Creation Ex Nilhilo Introduction to Second Semester Where have we gone Doctrine of Scripture Authoritative Inspired Inerrant cannot err Infallible does not err Sufficient all things concerning about nature of God Christ Holy Spirit salvation etc ID: 559046
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Slide1
Doctrine of God
Creation Ex
NilhiloSlide2
Creation Ex Nihilo
Worldview question: How did I get here? (Origin)
The secularist (atheist) answer: random processes from evolution
The New Age answer: Eternal, no creator, bits of evolutionSlide3
Creation Ex Nihilo
How did I get here?
The Christian response: God created the material and spiritual world
What is the Doctrine of Creation:
God created the entire universe out of nothing: it was originally very good, and he created it to glorify himself
–
Wayne
Grudem
.
The free act of the triune God to create the entire universe from nothing, as well as every creature from his own purpose and glory
–
David Nelson Slide4
Creation Ex Nihilo
Central issue that separates Christianity and other religions.
Secularists/atheists aim at this doctrine because the Christian worldview collapses if you undercut this doctrine
Judeo-Christian faith believes we did not emerge by means of a cosmic accident but by a direct, supernatural work of a Creator.
Creation Ex Nihilo
–
Out of nothingSlide5
What does the Bible say?
Genesis 1:1 - 2:4
–
Opening chapters of the Bible teach us creation ex nihilo
Four lines of thought:
(1) That God created
(2) how God created
(3) what God created
(4) why God created Slide6
That God Created
The Genesis account:
Emphasizes the God of the Bible, created all that exists.
It assumes the existence of God, and asserts that he created the world
This assertion in Genesis that God is the sole Creator stands against all forms of idolatry. Slide7
How god created
By his voice.
Repeated refrain of ”and God said”
The Bible reminds the reader of the immense power of the CreatorSlide8
What God Created
A world, which he identifies as good.
This world is good and purposeful.
He also created a world that is ordered
1
st
Day
–
Light 4th
–
Sun/Moon/Stars
2
nd
–
Skies/Seas 5
th
–
Fish/Fowl
3
rd
–
Land/Vegetation 6
th
–
Animals/Mankind Slide9
What God Created
God also created the spiritual universe:
Angels
Heaven (Rev. 10:6; Acts 4:24; Neh. 9:6)
Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:7, 21-22)Slide10
Why God Created
To Bless man and woman (Gen 1:22, 28)
To Bless others (Gen. 12:1-3)
For His own glory Slide11
What Does the bible say?
Isaiah
Man makes idols (2:8, 20; 17:8; 31:7) but God made the world.
The Creator has the ability to save, but idols have no such ability (45:20; 57:13)
Psalms
Emphasizes the continuity of the doctrine of creation
God’s protection of his people is related to his creative work: The Lord who made heaven and earth (Ps. 121:2; 124:8)
Call to worship God because he created the world (Ps. 33; Ps. 115; Ps. 146; Ps. 148)Slide12
What does the Bible say?
Job
Job 38
–
41
John’s Gospel
John 1:1
–
5
Acts
Acts 4:23
–
30 Slide13
What does the Bible Say?
Paul’s Epistles
Rom. 4:17; Rom. 11:36; Col. 1:16; 1 Tim. 4:4
–
5
Hebrews
Heb. 1:2; 4:3b
–
4
John Calvin states: But it is by faith alone that we alone know that it was God who created the world.
Revelation
Rev. 3:14; 4:11; 10:6; 14:7Slide14
Three fundamental Points
(1) There was a beginning
(2) There is a God
(3) There is a creation
If the first point can be established firmly, the other two would follow by logical necessity
If there is a beginning to the universe, then there must be something or someone responsibleSlide15
3 options for the Universe
(1) Self-existent and eternal
Secularists believe the universe did have a beginning but is not eternal
(2) Material world is self-existent and eternal
(3) The universe is self-created
Suddenly and dramatically by its own power. (This is a logical absurdity)
For anything to create itself, it must be its own creator, which means that it would have to exist before it was, which means it would have to be and not be at the same time and in the same relationship.
This point violates the Law of Non-Contradiction
A ASlide16
Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit
Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit
–
Out of nothing, nothing comes
If all we have is nothing, that is all we will ever have, because nothing cannot produce something
Something has to be self-existent; something must have the power of being within it to exist at all. Slide17
Theories of Creation
Secular theories
–
any theory of the origin of the universe that does not see an infinite-personal God as responsible for creating the universe by intelligent design.
”big bang” theory - theory that the universe came into existence via an explosion of energy.
Violates the first law of the thermodynamics
Inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture that God created the universe out of nothing. Slide18
Theories of Creation
Theistic Evolution
–
advocates the belief in God and in evolution too.
Those who hold to a theistic evolution believe that God intervened at crucial points:
(1) the creation of matter at the beginning
(2) the creation of the simplest life form
(3) The creation of man. Slide19
Theories of Creation
Theistic evolutionists hold that evolution proceeded in the ways now discovered by natural selection.
