What a great interview with G.I. Williamson. GIW is the author of The Westminster Confession of Faith: A Study Guide, which I have been blogging through as time allows.
GIW has ‘been around the block,’ he’s been an ordained minister for over 60 years. Below is an excerpt/question from the interview… I love GIW’s pastoral insight and answer.
What advice would you give young men who sense a call to be preachers?
Find a seminary that still believes and teaches the doctrine of six-day creation as stated in the Westminster Confession and Catechisms.
What does WCF teach about creation?
Chapter IV
Of Creation
I. It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.
II. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it; and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.
The doctrine of creation is of paramount importance because what a person believes about creation will determine what they believe about the doctrines of “the fall” and “redemption”, as well as an entire array of theological loci.
If Genesis 1-2 is not literal, i.e., creation in six days, Adam/Eve created with original righteousness/holiness, all that was created was “very good”, etc., then what compels someone to interpret “the fall” as literal? or God’s great rescue plan to save his people from her enemy (the serpent/Satan) and sin?