Learning Theological Terms: Creation Ex Nihilo

One of the clearest contrasts between biblical Christianity and secular, evolutionary belief concerns the doctrine of creation. While the average secular person believes that the universe came into being basically by accident via the "Big Bang", the Christian holds that God created all things that exist by His powerful Word (Genesis 1:3; John 1:3). Moreover, the Christian believes that God, through Jesus Christ, continues to uphold the entire cosmos through that same powerful Word (Hebrews 1:3).

While Christians take different stances on many of the details of creation¹, biblical Christians of all stripes believe in what theologians refer to as creation ex nihilo. Ex nihilo is a Latin theological term which, when literally translated means, "out of nothing". In other words, creation ex nihilo declares that God created the entire universe - both things seen and things unseen - out of nothing. That is, God did not create using preexisting matter. Rather, God spoke the cosmos into existence by fiat, and it simply became.

There are several Scriptures which best bear this concept out. Although written in a context discussing justification by faith alone and God's promise to Abraham, Paul writes in Romans, ...As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations” in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did... (Romans 4:17 NKJV). Paul, almost in passing, makes the point that God calls things which do not exist into existence. Obviously this implies that God creates out of nothing since what He calls into existence did not previously exist.

The second Scripture which teaches creation ex nihilo is in Hebrews. In the eleventh chapter, the anonymous writer gives to his Hebrew Christian readers (and us) the very definition of faith and a very important, specific application of the same:

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

While it is true that God and His attributes are made obvious in the created order (Romans 1:18-20), nevertheless, it is by faith that we believe that all things were, in fact, created by God. But the important part for our purposes is the second clause of verse 3. The writer of Hebrews teaches that the visible universe is not the sum of preexisting parts, but is rather framed by the Word of God.

Finally, there are verses in the Bible which teach that Jesus Christ Himself is the creator of all things. These verses are not only powerful testimony to Christ's deity, but they are also further evidence that all things are created ex nihilo, that is, out of nothing.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

(John 1:1-3 NKJV)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

(Colossians 1:15-17 NKJV)

In both of the above cases, the Scripture writers are seeking to show the total preeminence of Jesus Christ. One of the ways in which they do so is to show that Jesus is the creator of the universe. By implication and by direct statement, this means that Jesus is God. But the above quoted verses also establish creation ex nihilo because they state unequivocally that there was absolutely nothing that existed prior to Christ. Jesus is literally before everything and in Him, everything that could possibly be came into being through Him. It is important to understand this. Everything that is, from quarks to quasars, from amoebas to archangels, and everything in between, exists only because Jesus Christ - as creator God - says so. God the Son did not create from anything preexisting precisely because there was nothing preexisting!

The creation of the universe and all things in it, whether seen or unseen, exists only through the sovereign word of Almighty God. And despite the originally good creation being marred by sin, it is still true that, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands (Psalm 19:1 NIV). Amen.




¹ The position of David's Throne Ministries is that of Six-Day, Young Earth Creationism. This position is most consistent with a plain sense, face value reading of the text of the early chapters of Genesis as well as being the assumption of the rest of the Old Testament, of Jesus, and of the writers of the New Testament. Two excellent ministries which defend this view of creation are Answers in Genesis and Creation Ministries International.