This post is theological and biblical, not scientific.

Let’s begin.

I.. The Triune God and Creation

A.. Brief intro.

The triune God was involved in creating the heavens and the earth. The Father is the source and originator of all things, the Son is the instrument, and the Spirit is the energizer (Williams pp. 101-05).

B.. The Father as Creator

The verses are numerous. A small sample follows. “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came […] (1 Cor. 8:6). Genesis 1:1 and the entire chapter says that God took six days to create the heavens and the earth. Isaiah 44:24 says: “This is what the LORD says—your redeemer, who formed you in the womb. I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself” (Is. 44:24).  And Acts 4:24 says: […] “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.”

The term “father” shows us that he cares. He is not a deistic God who created the universe and left it alone to fend for itself. He watches over his creation, particularly his highest creation, we humans. “The universe is the creation of the One who is far more concerned than any earthly father about His child or children” (Williams p. 102)

C.. The Son as the instrument of creation

In these verses, note the prepositions “by” and “through.”

³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. […] ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. (John 1:3, 10)

In the context of John 1, the Son is the Word, the Logos, which suggests rationality. The universe can be studied by the rational mind. The goal is to bring order out of chaos, which is what Genesis 1 is about. The Word of God does this as he spoke the universe into existence.

We quoted this verse before, showing that the Father is the source of creation. Here it is clear that the Son was the instrument of the Father’s will.

[…] one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor 8:6b)

In this next verse, “him” refers to the Son.

¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Col. 1:16)

In the next verse “whom” refers to the Son: “through whom also he made the universe” (Heb. 1:2c).

Those prepositions mean the Son is the instrument of creation. He carried out God’s decree, though we do not know how he did this. “The Word of God is what makes it all a universe: a single vast system of forces of atoms and molecules, that is essentially one” (Williams p. 104).

D.. The Spirit as energizer

The Spirit is the life giver.

⁴ The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4)

Referring to all living things, the psalmist writes of the Spirit:

³⁰ When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground. (Ps. 104:30)

In the context of creation, the breath proceeding from God is the Spirit. God breathed into human (Adam) to bring him to life: “The LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7).

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth. […]

⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm. (Ps. 33:6, 9)

From such Scriptures as these, it is apparent that the operation of the Spirit is in close contact with what is being created, not simply a word spoken from a far but an immediate, divine breath that brings the universe into being and activates it. Thus, throughout the universe the immense forces that are at work in suns, stars and galaxies are energized by the Spirit of God. All energy and power are there by virtue of the divine Spirit. (Williams p. 104)

E.. Summary

I defer to Prof. Williams:

Creation is from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. Thus the one God in three persons perform the mighty work of creation. (p. 105, emphasis original)

II.. God’s Creation of the Spiritual World

A.. The concept

God created not only the physical world of all we see, like stars and humans and animals, but he also created the spiritual dimension where angels and other spirit beings live. He also created the realm where he lives.

B.. Scriptural support

In this verse, the host of heaven are angels and other spiritual beings.

⁶ You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Neh. 9:6)

God created them.

Paul affirms that God created the invisible realm (Col. 1:16). Ephesians 6:12 speaks of spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, invisible to our eyes. This does not mean, however, that God created evil beings, but he did create the spiritual dimension in which they could live.

God is enthroned in the heavens. During the dedication of the temple, in 1 Kings 8:30, Solomon calls heaven God’s dwelling place. Jesus himself says God lives in heaven (Matt. 6:9). His sanctuary is there (Ps. 102:19). Hebrews 9:24 says Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary. God’s throne is in heaven (Ps. 2:4 and Is. 63:15). Christ ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51). By a vision Isaiah saw into the heavenly realm, and God was enthroned there (Is. 6:1). Paul went up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2). Finally, John the revelator was invited into a heavenly realm (Rev. 4:1), and throughout the Revelation he saw the throne, Jesus the lamb, and other heavenly beings.

It is misguided to teach, as some of our fellow believers do, that God’s throne sits on one of the planets. No, God dwells in his own heavenly dimension for eternity. After all, where did he live before he created the planets?

C.. Summary

We need to be aware of the heavenly dimension. In Christ we are called to live there but only because we belong to him by faith (Eph. 2:6). However, we should certainly not get so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. And we must not obsess over the spiritual realm where demons live. Our mission is to minister to people down here, in our realm.

III.. Purpose of God’s Creation

A.. Brief intro.

Why did God create the cosmos and our earth, with just the right tuning for human life? We may never figure the why in details and with certainty, but Scripture offers a few hints about it.

B.. First reason: He willed it.

Revelation 4:11 says:

¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.” (Rev. 4:11)

In Greek, “by your will” can be translated as “because of your will.” But both phrases add up to the same truth. God created out of his will; he willed to create.

