More Grudem on Creation

Grudem's chapter on Creation is a very helpful, engaging and even-handed exploration of the various theories concerning this thorny issue. Some statements that caught my eye:

On "The Relationship Between Scripture and the Findings of Modern Science

We can learn from such controversies as Galileo and the earth travelling around the sun:

…careful observation of the natural world can cause us to go back to Scripture and reexamime whether Scripture actually teaches what we think it teaches. Sometimes, on closer examination of the text, we may find that our previous interpretations were incorrect. 273

On "When All the Facts Are Rightly Understood, There Will Be "No Final Conflict" Between Scripture and Natural Science"

We should not fear to investigate scientifically the facts of the created world but should do so eagerly and with complete honesty, confident that when facts are rightly understood, they will always turn out to be consistent with God's inerrant words in Scripture. Similarly, we should approach the study of Scripture eagerly and with confidence that, when rightly understood, Scripture will never contradict facts in the natural world. 275

On "The Need for Further Understanding"

Then, after a thorough discussion of the pros and cons of Darwinian evolutionary theory, old and young earth theories, he writes:

Scripture seems to be more easily understood to suggest (but not to require) a young earth view, while the observable facts of creation seem increasingly to favour an old earth view. Both views are possible, but neither is certain. 308