Creation
“In the beginning” God created, i.e., called into being, all things out of nothing. This creative act on the part of God was absolutely free, and for infinitely wise reasons. The cause of all things exists only in the will of God.
The fact that he is the Creator distinguishes Jehovah as the true God (Isaiah 37:16; 40:12-13; 54:5; Psalm 96:5; Jeremiah 10:11-12).
In the Bible, the work of Creation is attributed to:
- The Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17)
- The Godhead (Genesis 1:1, 26)
- The Father (1 Corinthians 8:6)
- The Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30)
The one great end in the work of creation is the manifestation of the glory of the Creator (Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11; Romans 11:36). God’s works, equally with God’s word, are a revelation from him; and between the teachings of the one and those of the other, when rightly understood, there can be no contradiction.
Traditions of the creation, disfigured by corruptions, are found among the records of ancient Eastern nations. (See ACCAD.) A peculiar interest belongs to the traditions of the Accadians, the primitive inhabitants of the plains of Lower Mesopotamia. These have been brought to light in the tablets and cylinders which have been rescued from the long-buried palaces and temples of Assyria. They bear a remarkable resemblance to the record of Genesis.
More information
- ORDER OF CREATION—What is the order of events in the biblical Creation?
- The biblical Creation account, summarized in words and pictures
- Creation SuperLibrary
- Does God expect us to read Genesis 1-11 as a record of authentic historical fact, or is this simply a collection of parable-like stories?
- Genesis and ancient Near Eastern stories of Creation and the Flood: an introduction
- God
- Adam
- Eve
- Creature
- Animals
- Plants
- Genesis
- What about the “contradictions” between Genesis 1 and 2 and other supposed difficulties?
- Should Genesis be taken literally?
- Who wrote the first book of the Bible?
- How should we interpret Genesis 1-11?
- Creation/Evolution—answers to Bible issues
- “God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity”