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Writer's pictureReuben

The Gospel Coalition (TGC) Leader Tim Keller, Embraces Evolution

Updated: Sep 1


There are endless reasons why one should utterly reject the heretical Reformed-Calvinist Gospel Coalition (TGC), and this is but another. Time after time, through doctrine, beliefs and practices, these heretics (Ti 3:10-11) reveal their true colours and unregenerate estate.


Tim Keller recently and unbelievably claimed that evolution is compatible with Adam and Eve and the Fall of Man. Wow. Keller was asked: “If biological evolution is true and there was no historical Adam and Eve, how can we know where sin and suffering came from?” His brief answer was:

“Belief in evolution can be compatible with a belief in a historical fall and a literal Adam and Eve. There are many unanswered questions around this issue.”

Keller followed this statement with a detailed article, which was mainly the opinions of theologians about the style of literature in Genesis followed by his own interpretation of Rom 5 and 1 Cor 15. That was very convenient. Keller tries to shirk the issue by passing it off to various theologians, but in so doing he further reveals his apostasy, his rejection of God’s Word, his man-centredness, and humanism. Man-centred heretics resort to human “authority” rather than the authority of God’s Word, a very common trait today among neo-evangelicals and Calvinists alike. And the “theologians” he quotes also clearly do not believe God’s testimony on creation in Gen 1 and 2 and many other places.


For instance, Keller refers to Bruce Waltke who claims that forming Adam from dust of the ground could mean “the author might be speaking figuratively in the same way, meaning that God brought man into being through normal biological processes.” These heretics should take note: there are NO normal biological processes that turn dust into people. It works the other way around, i.e. people turn to dust — it is happening all the time, but that is a destructive death process and the opposite of a creative process. It is also fitting that Keller would quote a severe apostate such as C.S. Lewis and hide behind his non-Biblical humanistic opinions.

Keller claims that,

“The key for interpretation is the Bible itself. I don’t think the author of Genesis 1 wants us to take the “days” literally…”

What Keller really means is that HE doesn’t want to take the days of Gen 1 literally, presumably so as not to upset those who believe in an old earth and millions of years of evolution but also because he believes it himself, that “evolution can be compatible with a belief in a historical fall and a literal Adam and Eve.” Every use of “days” in the Bible is literal real days, not some vague long period or symbolic time. The Creator who spoke and wrote down those words is Christ, who made all things (Jn 1:3; Col 1).


Keller states he believes in a historical Adam and Eve but does not explain how this is compatible with evolution, since Charles Darwin himself described evolution as the “war of nature” and claimed that long ages of famine and death brought about “the production of higher animals.” (Darwin, Origin of Species, 1859). The Bible opens (Gen 1:1) and closes with God creating (Rev 21:1). We see this all over the Psalms (e.g. Ps 33:6-8; 93:3-6; 104:1-24). Man is a unique creation made in the image of God; He “formed man of the dust of the ground,” (Gen 2:7) i.e. raw materials, not some pre-existing animal, and Eve was created from one of Adam’s ribs (Gen 2:21-23)


Keller separates creation from the gospel, as if it's not necessary to believe in creation to be saved. He argues:

“We are in covenant with him, not because we are related biologically but through faith.”

Hebrews 11 ties creation into saving faith. I suspect his covenant theology means something contrary to Scripture, bent by Reformed Calvinism, but his statement about not being “related biologically” is unScriptural. Man is created after Gods image so there is biological relation. If we go back through the generations, the entire human race can be subsumed into Adam. All human beings, including Christ in His incarnate form, are descendants of Adam, so we are biologically related to Adam.


Evangelicals like Keller are working at making evolution acceptable to evangelicals and reformers. But evolution has NO part in God’s creation; its a wicked and God-rejecting philosophy, the exact opposite of God’s description of His created world as “very good” (Gen 1:31). Its a flat denial of Gen 1 and many other passages, the denial of the very foundation of everything: God’s creation. Scripture emphasizes God as Creator. God Himself elevates His work of creation. He desires recognition and glory for what He did and then continues to do in sustaining the creation. Believing in Him as Creator is one vital aspect of believing in Him. In other words, you don't believe in Him if you deny His creation. We don't worship the Lord without acknowledging His creation, and God is seeking for true worshipers, or in other words, truly saved people.


The Keller’s who reject God’s creation are not true worshippers. It's easy to see that denying creation is part of apostasy (2 Pet 3:13), and reformed Calvinism is apostate. The unbeliever under God's wrath worships and serves the creation rather than the Creator (Rom 1:20). Creation on a root level declares that God is in fact God (Is 45:18). Heaven's population declares Him worthy because He created all things (Rev 4:11). We should concern ourselves with the “faith” of those who attack or deny God's creation.


We also shouldn’t listen to such heretics but rather mark and avoid them (Rom 16:17).



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