What was Martin Luther's stand on Creation/Evolution?

Etching of Luther in 1540 by Heinrich Aldegrever. Courtesy of Films for Christ.

The biblical scholar and Protestant reformer, Martin Luther believed in Creation and taught that the world was young. For example, Luther stated,

“We know from Moses that the world was not in existence before 6,000 years ago.”

Luther insisted that Moses wrote about Creation in normal, literal language.

“He [Moses] calls ‘a spade a spade,’ i.e., he employs the terms ‘day’ and ‘evening’ without Allegory, just as we customarily do we assert that Moses spoke in the literal sense, not allegorically or figuratively, i.e., that the world, with all its creatures, was created within six days, as the words read. If we do not comprehend the reason for this, let us remain pupils and leave the job of teacher to the Holy Spirit.”

Reference

Martin Luther in Jaroslav Peliken, editor, “Luther's Works,” Lectures on Genesis Chapters 1-5, Vol. 1 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1958), pp. 3, 6.

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Authors: Mark Van Bebber and Paul S. Taylor, Christian Answers.

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