Does the Bible Say the Earth is 6000 Years Old?

Summary

This video script explores the debate over the Earth's age as mentioned in the Bible, tracing the historical interpretations from James Usher's literal six-day creation in 1650 to modern young Earth creationism. It discusses how ancient Israelites viewed creation as establishing order, not just material elements, and emphasizes the theological narrative of God's relationship with humans over scientific details. The script suggests that Genesis 1 is more about God's purpose in creation rather than a scientific account, challenging viewers to consider the story's deeper meaning.

Takeaways

• 📚 The debate over the Earth's age in relation to the Bible began with James Usher in 1650, who calculated the universe was created in 4004 BC.
• 🔍 Usher's calculations were based on the assumption that Genesis 1 was a literal, scientific account of creation in 6 days.
• 🌏 The development of geology in the 18th and 19th centuries challenged the idea of a young Earth, leading to a shift in Christian beliefs about the Earth's age.
• 📖 By the 1920s, the belief in a young Earth had largely faded, with theories like the Gap Theory gaining popularity among Christians.
• 🔮 The 1960s saw a resurgence of young Earth creationism, which has since become a contentious issue among conservative Christians in America.
• 🤔 The script questions whether the Bible literally states the Earth is 6,000 years old and emphasizes the importance of interpretation in understanding the Bible.
• 🌟 It highlights that the Bible was written by human authors for a specific audience and cultural context, not directly to modern readers.
• 📜 The script suggests that ancient Israelites, like their neighbors, thought of creation in terms of order and function, rather than material elements.
• 🌱 It points out that Genesis 1 does not describe the creation of physical objects but the establishment of order and processes necessary for human life.
• 💡 The creation story in Genesis is presented as a theological narrative about God bringing order for human benefit, rather than a scientific account of material creation.
• 🌐 The script concludes that the Bible's creation story is about God's relationship with humans and His desire for them to participate in spreading order and flourishing throughout the world.

Q & A

Who was James Ussher and what was his contribution to the calculation of the Earth's age?

James Ussher was the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland in 1650. He calculated the date of creation by counting generations from the Bible, considering historical events, and adding a week for the 7-Day creation story in Genesis. He concluded that God began creating the universe in 4004 BC on October 22nd.

Why did thinkers like Sir Isaac Newton devote themselves to interpreting the Bible through a scientific lens?

After the Reformation, thinkers like Sir Isaac Newton applied their new scientific thinking to the interpretation of the Bible, attempting to reconcile religious texts with the emerging scientific understanding of the world.

What was the key assumption in Ussher's calculations of the Earth's age?

Ussher's key assumption was that Genesis 1 was a literal scientific account of God creating everything in the universe from nothing in 6, 24-hour days.

How did the development of geology in the late 18th and early 19th centuries affect the belief in a young Earth?

The development of geology provided growing evidence suggesting an Earth older than a few thousand years, which led to a fading belief in a young Earth even among Christians.

What was the Gap Theory and how did it relate to the interpretation of Genesis 1?

The Gap Theory, promoted by the Scofield Reference Bible, proposed that millions of years of geological history could be hidden between the first and second verses of Genesis 1, offering an alternative to a young Earth interpretation.

What significant shift occurred in the 1960s regarding the belief in a young Earth?

In the 1960s, modern young Earth creationism emerged and aggressively spread through publishing, homeschooling, and museums, leading to a resurgence in the belief in a young Earth among many American Christians.

Why is there a fierce debate among conservative Christians in America regarding the age of the Earth?

The debate is fueled by differing views on the interpretation of the Bible and the authority of scripture versus scientific evidence. Those who believe the Earth is old accuse the other side of ignoring science, while those who believe the Earth is young accuse the other side of compromising the authority of scripture.

What is the importance of understanding the cultural context and language of the Bible's authors?

Understanding the cultural context and language of the Bible's authors is crucial for accurate interpretation. It helps to engage with their style of communication, figures of speech, and cultural understandings, ensuring that the message of God's word is understood as intended.

How do scholars gain insight into the thought and culture of ancient Israelites?

