Perspective Digest
Volume 10
Issue 3 Summer
Article 3
2005
Creation rough the New Testament Looking
Glass
Ekkehardt Mueller
Biblical Research Institute
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Part of the Biblical Studies Commons
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Recommended Citation
Mueller, Ekkehardt (2005) "Creation 7rough the New Testament Looking Glass," Perspective Digest: Vol. 10 : Iss. 3 , Article 3.
Available at: h8p://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
23
the Fall is referred to alone, yet the
Creation context cannot be denied.
This is so because Genesis 1–2 and
Genesis 3 are closely linked. Further-
more, references to Cain’s murder,
the mention of several names listed
in the genealogy of Genesis 5, and
events found in Genesis 4–11 occur
in the New Testament.
Genesis 1–2 are not the only Cre-
ation texts in the Old Testament.
Other important passages on Cre-
ation are found in Job 38–42; Psalm
8; 19; 104; Isaiah 40:26–28, 65:17-
66:2; Jeremiah 10:11–13; 27:5; 32:17;
51:15, 16; Amos 4:13, 5:8, 9; 9:5, 6; et
cetera. All refer to Genesis 1–2.
Therefore, Old Testament quota-
tions in the New Testament dealing
with Creation are basically taken
from Genesis 1–2.
The quotations used in the
Gospels are all part of Jesus’
response when being questioned
about divorce: Genesis 1:27; 2:2, 7,
24. Interestingly enough, these quo-
tations refer to the creation of
humankind and to the two divine
institutions established at Creation:
the Sabbath and marriage.
The Word Family ktisis, ktisma,
ktio
Among the New Testament texts
dealing with Creation, some use for-
mulas such as “from the foundation
of the world.” In addition, the word
family ktisis, ktisma, ktizo appears 38
times in the New Testament and
stresses the importance of the con-
cept of Creation in the New Testa-
ment.
The noun ktisma refers to “crea-
tures” and “everything created.” The
word describes what God created in
the beginning (1 Tim. 4:4). God’s
creatures include also humans and
animals throughout the past, the
present, and the future (James 1:18;
Rev. 8:9). Furthermore, Creation sur-
passes our world and is not limited to
this Earth or Solar System. There are
created beings in heaven whose cre-
ator is God (Rev. 5:13). Consequently,
the New Testament teaches that God
created the Earth, its atmosphere, and
life on this Earth, but also extraterres-
trial life forms that are not part of our
Creation.
The term ktisis, “creation,” refers
to “every human institution/cre-
ation” in one New Testament quota-
tion (1 Peter 2:13). Usually, however,
it describes God’s work and initia-
tive. The addition of the adjective
human indicates that the normal
understanding of the term, namely,
as God’s action and its results, does
not apply in this case, but this does
not affect any of the other usages of
the term in the New Testament.
Ktisis is found in the phrase “the
beginning of [the] creation” (Mark
10:6; 13:19; 2 Peter 3:4), which
refers to Genesis 1–2. Creation here
is God’s creative act at the begin-
ning of this world’s and human-
kind’s history. In Romans 8, not
22
cripture deals with the most
important human questions:
Who are we? Where do we come
from? Where are we going? Why
are we here? While the New Tes-
tament preaches the good news about
salvation and points to a wonderful
future for those who choose to follow
Christ, it also addresses the issue of
Creation.
The Creation Theme in the New
Testament
The New Testament refers to Cre-
ation quite frequently. All the larger
New Testament books, namely the
Gospels, Acts, Romans, the Cor-
inthian letters, Hebrews, and Revela-
tion, in addition to a number of the
smaller epistles, contain quotations
or allusions relating to the Creation
account in Genesis 1–2. The
strongest emphasis on Creation is
found in the letters to the Romans
and to the Hebrews, as well as in the
Book of Revelation.
In some cases, Creation and the
Fall are connected. At other times,
CREATION THROUGH
THE NEW TESTAMENT
LOOKING GLASS
BY EKKEHARDT MUELLER*
S
The New Testament testimony to Creation
is no problem for today’s followers of Christ.
*
Ekkehardt Mueller is an associate
director of the Biblical Research Insti-
tute of the General Conference of Sev-
enth-day Adventists, Silver Spring,
Maryland.
1
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
23
the Fall is referred to alone, yet the
Creation context cannot be denied.
This is so because Genesis 1–2 and
Genesis 3 are closely linked. Further-
more, references to Cain’s murder,
the mention of several names listed
in the genealogy of Genesis 5, and
events found in Genesis 4–11 occur
in the New Testament.
Genesis 1–2 are not the only Cre-
ation texts in the Old Testament.
Other important passages on Cre-
ation are found in Job 38–42; Psalm
8; 19; 104; Isaiah 40:26–28, 65:17-
66:2; Jeremiah 10:11–13; 27:5; 32:17;
51:15, 16; Amos 4:13, 5:8, 9; 9:5, 6; et
cetera. All refer to Genesis 1–2.
Therefore, Old Testament quota-
tions in the New Testament dealing
with Creation are basically taken
from Genesis 1–2.
