The creation of the world and man.
(De Creatlone)
1. The source of knowledge of the doctrine of creation.
Because no man was a spectator at the creation, we have to rely only on the account God Himself published in the Scriptures for an authentic account of the creation. The πάσα γραφή ϑεόπνευστος 2 Tim. 3:16, and the ή γραφή ον δνναται λνϑήναι, John 10:36, of course also refers to the creation account Gen. 1 and 2. It is true that we men can recognize afterwards (a posteriori) that all things are created by God, because the creatures bear the divine stamp, Rom. 1:20 (God's invisible essence, that is, His eternal power and Godhead, is clearly seen [καϑοράταί] in the creation of the world by being perceived through the creatures). But with respect to the closer circumstances of creation (e.g., with respect to the time period and order of creation), we depend on God's revelation in Scripture. If we humans take the liberty of correcting God's creation report by drawing conclusions from the present condition of the world (geology), then this is an unscientific cleverness that is neither appropriate for Christians nor for humans in general. The disagreement z. V. concerning the age of the earth and the human world among the geologists of subject is also actually so great that one can address from "fixed results" of the geology only after one has completely renounced the use of the reason
571 ><w:t xml:space="preserve">The Creation of the World and of Man. [English ed. pgs. 467-468]
which has remained to us after the fall. While some are satisfied with a few millennia beyond the real age of the earth and the human world, others demand almost uncountable millions of years.1438)