Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Unloading 17 More Loaded Questions for "Bible Christians" 4/17

Steve Ray has a list of more than 35 loaded Questions for "Bible Christians" (quotation marks his)(link to the whole list). I originally planned to respond to just 35 of them, but the series seems to have been of interest, so in this extension, I'm responding to three more numbered questions in his list, plus fourteen "bonus questions" that take the form "Where does the Bible say ... ." I'm trying to provide the answers in the same common format as the original series, for easy reference. This is number 4/17.

Where does the Bible . . .
. . . say God created the world/universe out of nothing?

Simple Answer(s):

1) Genesis 1

2) But more clearly:

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Important Qualification(s):

1) The words "out of nothing" (Latin: ex nihilo) are not found in Scripture, but the concept is, both in Genesis 1:1 and following as well as in Hebrews 11:3.

2) We also see it in other passages:

Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

3) While Mormons may deny creation ex nihilo Steve Ray shouldn't feel free to, since the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) formally declared:
We firmly believe and simply confess that there is only one true God ... the one principle of the universe, the creator of all things, visible and invisible, spiritual and corporeal, who by His almighty power from the beginning of time made at once out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is, the angelic and the earthly, and then the human creature, who as it were shares in both orders, being composed of spirit and body.
(it's interesting to note that "at once out of nothing both orders of creatures" seems to be an endorsement of Young Earth Creationism as opposed to the heresy of theistic evolution, which is more prevalent among contemporary Roman Catholics)

- TurretinFan

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As I read this this morning, these Words from Job came to mind, note especially verse seven:::>

Job 26:1 Then Job answered and said:
Job 26:2 "How you have helped him who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength!
Job 26:3 How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
Job 26:4 With whose help have you uttered words, and whose breath has come out from you?
Job 26:5 The dead tremble under the waters and their inhabitants.
Job 26:6 Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.
Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.
Job 26:8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them.
Job 26:9 He covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud.
Job 26:10 He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.
Job 26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke.
Job 26:12 By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
Job 26:13 By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Job 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?"

John Stebbe said...

TF, I also thought this was an odd objection coming from a RC. I did not know about that 'at once' young-earth reference from the 1215 council. That may be useful in the future, thanks.