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F7 reasoning: Creation out of nothing

Reasoning steps: Creation out of nothing

Verdicts: F7 · Creation out of nothing. Method: conventions, scoring and proximity eras. Scripture is the primary measure; fathers are weighed by era (Era I to c. 150 = 1.0, II = 0.8, III = 0.6, IV = 0.4).

F07.1: Creation out of nothing

Step F07.1.1: Scripture

Gen 1:1; John 1:3 (‘all things were made through him’); Col 1:16; Heb 11:3 (‘what is seen was not made out of things that are visible’); Rom 4:17 (calls into existence the things that do not exist); Rev 4:11.

Step F07.1.2: Patristic evidence

Hermas (Era I): God ‘made all things out of nothing’. Theophilus (Era II): ‘out of things that are not He makes whatever He pleases’. Irenaeus: God formed all things ‘out of what did not previously exist’. Sources: hermas-f07-s1 · theophilus-f07-s1 · irenaeus-f07-s1.

Step F07.1.3: Weighing decision

Unanimous from Era I, against pagan and Gnostic eternal matter. Verdict: consensus.

  • Confidence: High.

Step F07.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

  • Scripture (benchmark): All things were made through the Word (John 1:3; Col 1:16) and the visible from what is not visible (Heb 11:3); Scripture assumes no co-eternal matter. (Scripture confidence: high)
  • Assessment: Scripture and Era I agree; all nine confess God the creator of all things.

Post-750 development by tradition

Catholic

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Lateran IV: God ‘creator of all things … from nothing’.

Orthodox

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Nicene Creed; Dositheus 4 (to verify).

Oriental Orthodox

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Gregory of Tatev: ‘Creator of all visible and invisible things’ (verified, St Nersess).

Lutheran

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): AC I: ‘maker and preserver of all things’.

Anglican

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Art. I: ‘Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible’.

Presbyterian

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): WCF IV.1: ’to create, or make of nothing, the world’.

Reformed Baptist

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): 1689 4.1: ’to create or make the world … of nothing’.

General Baptist

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Orthodox Creed (creation article; to verify).

Anabaptist

Confesses God the maker of all things.

  • F07.1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Dordrecht I: God ‘created all things visible and invisible’ (verified).