Does the corruption of all creation in Romans 8:20-22, of necessity, mean the death of all animal life.

A Preliminary Investigation
by
TE Dan Bartel, D.Min.

One of the great gifts of Post-modernism to the church of Jesus Christ is the destruction of Modernist thought foundations or frameworks (Veith 48-49, 232-233). Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in his 1978 address, blasted the modernist foundations of Western society and offered the Christian response to post-modernism, "No one on earth has any other way left but upward" (Solzhenitsyn 20).

Darwinian (Macro) Evolution can be seen as a disintegrating building block of a Modernist tower of Babel (see Darwin on Trial by Philip E. Johnson; Darwin's Black Box by Michael J. Behe; et al). The political correctness movement in the area of the Earth and Life Sciences can be seen as a post-modernist attempt to 'prop-up' and support the failing religion of evolution (Veith 181-182; Bartel).

It is, for this reason, wise to welcome the examination of the foundations of our theology.  Two fundamental questions, therefore, need to be asked. First, is our commitment to reformed theology based on the text of Scripture or on the traditions handed down from the fathers?  Second, is our commitment to Reformed Theology based on a post-modernist existential leap of faith?

One of the great theologians of our day may have inadvertently pointed to the crisis of a post-modernist existential theology in the creation debate.

John Murray indicates that the phrase "bondage of all of corruption" is not referring to angels, Satan, believers or other men.  He comments, "The bondage of corruption is the bondage which consists in corruption and, since it is not ethical in character, must be taken in the sense of the decay and death apparent even in non-rational creation."  This is an insightful comment, which clearly indicates that the "bondage of corruption" to which the Apostle is speaking must be to the death in the animal world.  Thus, we may conclude that the Bible does teach that death in the animal world or the bondage of corruption was due to the sin of Adam.  If this is correct, then one is driven to the conclusion that the animals had not existed over long periods of time prior to the creation of Adam. (Emphasis added) (Pipa 260)

The question of whether animal death occurred before the creation of Adam is critical to the evolution-creation debate.  But more foundational is the question of whether the biblical text mandates such a conclusion or is there a greater latitude than traditionally allowed?

Does the corruption of all creation in Romans 8:20-22 exegetically mean the death of animal life?  To adequately answer the question we must turn to the original text and limit the definition of words to 1st century biblical  definitions.

Notice that the word fqoraV is used in the nominative in Romans 8:20-22.  "For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption   Bauer Arndt and Gingrich give the various First Century definitions of fqoraV to include all of which is meant for destruction by being consumed, the state of being perishable (physical death), destruction by abortion (physical death), the rape of a maiden (death of virginity for which capital punishment was required according to Deuteronomy 22:25-27), a state of religious and moral depravity (spiritual death) and destruction in judgement (eternal death).

The word is used in the accusative in 2 Peter 2:12.  "But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed [fqoran], reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed. . . ."

We are forced to accept the text's reading of corruption to mean death on both scientific and scriptural grounds.  Scientifically, the corruption of creation, or death in creation, is illustrated in the second law of thermo-dynamics.  "When free interchange of radiant energy or heat conduction takes place between two bodies at different temperatures, it is always the hotter of the two that loses energy and the colder that gains energy."  In other words, a fire left to itself will die i.e., experience corruption (Webster's New International Unabridged Dictionary, laws of thermo-dynamics).

Scripturally, the Reformed principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture is a beginning point of biblical exegesis.  The textual evidence forces us to acknowledge that the corruption of animal life means the death of animal life due to Adam's sin.

What ought we to do, then, in response to the demise of the theory of macro evolution?  How can we remain faithful to the revealed truth of God's Word and resist the failing religion of evolution.  We must reject any view of the creation day which, in any way, allows for generations of dead animals before the forming of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:14; Romans 8:20-25; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 2:12).

Bartel, Daniel, J.  "The Tower of Babel" Northside Officers Leadership Forum 2 No. 11 (2000).

Pipa, Joseph A. Jr.  Did God Create in Six Days?  Taylor, SC:  Southern Presbyterian Press, 1999.

Veith, Gene Edward Jr. Postmodern Times. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994.

Solzhenitsyn, Alexander I. A World Split Apart.  A speech delivered at Harvard 8 June 1978.

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