Scholars gain insight by studying the writings of Israel's ancient neighbors, such as the Egyptians, Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians, to understand how they thought about creation and existence, and then applying this knowledge to interpret the Bible.

What was the primary focus of ancient Near Eastern creation stories, and how did this differ from a modern scientific perspective?

Ancient Near Eastern creation stories focused on bringing order out of chaos for the benefit of human society, rather than the material creation of elements and objects. This differs from a modern scientific perspective, which emphasizes the 'what' and 'how' of creation.

What is the main takeaway from understanding Genesis 1 from an ancient Near Eastern mindset?

The main takeaway is that Genesis 1 is a theological story about God bringing order out of chaos for the benefit of humankind, rather than a scientific account of the creation of physical elements.

Does the Bible provide a direct answer to the age of the Earth or the timing of the creation of all material?

No, the Bible does not directly answer the age of the Earth or the timing of the creation of all material. It focuses on the creation of order and function, which is more important from the perspective of ancient Israelites.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Origins of Young Earth Belief

This paragraph delves into the historical origins of the belief that the Earth is 6,000 years old, tracing it back to James Ussher, the Archbishop of Armagh, who in 1650 calculated the date of creation based on biblical genealogies and historical events. It highlights the influence of figures like Sir Isaac Newton in perpetuating this belief through scientific interpretation of the Bible. The paragraph also discusses the shift in perspectives as geological evidence mounted against a young Earth, leading to a decline in this belief among Christians by the 1920s. It mentions the Scofield Reference Bible's promotion of the Gap Theory as an alternative to a young Earth view. The resurgence of young Earth creationism in the 1960s is noted, along with the ongoing debate among conservative Christians in America about the age of the Earth and the interpretation of scripture.

05:02

🌏 Interpreting Genesis in Context

The second paragraph focuses on the scholarly examination of ancient Near Eastern thought and culture to better understand the biblical account of creation. It discusses how scholars like Daniel Kim and John Walton have sought to understand the ancient mindset regarding creation, emphasizing the concept of order emerging from chaos rather than the formation of physical materials. The paragraph contrasts the ancient perspective with the modern scientific materialist view, which tends to focus on the physical aspects of creation. It also addresses the confusion of early Christian scholars and the reinterpretation of Genesis 1 in light of these cultural insights, suggesting that the biblical creation story is more about establishing order and function for human benefit than a literal account of the physical universe's formation.

10:02

🛐 The Theological Significance of Genesis 1

The final paragraph emphasizes the theological rather than scientific nature of the Genesis creation story. It explains that the story is about God bringing order out of chaos for the benefit of human society, focusing on the 'who' and 'why' rather than the 'what' and 'how'. The paragraph distinguishes the biblical account from other ancient Near Eastern creation stories by highlighting the relational aspect of God's creation, where humans are not merely servants but partners in God's project of order and flourishing. It suggests that the Genesis account is not meant to answer modern scientific questions but to convey a deeper message about God's intentions and our role in extending His order and beauty throughout the world.

Keywords

💡James Ussher

James Ussher was the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in 1650. He is known for his calculation that the Earth was created in 4004 BC, based on biblical genealogies and historical events. In the video, Ussher's work is highlighted as an early attempt to quantify the age of the Earth using the Bible, which set a precedent for later debates on the topic.

💡Genealogies

Genealogies refer to records of family lineages, often tracing ancestry through generations. In the context of the video, Ussher's method of calculating the age of the Earth involved carefully counting the generations mentioned in the Bible, which was a significant aspect of his methodology.

💡Creationism

Creationism is the belief that the universe and life originated from specific acts of divine creation, rather than natural processes such as evolution. The video discusses the resurgence of young Earth creationism in the 1960s and how it has influenced modern debates among conservative Christians in America.

💡Scientific Revolution

The Scientific Revolution refers to a period in history when empirical investigation and the scientific method began to challenge traditional beliefs and lead to new understandings of the natural world. In the video, it is mentioned that thinkers like Isaac Newton applied their scientific thinking to biblical interpretation, which contributed to the development of early theories about the Earth's age.

💡Geology

Geology is the scientific study of the Earth, its materials, processes, and history. The video mentions the development of geology in the 18th and 19th centuries, which provided evidence suggesting an Earth much older than a few thousand years, challenging the young Earth belief.

💡Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism in a religious context refers to a strict adherence to traditional, orthodox beliefs, often rejecting modern interpretations. The video discusses the battle between fundamentalist and modernist Christians over the reliability of the Bible, particularly in relation to the age of the Earth.

💡Gap Theory

Gap Theory is a biblical interpretation that suggests there is a gap of time between the first and second verses of Genesis, allowing for millions of years of geological history. The video notes that this theory was promoted by the Scofield Reference Bible and was one way to reconcile an old Earth with a literal reading of Genesis.

💡Ancient Near East

The Ancient Near East refers to the historical region encompassing the early civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant. The video uses the cultural context of the Ancient Near East to understand the mindset of the original authors and audiences of the Bible, particularly in relation to their concepts of creation.

💡Chaos

In the context of the video, chaos refers to the state of disorder or confusion that existed before the creation as described in many ancient Near Eastern myths. The video explains that ancient people, including the Israelites, thought about creation in terms of bringing order out of chaos, rather than the formation of physical materials.

💡Order

Order, in the video, is a central theme of the creation story in Genesis, where God brings order to the primordial chaos to create a functioning world for human habitation. The concept of order is contrasted with the modern scientific focus on the material aspects of creation, emphasizing the theological and functional aspects of the biblical account.

💡Cultural Context

Cultural context refers to the social, historical, and cultural environment in which a text is written or an event occurs. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding the cultural context of ancient Israel to interpret the Bible accurately, particularly in relation to the creation story in Genesis.

Highlights

James Usher's calculation in 1650 suggested the universe was created in 4004 BC, based on biblical genealogies and historical events.

Sir Isaac Newton contributed to the effort to reconcile biblical interpretation with scientific thinking post-Reformation.

Geological findings in the 18th and 19th centuries challenged the notion of a young Earth, prompting a shift in beliefs among Christians.

The Scofield Reference Bible promoted the Gap Theory, allowing for geological history between Genesis 1's verses.

Modern young Earth creationism gained momentum in the 1960s, influencing American Christians' perception of the Earth's age.

Current debates among conservative Christians in America involve the tension between scientific evidence and scriptural authority.

The Bible's interpretation requires understanding the language, culture, and mindset of its human authors.

Biblical texts were written for readers but not directly to modern audiences, necessitating context for accurate interpretation.

Studying writings from Israel's neighbors provides insight into the ancient Near East's thought and culture.

Ancient Near Eastern creation stories often began with chaos, focusing on the establishment of order rather than material creation.

Evangelical scholars have examined ancient texts to understand the functional perspective on creation prevalent in the ancient world.

Genesis 1 differs from other creation narratives by emphasizing God's intent to create a functioning order for human benefit.

The creation story in Genesis is more concerned with theological implications than providing a scientific account of the universe's formation.

The Bible does not necessarily conflict with an old Earth perspective, as it focuses on order and function rather than material composition.

The Genesis account is about God's relationship with humans and our role in extending His order and flourishing throughout creation.

John Walton's series on interpreting Genesis 1 is available for Holy Post Plus subscribers, offering deeper insights into the text.

