Biblical explanation
Genesis begins: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (). Genesis then gives genealogies connecting major generations from Adam onward. Some readers add the genealogical ages together and arrive at a relatively young-earth chronology. However, biblical genealogies sometimes omit generations. For example, Matthew's genealogy intentionally structures its list into groups rather than necessarily providing every generation. Therefore, Scripture gives a chronological framework but does not explicitly say: “The earth is exactly X years old.” The Bible's central claim is that creation is the work of God, not that the earth is self-existent or the product of chance. A young-earth chronology can be constructed from biblical genealogies, but the exact age depends on assumptions about whether the genealogies are complete. The explicit biblical teaching is that God created the heavens and earth and that humanity ultimately descends from God's creative act.
In brief
Genesis begins: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” ().
Bible references
Go deeper into this topic Where Did Evil Come From? Start the studyThis answer is written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team, and is presented with supporting references so you can examine each passage in context. If you notice an error or unclear statement, please suggest a correction.