Creation Theology

(c) Meaning of the term “creation out of nothing” : ” The expression “ to create or bring forth out of nothing” is not found in the Scripture. It is derived from one of the Apocrypha, namely, II. Macc. 7:28. the expression “ex nihilo “ has been both misinterpreted and criticized. Some even considered the word hihilum (nothing) as the designation of a certain matter out of which the world was created, a matter without qualities and without form. But this is too puerile to be worthy of serious consideration. Others took the expression – “to create out of nothing” to mean that the world came into being without a cause, and proceeded to criticize it as conflicting with what is generally regarded as an axiomatic truth, “ ex nihilo nihil fit” (out of nothing comes nothing). But this criticism is entirely unwarranted. To say that God created the world out of nothing is not equivalent to saying that the world came into being without a cause. ELOHIM Himself or, more specifically, the will of God is the cause of the world. Martensen: expresses himself in these words: “ The nothing out of which YHVH creates the world are the eternal possibilities of His will, which are the sources of all the actualities of the world.” If the Latin phrase “ex nihilo nihil fit” be taken to mean that no effect can be without a cause, it’s the doctrine of creation out of nothing. But if it be understood to express the idea that nothing can originate, except out of previously existing material, it certainly cannot be regarded as a self-evident truth. Then it is rather a purely arbitrary assumption which as Shedd points out, does not even hold true of man’s thoughts and volitions, which are “ex nihilo”. But even if the phrase does express a truth of common experience as far as human works are concerned, this does not yet prove its truth with respect to the work of the almighty power of YHVH. However, in view of the fact that the expression “creation out of nothing” is liable to misunderstanding, and has often been misunderstood, it is preferable to speak of creation without the use of pre-existing material.”