5. The work of creation in detail.
Day One: In relation to "In the Beginning," בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית [HEBREW], it has already been pointed out that there has been a beginning since things apart from God began to be. With the being of things apart from God, time and space begin. "Heaven and earth" in Scripture denotes the totality of created things (the world, the universe)."1445) But since it is evident from what follows that heaven and earth were further formed in the six-day work, we rightly understand v. 1 to mean "radis moles coeli et terrae" [“radius, the mass of heaven and earth”] (Luther1446) ) or with more recent ones the "world stuff." The water was created with the earth, since it surrounded the earth according to v. 2 and v. 9. תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֑הוּ[HEBREW] is Jer. 4:23 used of a desolate land, here (Gen. 1:2) of a state in which things still lie disordered one within another. That we find in the תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֑הוּ[HEBREW] (Gen. 1:2) the remnants of a world that had perished by the fall of the angels, and thus in Gen. 1 to see only a restoration of an earlier creation (Kurtz, agreeing Delitzsch, Rudelbach, Guericke), is indicated by nothing in the text.1447) With respect to "heaven" would be added: With Scholastics, Romans, Calvinists and
That there is no scientific proof for the origin of a higher species from a lower one and that in this respect the real natural science remains in accordance with the biblical creation report ("each according to its kind"), is often treated in our publications, e.g. L. u. W. 44, 303; 46, 233; 54, 559; 59, 75 [search "evolution" here: ]. Evolution, and what is connected with it, is treated and refuted in great detail in L. u. W. 46, 8-239; 55, 289-550.
1445) Gen. 2:1; Is. 37:15; Jer. 32:17. — Acts 4:24; 14:15; Col. 1:16: Έν αντω εκτίαϑη τα πάντα τα εν τοϊς ονρανοϊς και τα επί τής γης, τα όρατά και τα αόρατα.
1446) Opp. ex. vri. I, 11; St. L. I, 9.
1447) Cf. the longer quotation from Kurtz' "Bibel und Astronomie" 2, p. 94-96; in Baier-Walther II, 83. Against the "restitution theory" also Zöckler, RE. 2 XIII. 645 f.
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Arminians think of the heaven mentioned in Genesis 1 as a heaven of fire (coelum empyrium) above the visible heaven, which is the dwelling place of the angels and the saved and of God Himself, but the text does not give any reason for this.1448 ) The heaven of the angels and the saved is not a created space, but the state of the blessed foam of God, as is clear from Matt. 18:10. The angels are at the same time in heaven during their service on earth, because they always see God's face.1449) The light that God created on the first day is the "elemental light" that only later (on the fourth day) was bound to luminous bodies. According to the clear testimony of the Scriptures, the light was present before the sun, moon and stars. We can have nothing against this as long as we believe an almighty God."1450)
Second day: the expanse or firmament (רָקִ֖יעַ [HEBREW]) is not the layer of air between the earth and the clouds (according to Baier and others), but the visible vault of heaven (according to Luther and others); v. 8: "And God called the heavens"; v. 14: "the רָקִ֖יעַ [HEBREW] of heaven." According to vv. 6-8, the רָקִ֖יעַ [HEBREW] is the part (מַבְדִּ֔יל [HEBREW]) between the upper and lower waters. So there is water even above the visible firmament. Isn't that dangerous? The water above the firmament is no more dangerous than the waters of the sea, which are also held in place by God's omnipotence alone.1451)
1448) Quenstedt I, 623: Dulce sine somno somnium et merum figmentum. [“A sweet dream without sleep and a mere figment.”]
1449) Cf. vol. III, note 1891.
1450) Question: Is the light a fine matter (emanation or emission theory) or wave motion of "the molecules of the ether" (undulation theory)? Still today both theories go side by side, as the proceedings about the X-rays showed. Baier means II, 84: Intelligi videtur corpus quoddam lucidum dependenter a substantia coeli productum. [“It seems to be understood that a certain luminous body was produced depending on the substance of heaven.”] Chemnitz, Loci 1, 120: Quia Paulus 2 Cor. 4:6 inquit: Deus iussit ex tenebris lucem splendescere, id est, cum essent tenebrae, Deo dicente vel iubente subito exstitit lux: ideo videtur lux quoque immediate ex nihilo creata esse. [“Because Paul 2 Cor. 4, 6 says: God commanded light to shine out of darkness, that is, when there was darkness, light suddenly came into existence by God saying or commanding: therefore it seems that light was also created immediately from nothing.”] The Century Dictionary, IV, 3445, sub "Light", does not indicate the state of the controversy exactly, when it says there that Newton's "emission theory" is spent today.