We cannot probe further than his will. Asking why he willed to create the heavens and the earth assumes that something greater than his will exists, and this is impossible. In other words, his will is a mystery in this case.

C.. Wrong path: He had an unfulfilled need.

A good-hearted Christian may believe that God needed us or his creation, so this explains why he created the heavens and the earth and us. In reply, however, God needs nothing or no one. He is not dependent on our praise or our service to him. He is independent of any need that takes away from his self-existence (recall the term aseity). God contains all fullness, without one deficiency. The Triune God was already in relationship with each person, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. “God does not need anything. He did not create to receive but to give” (Williams p. 115).

In these verses, note what they say about his not needing anything:

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (Acts 17:24-25)

D.. Second reason: for his glory

Psalm 19 is particularly clear about this:

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2)

In Isaiah’s vision, the seraphim were saying this about God’s glory:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Is. 6:3)

The Lord himself proclaims:

²¹ Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth (Num. 14:21)

We may not always see God’s glory throughout the universe, but this takes us back to Hebrew 11:3. By faith we understand that God commanded the universe to come into existence.

E.. God’s direction of his creation

His creation has a purpose. He is the Lord of creation, and it is heading to a final culmination.

The universe fell under corruption and degradation and now groans and waits for redemption, particularly we believers and our bodies, at the Second Coming (Rom. 8:19-22).

F.. God’s ultimate purpose

God ultimate for all of humanity will be accomplished in Christ and his church, whether unbelievers realize it or not. These verses support the culmination of all the universe. God’s grace will accomplish the following:

[…] ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹ according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Eph. 3:9-11)

Then these next verses say that God exalted Jesus to the highest heavens, and at the end of the ages everyone will bow the knee and declare Jesus to be Lord. All of humanity, whether it realizes it or not, is headed towards this final submission.

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)

The next verses are the most comforting verses in the grand finale, after God’s Son conquered all his enemies. One interpretation of Genesis 1 says that God created the heavens and the earth to live in his temple, and these verses culminate Genesis 1 and depicts heaven coming down to earth. We will experience and witness this final, glorious act of heaven coming down to earth (Rev. 21:1-5). May the Lord accomplish this soon and suddenly. And may we be worthy of receiving it.

IV.. Avoiding Errors

A.. Biblical truth

Before we look into the errors, we have to know what the Bible teaches. God is transcendent and immanent. Transcendent means that he is “above” or “superior to” what he created. He is distinct from it. Yet immanent means he remains in or involved in his creation. Immanence is to “be within” or “near.” He may be within his creation but he is not part of it. He is the Creator and it is his creation (Geisler, p. 675). He cares for and oversees it (see the next section on providence). “God is both beyond the world and in the world” (Geisler, p. 671). Sometimes it is hard to draw the line between God’s involvement in creation and his creation itself.

Scriptural support for transcendence: 1 Kings 8:27; Job 11:7-8; Psalms 8:1, 57:5, 97:9; Isaiah 55:8-9; 57:15, 66:1-2; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:17).

Scriptural support for immanence: Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:27-28; Romans 1:19; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 4:13; Revelation 4:11.

The rest of the points are errors or half-truths (see Grudem pp. 344-47).

B.. Materialism

This means that the universe, including humans, are nothing more than atoms and molecules cells and other physical things. This is the meaning of materialism—not a pursuit of money and big houses and expensive cars and clothes. Instead, materialism says that we humans are mere physical stuff or material without a nonmaterial soul or spirit materialism excludes God. In contrast, the Bible affirms the existence or nonmaterial being like angels and demons and the spirit and soul and God himself. These things are not made of the material found in the cosmos.

C.. Pantheism

This word literally means “all-God” (pan = all or everything, and “the-“ = God in Greek). In this belief, the universe is God and God is the universe or part of God. New Age and eastern religions believe in this or come close to believing in it.

In reply, this belief fails to distinguish between God and his creation. God is not identical with his creation, nor is he even a part of God identical with it.

D.. Panentheism

This terms literally means “everything in God” or “God in everything” (in Greek pan = all or everything, en = in, and the- = God). This concept is very tricky in relation to the biblical truth of transcendence and immanence, for panentheism affirms those two concepts. But perhaps we can say that panentheism goes a shade too far when it affirms that the universe influences God. It fails to distinguish God the Creator and his creation because his transcendence is not adequately maintained, and his immanence is pressed too far. In classical theism (or the biblical truth of Letter A), God is not identified with his creation, but distinct, so the literal definition of panentheism is a little off in relation to classical theism. But the nuanced differences between classical theism and this doctrine are very fine and difficult to sort out.

E.. Dualism

This erroneous belief says that God and the universe have eternally existed side by side. If the universe has existed from eternity, it seems to make itself and God to be equal and independent of him. Yet the universe has evil and chaos embedded in it, particularly human or moral evil. Will this all-powerful and eternally existing universe ever be repaired? Will humans be redeemed? Can they be? In reply, God will accomplish all those things. Further, Genesis 1:1 says, “in the beginning God created.” The universe has a beginning. God stands above creation, but it belongs to him.

