Interpretation of One Day in Genesis

A reader wrote recently asking why pastors preach that the 6 day creation was 6000 years and wanted clarification comparing Genesis chapter 1 to the verse in 2 Peter 3:8. Following is part of the reply providing an interpretation of "one day" in Genesis:

There are many pastors who misinterpret the Bible based on what others teach or pass down without clearly dividing the Word of God. The traditions of mankind can often cloud the truth, plus Satan's efforts to deceive, divide, and destroy us causes division amongst those of the Body of Christ. Disappointment with organized or what others call institutional church is why I chose a non-denominational path of personal Bible study. Christ gave report cards to the 7 churches and of those only 2 were given passing grades. It's no different today, so not every person teaching God's Word presents the complete and accurate truth.

As far as time, the Hebrew in Genesis referring to the first day, second day, and so on is exactly the same as our 24 hour day. Certainly a day to the Lord is like 1000 years and 1000 years like a day being literal because His existance is eternal past and future, yet that reference in the New Testament is misused when saying creation took 6000 years. The precise translation of the Hebrew word for "day" when used with a cardinal or ordinal number like one, two, three or first and second, etc. is a 24 hour day.

Note in Genesis the reference to the "evening and the morning were the first day", so creation was 6 days as we know them. A non-literal use of day in the Bible would be the "Day of the Lord" which doesn't necessarily mean 24 hours because a number is not associated with it. It could be a literal day or an extended period of time, yet one day or first day as used in Genesis is literal.

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