Q: Aren't the days of Genesis 1 just an issue of language?

A: The true meaning of the days of creation is, in part, a language issue. After all, the only way words have meaning to all of us is because we stick to the rules of grammar for a particular language. But many people--including some Christian leaders--want to change the rules when it comes to the meaning of the days of creation.

The word "day" as used in Genesis 1, according to the rules of the Hebrew language, means an ordinary day in that particular context.

Yet even though most theologians agree that the word "day" in Genesis 1 means a 24-hour day, many say it can't mean that because the universe is obviously billions of years old.

By doing this, they are actually saying that the fallible dating methods of fallible man are more important than the actual words of the Bible that God inspired people to write. Thus they're making man the authority--not God.

Yes, this is an authority issue. The Word of God should be read as written and used to judge the fallible words of man--not the other way round!


Source: AnswersinGenesis.org