbaths (Ex.
not mean that God necessarily creates the problems of 20:8-11; 31:16-17). Evolution, on the other hand, says
life, or that He wills for such things as sin and moral the present world is the product of millions of years of
failure to occur. God used the stubbornness of Pharaoh’s evolutionary process.
heart to glorify Himself, but God did not create the sin 2. The Bible says God made plants and animals in such
in Pharaoh’s heart. God will use even the wicked to a way that they are divided into distinct categories. The
glorify Himself; the Bible tells us He has made the dividing lines between kinds of animals cannot be
wicked for the day of evil; but the Bible also tells us that crossed. One kind cannot be successfully interbred with
God’s express will is that every man would be saved (1 another. Fish cannot become birds; bats cannot become
Ti. 2:3-4; 2 Pe. 3:9). [See Affliction, Judgment, Sin, eagles; dogs cannot become cats. It is true that there
Suffering, Trials.] can be crossing over and interbreeding within kinds—
EVIL AFFECTED. To be stirred up against; angry; one type of dog can be bred with another type of dog.
injurious (Ac. 14:2). But the major kinds of animals cannot cross over into
EVIL ENTREAT. To treat badly (Ex. 5:22; De. 26:6). other kinds (Ge. 1:21, 24, 25). Evolution;, on the other
EVIL MERODACH (Merodak’s fool). Son and hand, teaches that all animals grew from some type of
common stock. One kind produced another kind. Fish
successor of Nebuchadnezzar, B.C. 561; murdered and became land animals; lands animals became birds; an
succeeded by Neriglissar, B.C. 559 (2 Ki. 25:27; Je. animal became a man. This is directly opposed to the
52:31) (Smith). Bible. It is also contrary to the impassable gulf we
EVIL SPEAKING. Any type of evil speech. The observe existing today between animal species.
following references reveal the sinfulness of all forms of 3. The Bible teaches that man is not an animal. Man is
evil speaking: Ex. 20:7; 22:28; Le. 19:14; 20:9; the only creature on earth made in God’s image in order
24:10-15; Pr. 4:24; 8:7-8,13; 10:11, 32; 17:20; 20:20; to have direct fellowship with God. Man did not grow
29:24; Ps. 10:7; 62:4; Ec. 10:20; Is. 8:21; Mt. 5:44; out of the animal kingdom. He was created directly by
12:34-36; 26:74; Mk. 14:71; Ro. 3:14; 12:14; Ep. 4:29, God to rule over the creation and to walk and talk with
31; 5:4; Co. 3:8; Ja. 3:3-10; 1 Pe. 2:1; Re. 16:9. The God (Ge. 1:19-31). Man was man the very hour he was
types of evil speaking are found in four key N.T. made by God (Ge. 2:7; 5:1-2). As soon as man was
passages—Col. 3:8-9 (blasphemy, lying, filthy created, he had the ability to name all the animals of
communication, wrath); Ep. 5:4 (filthiness, foolish the world (Ge. 2:18-20). Man was never an
talking, jesting); Ep. 4:31 (bitterness, wrath, anger, unintelligent animal. Evolution, though, teaches that
clamour); and Ja. 3:10 (cursing). [See Backbite, man arose from the animal kingdom, gradually
Busybody, Evil Speaking, Intermeddle, Slander, becoming more and more intelligent, civilized, and self-
Talebearer, Tattler, Whisperer.] conscious.
EVIL SPIRIT. [See Devils.] 4. The Bible teaches that mankind was made perfect
EVILFAVOURED. Ugly; deformed (De. 17:1). and rebelled against God. Ever since that day, the human
EVOLUTION. The idea that the world and all existing race has been growing increasingly more perverse and
things came into being through a process of gradual corrupt. According to the Bible, man is not evolving, he
change and progression. It has even been said that a is devolving (Ge. 1:26-31; 6:5-7; Ec. 7:29; 2 Ti. 3:13).
person can believe the teaching of evolution and the Yet, evolution teaches that the human race began as
teaching of the Bible without any serious contradiction. dumb animals and has been growing increasingly better
In other words, some say God used evolution as His and higher.
means of making the world. This, though, is impossible. 5. The Bible teaches that man was created intelligent
Following are some of the differences between the and inventive. Adam’s children, in the very first centuries
theory of evolution and the teaching of the Bible. after creation, knew how to make music, keep cattle,
farm, and work with brass and iron (Ge. 4:1-4,16-22).

248 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity