GOOD

"Good" in the Bible is expressed in a variety of ways. It can have reference to that which is perfect in design, flawless. Such was the state of the earth at the conclusion of the creation week (Gen. 1:30), which, incidentally, reveals that there was no destructive catastrophe in an alleged "gap period" between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. See GAP THEORY. Eventually, though, "good" came to take on an ethical sense. Though the ancient Greeks spoke of "the good," their concept was far beneath the biblical view. "Good," in Bible parlance, is that which conforms to the character of God. God is good, and if man would partake of that quality, he will keep the divine commands (cf. Mt. 19:17; cf. 1 Pet. 1:15). Heaven's "goodness" is seen at its clearest in the unfolding of the scheme of redemption (cf. Tit. 3:4-7). The concept of "goodness" exists only with human beings, and this is evidence of the vast chasm that exists between man and other forms of biological life. This is a problem for evolutionists; how can "good" evolve from mere matter?