F.. Deism

This deficient belief says that God is transcendent, but it is deficient in his immanence. Some deists say God embedded moral standards in humanity, and he will judge all humans, but deists claim that God’s involvement in the universe is nonexistent. He made the clock (the universe), wound it up (set it in motion) but lets it exist on its own. In reply, as we saw in the first point (Letter A), God has not left his creation to fend for itself. He cares for and is in involved in it.

G.. Summary

The most biblical description of God and his creation is transcendence and immanence. We need to stay with the Bible, so we can understand God the most clearly and follow him the most closely.

V.. Reflections

A.. The triune God and his creation

The Bible is clear that the Triune God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. But only Scripture reveals that the triune God worked this global miracle—the very existence of everything. We can know each person of the Trinity personally. We know the Father through his Son, and by the indwelling Spirit.

C.. Learning from Genesis 1

We can draw some theological lessons and conclusions from this chapter.

1. God is the creator.

He is large and in charge. He is the Ultimate Sabbath Keeper and Temple Builder. He rested after six days; likewise, the ancient Hebrews should do the same.

2. The universe had a beginning.

It is not eternal. Only God has. This is confirmed by Big Bang cosmology.

3. Mankind and womankind are made in God’s image

Therefore, we must treat every human with dignity and respect.

4. Humans are called to bring more order out of chaos.

They are commissioned to subdue—not abuse—their ecosystem, so they can live in peace with it and thrive in it. There is a certain percentage of humans who produce chaos and destruction. They burn down buildings and destroy the binary between man and woman. Now men are boxing against women, for example, and women are getting hurt. There is no rational thought to their methods and goals. God’s people are called to stop them and create order.

5. To create an orderly ecosystem, mankind and womankind must have knowledge and savvy to do this.

Over the millennia, they have indeed improved their knowledge and environment to succeed, from walking and horseback riding and sailing ships, to cars and airplanes and space travel. Amazing!

D.. God’s manifest presence

When God chooses to bless his people, he will manifest his immanent presence so powerfully that they often react bodily. Moses could not enter the tabernacle. At other times he had to cover his face with a veil. During Solomon’s dedication of the temple, the priests could not carry out their duties because the glory of the Lord filled the temple. His manifest glory was too much for their human bodies and minds. In the NT, God also manifested his presence at various times.

We must not demand of him to do this, and we should not seek such extraordinary experiences in every church service. Instead, God requires us to carry out our relationship and pursue the ordinary means of grace and empowerment, like regular Bible reading, prayers, communion, fellowship, and outreach. When we do these daily exercises, God can trust us with more of his manifest glory and presence. To be clear, though, we should come to church, expecting God to heal and save us and expel demons. Those things should occur weekly. We should never limit God. Doing the ordinary can lead to the extraordinary. But do not skip over the ordinary means of grace and persevering in your relationship with God by those ordinary means.

E.. Final words

We live in the Age of Modern Science, and apparently this intellectual context gives permission to certain interpreters to impose on the ancient text a science burden so heavy that the author’s original purpose gets distorted and over-interpreted. The fault lies not in inspired, infallible ancient Genesis, but in the modern science interpreters.

It is anachronistic and therefore unfair to impose modern science on Genesis 1. The ancient author was a devout Hebrew who was more interested in God’s creative power and the Sabbath and sacred days and seasons and the cosmic temple than modern astronomy or astrophysics. Therefore, Genesis 1 is a poetic narrative about the Sabbath and sacred days and seasons and God the Creator and the cosmic temple; Genesis 1 was true and error-free for him by the standards of his purpose, expressed through his experience with the natural world (what he saw with his own eyes); once again, imposing modern science on an ancient text is, in my view, a category mistake.

Therefore, accommodating the author in his historical context—as the historical-grammatical method demands—means that harmonizing Genesis 1 and modern science is not the right exegetical method. And accusations of errors in Genesis 1 by the standards of modern science are misplaced and ungenerous.

If we do not interpret the chapter by the author’s stated purpose of keeping the Sabbath and sacred days and seasons and building and inaugurating the cosmic temple; and if we do not accommodate the inspired, infallible ancient author’s limited knowledge of modern science, then we will be responsible for scaring honest and intelligent seekers away from biblical, eternal, theological truths expressed in these incidental vehicles like the Sabbath lesson and temple building. And by our modern-science interpretations imposed on Genesis 1, we will drive Christian thinkers away from the church and hurt Christian students at the university.

RELATED

16 Providence

LONGER POST

15 Creation

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I depended largely on J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology, vol. 1, chapter 5.

Works Cited