Glossary of Words & Terms

Hey everyone! Jordyn and I are both very fond of using terms that are specific to how we debate and discuss what we believe, so here is a post from both of us that should cover those vague terms and words.

Check back often, we will be updating this list with new terms as we use them! If you find a term that we've used, but haven't defined and you would like to know it, please comment below and we will happily add it to the list!

Apologetics is the use of reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, in this case, the Bible and creation.

Young-earth creationists believe that God created the earth and universe in six literal 24-hour days about 6,000 years ago, based on a plain reading of Genesis. This belief is based on the Genesis genealogies. From these genealogies, we can deduce that 2,000 years passed between Adam and Abraham, 2,000 years passed between Abraham and Jesus, and 2,000 years passed between Jesus and the present time. This adds up to approximately 6,000 years.

More Biblical evidence for this view is explained in this post here. (Foundations First holds this position, as does Answers in Genesis, the apologetics ministry from which we get most of our information.)

Old-earth creationists (also known as progressive creationists) believe that God created the earth and universe millions of years ago, and they believe that the days described in Genesis are actually long periods of time over which God performed His creative acts. However, old-earth creationists do not believe that God used some form of evolution to create. (The apologetics organization Reasons to Believe holds this view.) [BJ's note: Jordyn and I do not agree with or support the views of Reasons to Believe. The link to their site is provided for citation alone.]

Gap theorists believe that there is a gap of millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Many gap theorists believe that Lucifer’s fall as well as an initial worldwide flood (not Noah's Flood) occurred during this gap. They hold that “Lucifer’s flood” caused the fossil record to form. Then the narrative picks up with Genesis 1:2, which recounts God recreating the world. According to this view, the earth is billions of years old, but the days in Genesis are six literal 24-hour days.

Those who hold to the framework hypothesis believe that Genesis teaches that God created all things, but they believe that Genesis does not explain how God created everything. This leaves the details of the creation account up to the reader’s interpretation—which can include millions of years.

Theistic evolutionists believe that God created the earth and universe millions of years ago, and they believe that God used evolution to bring about all the species alive today. This includes humans, though they are still set apart from animals because God breathed a soul into them. However, this view has no scriptural support and is both theologically and scientifically problematic. (The organization BioLogos holds this view.)

[BJ's note: Jordyn and I do not agree with or support the views of BioLogos. The link to their site is provided for citation alone.]

Day-age theory is the belief that the days of Genesis represent longer periods of time, not 24-hour days

[reserved for more terms]