I just noticed something that I had never known before.
Second Peter 3 5-7 is often used to support the concept of a global flood.
It says.
2 Peter 3:5-7 (NIV) "But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's
word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the
same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for
the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
What I noticed was a difference in Greek words which does not come across in
the English. My greek/english dictionary, Thayers (I know the Theological
types don't like that one) defines two words, Kosmos and ge as follows:
"Kosmos" means (in order of use) "harmonious order", "ornament or decoration",
the "universe or world", "the circle of the earth", "the inhabitants of the
world".
"ge" has the meanings (in order of use) "arable land", "the ground", 'land
as opposed to sea', 'planet earth', and 'country'
What this may mean is that the passage should read:
2 Peter 3:5-7 (NIV) "But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's
word the heavens existed and the planet earth [ge] [chosen because of its
opposition to heavens] was formed out of water and by water. By these waters
also the harmonious order [kosmos] of that time was
deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and planet
earth [ge] are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and
destruction of ungodly men. "
The fact is that the Greek is trying to tell us that there is a difference
between what was flooded and the planet earth itself. The use of 'ge' is in
conjunction with heavens, seems to imply planet earth. So if the planet was
flooded, why was 'ge' not used? The use of 'kosmos' is less constrained. The
passage surely does not intend to say that the 'decoration' was flooded. Does
it mean that the 'universe' was flooded? No. But kosmos when used in the
sense of 'world' has the connotation of univearse, not planet earth. Or so it
seems to me.
This leaves 3 possibilities: "the harmonious order", "the circle of the
earth", or "the inhabitants of the world". Two of these possibilities rule
out a global flood. Only the circle of the earth would allow a global flood
but it certainly doesn't have to. The circle may refer to the horizon.
Thus, I would suggest that a global flood is not at all required by this
passage.
glenn
Foundation,Fall and Flood
http://members.gnn.com/GRMorton/dmd.htm