[jcmanson]

For whatever reason, I've become really intrigued with this debate and have started researching about it. Since the vast majority of us believe in Creationism, what are some of your beliefs on young-earth vs. old-earth?

[phoenix]

Personally, I see it as a pretty pointless debate. How old is the Earth? Dunno. Did God play practical jokes on us by placing fossils that look older than they are? Doubtful. Am I unsaved because I believe the world is closer to 50,000 years old than 6,000 years old? Nope.

[flames1971]

Personally, I see it as a pretty pointless debate. How old is the Earth? Dunno. Did God play practical jokes on us by placing fossils that look older than they are? Doubtful. Am I unsaved because I believe the world is closer to 50,000 years old than 6,000 years old? Nope.

I agree. What's the point of arguing our heads off about how old the earth is when it won't matter in the long run?

[El Scorcho]

What's the point of arguing our heads off about how old the earth is when it won't matter in the long run?

You're asking that from a theological perspective right?

Because the age of the Earth does matter quite a bit in other fields of study.

[SuperJon]

Manson, don't know if you've read this article but I'm reading it for a class and thought it'd be good on here, especially since we were talking about Mark Driscoll earlier this week.

Answers To Common Questions About Creation by Mark Driscoll

[flames1971]

What's the point of arguing our heads off about how old the earth is when it won't matter in the long run?

You're asking that from a theological perspective right?

Because the age of the Earth does matter quite a bit in other fields of study.

I meant just for the sake of arguing.

[phoenix]

What's the point of arguing our heads off about how old the earth is when it won't matter in the long run?

You're asking that from a theological perspective right?

Because the age of the Earth does matter quite a bit in other fields of study.

I meant just for the sake of arguing.

Careful -- I've been known to argue both sides just for the sake of arguing.

[flames1971]

You're asking that from a theological perspective right?

Because the age of the Earth does matter quite a bit in other fields of study.

I meant just for the sake of arguing.

Careful -- I've been known to argue both sides just for the sake of arguing.

I better stay outta this.

[jcmanson]

Thanks SJ, I'll read that now. I've also started reading the book More than a Theory by Hugh Ross who believes in the Old Earth Theory.

[SumItUp]

Driscoll makes a very good point about the Creation debate within Christian circles

At Mars Hill we want to be clear that there is a distinction between debates within Christian theology and debates that are not Christian. For example, godly Bible-believing and Jesus-loving people can and should graciously debate and discuss what Genesis 1-2 means without viewing one another in the same light as non-Christians who hold to atheistic evolution. This is because there is an enormous difference between discussing what the Bible says and ignoring it altogether

Personally, I believe in a young earth. From a theological viewpoint, God could have had the writer of Genesis use a different word meaning "day", but the Hebrew word that was chosen means a 24-hour day and was used in that context throughout the Old Testament. The flood account as recorded in Genesis also gives a view into the fossil record and sediment layers that can't be explained by evolution. Ken Ham and the staff at Answers in Genesis (www.answersingenesis.org) and the Creation Museum (near Cincinnati) are helpful resources for understanding a young earth perspective.

Young earth vs. old earth should be debated in places like Liberty, but it should never supersede the message of the Cross and what Christ did to pay the penalty of sin. As Christians, the most important foundation to agree upon in the creation debate is that the Earth and all the galaxies were created by a sovereign, eternal God.

[jcmanson]

Young earth vs. old earth should be debated in places like Liberty, but it should never supersede the message of the Cross and what Christ did to pay the penalty of sin. As Christians, the most important foundation to agree upon in the creation debate is that the Earth and all the galaxies were created by a sovereign, eternal God.

No doubt, and that's why I brought it on here. I think it's a great place to discuss it.

[GoUNCA]

I'm throwing my vote with an allegorical interpretation and the REALLY old earth theory (4-ish billion years)

[ALUmnus]

Suprise of the Day!!

