Question from a reader:

What is your position on the age of the Earth? Are you a young Earth creationist, an evolutionist, a theistic evolutionist, a progressive creationist, or do you hold to the literary hypothesis concerning creation? 

Answer from Randy Alcorn:

I am a young Earth creationist. I do not know how many thousands of years old the earth is, but I don’t believe it is millions. I take the natural face-value interpretation of the biblical text, and believe that Adam and Eve were literally the first man and first woman, and were not preceded by others. When death entered the world through their sin, it extended in the form of the Curse to the deaths of animals and the deterioration of the entire creation. 

At the same time, I realize that the great majority of scientists believe the data leads to belief in an old earth. The gap theory, day-age theory and other interpretive approaches to the early chapters of Genesis attempt to reconcile a belief in Scripture with a belief in a very old earth. While I accept that as possibly valid, I also know that many people throughout history, scientists included, have been “certain” of things at one time that they are now certain are false. So while I may be wrong in my views, I prefer to take the Bible at face value when it offers a creation account that is as much space-time history as its accounts of Abraham and the patriarchs. Some agree with what I just said but are convinced of a very old earth. I waver on this at times, having read a lot about it, and I am open to the evidence both directions.