Does the Bible Teach Us the Age of the Earth?

Does the Bible to choose the age of the earth that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi, I'm Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Would love to hear from you. Here's our phone number it's 833 the 4833, the court will be taking calls for the next 2025 minutes or so 833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites you can watch a drill live in the studio right now on our YouTube channel and sent him your question through YouTube and course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today. Here's a voicemail received from one of our listeners grill is what your brought for your member the Scripture memorization coming. Currently I am you have done different things in the past. I don't have a process that I'm going through right now you it's sort of interesting to me is a lot of the verses that I have memorized I have memorized from a long time ago you from when I first started studying the Scriptures. I do know if it's because the Bible is just sort of new to me then so whatever I read stuck with me, but now I would say typically I think letting things that I've done over the years and sometimes just going to a book if you're picking a chapter to memorize going to that chapter every day. I like writing the chapter out and then and then going to it like that little by little, they can memorize large portions of Scripture in that way also music. Let's not underestimate the power of love song to memorize Scripture. And so one of the things were doing our children as we have a Psalm of the month so we do this the same song that we sing every every week that month. I it's a great way to memorize Scripture to memorize up a particular Psalm so that you can think back to it singing. You know God's word but is definitely something that I think should be encouraged to move want to be in the word of God, studying the word of God reading it meditating on it, memorizing it where we were able to I think of what the psalmist said in Psalm 119 beginning in verse nine how can a young man keep his way pure by guarding it according to your word with my whole heart. ICQ let me not wander from your commitments I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

And so that them just a great encouragement for all of us to store the word of God up in our hearts, whatever that looks like with a looks like a process of Bible memorization amino writing a chapter out every single day.

That kind of a thing hour or just reading the Scriptures and meditating on them every day. Being under the ministry of the word on Sunday mornings there with with the gathered assembly. Let's store the word of God in our hearts.

We just ask your follow-up question a drill when you're in a situation let's say a difficult situation where you have to make a decision or some kind of relational conflict are dealing with something at your church did dupe certain verses come to mind as you go all this. This would apply here. This is what God would have me do here yeah absolutely numb and I think that's one of the one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works in our lives as we study the Scripture the Holy Spirit. Often times will bring bring to mind passages things that we've read stories and then at the that's just a providentially one of the ways of the Lord guides us in our lives. And so I would say they definitely that's great.

This is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez would encourage you to start digging into the Bible on a regular basis. If you aren't already make that daily habit in your life. We do receive emails here at core Christianity and here's our email address its questions at core, Christianity.com here's one from one of our listeners named Derek and April Derek says as a scientist who came to Scripture and God rather late in life. It seems to me that nothing has so hurt the gospel over the past century as the doctrine of a young earth.

It requires a broad spectrum of denials of physics, geology, cosmology, astrophysics, paleontology, anthropology, archaeology, molecular biology and more Moses himself stated that a day in God's sight can be thousands of times greater than a mere Earth Day in Psalm 90, verse four. I'm curious to hear what you think wow Derek. Well, thank you for that question. You know there is theirs and I know we have resources on on the Bible and science maybe be helpful to get a hold of one of those resources and there is sometimes a people can just sort of assume that faith and science are at odds with each other. We don't we don't think that hear the Bible is true and everything that it communicates to us. It is the inspired word of God.

Now we can misinterpret the Bible, or misunderstand what the Bible is communicating to us and there's been times and in history where that's happened and it's and it's quite clear.

The question is does the Bible intend to tell us how old the earth is and of course there's no you know date of birth given to us for for the earth in in Scripture it's it's you here just a number that were given in places like Genesis or elsewhere. Some people have calculated using scripted of try to calculate at least the age of the earth and the so that we think it's about 6 to 10, 10,000 years old and they do this a couple of ways one by looking at the Days Inn in Genesis 10. Can these are 624 hour days and there are clear questions about that, an end to calculating the length of time that that passed between the genealogies that we see in places like Genesis chapter 5, we have a genealogy from Adam to Noah and then in Genesis chapter 11.

A genealogy from Noah to Abraham and then you add from from Abraham to Jesus and so forth. Getting getting a sort of rough calculation for the age of the earth, but others make the case that that Genesis one can refer to periods of time or ages and that the genealogies may include gaps. This is actually something that we see elsewhere in in genealogies and in Scripture that they're selective that they pick particular individuals to highlight often for for a theological reason there there communicating something so it's not uncommon for genealogies to function that way even even in the Bible and and certainly they functioned that way at times. In the ancient near East. Some people have also argued that that Genesis chapters 2 through six span of a longer period of time. Them that we often assume he just just a few chapters there, so we assume that as it is a short period of time, but there is a case that that can be made in this is this is this is about a long period of time actually look Scriptures are focusing on redemptive history, not not on just everything that they're focusing on God's promises, in particular through the patriarchs and we get that after the flood narrative and the raising up of of Abraham, but prior to the flood, sometimes referred to as the, the, the Preet alluvium time.

