Young and Old Earth: An Introduction

 

Let me make one thing very clear right from the off: my goal in this blog is not to take a deep dive or offer an in-depth explanation of the age of the earth. You won’t leave this post with everything you need to know to even make a decision one way or another on what you believe is the correct answer. What I want to do is simply present two points of view to you today as an introduction and a stepping stone into a deeper study that I trust you will dive into once you click away from this post. That being said, let’s get into it.

The question of how old the earth is is literally a question as old as time, and one that will, in my opinion, be debated until the end of time. The Bible seems to claim that the earth is thousands of years old, but science claims it is millions of years old. So, who is right? Or does the Bible actually support an “old earth” theory in which it can actually be millions of years old? I’ve only done a limited amount of research myself, and depending on who and what I read on any given day, my opinion can change (slightly). Let me present the two theories to you briefly and then you can dive down the rabbit hole to make up your own mind.

Young Earth:

This is the more traditional Christian viewpoint that has been held for generations. The idea is that the earth is only several thousand years old because of the literal Biblical records we have of genealogies, historical events, etc. In my opinion, this is the most logical belief because in the creation account of Genesis, there is mention of the “evening,” and the “morning” as markers for the days of creation. This seems to literally indicate 24-hour periods that we use to mark days today, meaning that creation was 6 literal, 24-hour days capped off with a day of rest at the end. Starting from there, using Biblical records and extra-biblical historical dates and records, we can approximate a few thousand years from creation to now.

A quick side note about the young earth's answer to science claiming millions of years of fossil records, etc. God created Adam as a full-grown man, not a baby. He had a “built-in” age. Who’s to say God didn’t create the earth the same way, with a “built-in” age for it to function properly? Something to consider for sure!

Old Earth:

A relatively new way of thinking, at least in Christian circles (and by new, I mean in modern times, not like it started last week), the old earth theory points out and relies on the reality that God exists outside of time, and His definition of time and our perception of time don’t always align perfectly. I.E. the Bible talks about how to God a day is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years like a day. Therefore, even though the creation account in Genesis speaks about “days” of creation, those could technically have been years, decades, or millennia, since God doesn’t define time as we do. While I certainly think this is a possibility and well within the scope of Biblical interpretation, I tend to lean away from this theory simply because it lends itself more to the interpretation of the text rather than the simple meaning of the text. Now, I realize that that interpretation might be correct, and I acknowledge that if it is I will be the first to admit it. However, in my mind, this is more of a way to blend or marry the Bible and science when it comes down to it (again, I could be wrong there, that’s just my opinion).

Regardless of where you fall after your research, and I do encourage you to research this topic, the reality is that Jesus Christ is the savior of all who put their faith in Him for the forgiveness of their sins no matter your belief on how old the earth is. In the end, we will be able to ask Jesus in person and find out for sure. When that time comes, I’ll be eager to know whether I got it right or wrong, and I plan on humbly accepting the truth either way. I hope you’ll do the same.