![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thomasjayoord.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/horsehead-nebula-dark-nebula-constellation-orion-87646-300x169.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThere are good and bad reasons people affirm the idea that God created the universe from nothing. Some have merit. But to me, none are finally convincing.<\/p>\n
In this essay, I’ll list three such reasons. I plan to address each in detail in my forthcoming book. And I’ll post other reasons in future blogs.<\/p>\n
What I Was Taught<\/strong><\/p>\n I recently conducted a social media poll asking questions about creation from nothing. I asked why people believe God created the universe from absolutely nothing. I received hundreds of responses, and I\u2019m using some of them for this book. The most common response to my question was this: \u201cThat\u2019s what I was taught.\u201d<\/p>\n Those giving this response sometimes added that they hadn\u2019t thought much about creation from nothing since learning of it. They simply accepted creatio ex nihilo<\/em> without thinking much about the theory\u2019s strengths and weaknesses. I suspect many Christians fail to see why believing the theory even matters, except insofar as it affirms God as Creator.<\/p>\n The good news is that this response to my question indicates that some of us remember what we learned in Sunday school or catechism! (I\u2019m sure our teachers will be surprised.) The curricula of several Christian groups teach creation from noting. Roman Catholic and Episcopal catechisms mention creatio ex nihilo<\/em>, so does the Westminster Confession. Curricula from other Christian groups may not explicitly promote the theory, but many of their teachers likely taught it. Whatever the reason, what we were taught continues to function as the reason many accept creation from nothing.<\/p>\n Of course, we\u2019ve all encountered ideas long ago we now think inaccurate or implausible. We all must learn to sift the wheat from the chaff. Wise ones know education never stops. The question we need to ask is whether we should continue to affirm the creation from nothing theory today.<\/p>\n I will argue there is a better way to think about God\u2019s initial creation of the universe. But I also retain what I think helpful in the traditional theory. At the least, I hope those who continue to affirm creation from nothing after reading my book will have better reasons for doing so than \u201cthat\u2019s what I was taught.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t <\/p>\n The Bible Says So<\/strong><\/p>\n Many Christians read the first verse of the Bible and think it means God created the universe from absolutely nothing. The verse actually says this: \u201cIn the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth\u2026\u201d (1:1). Notice that it doesn\u2019t explicitly <\/em>say God created from nothing.<\/p>\n The Genesis 1:2 says a \u201cwind\u201d or \u201cspirit\u201d of God hovered over something<\/em> when creating in the beginning. \u201cThe earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters,\u201d says the second verse.\u00a0Other translations of the Bible use different words. But none says God created from absolute nothingness. A growing number of biblical scholars \u2013 from my count, the majority \u2013 don\u2019t think the first verses of the Bible explicitly say God created the universe from nothing. Most don\u2019t think other verses in the Bible explicitly make this claim. The scholars I\u2019m referring to include conservative and liberal, Christian and Jewish.<\/p>\n Because I deeply appreciate God\u2019s revelation in the Bible, I\u2019ll explore in some detail what it says about God creating. I suspect many will be surprised by the diverse views found in Scripture. Biblical writers say God creates from something, and I\u2019ll build upon that idea for my alternative theory.<\/p>\n\t\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\tI suspect many Christians fail to see why affirming creation from nothing matters, except it affirms God as Creator.\t\t\t\tClick to Tweet<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thomasjayoord.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/bible1-300x224.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thomasjayoord.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/IMG_9979-200x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n