Transcripts

does the Bible say the Earth is 6,000

years old that's a really good question

that people argue about a lot to dive in

we need to go back to

1650 this is James Usher he was the

Archbishop of armag and primate of all

Ireland no not that kind of primate in

1650 after carefully counting the

generations of the genealogies

calculating the dates of the deaths of

Alexander the Great and Nebuchadnezzar

and tacking on a week for the 7-Day

creation story in Genesis 1 Usher

concluded that God began creating the

universe in 404 BC on October 22nd yes

it was very specific Usher wasn't alone

in trying to work out the math of

Creation in the Years following the

Reformation thinkers as notable as Sir

Isaac Newton devoted themselves to

applying their new scientific thinking

to the interpretation of the Bible key

to Usher's calculations of course was

his assumption that Genesis 1 was a

literal scientific account of God

creating everything in the universe from

nothing in 6 24-hour days up until the

1800s there wasn't much reason to

question Usher's math or his assumptions

but as the science of geology developed

in the late 18th and early 19th

centuries growing evidence seemed to

suggest an earth older than a few

thousand years much much older belief in

a young Earth began to fade away even

among Christians by the 1920s at the

peak of the battle between

fundamentalist and modernist CHR

Christians over the reliability of the

Bible amazingly almost no one on either

side still held to a young Earth

position the most popular bible study

resource at the time the scoffield

reference Bible promoted Gap Theory the

theory that millions of years of

geological history could be hidden

between the first and second verses of

Genesis 1 when conservative Christians

attempted to Define all the fundamentals

of Christianity in a series of early

20th century pamphlets called

appropriately the fundamentals darwinian

Evolution was explicitly rejected an old

Earth however was not as several

theories had developed to account for

how millions of years might fit into

Genesis 1 then we get to the 1960s and

the emergence of modern young Earth

creationism aggressively spread through

publishing homeschooling and even

museums belief in a young Earth came

back with such a Vengeance that today

many American Christians simply assume

the young Earth position has been the

Christian position for all of time today

there's a fierce battle among

conservative Christians in America those

who believe the Earth is old accuse the

other side of ignoring science those who

believe the Earth is Young accuse the

other side of compromising the authority

of scripture so what does the bible

actually say about the age of the Earth

who's right if Genesis 1 says God

created the universe from nothing in six

days who are we to say he didn't don't

we respect the authority of scripture we

need to talk about how we interpret the

Bible we know that God didn't just give

us the Bible on Golden Plates or drop

finished copies from heaven right into

Christian bookstores he chose to work

through human authors so if we're

looking for the authoritative message of

God's word we have to get at it through

the human authors he used this means we

need to engage with their language none

of them wrote in English after all their

style of communication figures of speech

and cultural understandings here's a

very important point the Bible was

written for us but not to us this is

kind of easy to grasp if you think about

Paul's two letters to Timothy 1 and 2

Timothy they are not Paul's two letters

to Phil I can benefit from them but they

were not written to me they were written

to Timothy Paul's letters to the

Thessalonians were written to the first

century Church in thessalonica and the

Book of Genesis was written by an

ancient Israelite to ancient Israelites

the more we know about Greek culture and

what was going on around Timothy in his

day the easier it is to interpret the

letters Paul wrote to him in the same

way the more we know about how ancient

Israelites thought and communicated how

they viewed the world the more

confidence we can have that we're not

barking up the wrong tree while trying

to interpret the message of their

writing unfortunately we don't have much

writing from ancient Israelites other

than what we have in the Bible itself

what we do have though as of quite

recently is a tremendous amount of

writing from Israel's neighbors from

ancient Egyptians and samarians acadians

and Babylonians

we've only been able to read Egyptian

hieroglyphic since about 1850 and

Sumerian Kia form since around 1900 and

since then Scholars have discovered and

translated more than a million documents

written by Israel's neighbors but how

does this help us the Israelites weren't

Egyptian or Babylonian no but the

Israelites were embedded in that world

ancient Israelites thought and spoke

much more like ancient Egyptians or

Babylonians than like modern Americans

that in mind a number of Evangelical

Bible scholars have jumped into the

writings of Israel's ancient neighbors

to gain insight into the thought and

culture of the ancient near East

Scholars like Daniel Kim at Talbot

School of Theology and John Walton at

winon College have asked questions like

how did people of the ancient near East

think about creation how did they think

about existence and how was their

thinking different from ours today and

these Scholars notice some interesting

things for example the creation stories

of the an near East and almost every

group had one they don't start with

nothing they start with chaos with an

unordered world the more Scholars looked

the more clear it became that ancient

neare Eastern people didn't think about

creation in terms of material dirt and

rock and the elements of the Periodic

