Christianity

creation (Christianity)

April 18, 2015 · updated February 15, 2022

Christians believe that God created the universe. Denominations and individual Christians differ in their beliefs about howGod created, with some accepting current scientific theories and others adhering to a more literal interpretation of Genesis, but all mainstream Christians agree that God is the Creator of everything that exists.

More specific Christian doctrines of creation include the following.

God created ex nihilo(Latin for "out of nothing."). This emphasizes that the Creator did not use any pre-existing materials to create the universe. Implied in this doctrine is that the material world is not eternal, but time and space were established at a specific point in the past. Bible verses used to support this idea include: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6-9; John 1:3; and Revelation 4:11.

God created an unseen, spiritual relam, not just a visible, physical one. The unseen realm contains spiritual beings, such as angels, and places that are not directly accessible through the material world, such as heaven. Bible verses used to support this idea include: Nehemiah 9:6 and Colossians 1:16.

God's creation reflects his glory and attributes, as a work of art reflects the artist - even when the image is not a self-portrait, the piece can be said to reflect the artist's style, interests, and tastes. Bible verses used to support this idea include: Isaiah 43:7 and Psalm 19:1-2.

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