Why Should I Question the Age of the Earth? Pt. 2 They Just Don't Mix

In the previous blog post we introduced the topic of Why Should I Question the Age of the Earth? by looking at a basic overview of the mainstream scientific account and the Biblical account of the age of the earth.

Here is a summary of the two sides:



In comparing the Bible and mainstream science we can see an astounding difference:

  4,550,000,000 years

-               6,000 years

-----------------------------

  4,549,994,000 years 

That’s a difference of 4,549,994,000 years!

However, it is becoming more and more common for Christians to begin accepting mainstream science's teaching of an old earth as truth. And in doing so, they begin to compromise God's Word in order to make the Bible fit mainstream science. 

I believe this poses a great threat to the integrity of Christ's Church. We can NOT compromise God's Word to fit the thoughts and ideas of man as shown here:

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (KJV)

We are warned by God here not to allow the philosophy or vain deceit of man fool us into compromising God's Word.

So then the question becomes:

Is believing in mainstream science's theory of an old earth a compromise of God's Word?

In order to answer this question let's look at the most popular theory that attempts to merge the Bible with mainstream science:

The Gap Theory

The most popular theory that many Christians buy into concerning the merging of these two ideas is called The Gap Theory. 

In an effort to combine the theories of an old earth and the Biblical creation Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) and later many other scholars helped popularize the idea of the Gap Theory. 

(Thomas Chalmers)
Retrieved from britannica.com

The basic idea of the Gap Theory is that billions of years went by between the first two verses of the Bible:

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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. (KJV)

So basically God created the heaven and the earth and then allowed billions of years to pass (in which macro-evolution occurred) and billions of years later God finalized his creation starting in Genesis 1:2.

(The Gap Theory)

Retrieved from Dr. Kent's Creation Seminars at wiseoldgoat.com

This theory can be found in an excerpt from Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible:

“When men finally agree on the age of the earth, then place the many years.. between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, there will be no conflict between the Book of Genesis and science.”

-Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible

Thus, with the addition of these billions of years between these two verses we have the Bible and mainstream science in complete agreement.

So the Gap Theory sounds pretty legitimate, right?

Here are three reasons why I believe the Gap Theory and any other related theory is a direct compromise of God's Word:

1. Six Literal Days

The Bible teaches that ALL things were created in six literal days.

Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (KJV)

The Gap Theory states that God created the heaven and the earth, and then billions of years later (through evolution) God finalized the sea and creatures and mankind. But that's not what Exodus 20:11 says! Exodus 20:11 states that the heaven, the earth, the sea and ALL things within them were created in just six days! Thus, the Gap Theory is a direct contradiction of God's Word.

Some then may argue that the word 'day' (or 'yom' in Hebrew) in Genesis or Exodus could be translated to mean thousands or millions of years. This is sometimes referred to as the Day-Age theory. Is this theory legitimate?

Throughout the Old Testament the word ‘day’ (or 'yom' in Hebrew) is used over 200 times and is always translated to mean a literal 24 hour day. This is further evident in Genesis 1 when God uses the phrase ‘evening and the morning’ to describe the word ‘day’. Thus the word ‘day’ here must be taken in its most literal sense.

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

For a more comprehensive study on the Day-Age theory check out this article: http://www.icr.org/article/theistic-evolution-day-age-theory/

2. The Death Problem

The Bible clearly states that when Adam (from Adam and Eve) sinned he brought sin and death into this world. This is stated in Romans 5 here:

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (KJV)

Therefore, if Adam brought death into the world we can infer that death was not present before Adam sinned.

However, if we follow the Gap Theory, we agree to the idea that evolution occurred during this 'Gap' period and thus creatures lived and died over millions of years during this 'Gap'. 

(The Death Problem)
Retrieved from answersingenesis.org

But how could Adam have brought death into this world if the Gap Theory implies that death had already been around for millions of years?

Perhaps the creatures of the Gap Theory never died, but they were millions of years old at the time of Adam and Eve?

I don't buy it. You see, trying to compromise the literal meaning of Genesis leads to conflict and illogical conclusions.

3. Jesus Taught a Young Earth

Perhaps the most compelling argument is that Jesus believed and taught a short creation. In Mark 10:6 Jesus states:

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. (KJV)

Jesus states that God created man and woman ‘from the beginning of creation’. The Gap Theory states that man and woman had not come into existence until billions of years after the initial creation. 

Do you really think when Jesus stated that God created man and woman ‘from the beginning of creation’, that he meant 14 billion years after the creation? 

That is what the Gap Theory teaches.

Conclusion:

If you choose to believe in mainstream science's theory of an old earth, I feel it is evident that you are in direct contradiction with Jesus' teachings and God's Word itself.

