Scriptural Background
Most people look at the Bible as a book that contains interesting stories and theological teaching.
They don’t understand that the Bible is a history book. Christianity is not based on myths and fables—it is based on real history revealing major events that are foundational to the Bible’s important messages. We like to call it the history book of the universe!
The accounts are actual historical accounts— Adam was real; he was created on day six of creation; his sin cast the whole human race into sin; the flood was a real, global catastrophic event; Jesus Christ really lived, died, and rose again for the payment of the sins of his people—the Bible is true and can be trusted (1 Corinthians 15:1–4).
When we don’t see the Bible as a history book, we are often left unprepared to answer questions accurately and biblically—questions presented to us by our children, family, neighbors, and friends about things such as dinosaurs, fossils, Noah’s ark, Cain’s wife, the races, and why there is death and suffering. We need to know how to answer these questions. We need to realize that God’s Word cannot be compartmentalized into the “spiritual” area of our lives. It must be integrated
into our every waking moment; we must live, answer questions, and make decisions based on a biblical worldview—based on God’s truth, not man’s.
The Seven C’s of History in this curriculum represent major biblical events that have affected (and will affect) our world history. We start at the beginning—Creation—and follow a timeline of history to its end—Consummation. The Seven C’s are the following:
Creation: In the beginning—about 6,000 years ago—in six 24-hour days, God made a perfect creation (Genesis 1).
Corruption: The first man, Adam, disobeyed the Creator. His sin brought death and corruption into God’s very good creation (Genesis 2:17).
Catastrophe: Adam’s race became so wicked that God judged the world with a great catastrophe—a global flood—saving only those on the ark built by Noah (Genesis 7:23).
Confusion: When Noah’s descendants disobeyed God’s command to fill the earth, God brought confusion on their language, forcing them to spread over the earth (Genesis 11:7–8). Christ: The Creator became a man, Jesus Christ, who obeyed God in everything, unlike the first man, Adam (Matthew 1:21–23).
Cross: Jesus, the Messiah, died on the cross to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin against God. He rose from the dead, providing life for all who trust in him as Savior (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
Consummation: One day, at the consummation, the Creator will remake his creation. He will cast out death and the disobedient, create a new heaven and new earth, and dwell eternally with those who trust in him (Revelation 21:4).
When we start with the Bible, the history book of the universe, we can develop a worldview that trusts God’s Word over man’s word—and we will learn to confidently answer the questions we are asked based on the foundation of the truth of God.
Historical/Apologetics Background
There are basically two views of history: the biblical view, which we outline using the Seven C’s of History, and the secular view, which relies on man’s ideas from outside the Bible to try and determine the events of the past. These secular ideas are opposed to the Bible’s true history. They are prevalent in our culture and often found even in the church today.
Below are some of the erroneous views that stand in opposition to the seven C’s as presented above. It is important to be aware of them and be prepared to give a defense to anyone who questions God’s Word (1 Peter 3:15).
Creation: The universe was created from a big bang about 13 billion years ago; the earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Animals and man have evolved to their present state.
Corruption: The world has always had disease, struggle, and death. Sin and guilt are just psychological conditions that must be overcome.
Catastrophe: If there was a flood, it was a local flood that affected only the Mesopotamian region.
Confusion: There are different races of mankind, and these races reflect different levels of evolutionary development.
Christ: If Jesus even lived, then he was a good man, a prophet, or perhaps even our “savior,” but he is not the Creator.
Cross: Jesus’ death on the cross shows that he identified with us in our suffering, but it has no significance for salvation.
Consummation: Either all men will be saved because God is loving and would never send anyone to hell, or there is no afterlife, and people return to the dust when they die.
The Word of God can be trusted not only when it speaks of spiritual and moral principles, but also when it speaks on history and science. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). In other words, if we can’t believe the Bible’s history, starting in Genesis, why should we believe its gospel message? If we can’t trust the Bible’s history in the first several chapters, then when can we start trusting it?
