Topical Bible: Creation: Beginning of

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of creation marks the commencement of the universe and all life within it, as described in the Bible. The opening chapters of Genesis provide the foundational narrative for the beginning of creation, emphasizing the power and sovereignty of God as the Creator.

Genesis Account

The Book of Genesis begins with the profound declaration, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). This verse establishes God as the eternal, pre-existent Creator who brings the universe into existence ex nihilo, or out of nothing. The creation account unfolds over six days, each marked by divine commands that bring order and life to the cosmos.

Days of Creation

1. First Day: God creates light, separating it from darkness, and names the light "day" and the darkness "night" (Genesis 1:3-5).

2. Second Day: God forms an expanse to divide the waters, calling the expanse "sky" (Genesis 1:6-8).

3. Third Day: God gathers the waters to reveal dry ground, naming it "land," and calls the gathered waters "seas." Vegetation, plants, and trees bearing fruit are also created (Genesis 1:9-13).

4. Fourth Day: God creates the celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, to serve as signs for seasons, days, and years, and to give light on the earth (Genesis 1:14-19).

5. Fifth Day: God populates the waters with living creatures and the sky with birds, blessing them to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:20-23).

6. Sixth Day: God creates land animals and mankind. Humanity is made in the image of God, male and female, and given dominion over the earth and its creatures (Genesis 1:24-31).

Theological Significance

The creation narrative underscores several key theological themes:

· Sovereignty of God: God’s authoritative word brings creation into being, highlighting His ultimate control and purpose in the universe.

· Order and Goodness: Each act of creation is pronounced "good" by God, reflecting the inherent order and goodness of His work.

· Imago Dei: Humanity is uniquely created in the image of God, signifying a special relationship with the Creator and a mandate to steward the earth.

· Sabbath Rest: On the seventh day, God rests, sanctifying it as a day of rest and reflection (Genesis 2:2-3). This establishes a pattern for human rest and worship.

New Testament Affirmation

The New Testament reaffirms the creation account, attributing the work of creation to Jesus Christ. John 1:3 states, "Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made" . Colossians 1:16 further emphasizes, "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible" .

Creation and Redemption

The theme of creation is intricately linked to redemption. Romans 8:19-22 speaks of creation's eager expectation for liberation from its "bondage to decay" , pointing to the hope of restoration through Christ. The new creation, as described in Revelation 21:1, promises a renewed heaven and earth, free from sin and death.

The biblical account of creation serves as a cornerstone for understanding the nature of God, the purpose of humanity, and the overarching narrative of redemption woven throughout Scripture.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

In Time. The Beginning of Creation.
... Book I. 17. (2) in Time. The Beginning of Creation. Again, there is a beginning
in a matter of origin, as might appear in the saying ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/17 -2 in time the.htm

Whether the Creation of Things was in the Beginning of Time?
... Objection 1: It would seem that the creation of things was not in the beginning
of time. ... Therefore creation was not in the beginning of time. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the creation of things.htm

Of the Creation of Heaven and Earth. "In the Beginning God Created ...
... Part I."Exegetical. Section I. Of the Creation of Heaven and Earth. "In the Beginning
God Created," Etc. Of the Creation of Heaven and Earth. ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/section i of the creation.htm

An Appeal to the History of Creation True Meaning of the Term ...
... earth are the principal works of God, and since, by His making them first, He
constituted them in an especial manner the beginning of His creation, before all ...
/.../tertullian/against hermogenes/chapter xix an appeal to the.htm

Meaning of the Phrase --In the Beginning Tertullian Connects it ...
... 6323] even acknowledging such a beginning, who says: "The Lord possessed [6324]
me, the beginning of His ways for the creation of His works." [6325] For since ...
/.../tertullian/against hermogenes/chapter xx meaning of the phrasein.htm

The Epistle to the Laodiceans the Proper Designation is to the ...
... Ephesians. Recapitulation of All Things in Christ from the Beginning of
the Creation. No Room for Marcion's Christ Here. Numerous ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xvii the epistle to the.htm

That which Thou Saidst in the Beginning of the Creation...
... Book XIII Chapter III That which Thou saidst in the beginning of the
creation? That which Thou saidst in the beginning of the ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter iii that which thou.htm

Of Creation
... And what beginning is that? Certainly the beginning of the creation, and
of time, to exclude eternity. Whatever may be said of that ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xvii of creation.htm

Remarks on the Creation of the World.
... Moreover, his [Hesiod's] human, and mean, and very weak conception, so far as regards
God, is discovered in his beginning to relate the creation of all things ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xiii remarks on the creation.htm

The vision of Creation
... above from the waters beneath, the emergence of the land, the beginning of vegetation ...
simple utterance of the divine will was the agent of creation, the manner ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the vision of creation.htm