[phoenix]

From a theological viewpoint, God could have had the writer of Genesis use a different word meaning "day", but the Hebrew word that was chosen means a 24-hour day and was used in that context throughout the Old Testament.

Yes, but that's not the only meaning for the word. Not in other ancient Hebrew writings, and not in the Old Testament.

yom is used 2239 times in the Old Testament. 1270 times it is translated day, and another 669 it is translated days. Of course, many of those are things like "In the day of {so and so}," which aren't literal 24-hour days (unless so and so only lived 24 hours;) ). It's translated time 58 times, chronicles 37 times, daily 32 times, ever 20 times, long 15 times, continually 10 times, year 7 times, yearly 6 times, times 6 times, years 3 times, season 3 times .... I won't go all the way through my King James concordance, but you get the idea. "Day" is probably the best English translation in Genesis 1, but that still doesn't mean that it necessarily means a 24 hour day. Far more important to that interpretation is the phrase "evening and morning."

I actually find myself agreeing with Scofield on the use of yom in Genesis 1

The word "day" is used in Scripture in three ways:

(1) that part of the solar day of twenty-four hours which is light (Gen_1:5); (Gen_1:14); (Joh_9:4); (Joh_11:9).

(2) such a day, set apart for some distinctive purpose, as, "day of atonement" (Lev_23:27); "day of judgment" (Mat_10:15).

(3) a period of time, long or short, during which certain revealed purposes of God are to be accomplished, as "day of the Lord."

The use of "evening" and "morning" may be held to limit "day" to the solar day; but the frequent parabolic use of natural phenomena may warrant the conclusion that each creative "day" was a period of time marked off by a beginning and ending.

{edit to add --> Just checked, and it looks like the phrase "In the day of" is used 79 times in the OT. "Int he days of" occurrs an additional 63 times.

[VCU LU FAN]

From a theological viewpoint, God could have had the writer of Genesis use a different word meaning "day", but the Hebrew word that was chosen means a 24-hour day and was used in that context throughout the Old Testament.

Yes, but that's not the only meaning for the word. Not in other ancient Hebrew writings, and not in the Old Testament.

yom is used 2239 times in the Old Testament. 1270 times it is translated day, and another 669 it is translated days. Of course, many of those are things like "In the day of {so and so}," which aren't literal 24-hour days (unless so and so only lived 24 hours;) ). It's translated time 58 times, chronicles 37 times, daily 32 times, ever 20 times, long 15 times, continually 10 times, year 7 times, yearly 6 times, times 6 times, years 3 times, season 3 times .... I won't go all the way through my King James concordance, but you get the idea. "Day" is probably the best English translation in Genesis 1, but that still doesn't mean that it necessarily means a 24 hour day. Far more important to that interpretation is the phrase "evening and morning."

I actually find myself agreeing with Scofield on the use of yom in Genesis 1

The word "day" is used in Scripture in three ways:

(1) that part of the solar day of twenty-four hours which is light (Gen_1:5); (Gen_1:14); (Joh_9:4); (Joh_11:9).

(2) such a day, set apart for some distinctive purpose, as, "day of atonement" (Lev_23:27); "day of judgment" (Mat_10:15).

(3) a period of time, long or short, during which certain revealed purposes of God are to be accomplished, as "day of the Lord."

The use of "evening" and "morning" may be held to limit "day" to the solar day; but the frequent parabolic use of natural phenomena may warrant the conclusion that each creative "day" was a period of time marked off by a beginning and ending.

{edit to add --> Just checked, and it looks like the phrase "In the day of" is used 79 times in the OT. "Int he days of" occurrs an additional 63 times.

I am most certainly new earth in orientation. I came to this conclusion after hearing one of Ken Ham's teaching on the word YOM. You are correct that it does have more than one meaning but when it appears with a number such as first, second, etc and when it appears with morning or evening or some other qualifier it means a literal 24 hour day. Being that Genesis 1 has two qualifiers (morning and evening) and a number, first, second, etc I could not come to any other conclusion but to believe that it took 6 literal consecutive 24 hour days.