The Heresy of an Older Planet?

Should believers who need to grow further in their understanding of the Old Earth/New Earth controversy be put up on charges at a heresy trial?  When we look at the basics of the faith, we have a grand heritage to draw from.  Historic creeds, confessions and catechisms.  For example, consider the Apostle's Creed:

 

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord,

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

born of the Virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried.

He descended into hell;

The third day he rose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;

I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints;

The forgiveness of sin;

The resurrection of the body:

And the life everlasting. Amen.

 

Note that God's role as Creator is brought forth at the very beginning, but the exact dating of t₀ is not provided.

 

Francis Schaeffer* spoke of the "heart of the Christian faith" and includes three truths: authority of the Bible, Christ's deity and the real meaning of salvation.  He went on to give a positive affirmation of the series of books known as The Fundamentals published from 1910 to 1915 which had such authors as B.B. Warfield & G. Campbell Morgan.[1]  These writings did not set a date for Creation Week.  Instead, they made the case for these Bible basics:

 

•   Inspiration of the Bible
•   Inerrancy of the Scripture
•   Deity of Christ
•   Virgin birth of Christ
•   Substitutionary atonement
•   Literal resurrection of Jesus
•   A literal return of Christ

 

I have documented elsewhere that Schaeffer belongs more so in the camp that take Genesis as true history than those who mix the first two chapter of the Bible with Deep Time.

 

According to Matt Slick (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, CARM), "A heretic denies an essential Christian belief and asserts some error in its place."  That of course bring up the query, "What are those key doctrines?"  Matt gives us this list:

 

• The Deity of Christ
• Salvation by Grace
• The Resurrection of Christ
• The Gospel
• Monotheism
• Jesus is the only way to salvation
• Jesus' virgin birth
• Doctrine of the Trinity

 

Nothing in here about an Earth that's around six millennia old.

 

Erwin Lutzer (Hitler's Cross) summarizes the Gospel around six key points:

 

•   God is holy (Lev. 11:44)
•   Jesus is God in the flesh (1 Jn. 4:1-3, Heb. 1:8)
•   Substitutionary Atonement (1 Peter 3:18)
•   We are sinners by nature & choice (Eph. 2:1)
•   Salvation is by faith alone (Rom. 3:28)
•   Assurance of Salvation (1 Jn. 5:11-13).[2]

 

Although I have a high admiration for Lutzer's writing and radio ministry, I must sadly admit that he does hold to the traditional reading of Genesis as implying a young world:

 

... the earth was not created in 4004 BC as the study notes in one Bible affirm. Many of us hold to a "young earth," but since the Bible does not tell us when God created the heavens and the earth, we must respect those who believe that the earth is much older than some creationists have believed.[3]

 

We read this in 2 Peter 2:1, "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them …"

 Robert Bowman, writing in Orthodoxy and Heresy, tags heresy as “a teaching which directly opposes the essentials of the Christian faith, so that true Christians must divide themselves from those who hold it.”[4]  I would call rejection of a young earth as errant teaching and would label it an Old Earth Fallacy (OEF), but I would not call it heresy.  I am willing to dialog/debate my brothers and sisters in Christ on the age-of-the-earth controversy in order to improve our mutual understanding.  A few months ago I bought a book advocating Deep Time from a Christian view with respect to the Grand Canyon.  I want to represent the other side respectfully.  I have written two book documenting a young earth from history and science:

 

   Is a Young Earth Possible?

   YES - Young Earth Science

 

You can find my biblical argument you a recent creation here.

Let me know what you think:  ned_oa_1657@yahoo.com

 

 

Notes:

1) Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer by Francis Schaeffer (Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 1982), Vol. 4, p. 349.

2) Who are You to Judge? by Erwin Lutzer (Moody Pub., Chicago, 2002), pp. 69-72.

3) 7 Reasons Why You Can Trust The Bible by Erwin Lutzer (Moody Pub., Chicago, 2015) p. 160.

4) Who are You to Judge? by Erwin Lutzer (Moody Pub., Chicago, 2002), pp. 65, 66.

 

* we named our son after Francis Schaeffer

Kudos:  special thanks to Justin Derby for the 2nd Lutzer ref.