1451) Luther, St. L. I, 32: "But this is very strange that Moses makes three parts with clear words and puts the firmament in the middle of the waters. And I would like to have these thoughts and speculation of it, that the firmament would be the highest and supreme above all things, but the waters
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Third day: God closes the water in special places, so that land and sea come into being, v. 9-10. The dry land then brings forth the plant world at God's word of command. The plants are earlier than the seed; for God creates ready plants that bear seed (מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע [HEBREW]). This answers the question, which has become famous, whether the oak tree or the acorn is the prius [“first”].
Fourth day: God created sun, moon and stars. From what (materia ex qua) the stars were created is not stated, but for what purpose (finis cuius) and for whose benefit (finis cui) they exist. They are supposed to be light givers and time dividers for the earth, Gen. 1:14-18. The scripture does not teach a so-called astronomical "system", but the following facts: The earth is earlier than the sun, and light is also earlier than the sun. The earth was not created for the sun, but the sun for the earth. The sun, moon and stars depend on the existence of the earth for their existence and activity. When the end of the earth has come, because it has fulfilled its purpose of being the place of the proclamation of the gospel of the crucified Savior of sinners, then the sun, moon and stars disappear together with the whole present world. Matt. 24:14: "The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations, and then the end will come." With the end of the earth has come the end of all things, of the universe, πάντων τὸ τέλος (1 Pet. 4:7). The sun, moon, and stars, whatever magnitude we men may ascribe to them in relation to the earth, have no independent history and no independent significance or accomplishment, but their history and their significance or accomplishment is dependent on the earth. These are certain, in the
which do not hang and hover above but below the sky, would be the clouds which we see; that therefore by the waters separated from the waters the clouds would be understood, which are separated from the waters of the earth. But Moses says in dry and clear words that the waters are above and below the firmament. Therefore I must take my thoughts captive here and accede to the word, whether or not I understand it." Jn. Meissner remarks, Phil. sobria, P. I, s. 3, qu. 3, p. 819: Melior pars theologorum semper intellexit aquas proprie dictas, quas Deum singulari et mirabili ratione supra firmamentum vel coelum stellatum vere et realiter reposuisse defendunt. [Google]
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Holy Scriptures taught facts. Every Christian, and especially every Christian theologian, should keep the following in mind about all astronomical theories made by men:
a. Scripture never errs, even in physical matters. However, it is "not a textbook of the natural sciences". Its real purpose is rather to teach the way to heaven through faith in Christ.1452) But where it teaches, even if only incidentally, natural scientific things, it is also there unbreakable truth according to Jn. 10:35. b. There is in the Scriptures, however, an accommodation to human doctrines,1453) but not an accommodation to erroneous human doctrines. We are not allowed to limit the statements: "The scripture cannot be broken" (Jn. 10:35) and: "Your word is the truth" (Jn. 17:17) to the fact that they do not refer to historical, geographical, natural history etc. information is to be thought of. c. We should also remember and let others remind us of the fact that our human knowledge is naturally very limited with regard to the things that belong to the astronomical field, because we lack the overview, namely the point of view outside the earth. As the geographer Daniel, who counts himself for his person to the "Copernicans", reminds:"1454a) "All established world systems are not based on experience, which would require a standpoint outside the earth, but on conclusions and combination. Therefore, all of them are and remain hypotheses." d. It is unworthy of a Christian to reinterpret or allow oneself to reinterpret the Holy Scripture, which he has recognized as God's own word, according to human opinions (hypotheses), including the so-called Copernican world system.1454b)
1452) 2 Tim. 3:15; Jn. 17:20; 20:31; Eph. 2:20-22.
1453) This has been stated at length and repeatedly in the doctrines of God, for example, when Scripture addresses a praescientia Dei [“praescientia Dei”] or a descensus Dei [“the descent of God”].
