Young Earth vs. Old Earth - Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:41 AM
Hi
I have a friend that is Reformed in his soteriology and up until recently I have never found anything that we really disagreed on.
However, the other day we were having a conversation about Young Earth vs. Old Earth and to my surprise he told me that he favors the Old Earth view.
When I told him about the Hebrew word (“Yom”) or “Day” as it is translated into English, consistently having a meaning of a 24 hour period of time when it follows a numeral. He basically told me that he doesn’t believe that Genesis is necessarily a literal form of writing and he would argue against the view that all of Scripture is to be taken as dictated by God, whether it keeps the literally style of the writer or not.
He believes that there are errors in the Bible and when many scholars try to say thing such as “they are copy write errors etc… that doesn’t really defend the position. This is because if it is true that God really wanted to preserve the words of Scripture in the manner that “literalists” (as he called them), He would have done so.
He believes instead that we shouldn’t take Scripture in this manner; instead it should be looked at as God telling certain individuals to write things down, but not in a manner that is without error, but retains the general message. In this way the creation story in Genesis could very well describing creation in just a general way and not contradict an old Earth view.
Here is one example of where he believes Scripture has error.
He has no problem with this kind of error anymore, but he used to when he was a literalist. Again his problem is a matter of preservation.
I believe that the example above is a copyist error and it doesn’t invalidate inspiration, or the authority of Scripture and I am not sure I understand his point about “preservation” and how it is inconsistent with a “literalist” understanding.
Sometimes I wish I could think well on my feet, because my friend sure can.
I have a huge problem with what he said because among other things, I think it calls into question Orthodox doctrines such as the doctrines of Grace. It kind of baffles me how my friend could believe in the doctrines of grace and believe the things he is stating about Scripture. Hermenutically speaking, I think it isn’t consistent.
The problem however, is I am not sure how to show him this inconsistency.
If anyone has any thoughts that might help in this regard, I would appreciate it.
Tom
I have a friend that is Reformed in his soteriology and up until recently I have never found anything that we really disagreed on.
However, the other day we were having a conversation about Young Earth vs. Old Earth and to my surprise he told me that he favors the Old Earth view.
When I told him about the Hebrew word (“Yom”) or “Day” as it is translated into English, consistently having a meaning of a 24 hour period of time when it follows a numeral. He basically told me that he doesn’t believe that Genesis is necessarily a literal form of writing and he would argue against the view that all of Scripture is to be taken as dictated by God, whether it keeps the literally style of the writer or not.
He believes that there are errors in the Bible and when many scholars try to say thing such as “they are copy write errors etc… that doesn’t really defend the position. This is because if it is true that God really wanted to preserve the words of Scripture in the manner that “literalists” (as he called them), He would have done so.
He believes instead that we shouldn’t take Scripture in this manner; instead it should be looked at as God telling certain individuals to write things down, but not in a manner that is without error, but retains the general message. In this way the creation story in Genesis could very well describing creation in just a general way and not contradict an old Earth view.
Here is one example of where he believes Scripture has error.
Quote
Chronicles and Kings contradict each other.
How old was Ahaziah when he began to reign? forty-two or twenty-two?
(2 Chr 22:2 NRSV) Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
The Hebrew word for forty here is ‘arba’iym (Sound familiar?)
705. ‘arba’iym, ar-baw-eem’; multiple of H702; forty:–forty.
(2 Ki 8:26 NRSV) Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.
Hebrew word for twenty here is ‘esriym:H6242
6242. ‘esriym, es-reem’;
from H6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth: –[six-] score, twenty (-ieth)
How old was Ahaziah when he began to reign? forty-two or twenty-two?
(2 Chr 22:2 NRSV) Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
The Hebrew word for forty here is ‘arba’iym (Sound familiar?)
705. ‘arba’iym, ar-baw-eem’; multiple of H702; forty:–forty.
(2 Ki 8:26 NRSV) Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.
Hebrew word for twenty here is ‘esriym:H6242
6242. ‘esriym, es-reem’;
from H6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth: –[six-] score, twenty (-ieth)
He has no problem with this kind of error anymore, but he used to when he was a literalist. Again his problem is a matter of preservation.
I believe that the example above is a copyist error and it doesn’t invalidate inspiration, or the authority of Scripture and I am not sure I understand his point about “preservation” and how it is inconsistent with a “literalist” understanding.
Sometimes I wish I could think well on my feet, because my friend sure can.
I have a huge problem with what he said because among other things, I think it calls into question Orthodox doctrines such as the doctrines of Grace. It kind of baffles me how my friend could believe in the doctrines of grace and believe the things he is stating about Scripture. Hermenutically speaking, I think it isn’t consistent.
The problem however, is I am not sure how to show him this inconsistency.
If anyone has any thoughts that might help in this regard, I would appreciate it.
Tom
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