Believe that the random mutation of living things led to the evolution of higher life forms through the fact that those that had an “adaptive advantage” lived when others did not.Slide20
Theories of Creation
Objections to Theistic Evolution:
1. Scripture clearly teaches the purposefulness of God’s work of creation.
Incompatible with the randomness of evolution theory
If God intervenes at any point in the process, then it is no longer random and no longer evolution. Slide21
Theories of Creation
2. Scripture teaches an immediate response to God’s creative word
The Bible emphasizes the power of his word and its ability to accomplish his purpose. (Ps. 33:6, 9)
Again this is incompatible with the idea that God spoke and after millions of years and millions of random mutations brought about the results.
Gen. 1:11Slide22
Theories of Creation
3. Genesis 1:11, 24.
This verse suggests God created many differentiations of plants and animals
4. God’s present active role in creating and forming every living thing is hard to reconcile with the “hands-off” approach.
Ps. 139:13; Ps. 104:14; Mt. 6:30Slide23
Theories of Creation
5
. Special Creation of Adam and Eve
Man and Woman possessed highly developed linguistic, moral, and spiritual abilities.
6. Many scientific problems with evolutionary theory
David A. Young, “The position of theistic evolutionism as expressed by some of its proponents is not a consistently Christian position. It is not a truly biblical position, for it is based in part on principles imported into Christianity.”Slide24
Theories of Creation
Darwinian Evolution
micro-evolution
–
small developments within one species
Innumerable examples of these are evident today and no one denies they exist.
Macro-evolution
–
nonliving substance gave rise to first living material
When talking about evolution, macro-evolution is the term referencedSlide25
Darwinian Evolution
Current Challenges:
Philip E. Johnson, law professor, author of
Darwin on Trial
1. The amount of variation that can be produced (even with intentional, not random breeding) is extremely limited.
2. Survival of the fittest
–
the strong will survive, but in reality almost any characteristic could be argued as an advantage or disadvantageSlide26
Darwinian Evolution
3. Vast and Complex
Mutations
Complex organs could not have occurred in tiny mutations because individual parts of the organ are useless unless the entire organ is functioning
4. Fossil record
Gave Darwin problems
Many records so the existence of many different kinds of animals and plants
Darwin couldn’t find “intermediate types”Slide27
Darwinian Evolution
5. Molecular structures of living organisms do show relationships
Darwin assumed common ancestry, but this has not been proven.
6. How life began in the first place.
Even the simplest living organism capable of independent life requires an intelligent designerSlide28
Darwinian Evolution
Kofahl
and
Segraves
Probability of the formulation of living organism by random processes: 10 to the 340,000,000 power or 1 in 80 billion. Slide29
Final thoughts on Evolution
If Evolution is true, then:
There is no significance of life
No supreme Judge to hold us morally accountable
Why should we care for those who are weak or less able to defend themselves.
Wisdom of earlier generations is not valuable as modern thoughtSlide30
Theories of Creation
”Gap” theory
Proposes a gap of millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2
God created the world, then there was a rebellion against God, earth became formless and void
Genesis 1:3
–
2:3 really a
second
creation. Slide31
Theories of Creation
Objections to the Gap theory:
1. No verse in Scripture that explicitly talks about an earlier creation
2. When God finished his work of creation, he saw everything and declared it good.
In the gap theory, God would be looking at the results of rebellion, conflict and divine judgment. Slide32
Theories of Creation
3. God created everything in Six days.
Exodus 20:11
4. Must assume that all of the fossils of animals from millions of years resemble very closely animals from today indicate that God’s first creation of the animal and plant kingdom result in a failure.Slide33
Age of the Earth
See Handout(s), Excerpts from Wayne
Grudem’s
Systematic Theology. Please hang onto these. Slide34
Days of Creation
The debate between Old vs. Young Earth hinges on interpretation of “day”
Six Days:
Old Age
–
Long periods of time during which God carried out the creative activities
Young age
–
Six literal 24 hour days. Slide35
Conclusions about Age of the Earth
One can be a Christian and hold to either an old earth or young earth view.
The evidence points to God creating the earth in six days. Slide36
How does it All Fit together?
How does Creation fit with other doctrines?
Creation and the Trinity
All three persons participated in the act of creation
God the Father = The Author of creation
God the Son = the Agent of creation
God the Spirit = the Sustainer of creationSlide37
How does it all fit together?
Creation and Lordship
God is sovereign over his creation.
God knows all things about his creation
Polemic against idolatry
Creation and Worldview
The world is good, ordered and purposeful
God created the world for his own pleasure and glory
Creation and Salvation
The one who has the power to create also has the power to saveSlide38
How does this doctrine Impact the church?
Dignity of Human life
A right understanding of creation leads us to a deep appreciation of the value of all human life
Murder must be rejected
Marriage
–
Biblical definition of marriage
Creation Care
We should recognize the value of the rest of God’s good creation
Stewardship over creation