But some people make is little doubt that was a really long period of time and what they'll do a still point to places like second Peter chapter 3 were Peter seems to discuss. That is, as is its own separate world, if you will. Second Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse four just talking about the coming of the Lord. For some people will say where is the promise of his coming for ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. They deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God and that by means of these the world that then existed was day loosed with water and perished in by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly and so isn't just viewing the pre-flood time as as a separate world history and in one sense, are you at the flood, you have this this re-creation of the world.

This judgment that God brings but but that you know it could be that the that that you know what we have. Prior to the flood was much longer. Then then we often assume here's here's Mito my viewing the point of the early chapters in Genesis isn't how old is the earth. The point of the early chapters in Genesis is that God is the sovereign King of all the creator who has no one to to come against him. He doesn't have any any rivals or any equals he quote he creates out of freedom not out of necessity. These the themes that were getting in the early chapters of Genesis. But with the creation you also have this this argument. This polemic against the pagan deities that were around Israel at the time and so that that's the focus of the early chapters of Genesis. That doesn't mean that the age of the earth can't be deduced from what we what we find there.

But it is not the main take away and so and so we want to make sure that were focusing on on the main thing and and and so there's there's differences on on this is not one of those issues that you have a Christian takes a different view than you do. You need to view them as a nonbeliever, or as not having a high view of God's word because the question is how to rightly interpret God's word, and so appreciate your question and grateful to hear you've come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you and strengthen you in the faith. Derek, thanks so much for your email and we thank you for your life and the fact that you're really trying to dig into God's word and and help coincide with what you're doing there in the science world. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Maybe doctrine theology. Perhaps there is a passage of Scripture that, trip you up and you would like to ask Israel about that. Or maybe you have some doubts about the Christian faith were open to your call as well. Here's our phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 will be taking calls for the next 10 minutes or so, so hop on your phone right now want to mention about an offer that word we have available for you today. It's actually a book by Chris Moore few that will really help you if you have kids or grandkids were asking that tough question why does God let bad things happen yes that that's the the name of the book. Why does God let bad things happen and it's written for young children entering middle school and high school and and just what an important question for them to be able to answer for themselves and also you know when when their asked questions by their peers about what they believe about some of the. The difficulty sometimes that we we run into what were thinking about the fact we believe a good God who created all things in it, we we live in a fallen and broken world want to equip our children and our grandchildren to be able to talk about these things in a way that's intelligent and gets to the truth of God's word, and so get a hold of this resource over core, Christianity.com for a donation of any amount.

Great resource for you and your family or for somebody you know again it's called why does God let bad things happen you can find that by going to core Christianity.com/offers will go to a voicemail that came in from one of our listeners. This is from Christie I found out two years ago my little time now and command gender email and I have been praying about it.

I would not hear ungodly preacher get some type of feedback on transgender issue anything heartbreaking and no one has approached the subject. I appreciate your insight. Thank you. My am sorry to hear me I'm on it is absolutely heartbreaking and in part of the issue is just where where we've gone in terms of how we think about an event as I say we I mean is, as a culture with cultures gone in terms of thinking about things like sexuality and gender. We've gone from viewing. That is, as something that's given to us from above, if you will move your you know you're born this way, male or female that this is this is something that that God is behind truly to to viewing gender as just this this construct that you know LIII feel this way can be thought of more fluid side, something that we can create for ourselves in this this that there are a lot deeper reasons behind this both philosophically the site in terms of psychology and then the weight the way we've developed as a society in terms of thinking about some of these things we've moved from at what what one historian says is from being that having a mimetic understanding of of human identity is.

This is something that that is given to you is passed on to you to having a more poetic view of humanity and who we are as individuals, something we gotta make something that we have to create for ourselves if that's the case of is not it's not a big jump from moving to you.I have to make myself what I am to I get to determine things like my my sexuality. Based on my feelings is not is not so much biological it's more psychological and so there are there are deep issues with the way in which we've begun to think about these things that are contrary to what the Bible teaches us and so been so fundamentally there that the quick way to say that there is a an error of theological error and Aaron in terms of our understanding of man anthropology as well and we need to go back to the teaching of the Scriptures because so many people are deceived and were saying that the that devastation that's that's that's taking place as a result of that, I mean the way in which young children even are sorta being brought up in this it it's absolutely heartbreaking and so what can you do. I think you continue to pray for your loved ones who are trapped by this who have bought into this deception to me there there there are I think serious at times.

Psychological issues behind a lot of this, but than that. There's also just right now this is the inundation of what culture is giving young adults and and how that's shaping them and it's it's in many cases so very negative and so we pray and cry out to God for his mercy especially on on on our loved ones that they would have eyes to see that we are created in the image of God that that that is the core of our identity, male and female, and called to follow God know that there is right that the reality of the fall and the fact that we live in this broken world. And so we have these broken desires. At times, and feelings and we have to take all of that to the Lord because it's only in Jesus Christ and by the grace of his spirit that fallen humanity is restored and so pray and and seek out your your your grandson and continue to have conversations and talk about the truth of God's word and how God made them and and pray that the Lord opens their heart. This appreciate your your question again, such a difficult issue right now going on all around us and and also you know the church needs to address so well said thanks for that Israel. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and yes we do with the will some different difficult issues here at the core and that's one of the reasons why we encourage all of our listeners to be plugged into a solid Bible believing church where they can find the truth of God's word and also find relationships and accountability. Those things are so critical of our phone lines are open. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life is 833. The core let's go to Michael. Michael, what's your question for pastor.

