Was Jesus a YEC?

By now, it’s probably been shared 100,000 times and been featured on Breitbart as fact.

Oops, sorry moderators

I do agree with this, but if Christ were in error on key theological issues it would make it less likely that He was God or the son of God. We’d then have to abandon orthodox Christology at the very least, which would mean abandoning huge parts of the New Testament. It wouldn’t be a faith recognizable to the Church Fathers.

C.S. Lewis, as I recall, was willing to accept Christ’s admission of ignorance on the time of the time and date set by the Father. And Lewis said something to the effect that it shouldn’t surprise us if after Jesus states his ignorance, he goes on to prove it by giving a wrong time frame for the expected event: “…before this generation passes away…”. Now yes – I know that doctrinaire sorts have their answer waiting that ‘generation’ here must mean something other than ‘generation’. But this seems stretched, and besides, they are forced to “re-understand” yet more scriptures to preserve this notion of human-bound omniscience. When scriptures say Jesus was amazed at something, or had to ask somebody a question, is it all just a play-act?

But perhaps the biggest hurdle for me is that Jesus is supposed to be an example for all of us that we can identify with. Omniscience, I can only imagine, must be an inhuman kind of thing. If it were possible for any human brain to simultaneously know everything over all time, such a being would become qualitatively different from you and me in ways that I think would call Jesus’ very ‘humanity’ into question. And that to me would be the much more serious doctrinal transgression. I think Jesus had to trust and believe just like we are obliged to. But an omniscient being is not obliged to do either of those things.

All that said, Jesus was obviously spiritually in tune with God in such ways as to give him all the insight he needed to be able to teach us everything we need to know about God. That much seems pretty clear too.

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I think you have this backwards. Key theological issues should be based on what Jesus said or did. Since He is the source He can’t be in error. Now our interpretation on the other hand …

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But the cosmic geography or time stamps are far from “key theological” issues.

If Jesus said something like “it’s ok to exploit bad people if you give this proceeds to the poor”. That would be in conflict to what God taught.

God is in control, and though we should help those in need, God will provide a way to help them if we have faith, rather than use our own cunning to get the job done, and think we have the right to slight even the wicked. That is what I mean when I say have Him live in us, He doesn’t physically take over and possess us.

But Jesus was faithful to the righteous, merciful, loving message of God. That message is what I have faith in, it is a perfect representation of God. Even explaining things we thought we understood to be wrong. As it was thought ok/good to stone a harlot. Jesus showed us God, by having mercy and desiring repentance.

Calling Jesus or your faith flawed because He was or wasn’t a YEC, is like saying a pastor is flawed or you leaving a church because he roots/cheers for the Dallas Cowboys (insert sports team you don’t like).
You are missing the sermon teaching us the wisdom of God and are focusing/distracted by the non-important things.

Very true, as I have great pastors I still love and communicate with who were YEC advocates. I was just pondering how the issue of origins is really not a big theological issue, but we often make it one. After all, theology is really to learn more about the Creator, not creation.

Wow! Some profound words there.