A common question from Christians about the whole creation v evolution debate is "Does it matter?".

Well, on one level it doesn't - the most important part of the Bible is the gospel of Christ, all other things are of secondary importance. Paul describes these other things as disputable matters, Romans 14:1 "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."

The indisputable matter for Christians relating to creation should simply be that God created the heavens and the earth.

Nehemiah 9:6 "You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

How God actually did this, is disputable and shouldn't be a source of division or acrimony.

However, there is a direct link of course between the early chapters of Genesis and the Gospel concerning The Fall of mankind . This is the reason that Jesus had to sacrifice himself, to atone for our sin. The Bible clearly states that all have sinned because sin entered the world through one man - Adam, Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned". It is difficult to reconcile this Bible verse with other creation models where Adam is not the literal first human and the original ancestor for the whole of mankind.

In addition, the integrity and authority of the Bible is at stake in these discussions. Within the wider Christian church there are differences in how much authority is given to the Bible as the infallible word of God. However, even in churches with a high view of the authority of scripture, there may be a danger of compromise on the issue of Creation, especially if little time has been given to an exploration of the evidence and related issues.

Finally, we are encouraged to always give an answer to explain our faith, 1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.".