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Theistic evolutionists often argue that young earth 'creationism' is a recent belief. However that argument doesn't seem to hold water as the early church fathers were virtually all young earth creationists. Yet the argument is often used by those who want to add time into Scripture, that the church fathers thought Genesis was an allegorical story. The two early church fathers most often used as example is Origen and Augustine.
Origen stands out from the other church fathers in that he had very strange ‘theology’… He did not believe there was ever a first Adam…He believed in the pre-existence of souls and that eventually everyone, including the Devil, would be saved. So…. Using Origen as a source isn’t convincing.
Here are a few of the other early church fathers. They all believe in a young earth, although some thought creation might have been instantaneous. Some, like Augustine believed in instant creation because he used a Latin Bible allowing that interpretation. Had Augustine knew Hebrew, he almost certainly would have understood the Hebrew context did not allow for anything other that God creating in 6 days. Instantaneous creation doesn’t present a huge theological problem, because it still has no death in the world before Adam sinned. Notice, Augustine is a young earth creationist also. (Listed by year of death of each)
100AD "...but those who were sent to Alexandria as interpreters, gave him only the books of the law, while there were a vast number of other matters in our sacred books. They, indeed, contain in them the history of five thousand years;..."Josephus Antiquities of the Jews Book 1 preface par 3
200AD "All the years from the creation of the world amount to a total of 5698 years, and the odd months and days." Theophilus to Autolycus book 3 ch 28
236AD "Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6,000 years must be fulfilled" Hipplytus Extant Works and Fragments Exegetical Interpetation of the visions of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
254AD "After these statements, Celsus, from a secret desire to cast discredit upon the Mosaic account of the creation, which teaches that the world is not yet ten thousand years old, but very much under that, while concealing his wish, intimates his agreement with those who hold that the world is uncreated." Origen Against Celsus book 1
300AD "For when a thousand years are reckoned as one day in the sight of God, and from the creation of the world to His rest is six days "Methodius Extracts From the Work on Things Created par 9
350AD"Therefore, since all the works of God were completed in six days, the world must continue in its present state through six ages, that is, six thousand years." Lactantius Divine Institutes book 7
373AD "Although both the light and the clouds were created in the twinkling of an eye, still both the day and the night of the First Day continued for twelve hours each" (Commentary on Genesis 1, p. 287).Regarding the First Day of creation "No one should think that the Creation of Six Days is an allegory; it is likewise impermissible to say that what seems, according to the account, to have been created in six days, was created in a single instant," St. Ephraim the Syrian Commentary on Genesis I
379AD "(Some) have attempted by false arguments and allegorical interpretations to bestow on the Scripture a dignity of their own imagining. But theirs is the attitude of one who considers himself wiser than the revelations of the Spirit and introduces his own ideas in pretence of an explanation. Therefore, let it be understood as it has been written. St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron 9:1, pp. 135-36
395AD "Moses, I say, who was born some thousands of years after the Creation of the world" Gregory of Nyssa Answer to Eunomius’ Second Book
397AD "At this command the waters immediately poured forth their offspring. The rivers were in labor. The lakes produced their quota of life. The sea itself began to bear all manner of reptiles...We are unable to record the multiplicity of the names of all those species which by Divine command were brought to life in a moment of time. At the same instant substantial form and the principle of life were drought brought into existence...The whale, as well as the frog, came into existence at the same time by the same creative power (5:1, 2, pp. 160-62) He (Moses) did not look forward to a late and leisurely creation of the word out of a concourse of atoms (1:2, pp. 5, 7). And fittingly (Moses) added: He created, lest it be thought there was a delay in creation. Furthermore, men would see also how incomparable the Creator was Who completed such a work in the briefest moment of His creative act, so much so that the effect of His will anticipated the perception of time (Ibid., 1:5, p.8). The Church Fathers were unanimous in asserting God creates immediately and instantaneously, that it is His word which produces all things and is not the property of the waters or earth to bring forth life. St. Ambrose of Milan - Hexaemeron 7:2, p.107
407AD "But the world, though subsisting now five thousand years, and..." John Chrysostom Homily 10 on the Statues par 5
420AD "The world was created by God nearly six thousand years ago,"Sulpitius Severus Sacred History book 1 ch 2
430AD "Unbelievers are also deceived by false documents which ascribe to history many thousand years, although we can calculate from Sacred Scripture that not 6,000 years have passed since the creation of man." Augustine City of God Book 12 ch 10
We could examine what Jesus believed and taught. He referred to Adam and Eve existing from “the beginning of creation” Mark 10:6. Jesus also referred to Abel existing at a time near the “foundation of the world”…not billions of years later. Luke 11:50
Origen stands out from the other church fathers in that he had very strange ‘theology’… He did not believe there was ever a first Adam…He believed in the pre-existence of souls and that eventually everyone, including the Devil, would be saved. So…. Using Origen as a source isn’t convincing.