I cannot stress enough the danger of compromising God's Word based on the ideas and teachings of man. Mankind and mainstream science have been wrong countless times before in the history of this world, but the Bible has always been proven true.

So it all comes down to who or what you are willing to trust:

Will you trust the all-knowing God or will you trust the teachings and ideas of man?

I invite you to have an open heart and open mind in studying this topic. My intent is not to put down the beliefs and opinions of others, but instead to promote and spread the truth of God's Word.

In the next few posts I will look at flaws within the mainstream scientific theory of an old earth, and why this theory may not be as valid as you think.

Sincerely,

Jacob Springer
A Young Christian

Why Should I Question the Age of the Earth? Pt. 1 Introduction

How old are you?

This is a question we hear often in conversation and we hardly have to think twice about our answer (if we're honest).

But what if someone asked you this question:

How old is the Earth?

What would you answer? Really old? Or would you stand there with an expression on your face looking something like this:


(Keanu Reeves Dumbfounded)

Man has some pretty good theories on how old the earth is. One such theory comes from mainstream science which is the most popular and publicly taught answer to this question. But is this 'scientific' answer the only one out there? Should we blindly accept this theory or should we question 'why'?

The following will serve as an introduction to the topic of Why Should I Question the Age of the Earth?. In this introduction I will look at the 'Scientific' Answer as well as the Biblical Answer to this question.

The 'Scientific' Answer:

a. An Old Earth

According to modern day scientists the age of the earth is about 4.55 Billion Years (~14 Billion for the Universe). This is based upon radiometric dating, the Big Bang theory, evolution, and other scientific testing. The following is an excerpt from Paul S. Braterman in an article entitled ‘How Science Figured Out the Age of the Earth’:

“It was not until 1926, when (under the influence of Arthur Holmes, whose name recurs throughout this story) the National Academy of Sciences adopted the radiometric timescale, that we can regard the controversy as finally resolved. Critical to this resolution were improved methods of dating, which incorporated advances in mass spectrometry, sampling and laser heating. The resulting knowledge has led to the current understanding that the earth is 4.55 billion years old.”

-Paul S. Braterman (Oct 20, 2013). How Science Figured Out the Age of the Earth. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-science-figured-out-the-age-of-the-earth/

That's a really old earth!


(An Old Earth)
Photo via Dave Reneke, from How Old is the Earth.

b. The Big Bang Theory

So we know that most scientists believe the earth is billions of years old. But how did it all begin?

Modern scientists have observed that the universe is ever expanding. Thus, observing this expansion most scientists believe that the universe (which includes the earth) had an origination point. The most popular theory around this origin is commonly referred to as the Big Bang theory.


(The Big Bang Theory)
Photo via Widewallz, from Widewallz.com

The Big Bang theory states that ~14 Billion years ago the universe was in an extremely hot and dense state that began to rapidly expand. In other words, a long time ago the whole universe was extremely small and dense (perhaps the size of a pea) when a sudden explosion (big bang) occurred that caused the universe to rapidly expand to what it is today.

There are many famous and intelligent scientists that believe this theory such as Dr. Stephen Hawking who has many lectures on The Origin of the Universe. (You can google it)

The Biblical Answer:

a. A Young Earth

The Bible does not explicitly give us the exact age of the earth. However, by using the multiple genealogies and accurate historical accounts found in the Bible we can deduce that the age of the earth is somewhere around 6000 years. The following is an excerpt from an article entitled ‘How old is the earth?’ by Bodie Hodge:

"Adam was created on day 6, so there were five days before him. If we add up the dates from Adam to Abraham, we get about 2,000 years, using the Masoretic Hebrew text of Genesis 5 and 11. Whether Christian or secular, most scholars would agree that Abraham lived about 2,000 B.C. (4,000 years ago).

So a simple calculation is:

            5 days
+ ~2,000 years
+ ~4,000 years
-------------------
   ~6,000 years"

-Bodie Hodge, (May 30, 2007) in 'How old is the earth?'

b. A Six Day Creation

Genesis 1 and 2 tells us that the whole universe was created in six days. In Genesis 2:1-3 we read how God rested on the seventh day after all the universe was made.

Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (KJV)

Here is a table summarizing the creation week:

The Creation Week
Day 1 (Gen. 1:3-5)	Heavens, earth, light and darkness
Day 2 (Gen. 1:6-8)	Atmosphere
Day 3 (Gen. 1:9-13)	Dry land, seas, vegetation
Day 4 (Gen. 1:14-19)	Sun, moon, stars
Day 5 (Gen. 1:20-23)	Creatures in water, birds in air
Day 6 (Gen. 1:24-31)	Creatures on land, man and woman
Day 7 (Gen. 2:1-3)	Day of Rest

c. An Eternal Creator

Finally, the Bible also gives an answer to how it all began.

