Question:
“If I become a Christian, do I have to believe the earth is only 6,000 years old?”
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Hello Team,
This is a good question, and it can be a real hurdle for people who are trying to think honestly about whether Christianity is true. If someone looks at the world through a scientific lens, they may conclude that the earth is much older than 6,000 years
TLDR: The age of the earth is not the foundation of faith. Jesus is. Genesis matters deeply, but it is not a scientific textbook or a salvation entrance exam..
Keep It Simple
The trouble is, this conflict between faith and science is not only unnecessary, but it can also be deeply confusing. So let me see if I can make this answer as simple as I can.
Do you have to believe the earth is only 6,000 years old to become a Christian?
No.
Until next time, God bless.
You’re still here…
Oh, you want a fuller answer. OK. Sure. I can do that.
Let’s fill this out a little bit more.
Counting Genealogies
So, why do some Christians think the world is only 6,000 years old, while other Christians think the earth is much older? In many cases, it comes down to how people read the genealogies in the Bible.
Some Christians count up the ages of people starting from Adam, add those years together, and then add the difference between then and now. If you do that, you get a figure somewhere around 6,000 years, give or take.
And if you are one of the Christians who believes 6,000 years is the correct age of the earth, then good for you. I’m happy for you.
But if you approach the age of the earth through a scientific lens and believe the earth is millions, or even billions, of years old, then good for you too. I’m happy for you.
How Much Does this Matter to Salvation?
See, the issue is not whether Christians are allowed to believe in a young earth or old earth, because of course they are.
The issue is whether Christians should make a young-earth belief a requirement for salvation, faithfulness, or belief in the Bible.
And the answer to that is no. No, no, no.
I say that because the age of the earth has zero bearing on whether you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins so you could be forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, and now live with the hope for eternal life in the presence of God.
And anybody who tells you that you cannot become a Christian unless you believe the earth is 6,000 years old is misleading you.
Our faith is not built upon those dates. It is built upon God, who became flesh in Jesus Christ.
At no point did Jesus say, “You cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless you believe the earth is X number of years old.”
He called people to repent, believe the good news, seek the face of God, love people, care for the poor, and follow Him alone.
Division is Unnecessary
Now, that doesn’t mean the numbers found in Genesis are unimportant, because Genesis is deeply important. I love Genesis as a book. But Genesis is not a scientific textbook for explaining every detail of creation or calculating the age of the planet. Genesis tells us who created all things, why creation matters, what humanity is, and how sin corrupts our relationship with God, one another, and the world he made.
And to be honest, turning this argument about the age of the earth into a ridiculous pillow fight between Christians creates an unnecessary dividing line.
To those who keep pushing that division, I simply say: stop.
But Drew, if we deny the young age of the earth, are we not sinning against God by diminishing his glorious work and rejecting the truth revealed in the Bible?
No.
In fact, causing division over something Scripture does not make central is far more dangerous than holding a different view on the age of the earth.
Genesis is Not A Scientific Textbook
First, the Bible does not directly reveal the age of the earth. It gives us genealogies after Eden, but it never says, “The earth began on January 1, 3975 BC.”
But if you want to take those genealogies as proof of the earth’s age, you are free to do that.
But you should also allow other Christians to read those passages differently without treating them as enemies of God.
Second, genealogies in the Bible are not always written the way modern people write family trees. Sometimes they are theological. Sometimes they are selective. Sometimes they are structured to make a point. That does not make them false. But it does mean they are doing something more than giving us a timeline in a spreadsheet.
The problem is, when Christianity picks a fight with science, it often ends up fighting itself. That kind of division pressures people into thinking they have to choose one side or the other: either love God and reject science, or embrace science and walk away from God.
That is a false choice.
Science and faith are not enemies. Science studies the world God made. Faith tells us who made it, why it matters, and what our place is within it.
Many Christians have been, and are, scientists who have never seen a need to divide faith from science.
No Need to Choose One over the other
But we also have to be clear that not every scientific claim is automatically true. Christians should not blindly accept everything said in the name of science. We should think carefully, test ideas, and ask good questions about the conclusions being made.
We should also never be afraid of scientific discoveries about creation. If we are confident that God created all things, then truth discovered in what he made doesn’t threaten Him. It only makes Him more glorious, whether the earth is 6,000 years old or not.
In the end, becoming a Christian is not about accepting a number for the age of the earth. It is about trusting in Christ.
You can be scientifically minded and follow Jesus. You do not have to give up your love for science, or your curiosity about the world God created, to follow the one who died and rose again.
So, if this question has been holding you back from knowing Jesus, let it go. Let it go.
You do not have to believe the earth is only 6,000 years old to become a Christian.
But you do have to look at Jesus and decide whether he is who he said he is.
And if he is, then follow him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), and let the rest of the unnecessary noise fall away.
Once again…
Until next time, God bless.
Scripture Verse—Legacy Standard Bible translation:
Mark 12:30 (LSB)