I have friends and mentors on both sides of the Christian debate concerning the age of the earth (Old Earth Creationists/Young Earth Creationists). I also know many Christians that will say “it doesn’t matter, because what you believe about the age of the earth is not salvational.” I believe that is a true statement as far a salvation goes, however as Christians we are called to give an answer for the hope that we have in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15), and when people ask about the truths of the Bible it is important that we can answer.
We can also be honest about what we know and what we are still trying to learn from God’s Word. God gave us His Word and His Word will always stand true, so it is important that we start with that foundation and work from there. I do not believe that our all-powerful, Creator God would allow the very teachings He wanted us to have to be lost, twisted, or too deep for the average person to understand.
God’s Word transcends time, and the truths found in Scripture are applicable to us today. However, because we are living in a culture and time in which truth is often labeled “relative” it is vital that we understand when Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), He was speaking not only of Himself but of His Word. Truth will alway correspond to reality and the teachings of the Word do just that. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus is the Word (the “Logos”):
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The statement “the darkness did not comprehend it” is important because it tells us there are two “sides” that we can live this life in: Darkness or Light. I know this is true because I have experienced both sides in my own life. When the Light did come in, and on, it changed everything for me, especially my comprehension of the Bible which previously did not make a lot of sense to me, nor was I interested in allowing it to.
But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. –2 Timothy 3:13-17
Paul warned Timothy that deceivers would be part of his battle as a believer and a pastor, and that still applies to us today. Notice Paul said that these kinds of people will proceed from “bad to worse.” Christians have allowed compromise into the Church on many issues in order to stay “politically correct.” And what has this done to Christianity’s reputation in our country today? Most people don’t think of it as much more than a political view, or an opiate for people in pain, but that is not what God’s Word teaches, not even close.
This air of deception has also brought about what is being taught in our public schools, and I would go so far as to say ‘what young people are being indoctrinated with.’ If any of you regularly follow my posts you know that, as a high school Biology teacher, one of my deepest concerns is the teaching of evolutionary theory that permeates throughout every course of study and goes beyond its own definition into a denial of God and His Creation. It is one of the top reasons cited by young people today for leaving the faith, because if God did not create us in His image, and we all just evolved from lower life forms, then what the Bible teaches about everything else is either false or up for debate.
This is why I believe it is important to discuss the Biblical view of Creation and yes, even the age of the earth. Genesis is the foundational book of Christianity. Every single doctrine of the Christian faith is found in Genesis 1-11 so it make sense that the enemy would make this book his primary attack, and he is still using deception as the number one weapon.
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3
Why is the Flood of Noah’s time important to this debate?
The answer again lies in the deception of evolutionary teaching. All that we are taught today about the age of the earth in education is based on secular humanism and the paradigm of uniformitarianism (the belief that processes observed today are basically the same as they have been since the beginning of time even though there is evidence that shows otherwise). If the flood of Noah’s time was a global catastrophe, as the Bible teaches, then many of the formulas and models they have in place for the age of the earth would have to be changed or thrown out.
At the beginning of my Christian journey I embraced the Old Earth Creationists’ model because it was in line with what I had been taught both in grade school and at the university level. However, as I dove deeper into Biblical studies it became harder to press that view into what the Bible actually teaches and I found myself using secular science studies as the first line of evidence when discussing Genesis, and I became very uncomfortable with that. So I began investigating the Young Earth Creation model which, to my surprise, had a lot of science support behind it.
If you are researching or looking for Christian responses to the age of the earth question, here are some question that, in my view, need to be addressed before coming to a conclusion:
1. What does the Bible teach?
- Study the critical passages and look into the meaning of the Hebrew terms in question – there are many study tools that will help you do that
- Focus on Genesis 1 and the Flood story in Genesis 6-9, cross-reference other places in the Bible that support these passages
2. What do the “Young Earth Creation” and “Old Earth Creation” models teach about the age of the earth? Compare them to secular science teachings
- Check into the reliability of the dating methods and the secular geological time scale
- Focus on the fossil record and how it is explained
- Research the formation of the Grand Canyon, as related to the “Flood”
3. How does human history and population predictions compare with Biblical history versus secular history?
- Focus on predicted population growth before and after the Flood of Noah’s time vs. the secular belief that there was no global flood
- Research the beginning of recorded human history, including written records, buildings, and agriculture
- Find out what the human fossil record really shows vs. secular evolutionary theory
A few more questions that need to be answered:
If the Universe, and the Earth itself, was billions of years old, then…
- Why are galaxies’ spirals not tightly coiled as they should be at an ‘old’ age?
- Why are supernovas and comet ages observed to be young when they should be old?
- Why has the birth of a new star never been observed?
- Why is the moon not farther away if it is moving away from the earth at a constant rate?
- Why is there too much helium in minerals when there should be less at an ‘old’ age?
- Why are we still here if the electromagnetic force has been growing weaker over time?
- Why are we still here if the sun has been losing its mass at a constant rate?
- Since Humans have been able to alter the speed of light, why can’t the Creator of all things do it?! Important note: A light year is not a measurement of time it is a measurement of distance. Therefore, time cannot be calculated based on the distance of stars in the Universe
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being 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 the ungodly. –2 Peter 3:3-7
Going Deeper:
Recommended Old Earth Creation websites: reason.org and intelligentdesign.org
Recommended Young Earth Creation websites: icr.org; creation.com; creationtoday.org; and creationministries.org
YouTube Video Presentations: Click on these links to watch a more in-depth presentation:
1. Michael Oard: “The Receding Floodwaters: Evidence for Noah’s Flood”
2. Russ Miller: “An Old Earth, or Global Flood?”
Books:
- “The Cost,” by Russ Miller
- “Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms About Creation and the Age of the Universe,”by Kurt Wise
- “Bones of Contention” by Marvin L. Lubenow
Genesis Bible Study:
If you have been studying Genesis with us, re-read Genesis 1-9 as a whole to get the big picture of what has happened. Next week we will look at Genesis 10-11 together with reading and review questions.
Join us next week as we continue to study Genesis and make a Case for Creation!
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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
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