Special Events:
“Can We Determine the Age of
the Earth Based on the Bible?”
May 18-20, 2023
Schedule:
Th, May 18th 7:00 PM Service, “The Ascension of our Lord”
8:15 PM Reception
Fr, May 19th 8:30 AM Coffee, Rolls
8:45 AM Devotion
9:00 AM “Is The Age of the Earth Important?”
Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
10:00 AM Break
10:15 AM “Creation in the New Testament
Rev. Dr. Joel Heck
11:15 AM Lunch
1:00 PM “Hermeneutical Humility”
Pastor Jared Melius
2:00 PM Break
2:15 PM “The Genesis Genealogies (Part I)
Rev. Dr. Joel Heck
3:15 PM Break
3:30 PM “The Genesis Genealogies (Part II)
Rev. Dr. Joel Heck
4:30 PM Dinner
5:45 PM “Were the Pyramids Built Before the Flood?”
Pastor Brian Flamme
6:45 PM Break
7:00 PM “The Biblical Minimum and Maximum Age
of the Earth?”
Dr. Robert Carter
Sa, May 20th 8:30 AM Coffee, Rolls
8:45 AM Devotion
9:00 AM “The History of the Earth’s Age in the
Missouri Synod”
Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz
10:00 AM Break
10:15 AM Q & A, “Can We Determine the Age of the
Earth Based on the Bible?”
Print a Schedule
Description of Talks:
Dr. Robert Carter
Were the Pyramids Built before the Flood?
Though the Biblical evidence states that the earth is around six
thousand years old, many academic chronologies date human
artifacts, civilizations, and persons much earlier. What should we
think when these conflicts arise and what can we say to defend
the biblical dating of the world?
Pastor Brian Flamme
Creation in the New Testament
This session covers the number of references to creation in the New
Testament and the insights they provide. Does the New Testament
support a young earth, a special creation by God out of nothing,
the institution of marriage by God, or is the mention of creation
rather rare and inconsequential? This presentation will answer
those questions as well as others.
The Genesis Genealogies (Parts I and II)
This topic will look at the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 with
special reference to the potential for gaps existing between the
various patriarchs. Are there chronological gaps or genealogical
gaps in these chapters? Jeremy Sexton and Andrew Steinmann,
both young earth creationists, have published articles on each
side of this question, and their positions will be discussed,
explained, and evaluated.
Rev. Dr. Joel Heck
The History of the Earth's Age in the Missouri Synod
Does the Missouri Synod agree on the age of the earth? The short
answer is "No," but the reasons for that disagreement and the
history of its manifestation will illuminate how a church struggles
to understand and to teach the truth of Scripture in a world
always changing.
Pastor Jared Melius
Hermeneutical Humility
This presentation will explore the most common explanations for
departing from what seems to be the most straight-forward reading
of Genesis 5 and 11, such as focus on Messianic lineage,
numerology, and the like. For as seemingly theological
or perceptive such explanations might seem, we’ll explore the
actual likelihood than any such un-stated origins of the text
are actually true.
Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz
Is the age of the earth important?
Is the age of the earth an important question? What are the
theological and spiritual implications of teaching an old earth?
We'll think through these questions together.
Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Cost is $25.00 per person
(Meals included)
Register soon! Seating is limited!
The age of the earth is a critical question for the creationist, but
different 'young-earth' authors have provided age estimates from
6,000 to up to 10,000 years. However, by carefully examining the text
and by accounting for multiple ambiguities in the wording, one can
put tight limits on the range of possibilities. In the end, the age cannot
be dated to a specific year (e.g., Ussher), but neither can it be as old
as 10,000 years (e.g., Morris). The largest effects on the age estimation
deal with arguments about the length of the Sojourn in Egypt
(~215 years), the LXX vs Masoretic texts (~1,300 years), and questions
about the king’s reigns during the divided monarchy (~50 years).
Using a straightforward, Masoretic timeline, creation happened in
approximately 4000 BC, plus or minus a few centuries.
The Biblical Minimum and Maximum Age of the Earth