First of all, the word theory is often used by people who simply have a conjecture or an idea they are making up on the spot. In science, a theory is a step above a hypothesis and is expected to have an evidential basis. The Gap Theory has nothing to do with science, but is not just an off-the-cuff speculation, either. Even though it has been refuted long ago, people zombify it and let it roam around, annoying theologians and confusing lay people.
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| Standley Chasm, Unsplash / Stephen Mabbs |
Now we have a gap. Want to see what's in it? Billions of years. The fall of Satan. Lucifer's Flood, which is supposed to explain geology. Ruin and reconstruction, because God created on top of a world wrecked by Lucifer's Flood. (Gap Thing makes everything groovy for compromisers, apparently.) This is totally at odds with biblical creation science and proper exegesis of Scripture, since the Genesis Flood explains what is observed in geology far better than secular uniformitarian ideas. The Gap Theory also causes numerous inconsistencies with Scripture (it also adds to it!), and people who believe it should abandon the Gap Thing.
Often when encountering two conflicting views, our first instinct is to find middle ground. We are called to live in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, yet that unity is to be based upon the solid foundation of biblical truth. Sometimes, however, Christians gravitate toward a seeming compromise that allows them to believe the Bible and what they perceive as the scientific view of origins. The gap theory is often offered as an idea that would build a bridge between the historical record of Scripture and the evolutionary timeframe of billions of years by inserting millions of years in the creation account.
To read the entire article or listen to the audio, visit "What’s in the Gap?"