Why does the whole of creation groan?

Q: Does the Bible tell us in Romans chapter 8 that the whole of creation groans because of sin?

A: Romans 8:18–23 teaches that the whole of creation “groans”—speaking of bondage and corruption, and looking forward to redemption. What else could this be referring to but the curse that God placed on it after Adam sinned?

The reason we bring this up is because Christians who believe in millions of years can’t allow such an interpretation. If death, disease, suffering, and violence—as represented in the fossil record—has been going on millions of years before mankind was created and sinned, then sin has nothing to do with the death and suffering we see all around us.

These people, then, can’t allow the interpretation of Romans 8 that the whole creation is groaning because of sin. The plain reading of the Romans 8 passage about a “groaning creation” is that it refers to the effects of sin (and every commentary our researchers have read agrees with this understanding). So those who believe in an earth that’s millions of years old have to say that sin really didn’t do anything to the creation!

Death becomes a natural part of the way that God brought about the world, rather than the punishment for sin. Accepting millions of years blames God for death and suffering. But no—we are to blame, because we sinned in Adam!

Note about last week’s AnswersUpdate:Last week, the topic of our AnswersUpdate was entropy. After further review, we felt the need to clarify the last paragraph of the article. Please read the corrected version online at AIG using the link at the upper left.

This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.