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T3 reasoning: Age of the earth and days of creation

Reasoning steps: Age of the earth and days of creation

Verdicts: T3 · Age of the earth and days of creation. Method: conventions, scoring and proximity eras. Scripture is the primary measure; fathers are weighed by era (Era I to c. 150 = 1.0, II = 0.8, III = 0.6, IV = 0.4).

T03.1: Days of creation and the age of the world

Step T03.1.1: Scripture

Gen 1 numbers six days, each with ’evening and morning’; Exod 20:11 grounds the Sabbath in them. Gen 1:14 places the sun on day four, which early readers already noticed. Genre and the meaning of יוֹם are debated.

Step T03.1.2: Patristic evidence

Basil (Era III): ’evening and morning … never exceeds the space of one day’. Augustine (Era III): ‘what kind of days these were it is extremely difficult, or perhaps impossible for us to conceive’ (he held an instantaneous creation), yet ’not 6000 years have yet passed’. Sources: basil-t03-s1 · augustine-t03-s1 · augustine-t03-s2.

Step T03.1.3: Weighing decision

The fathers agree the world is young (under about 6000 years, by biblical chronology) but split on the days: ordinary days (Basil) vs a non-literal, instantaneous creation (Augustine). Verdict: young world (consensus); nature of the days split.

  • Confidence: Medium.

Step T03.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

  • Scripture (benchmark): Six numbered days with evening and morning (Gen 1; Exod 20:11); genre questions leave room for debate. (Scripture confidence: low-medium)
  • Assessment: Era III only. Scripture’s plain wording favours ordinary days; Augustine shows an early non-literal reading.

T03.2: Does all humanity descend from one first man?

Step T03.2.1: Scripture

Acts 17:26 (‘he made from one man every nation of mankind’); Rom 5:12–19; 1 Cor 15:21–22, 45.

Step T03.2.2: Patristic evidence

Augustine (Era III, City of God XII.21): ‘from one man, whom God created as the first, the whole human race descended, according to the faith of Holy Scripture’. Sources: augustine-t03-s3.

Step T03.2.3: Weighing decision

Scripture and the fathers agree. Verdict: consensus in the classic sources (modern revisions are out of scope).

  • Confidence: High.

Step T03.2.4: Source-proximity weighing

  • Scripture (benchmark): ‘From one man every nation’ (Acts 17:26). (Scripture confidence: high)
  • Assessment: Consensus.

Post-750 development by tradition

Catholic

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): No classic dogma (Lateran IV: creation; days not defined).
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Orthodox

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not defined.
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Oriental Orthodox

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not defined.
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Lutheran

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not defined in the confessions.
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Anglican

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not addressed.
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Presbyterian

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers 3/4; Scripture 3/4): WCF IV.1: ‘in the space of six days’ (verified).
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Reformed Baptist

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers 3/4; Scripture 3/4): 1689 4.1: ‘in the space of six days’ (verified).
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

General Baptist

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not addressed (to verify).
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).

Anabaptist

See the note below.

  • T03.1 (fathers 3/4; Scripture 3/4): Dordrecht I: God ‘in six days, created, made, and prepared, heaven and earth’ (verified).
  • T03.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Classic: one first pair (WCF IV.2; Trent V).