Had Adam fulfilled the Covenant of Works, he would have been granted an end to his probation and been brought into eternal life. Just as Adam’s fulfillment of the covenant would have presumably resulted in physical changes to creation, so perhaps his failure resulted in corresponding changes. This, of course, is speculative. But it is speculation that seems to me to be well grounded.

“Porphyry or some other caviler, may object, that this is fabulous, because the reason of it does not appear; or because it is unusual; or because it is repugnant to the common order of nature. But I make the rejoinder; that this entire narration of Moses, unless it were replete with miracles would be colds and trifling, and ridiculous. He, however, who will reflect aright upon the profound abyss of Divine omnipotence in this history, will rather sink in reverential awe, than indulge in profane mockery” – John Calvin

Does any view of origins have fewer friends than Mature Creation? Atheistic Evolutionists, Theistic Evolutionists, Old Earth Creationists and Young Earth Creationists, normally so divided, all seem willing to find common cause in their dismissal of the idea. Not just dismissal but denigration. Mature Creation, they insist, deserves not the slightest shred of respect. It is to be scoffed at as a sad abode of happy fools.

Yet few of her critics ever seem to engage with the position at any real depth. Consider the strangely widespread notion that the view advocates an ex nihilo creation of mature structures for the express purpose of testing a person’s faith. I say ‘strangely’ because, as far as I can tell, this is not an idea anyone is actually advocating. It appears to be an unchallenged straw man that has been passed around from camp to camp. Yet the misrepresentation does unearth a legitimate underlying question; what’s the purpose of a mature creation?

Philip Gosse believed that biologic and geologic structures were always dependent upon previous, immature forms. As such, any immediate creation would require a presumed history for a particular object. Critics will often agree that Gosse’s argument makes sense up to a point. But are all the elements usually associated with the antiquity of the world truly necessary? What do various geologic layers or fossils give us that we otherwise would not have? Perhaps a slight modification to Gosse’s argument might be helpful. Consider stories like It’s a Wonderful Life. George Bailey does not seem strictly necessary to Bedford Falls, yet his removal unleashes an unanticipated chain of effects that drastically alter the place. Similarly, a particular fossil or rock or glimpse of starlight may be part of a causal web required for the world which we inhabit. To claim that the world as it is now (or will be) does not need a presumed history that includes, say, trilobites, appears to me to be an assessment that is well beyond human capabilities.

Arguments other than the strictly utilitarian should also be considered. Instead of picturing the world as a mere machine, we should also recognize it as a work of art. An artist may include various details in a painting that could be left out. That is his prerogative as an artist. Who are we to claim God should not demonstrate the breadth of his creativity through the fossils of extinct animals? Who are we to rule the beauty of Sedona’s layered red rocks out-of-bounds? Critics of mature creation often fail to see that their personal creative standards have been smuggled into their assessments. They would not have created the world in such a way; therefore, God must not have created in such a way. This puts them in the foolish position of insisting that the artist should be captive to the whims of the art.

The issue is further complicated due to the possibility of mature structures being created after the creation week. P.G. Nelson argues that elements within the world involving death and decay (primarily fossils) are a result of God’s curse upon the earth after the Fall. Adam, having chosen death, is given a world which reflects the choice. Indeed, the world must exhibit a history of death if it is to exist as a coherent system. Although Nelson focuses on the historical consistency of the world, an additional theological concern can be applied. Had Adam fulfilled the Covenant of Works, he would have been granted an end to his probation and been brought into eternal life. Just as Adam’s fulfillment of the covenant would have presumably resulted in physical changes to creation, so perhaps his failure resulted in corresponding changes. This, of course, is speculative. But it is speculation that seems to me to be well grounded.

At the very least, I hope to have demonstrated in this short article that several possibilities can be marshalled for the ‘why’ of Mature Creation. Mature Creation is not a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for those engaging in the discussion of creation. It is not the product of “confused Christians” who believe fossils are intended as a test of faith. It is not a deception on God’s part. It is instead a recognition of the omnipotence of God, of a power so great that it disquiets us and brings us to silence before the One whose ways are not like our own.

Sean McGinty is a ruling elder in Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Scottsdale AZ.