1454 a) Dr. H. A. Daniel, Handbuch der Geographie 3, 1877, p. 9.
1454 b) Especially those, who consider themselves "Copernican", have the bad habit to declare their "world view" as a "fixed result of science". This also appeared on the occasion of the matter of Lisco and Knak (1868). Lehre und Wehre of the same year, p. 325, takes note of the case, which at that time caused great excitement also in America, in such a way that it contrasts statements of Twesten and Ströbel. [See this blog series]
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Fifth day: God created aquatic animals and birds, vv. 20-22. Gerhard calls the fifth day of creation the "birthday" of the fish and the birds.1455) With respect to the materia ex qua of the birds, a difference is found among Lutheran theologians. They agree in the fact that with the so-called creatio mediata, that is, with the emergence of creatures from existing matter, every form of the self-activity of the matter (evolution) is to be rejected. The matter existing since the first day of creation can only be considered as matter from which (materia ex qua) the
The following had happened: The Berlin pastor Lisco had claimed in a “church report” for the Berlin district synod that the natural sciences had destroyed "the world view of the biblical writers" forever, and that even no "orthodox" of modern times would still believe with the Bible that the earth is fixed and the sun moves around the same. To this challenge, the Berlin pastor Knak had replied, "Yes, I believe that; I know of no other worldview than that of the Holy Scriptures." This statement of Knak's called out great wrath among all who considered themselves "scientifically" Copernican. "L. u. W." reports a. a. O. [Ed.- Lehre und Wehre vol. 14 (1868), p. 325, under heading "In Berlin has recently..."; see here for Google Translation]: "The old Oberkonsistorialrat Twesten addressed the following words to his listeners in his college: 'Do not believe that you as theologians have the unfortunate privilege of having to be narrow-minded.'" On this clog Ströbel put the following wedge in the "Publication for Lutheran Theology and Church,” 1868, p. 734: "As long as man keeps his head up, the dream specter of the earth's rotation will appear to him not as the result of science, but as a folly testifying to thoughtlessness or inability to think." Ströbel writes this in the advertisement of a writing of Pastor J. L. Füller, "Das Alte Testament dem Zweifel und dem Anstoß gegenüber". Ströbel praises this writing, but counts it among the "rust spots" that Füller claims: "We followers of the Copernican system know what Joshua and his army did not know." To this Ströbel remarks: "But the word (Jos. 10:13): 'The sun stood still' does not come from the son of Nun and the children of Israel, but from the Holy Spirit; should he perhaps also first go to school with Copernicus? Why did Pastor Füller not remain true to his principle also with regard to that astronomical system: 'No one will dispute who has not yet completely renounced his own thinking and testing and does not yet accept in blind faith all the unproven and unprovable premises and assertions as the results of science'? This is also what we meant when we said above, "It is unworthy of a Christian to reinterpret or allow himself to reinterpret the Holy Scriptures, which after all he has recognized as God's own Word, according to human opinions (hypotheses; cf. Dr. Daniel)." Luther is known to be opposed to all astronomical systems when they are held out for objective truth beyond experience. (Opp. Ex., Erl. 1, 35 sqq. St. L. I, 33 [Ed.- see paragr. # 67;.Am. Ed. 1, p. 27]; XI, 300 ff. [Am. Am. Ed. vol. 52, p 164 ff]). By the way, about a year ago the newspaper writers threatened that Einstein's theory of relativity would take the life of Copernicanism.
1455) Loci, L, De Creatione, § 32.
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infinite power of God brings forth the creatures, each according to its kind. Matter is principium passivum, non concurrit [as second factor] cum Deo ad aliquid creandum.1456) But as for the matter from which the birds are created, Luther and Calov say: ex aqua [“from water”], Baier and Hollaz: ex terra [from earth”]. Hollaz contradicts (op. cit.) the ex aqua rather vividly. He appeals to Gen. 2:19: "When God the Lord had made of the earth (מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה [HEBREW]) all kinds of beasts of the field and all kinds of birds under the sky, he brought them to man", and claims that here with the "of the earth" also the materia ex qua of the birds is explicitly stated. On the other hand, Gen. 1:20 is only for the fish the water as materia ex qua mentioned, and the words referring to the birds are to be translated: "and the birds fly on the earth", without explicit indication of the water as an element of origin also of the birds. We have to accept this. But Hollaz overlooks that ch. 2:19 the "from the earth" stands only with the creation of the animals and the relation to the birds is not necessary. Walther, quoting both sides, does not decide. We can leave the matter undecided. We admire God's work of creation in both the fish and the birds. Chemnitz directs our attention to this (Loci I, 122), although he assumes that ex aqua.