Chart they thought about creation in

terms of order who brought order out of

chaos so that humans could live and

raise crops and grow families and

whoever it was whichever God or gods

what does that tell us about our

relationship with them in other words

when ancient people thought about the

creation of the world they weren't as

concerned with the what and the how they

were concerned with The Who and the why

with our scientific materialist mindset

today that went into hyperdrive with the

Scientific Revolution at the time of

Isaac Newton and well James Usher when

we think about creation we immediately

think about rocks and dirt and dinosaurs

and butterflies about the formation of

mountains and Forest and deserts but

that's not how ancient people thought

Christian Scholars going back as far as

origin in the 3r century and Augustine

in the 4th Century have been confused by

Genesis 1 and wondered if this is the

story of material creation why is so

little material being created and how

can we have day and night on day one and

blossoming trees and plants on day three

when there's no sun until day four As We

Lay out the Bible's creation story

alongside creation stories of Israel's

neighbors we notice differences and

similarities like the creation stories

of their neighbors Genesis 1 doesn't

start with nothing it starts with God

hovering over the waters primordial

Waters were a symbol of Chaos in the

ancient world and what does God create

on day one what's the end product day

and night these aren't objects that's

not stuff and day two a separation

between the waters below and the waters

above nothing new is made things that

all already exist are moved around on

day three more separation of things that

already exist God separates water from

land and then initiates a process for

the benefit of humans the production of

food day four lights to govern night and

day and Mark out seasons on a sacred

calendar again none of these are objects

the sun and stars wouldn't have been

viewed as objects by the Israelites just

lights hung on the great Vault of the

sky the more Kim and Walton and others

compared Genesis 1 to to examples of how

Israel's neighbors thought about

creation the more something became clear

the people of the ancient near East

didn't think about creation in material

terms they thought about it in

functional terms creation didn't start

with nothing and give us dirt and oxygen

and butterflies it started with chaos or

unordered space and gave us order

unordered space was of no benefit to

Human Society ordered space functioning

the way God intended was considered good

looking at Genesis 1 with an ancient NE

Eastern mindset the mindset the original

author and audience would have shared

suddenly tells a different story and an

ultimately more important story on day

one God looked over the unordered deep

and brought order in the form of time

day and night The Ordering of man's

schedule of work and rest on day two God

ordered the waters day three he

separates land from sea and establishes

the process by which plant life

reproduces and replenishes whereas early

Christian thinkers had looked at the

days of Genesis 1 and wondered what the

heck was being created and

post-reformation thinkers like Usher and

Isaac Newton forced the Bible through a

filter of the Scientific Revolution

looking through eyes shaped by the way

the Israelites actually looked at the

world we see that the story the author

is telling is a story about God bringing

order out of chaos for the benefit of

humankind an ordered functioning space

where God humans could be in

relationship and then God creates men

and women in his own image and gives us

the job of working with him to extend

order throughout the rest of his

creation to spread God's order and

flourishing and Beauty throughout the

Earth so if the creation story we find

in Genesis 1 is actually about the

creation of order and function rather

than the elements of the periodic table

when did God create all the stuff that

isn't a question God inspires the author

to answer because it isn't a question

ancient Israelites would have been

asking again the story of creation the

Israelites would have longed for isn't a

story of what and how it's a story of

who and why it's a theological story not

a scientific one who brought order out

of chaos so Human Society could Thrive

why did they do it and what does that

mean for us and this is where the

creation story in Genesis differs from

any other creation story of the ancient

near East in most stories a God or Gods

created humans so the humans could serve

the gods the gods had needs and humans

had to meet them but Israel's God tells

a very different story Israel's God

doesn't need service from humans

Israel's God wants relationship with

humans wants to work alongside humans

walk with humans it's an amazing story

that would have inspired the Israelites

to devote themselves joyfully to their

creator does it tell us how old the

Earth is or when God created potassium

uh no it does not is it possible God

created all the material of the universe

while he was ordering and inaugurating

the functions yes it's possible but the

Bible does not require it the creation

story God inspired that we find in

Genesis isn't a story about modern

Science Biology or geology it isn't a

story written to answer the materialist

questions of modern Americans it's way

better than that the god of Israel

brought order out of chaos so he could

in relationship with you so you could

join in his project of bringing order

and abundance and Beauty to the whole

world isn't that a better

story if you'd like to learn more John

Walton sat down with Sky jatani to

create a new four-part series on how to

read Genesis 1 available only for Holy

post plus subscribers head over to Holy

post.com Genesis to check it

out