Israel hello, I am likely there.

My question is in the Bible does slavery in all you should treat the message to treat the slaves very well and it actually does slavery so how do we use that in today's day and age when there's something in the Bible that is condoning something that's obviously very wrong. Michael, thank you for that question yeah how do we make sense of you know that the the passages in Scripture in the Old Testament and in the New Testament that talk about slavery great? Well I think you're referring to the. The discussion that Paul has in Ephesians chapter 6 where he talks about slaves and masters. We have to understand that in the ancient world. As I think you like and in the Greco-Roman world, probably one in four people were were slaves actually in the New Testament sure to me when you think about that right. If you have a church of 100 people you met a 25% your church were were engaged in in this now slavery then was different than we often think of slavery we think about the American slave trade and in the horrors of all of that and actually what what I would say Michael is that the Bible, although it talks about these things are. This is not the way in which humanity and society is meant to be set up. The only reason you have these kinds of things is because of sin and brokenness.

And so, from the beginning of time.

It wasn't supposed to be like this or like what Jesus says someone is talking about divorce. The Pharisees asked him questions about this and he says look with even God has made these accommodations for you because of your own sinfulness.

But this is not how it's supposed to be and in the fact that it's not supposed to be this way. According to Scripture is very clear and that in Christ right those kinds of distinctions, Jew or Greek, slave or free. Note those kinds of distinctions are not meant to carry any weight in and through Jesus Christ.

And that's why the apostle Paul who wrote Galatians 6 also very Ephesians 6 where he talks about those those codes for household conduct also said in Galatians 3 verse 27 for as many of US were baptized into Christ Jesus have put on Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ and if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to the promise effect. It was it was the influence of Christianity that led to the abolishment of slavery later on in the Roman Empire and so and so again it's not it's not the Bible say hey this is great and this is good. It's just giving wisdom in terms of conducting ourselves is what you have the New Testament conducting ourselves in these broken and sinful societies in a way that honors God and ultimately in and through Jesus Christ. Again, what Paul says is that that those things those those those whether status symbols or even just again with with sliver that that doesn't carry it, doesn't carry weight within the body of Christ. In fact, here's the amazing thing you think about you think about the way in which the New Testament speaks or even Jesus spoke to the religious leaders we have all been redeemed. In fact, the Bible says that each and every one of us were slaves. In one sense, to sin and to Satan we needed redemption. This is this is abuse. What you see over and over again in the New Testament, and so the Scripture the way it paints the picture and is I think one of the things it helped undermine slavery in in the ancient world was just this picture of Christ as the one who came to set free those who are enslaved. The new and greater Moses if you will, is this what we see and that's the thrust of Scripture and this is why throughout him having always been the case in and it's a shame, but this that's why you had so many you think about what William Wilberforce, for example, Christians were fighting for the abolishing of slavery. Slavery both in the ancient world and in more recent times as well.

Michael, thanks for your question Douglas. Thanks much, Michael.

Appreciate you this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez left so by the way, got a great resource on this topic on the whole issue of slavery and the Bible.

I should mention this. It's called does the Bible condone slavery and you can find that it's a free download@corechristianity.com that's core Christianity.com and would love to have you pick that up let's go to Kyle in Franklin Tennessee, we just got a minute or so left what your question for a drill about finding and Christ says it is abundantly of the branches and God's divine dresser and branches in the find it. Do not use brute broken off and thrown in by and you if we are branching anymore in the vine, and in will will were not producing fruit say on polling and ROI or divorce like five years something like that. You know it's it's about salvation and so if there are branches that are in the bun which is Christ, and brute broken. Yeah yeah and then so that is is is a question them and that is the question. Sounds like is is if you numbering the fruit is Jesus can break you off and then how much fruit you need to bear to keep yourself saved, will the imagery that you're talking to comes from John chapter 15 I am the true vine. My father's line dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Then he goes on, say, abide in me. We can do anything apart from Jesus.

It's weekly highlights here and I think that there's a sort of formal relationship that people can have two Jesus within the life of the church, but but it lacks vital faith in Christ and those people are broken off and I think that the evidence of this is in.

We have similar a similar discussion Romans chapter 11 where Paul talks about the Jews who were unbelieving that were broken off, why because of unbelief. In other words, what is it, if we don't believe in Jesus. If we reject Christ if we don't have faith will then yeah and we can have this sort of formal relationship work will ultimately cut off your noggin. Don't lose your salvation by struggling or not bearing enough fruit. Christ is the one keeps you as the true vine, and that's his promise to his people. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together