Sixth day: Creation of the land animals from the earth, Gen. 1:24; 2:19. It has been asked here whether the animals that now dwell in foul substances, furthermore the animals that now harm man, were already originally created by God. We should answer: that these animals a. were already present at creation, but b. had a different field of activity. Before the fall there was no φϑορά [“wear and tear”] in nature and no revolt in the animal world against man yet. Of the poisonous plants it is to be said that they were not poisonous before the fall either according to their nature, or nevertheless, that what is poisonous for the man now, harmed him in his uncorrupted state nothing. Thus Luther and dogmatists.1457)
1456) Hollaz, Examen I. s. 3, qu. 26. Quenstedt I, 607.
1457) Cf. the quotations in Baier-Walther II, 87 sq. Luther, St. L. I, 249 ff. Gerhard, Loci, L. De Creatione, § 33 -. Si quaeratur de herbis venenatis, de bestiis noxiis ete., respondemus verbis Augustini de Gen. ad literam 1. 3, c. 15: "Creata animalia noxia nihil homini nocuissent, si non peccasset. Puniendorum namque vitiorum et terrenorum vel probandae vel perf-.
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Finally, God created man on the sixth day. The glory of man above the other creatures is indicated in the following circumstances of creation: 1. the creation of man is preceded by a consultation of the triune God: "Let us make man!" Gen. 1:26. 2. God does something special in the creation of man, in that in the same He does not speak, as in the creation of the animals, "Let the earth bring forth," but forms the body of man from an earthen lump (יצֶר֩ [HEBREW]) and blows into it the breath of life by a special act. In the blowing in of the breath of life we find rightly implied that man has a rational and immortal soul distinct from the life principle of the animals;1458) but it is not thereby taught that the human soul is an outflow of the divine essence or a part of God (Pantheism). (4) Special reference should be made to the creation of man in God's image (בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ [HEBREW] and כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ [HEBREW] Gen. 1:26), whereby man was created with knowledge of God and perfect righteousness and holiness. This is to be explained in more detail in the first part of the anthropology under the section "Man before the fall". The appointment of man as ruler over the earth and its inhabitants. Gen. 1:26-28.1459)
ciendae virtutis causa nocere coeperunt; fuerunt ergo creata innoxia, sed propter peccatum facta sunt noxia." [Google] Andrew White, The Warfare of Science, I, 30, attempts to mock here. He says: "Luther, who followed St. Augustine in so many other matters, declined to follow him fully in this [namely, that there were "superfluous" animals]. To him [Luther] a fly was not merely superfluous, it was noxious — sent by the devil to vex him when reading." For White, everything that Scripture teaches about creation, the Fall, and the consequences of the Fall is merely myth.
1458) Lukas Osiander in his Bible work to Gen. 2:7: Factus est homo animal vivum, sed rationale, non brutum; non enim reliquis animalibus vitam inspirasse Deus dicitur sicut homini. [Google]
1459) We only add some words of Luther to Gen. 2:7, Opp. exeg. Erl. I, 104 sqq., St. L. I, 101 ff.: Hic redit Moses ad opus sexti diei et ostendit, unde cultor terrae venerit, nempe, quod Deus eum finxerit ex gleba, sicut figulus manu ex luto fingit ollam. Ideo supra non dixit, sicut de aliis creaturis: Producat terra hominem; sed: "Faciamus hominem", ut ostendat excellentiam generis humani et revelet Dei consiUum singulare, quo usus est in condendo homine, etsi posthac homo crescit et multiplicatur eodem modo quo reliquae bestiae. … Sed in prima conditione ostendit Moses, maximam esse dissimilitudinem, siquidem singulari tum consilio, tum sapientia, humana natura condita et digito Dei formata est. Haec dissimilitudo, quae inter originem hominis et pecudum est, etiam ostendit immorta-.
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