Unfortunately, there are many who don’t trust the Bible’s history in Genesis. These people hold to an old-earth, evolutionary view of history. They have a naturalistic (no God) view that promotes autonomous human reason, ignoring God’s written revelation. This is a completely different worldview from those who hold to the biblical creation view— the Seven C’s of History. There hasn’t always been a divide regarding this biblical authority. Before the 1700s, it was the general consensus of the church that God created the world, as described in the book of Genesis, around 4,000 to 6,000 years ago.
The following chart indicates some past scholars and historians who calculated the age of the earth based on their study and trust in God’s Word.Note that most of these chronologists lived before or not too long after the 1700s when the “old-earth” worldview started to take root.
Chronologist When Lived Calculated Date of Creation (BC)
Julius Africanus c. 250 5501
George Syncellus c. 800 5492
John Jackson c. 1750 5426
William Hales c. 1850 5411
Eusebius c. 350 5199
Marianus Scotus c. 1050 4192
Thomas Lydiat c. 1600 4103
M. Michael Maestlinus c. 1600 4079
Jacob Salianus c. 1600 4053
H. Spondanus c. 1600 4051
J. Cappellus c. 1600 4005
J. Ussher c. 1650 4004
E. Greswell c. 1830 4004
D. Petavius c. 1630 3983
C. Longomontanus c. 1600 3966
P. Melanchthon c. 1550 3964
A. Salmeron c. 1600 3958
J. Scaliger c. 1600 3949
M. Beroaldus c. 1550 3927
A. Helwigius c. 1650 3836
Note: c means circa=approximately.
Again, many theologians and church leaders jumped on the “old-earth bandwagon” and have accepted the fallible geological dating methods of man, which disregard the clear teachings of Scripture about a young earth. They have pursued old-earth tenets that undermine the Bible’s gospel message.
As Bible-believing Christians, we must resolve to stand firm on God’s Word as we contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).
Studying God’s Word
Introduction
In our lesson two weeks ago (before the apologetics focus last week) we
mentioned a framework to help us understand the overarching storyline
of the Bible. The Seven C’s of History is a tool that we are going to use
to help us understand the flow of history as it is recorded in the Bible.
As we work our way through this curriculum, we are going to be looking
at the Bible in a chronological manner rather than focusing on specific
topics or people.
? Have you ever studied or read the Bible in a chronological
manner?
(MULTILINE)
The Seven C’s of History
Creation
Genesis 1:1, 1:31
? Turn to Genesis 5. What do you notice about these genealogies?
(MULTILINE)
? This list begins with Adam and makes its way to Noah and his sons.
With a bit of basic math, what could we determine using these ages?
(MULTILINE)
Corruption
Genesis 3:6–7
? Does the Bible give a time reference between the creation of man and his
fall into sin?
(MULTILINE)
Catastrophe
Genesis 7:11–12, 7:18–21
Confusion
Genesis 11:1–9
? Why is this such an important event in human history? What does it
help us explain about the world we live in?
(MULTILINE)
Christ
Matthew 1:21–23
? Which of the seven C’s saw sin enter the world?
(MULTILINE)
Cross
Colossians 1:19–22
? What was the point of Christ’s death on the cross?
(MULTILINE)
Consummation
Revelation 21:1–4
Application
We have gone through the Seven C’s of History from a biblical perspective; now let’s look at them from a secular perspective.
? What is the most popular idea of how the universe began?
(MULTILINE)
? How long ago is the big bang believed to have
happened?
(MULTILINE)
? What about a global catastrophe? How does the world view Noah’s flood?
(MULTILINE)
? So, if the flood is a myth, then how would the world view the events at
Babel and the confusion of the languages?
(MULTILINE)
? In your experience, how do people outside of the church view Jesus
Christ?
(MULTILINE)
? And as to the future consummation, what is the end of each person
in this world from a secular view?
(MULTILINE)
? How do you see the biblical framework of history being challenged
in our society?
(MULTILINE)
? Which of these seven events do people inside the church challenge the
most? Why?
(MULTILINE)
? Will everyone we encounter hold a completely secular worldview or a
completely biblical worldview?
(MULTILINE)
Prayer Time
• Praise God for his trustworthy and sovereign character revealed to us
in his Word.
• Ask God for wisdom to defend his Word as the truth we believe and
trust.
• Thank God for his sovereign direction over the universe and the sure
hope that we have of a future with him in the new heaven and earth.