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Creation Ex Nihilo

This Rock Volume 3, Number 4   April 1992     Up Front By Karl Keating   Letters   Dragnet   THE CALL OF THE MINARET By TERRY L. FRAZIER   "ASSURANCE" ISN'T ASSURING By GREGORY A. KREHBIEL   Master Apologetics The Chief Rabbi's Conversion By Arthur B. Klyber   Profile Pastor Russell By Cathleen A. Koenig   Chapter & Verse Purgatory By Rev. William G. Most   Fathers Know Best Creation Ex Nihilo   Verse by Verse   Quick Questions    Subscribe    Permissions

God created all things from nothing--not from plasmic matter, or empty space, or anything else.

Hermas

"Believe first of all that God is one, that he created all things and set them in order and brought out of non-existence into existence everything that is, and that he contains all things while he himself is uncontained" (The Shepherd 1:1 [A.D. 140]).

Aristides

"Let us proceed, then, O King, to the elements themselves, so that we may demonstrate concerning them that they are not gods, but corruptible and changeable things, produced out of the non-existent by him that is truly God, who is incorruptible and unchangeable and invisible, but who sees all things and changes them and alters them as he wills" (Apology 4 [A.D. 140]).

Theophilus

"Furthermore, inasmuch as God is uncreated, he is also unchangeable; so also, if matter were uncreated, it would be unchangeable and equal to God. That which is created is alterable and changeable, while that which is uncreated is unalterable and unchangeable. What great thing were it, if God made the world out of existing matter? Even a human artist, when he obtains material from someone, makes of it whatever he pleases. But the power of God is made evident in this, that he makes out of what does not exist whatever he pleases, and the giving of life and movement belongs to none other but to God alone" (To Autolycus 2:4 [A.D. 181]).

Irenaeus

"Men, indeed, are not able to make something from nothing, but only from existing material. God, however, is greater than men first of all in this: that when nothing existed beforehand, he called into existence the very material for his creation" (Against Heresies 2:10:4 [inter A.D. 180-199]).

Tertullian

"The object of our worship is the one God, who, by the Word of his command, by the reason of his plan, and by the strength of his power, has brought forth from nothing for the glory of his majesty this whole construction of elements, bodies, and spirits; whence also the Greeks have bestowed upon the world the name Cosmos" (Apology 17:1 [A.D. 197]).

Tertullian

"There is, however, a rule of faith; and so that we may acknowledge at this point what it is we defend, it is this precisely that we believe: There is one only God and none other besides him, the creator of the world who brought forth all things out of nothing through his Word, first of all sent forth" (The Demurrer Against the Heretics 13:1 [A.D. 200]).

Tertullian

"He is the unique God for this reason alone, that he is the sole God, and he is the sole God for this reason alone, that nothing existed along with him. So too he must be the first, because all else is after him. All else is after him because all else is from him--and from him because they are created out of nothing. The account of Scripture, then, is correct: 'Who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor? or whom has he consulted? or who showed him the way of wisdom and knowledge? who gave, and recompense will be made to him?'" (Against Hermogenes 17:1 [inter A.D. 200-206]).

Tertullian

"Firmly believe, therefore, that he made it wholly out of nothing; and by believing that he has such powers, you will have found the knowledge of God" (The Resurrection of the Dead 11:5-6 [inter A.D. 208-212]).

Origen

"The specific points which are clearly handed down through the apostolic preaching are these: First, that there is one God who created and arranged all things and who, when nothing existed, called all things into existence" (The Fundamental Doctrines 1:Preface:4 [inter A.D. 220-230]).

Lactantius

"Let no one inquire of what materials God made those so great and wonderful works, for he made all things out of nothing. Without wood, a carpenter will build nothing, because the wood itself he is not able to make. Not to be able is a quality of weak humanity. But God himself makes his own material, because he is able. To be able is a quality of God, and, were he not able, neither would he be God. Man makes things out of what already exists, because he is . . . of limited and moderate power. God makes things from what does not exist, because he is strong; because of his strength, his power is immeasurable, having neither end nor limitation, like the life itself of the maker" (The Divine Institutions 2:8:8, [inter A.D. 304-310]).