When Was Day One? Young Earth Creationism’s Inner-Textual Commentary
A New Article in God and Nature Magazine
In the latest issue of God and Nature Magazine I have a new article on Young Earth Creationists (YECists) use of other scripture, besides Genesis 1. When challenged, YECists (Young Earth Creationists) quickly refer to other scriptures besides Genesis 1 to teach that the earth is not as old as science says it is. YECists claim that the Bible teaches the earth is only about 6,000 to 10,000 years old. In the previous issue, “When Was Day One?”, we saw that Genesis 1 does not actually teach that the earth is young. It teaches that the earth was created at an undisclosed time before day one. We can see how weak YECists’ interpretations of Genesis 1 are by the fact that when challenged YECists frequently abandon Genesis 1 and resort to other passages, like Exodus 20:11 and Matthew 19:4, 8. These other passages in scripture are called “inter-textual commentary”; that is, commentary on the Bible in the Bible.
Young Earth Creationists often claim that their interpretation is the only legitimate interpretation of the Bible and will condemn other Christians who say otherwise as compromisers. But when their favorite passages are examined, they don’t hold up the YEC interpretation.
Here are some excerpts. To read the whole article, click: “When Was Day One? Part Two: Young Earth Creationism’s Inner-Textual Commentary”
Exodus 20:11
Exodus 20:11 is the number one text YECists refer to when their interpretation of Genesis 1 falls apart. Exodus 20:11 is the fourth commandment, about the Sabbath. It contains the key phrase “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth.” YECists assume this is about God “creating” the universe and earth in six 24-hour days. However, Exodus 20:11 does not say God “created” (bā·rā’, ברא) the earth in six days. It says He “made” (‘ā·śāh ,עָשָׂה) it. The two words are not synonyms.
Are Create and Make Synonyms?
As we saw in the first article (linked above), Genesis 1 teaches that God created the universe and earth at an undisclosed time before day one. God then worked on the earth for an undisclosed time before day one. Day one does not start until “And God said,” the refrain that begins every day. YECists must prove that Genesis 1:1-2 is part of day one or they have no basis for their interpretation. They use of Exodus 20:11 to claim Genesis 1:1-2 is part of the days (Gen. 1:3-2:3). But that claim depends on assuming that “create” (bā·rā’, ברא), used in Genesis 1:1, means the same as “make” (‘ā·śāh, עָשָׂה) in Exodus 20:11. YECists must show that the verb in Exodus 20:11 (make) means the same as the verb in Gen 1:1 (create); that it includes the creation ex nihilo.
“Create” (bā·rā’) has God as its subject and refers to creation ex nihilo. “Make” (‘ā·śāh), the verb in Exodus 20:11, means “do, make.” Exodus 20:11 uses ‘ā·śāh (עָשָׂה), the making of something out of pre-existing material. It does not say “in six days the Lord created (bā·rā’) heaven and earth.” It says He “made” it. That is, Exodus 20:11 uses a different word that describes God working on the earth already created in Genesis 1:1. Since Exodus 20:11 uses “make” (‘ā·śāh, עָשָׂה), then it was not meant to encompass the original creation, from the beginning in 1:1. Therefore, it does not make a statement about the dating of the original creation
For more on “create” and “make,” click on the link above to the original God and Nature Magazine article.
Matthew 19:4, 8 & Mark 10:6
“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female”
According to YECists, Jesus’ statement “from the beginning” (ἀπ' ἀρχῆς) (Mt. 19:4, 8; c.f. Mk. 10:6) refers to the beginning of the universe. Context suggests otherwise. Having been asked about divorce, Jesus taught about the origins of marriage. Rather than tediously modifying every reference to a beginning, we normally allow the context to tell us what beginning, exactly, is being referenced. If a history teacher was asked about the purpose of the United States and replied, “In the beginning, the founding fathers said ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .’,” no one is going to interpret the teacher to be referencing the origins of the universe, to be suggesting that the USA was founded at the absolute beginning. Jesus reference to “from the beginning” (Mt. 19:4, 8; c.f. Mk. 10:6) was about the beginning of humanity or marriage, not the absolute creation of the universe.
Who’s to say that even the billions of years allowed for by Old Earth Creationism from the original creation to the creation of humanity is also not, from God’s transcendent perspective, “the beginning”?
For more on “from the beginning God made them male and female,” click on the link above to the original God and Nature Magazine article.
God & Nature magazine is a publication of the American Scientific Affiliation, an international network of Christians in science: www.asa3.org.
Conclusion
That YECists typically resort to other passages that they say interprets Genesis 1 for us is evidence that Genesis 1 is not the “clear” testimony to Young Earth Creationism that they claim it is. If Genesis offers the answers they say it does, why do they so quickly resort to other passages? The answer: because Genesis does not teach Young Earth Creationism (YEC). Neither do Exodus 20:11 or Matthew 19:4. Thus, YEC dogmatism is ex nihilo.
For more on Young Earth Creationism, click on the two link above.
John B. Carpenter, Ph.D., is pastor of Covenant Reformed Baptist Church, in Danville, VA. and the author of Seven Pillars of a Biblical Church (Wipf and Stock, 2022).