Answer to: Does the Word Darkness in Gen 1:2 Mean That Something Bad or Evil Happened?

The answer is absolutely NO.

The first reason we know that the word darkness in Gen. 1:2 is not talking about evil is the context. 

Context is extremely important in proper Bible study.  Without a look at the context you will make errors like thinking darkness always means evil.  A word can be used for several different purposes.  For example darkness can mean evil or darkness can mean that it is dark.  As in no light.  How you know which meaning a word has is the context.  So lets look at the verses surrounding Gen. 1:2.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The context makes it clear that God is not talking about good and evil here.  He is talking about literal light and literal darkness.  In verse 3 God created light.  In verse 5 He called the light Day and the darkness He called Night.  He did not call the darkness evil.  He called it Night as in no light. 

God is simply giving us some details of how He created. 

Some will then ask, why then the darkness in verse 2.  The answer is so simple it hurts.  God did not create light until verse 3.  Of course it was dark in verse 2.

Another principle of proper Bible study is not to read into scripture something that simply is not there.  There is nothing in these verses that suggests evil at all.  Some will say what about the words without form and void.  That simply means that God had not finished forming the earth and void means that He has not filled it yet.  At this point God is creating the raw materials and during the next few days God forms it and fills it.  This becomes clear if you read the rest of the creation account.

The second reason we know that the word darkness in Gen. 1:2 is not talking about evil is God said so.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

After God was done creating, He looked at Everything that He had made and it was very good.  Everything means everything.  God looked at the light and it was good.  God looked at the darkness that He called Night and it was good.  He looked at the man and he was good.

God made no mistakes when He created.  It was all perfect.  It was without sin.  It was all very good and God said so.  If something evil had happened in verse 2 then His creation would have been stained by sin and God could not have pronounced it all very good. 

Many people try to fit all kinds of strange theology into verse 2 that is simply not there.  They don't take time to look at the context and they don't take into account that God pronounced it all very good up to that point. 

But you say they have a doctorate or some other fancy letters behind their name.  Listen very carefully.  Good men do make mistakes.  Just because they are wrong on this does not mean that God will not use them.

Often what happens is they are simply retelling what they were taught without thinking it thru for themselves.  If your pastor believes something evil happened in verse 2, just know better yourself and give the man of God a break.  Give the man of God some allowance for being human.