Here are a few of the other early church fathers. They all believe in a young earth, although some thought creation might have been instantaneous. Some, like Augustine believed in instant creation because he used a Latin Bible allowing that interpretation. Had Augustine knew Hebrew, he almost certainly would have understood the Hebrew context did not allow for anything other that God creating in 6 days. Instantaneous creation doesn’t present a huge theological problem, because it still has no death in the world before Adam sinned. Notice, Augustine is a young earth creationist also. (Listed by year of death of each)
100AD "...but those who were sent to Alexandria as interpreters, gave him only the books of the law, while there were a vast number of other matters in our sacred books. They, indeed, contain in them the history of five thousand years;..."Josephus Antiquities of the Jews Book 1 preface par 3
200AD "All the years from the creation of the world amount to a total of 5698 years, and the odd months and days." Theophilus to Autolycus book 3 ch 28
236AD "Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6,000 years must be fulfilled" Hipplytus Extant Works and Fragments Exegetical Interpetation of the visions of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar
254AD "After these statements, Celsus, from a secret desire to cast discredit upon the Mosaic account of the creation, which teaches that the world is not yet ten thousand years old, but very much under that, while concealing his wish, intimates his agreement with those who hold that the world is uncreated." Origen Against Celsus book 1
300AD "For when a thousand years are reckoned as one day in the sight of God, and from the creation of the world to His rest is six days "Methodius Extracts From the Work on Things Created par 9
350AD"Therefore, since all the works of God were completed in six days, the world must continue in its present state through six ages, that is, six thousand years." Lactantius Divine Institutes book 7
373AD "Although both the light and the clouds were created in the twinkling of an eye, still both the day and the night of the First Day continued for twelve hours each" (Commentary on Genesis 1, p. 287).Regarding the First Day of creation "No one should think that the Creation of Six Days is an allegory; it is likewise impermissible to say that what seems, according to the account, to have been created in six days, was created in a single instant," St. Ephraim the Syrian Commentary on Genesis I
379AD "(Some) have attempted by false arguments and allegorical interpretations to bestow on the Scripture a dignity of their own imagining. But theirs is the attitude of one who considers himself wiser than the revelations of the Spirit and introduces his own ideas in pretence of an explanation. Therefore, let it be understood as it has been written. St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron 9:1, pp. 135-36
395AD "Moses, I say, who was born some thousands of years after the Creation of the world" Gregory of Nyssa Answer to Eunomius’ Second Book
397AD "At this command the waters immediately poured forth their offspring. The rivers were in labor. The lakes produced their quota of life. The sea itself began to bear all manner of reptiles...We are unable to record the multiplicity of the names of all those species which by Divine command were brought to life in a moment of time. At the same instant substantial form and the principle of life were drought brought into existence...The whale, as well as the frog, came into existence at the same time by the same creative power (5:1, 2, pp. 160-62) He (Moses) did not look forward to a late and leisurely creation of the word out of a concourse of atoms (1:2, pp. 5, 7). And fittingly (Moses) added: He created, lest it be thought there was a delay in creation. Furthermore, men would see also how incomparable the Creator was Who completed such a work in the briefest moment of His creative act, so much so that the effect of His will anticipated the perception of time (Ibid., 1:5, p.8). The Church Fathers were unanimous in asserting God creates immediately and instantaneously, that it is His word which produces all things and is not the property of the waters or earth to bring forth life. St. Ambrose of Milan - Hexaemeron 7:2, p.107
407AD "But the world, though subsisting now five thousand years, and..." John Chrysostom Homily 10 on the Statues par 5
420AD "The world was created by God nearly six thousand years ago,"Sulpitius Severus Sacred History book 1 ch 2
430AD "Unbelievers are also deceived by false documents which ascribe to history many thousand years, although we can calculate from Sacred Scripture that not 6,000 years have passed since the creation of man." Augustine City of God Book 12 ch 10
We could examine what Jesus believed and taught. He referred to Adam and Eve existing from “the beginning of creation” Mark 10:6. Jesus also referred to Abel existing at a time near the “foundation of the world”…not billions of years later. Luke 11:50
