Thursday, August 8, 2019

A.A. Hodge on Errors in the Bible and Acceptance of an Old Earth


Archibald Alexander Hodge (1823-1886) was a leading Reformed Presbyterian theologian who lectured in Princeton (his father was Charles Hodge who wrote the 3-volume Systematic Theology that replaced Institutes of Elenctic Theology by my favourite Reformed theologian, Francis Turretin as the "go-to" systematic theology in American seminaries).

In a book based on lectures outlining (Reformed) Evangelical theology, he wrote the following about purported discrepancies within the Bible:

What is to be said as to alleged discrepancies?

The above statement unquestionably truly represents the ancient and catholic faith of the historic Church of Christ. The hostile critics and theorists object that the Scriptures are full of inaccuracies and discrepancies of statement—(1) as between the statements of Scripture and modern science or undoubted history; (2) as between one statement or quotation of Scripture and another.

In answer to this we have space to say only—

1st. We freely admit that many errors have crept into the sacred text as it exists at present; although none of these errors, nor all of them together, obscure one Christian doctrine or important fact. In order to make good the objection of the critics, it is necessary that they show that the discrepancy exists when the clearly ascertained original text of Scripture is in question.

2nd. The Scriptures were not written from the scientific point of view, nor intended to anticipate science. A distinction should be clearly drawn and strongly held between the speculations of science and its ascertained facts. The speculations of science are like the changing currents of the sea, while the Scriptures have breasted them like the rocks for two thousand years. The Scriptures speak of nature as it presents itself phenomenally. When this is remembered, the Bible contradicts no fact of science. On the contrary, the entire view of the genesis and order of the physical world presented by the Bible, in contrast with all the other ancient books whatsoever, is in correspondence with that presented by modern science to a degree perfectly miraculous. The men who press the objection are ignorant either of science or of the Bible, or, more probably, of both. (A.A. Hodge, Evangelical Theology: Lectures on Doctrine [Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1976], 82-83, emphasis added)

Elsewhere, while discussing the evidence for an old earth and a human population that pre-dates 4,000 BC (contra Usher’s chronology), Hodge wrote:

First, as to the antiquity of man. Undoubtedly, human remains have been discovered under conditions in which it is impossible to believe that God created man only six thousand years ago. I have no doubt of that. I have no doubt you will have to extend the time of creation back further than six thousand years. But remember that God never said he created Adam six thousand years ago. Our chronology exists in two forms, that of Usher and that of Hales, and it differs by a thousand years. Two scholars taking up this chronology have made the difference simply by following out the genealogical tables. (Ibid., 150)

In other words, Hodge freely accepts the scientific evidence (which has only grown by leaps and bounds) of an old earth and presence of humanoids before 4000 BC in the late 19th century instead of engage in mental gymnastics to retain belief in a young earth. Would that modern Calvinists who are young earth creationist (e.g., Jeff Durbin) would follow such.