What the Teachers of Reformed Theological Institute Teach Regarding the Days of Creation
We are aware that several Reformed churches or denominations have been discussing the issue of the length of the days of creation. Some, such as the Orthodox Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in the United States, have adopted positions on this matter. Other churches have not adopted a formal statement or position, such as the United Reformed Churches in North America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Within this ecclesiastical situation, it is important to keep in mind that Reformed Theological Institute is not under any direct ecclesiastical control, although its Board and Teachers subscribe wholeheartedly to the Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Confession, and the Institute teachers are under the supervision of church elders. Therefore, members of the teachers of Reformed Theological Institute do not and cannot serve in the capacity of official spokesmen for any ecclesiastical body, except insofar as they are authorized to do so by such a body.
With these observations in mind, we declare that in our public writings and in our classroom teaching, we hold that the six days of creation are to be understood as consecutive, real (i.e., literal) days of alternating evenings and mornings. In other words, the word "day" in Genesis 1 should not be understood as a "day-age" (i.e., some long age of an indefinite number of years). Both the Board and the Teachers of Reformed Theological Institute fully agree that the WCF IV.i. accurately teaches what the Bible states in Exodus 20:11 concerning God's creation of the world in six days.
Reformed Theological Institute believes:
