Ex nihilo

[Jsilva]

Mike,

I'm studying for Sunday school and I'm finding some conflicting commentary about the doctrine of ex nihilo "creating something from nothing" some say that the word create in Gen 1.1 does not refer to God creating out of nothing.

What is your stance and what are some references?

Thanks for your time,

Jonathan

[Mike Miller]

Hey, I'm sorry I'm just now replying, but I don't normally look at this board on the weekend. Hopefully you can see this before class.

The word for create--bara--is a word that only has God for its subject. In other words, God is the only one who can perform the activity indicated by this particular verb. However, the term itself does not mean creatio ex nihilo, or creation from nothing. We see it used in other ways in Scripture. For example, in Psalm 51:10, David asks God to create (bara) within him a new heart. He is not asking for something from nothing, but rather a renewal of his heart. In Isaiah 57;19, God creates (bara) praise on the lips of mourners. This is not referring to something material that is made from nothing, but rather means that He will restore joy that has been lost.

Now, even though the word bara does not in itself mean creation from nothing, the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo is clear in Scripture. Not only does Genesis 1 seem to teach that God made everything from nothing, but other passages are even more explicit. See, for example, John 1:3, Romans 4:17, and Hebrews 11:3.