Creation

• Creation


  The act by which God brought the universe into being
• The Word


  Term used at the beginning of John's gospel to refer to God the Son
• Creation (Genesis 1:1-3)


  1. God created the heavens and the earth

  2. The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

  3. God said, 'Let there be light, and there was light'
• Christians believe that God created the earth and all living things on the earth
• Christians believe that although the Genesis 1 account may not be scientifically accurate, it contains religious truth, explaining that the process of creation was God's choice and that God designed and caused it to happen
• The story in Genesis 1 gives an account of how the universe was created, how the earth was made fit for life and finally how God created life, including humans, who were the last of God's creations
• The belief that God is the creator, a role that continues today with the start of each new life, is central to Christian faith
• The reference to 'the Spirit of God' hovering over the waters in Genesis 1 could be seen as reinforcing the Oneness of God rather than the three 'persons' of the Trinity
• Experts believe the Genesis 1 story was first written around 500BC
• John 1:1-3: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.'
• Experts have identified 'the Word' in John 1:1-3 as referring to God the Son, showing that the whole Trinity was involved in creation
• Christians believe the three 'persons' of the Trinity all exist alongside each other within the same one God and always have done
• The references to the creation of the earth in the Bible make it clear to believers that the world was made by God, which is something the human mind cannot fully comprehend, and is part of the mystery of God