The Bible tells us that God was there at the ‘beginning’ of time. Thus God was there before 'time' began, implying God is eternal.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (KJV)

This is further indicated multiple times in scripture when God is referred to as ‘everlasting to everlasting’ or from ‘age to age’.

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (KJV)

God is also referred to as the all powerful creator implying that He created and designed the whole universe.

Col. 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (KJV)

Thus, the Bible's answer is that God is the force that created all things, rather than a self-imposed Big Bang.


(God the Creator)
Photo via Chris Scholten, from www.behance.net

Conclusion:

So it is clear that these two answers are completely different. Which one do you believe?

I challenge you to take a side, and to explore these answers more deeply. This is not something we should be ignorant of, because the implications of the answer clue us in to exactly why and how we got here.

The next few blog posts will delve deeper into this discussion between the 'Scientific' Answer and the Biblical Answer to the age of the Earth. In the next blog post we will look at a comparison of the two sides, and I will attempt to explain why these two answers just cannot mix.

Sincerely,

Jacob Springer
A Young Christian

Why Should I Question "why?"

An almost oxymoronic question some people may ask is "Why should I question 'why'?".

I'll tell you why.

Non-Christian POV:

From a non-Christian point of view, I'll say this: Imagine for a moment that there is a higher purpose for your existence. Imagine there is more to life than your daily routine of waking up early, sitting in traffic, working your 9am-5pm, and eating a frozen dinner before bedtime. Imagine there is even more to life than enjoying time with your friends and/or family.

If you have no higher purpose in your life then you are just 'living to die' or in other words your life is just a 'means to an end'. Simply put, most people's lives can be summarized as 'you're born, you work, and you die'.


(You're born, you work, and you die)
Photo by FrealaF via deviantart

If I did not believe in a Higher Power, my existence would seem meaningless. Sure, I can try and make the world a better place and have a good time while on this earth, but what does it get me when I die?

I truly believe we have a much deeper purpose for being here. And I am not asking you to believe everything that I believe. But I am asking you to at least question "why?".

Christian POV:

From a Christian point of view, if you have grown up in the church you may not have ever really asked this question "why?" and you may have just accepted what was drilled into you your whole life. You may have been told, "Go to church" or "Study your Bible" or "There is a God". But should we blindly accept these statements and never question them?

Let's say we do choose to just accept these statements. Then if we do we will accept that the Bible is truth. Well, let's look at what the Bible has to say on the matter:

Phillipians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (NKJV)

This tells us that we must work out our own salvation.We cannot piggyback our way to heaven on the backs of our parents, or spouses, or whomever. Our salvation is our own for the taking and we must seek it, understand it, and hold on to it on our own.


(Phillipians 2:12)
Photo via wallpaper4God

And again we are told that we will answer to our own sins here:

Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God (NKJV)

So don't just accept everything as 'gospel' because your parents say it, or your spouse says it, or even a preacher says it. Don't believe someone just because they sound smart with their fancy words or seem genuine and trustworthy. Because if you do you run the risk of doing this:

Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men (NKJV)

But instead we are commanded to do this:

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world (NKJV)

We are told here to test every spirit and every doctrine that we hear.  And that's what I challenge you to do.

 

(Challenge accepted)

So in conclusion, asking "why?" is an important and even necessary duty we have as Christians and Non-Christians. So let's continue to challenge each other and challenge ourselves to seek the truth, understand the truth, and never let it go.

Sincerely,

Jacob Springer
A Young Christian

Introduction

Hello,

My name is Jacob Springer and I am a young Christian in Christ's church. I am starting this blog in an effort to share my opinion on the world around me and particularly my reason for existence.

Have you ever wondered why you are here? Have you ever questioned how this world and life came to be?

I have. It's a question we all ponder at some point in our life. Even 3 year old children have these thoughts when they repeatedly ask: "why?". A large percentage of the population just shrug it off, accept their position in life and don't continue to question "why?".

But I'm not here to do that. I am writing this blog in an effort to question "why?" and to give my opinion on the answer.

In A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy the answer to this ultimate question of "why?" is "42". But I think it goes much deeper than that.

(The Answer to the Ultimate Question)

Full disclosure: I was born and raised a Christian. But I've done my research of both internal evidences and external evidences to come to my own conclusion on the matter.  

In this blog I hope to answer this question "why?" as well discuss many other topics related to Christianity and life in general. I hope you enjoy my blog, and I invite friendly and professional discussion.

Sincerely,

Jacob Springer
A Young Christian