The quotations used in the
Gospels are all part of Jesus’
response when being questioned
about divorce: Genesis 1:27; 2:2, 7,
24. Interestingly enough, these quo-
tations refer to the creation of
humankind and to the two divine
institutions established at Creation:
the Sabbath and marriage.
The Word Family ktisis, ktisma,
ktio
Among the New Testament texts
dealing with Creation, some use for-
mulas such as “from the foundation
of the world.” In addition, the word
family ktisis, ktisma, ktizo appears 38
times in the New Testament and
stresses the importance of the con-
cept of Creation in the New Testa-
ment.
The noun ktisma refers to “crea-
tures” and “everything created.” The
word describes what God created in
the beginning (1 Tim. 4:4). God’s
creatures include also humans and
animals throughout the past, the
present, and the future (James 1:18;
Rev. 8:9). Furthermore, Creation sur-
passes our world and is not limited to
this Earth or Solar System. There are
created beings in heaven whose cre-
ator is God (Rev. 5:13). Consequently,
the New Testament teaches that God
created the Earth, its atmosphere, and
life on this Earth, but also extraterres-
trial life forms that are not part of our
Creation.
The term ktisis, “creation,” refers
to “every human institution/cre-
ation” in one New Testament quota-
tion (1 Peter 2:13). Usually, however,
it describes God’s work and initia-
tive. The addition of the adjective
human indicates that the normal
understanding of the term, namely,
as God’s action and its results, does
not apply in this case, but this does
not affect any of the other usages of
the term in the New Testament.
Ktisis is found in the phrase “the
beginning of [the] creation” (Mark
10:6; 13:19; 2 Peter 3:4), which
refers to Genesis 1–2. Creation here
is God’s creative act at the begin-
ning of this world’s and human-
kind’s history. In Romans 8, not
22
cripture deals with the most
important human questions:
Who are we? Where do we come
from? Where are we going? Why
are we here? While the New Tes-
tament preaches the good news about
salvation and points to a wonderful
future for those who choose to follow
Christ, it also addresses the issue of
Creation.
The Creation Theme in the New
Testament
The New Testament refers to Cre-
ation quite frequently. All the larger
New Testament books, namely the
Gospels, Acts, Romans, the Cor-
inthian letters, Hebrews, and Revela-
tion, in addition to a number of the
smaller epistles, contain quotations
or allusions relating to the Creation
account in Genesis 1–2. The
strongest emphasis on Creation is
found in the letters to the Romans
and to the Hebrews, as well as in the
Book of Revelation.
In some cases, Creation and the
Fall are connected. At other times,
CREATION THROUGH
THE NEW TESTAMENT
LOOKING GLASS
BY EKKEHARDT MUELLER*
S
The New Testament testimony to Creation
is no problem for today’s followers of Christ.
*
Ekkehardt Mueller is an associate
director of the Biblical Research Insti-
tute of the General Conference of Sev-
enth-day Adventists, Silver Spring,
Maryland.
2
Perspective Digest, Vol. 10 [2005], Iss. 3, Art. 3
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
25
24
ative activity of God does not chal-
lenge the idea of the specific creation
of heavens and earth and life upon it
at a specific point of time in the past.
Rather, because God was able to do
the first, He is able to do the other,
also.
Jesus Christ and Creation
Jesus and Scripture. The issue of
Creation is closely linked to the issue
of Scripture as the Word of God.
This is the crux in the current
debate. If we were not Christians, it
probably would be much easier to
accept Creation or evolution—or
other approaches such as theistic
evolution or progressive creation.
But we have Scripture, which plays a
central role in the life of our faith
community as well as in our private
lives. Therefore, we must ask: Is
Scripture the final authority in the
Creation/evolution debate, even if in
some cases it seems to contradict
interpretation of data produced by
science? Or should Scripture be
reinterpreted to fit these scientific
models of origins?
What we know about Jesus is
basically what the Gospels and some
other parts of Scripture tell us about
Him. This can be taken at face value
or can be questioned. But even if we
choose a critical approach and claim
that many New Testament texts
ascribed to Jesus are not authentic
but are productions of the early
church, the outcome would proba-
bly remain quite similar.
Some scholars have suggested
that Jesus favored traditionalism and
did not challenge wrong ideas. But
the Jesus of the Gospels was willing
to handle delicate and controversial
issues. Wenham states that Jesus was
“prepared to face the cross for defy-
ing current misconceptions. Surely
he would have been prepared to
explain clearly the mingling of
divine truth and human error in the
Bible, if he had known such to
exist.”
1
So, what did Jesus think about
Scripture?
1. Jesus believed in the inspira-
only the children of God wait for
the future, but the “whole creation
groans”(vs. 22, NKJV) and wants to
be “set free from its slavery to cor-
ruption” (vs. 21, NASB). In this pas-
sage, creation probably refers to all
created beings and is not limited to
humankind. In Mark 16:15 and
Colossians 1:23, however, when the
gospel is preached to “all creation”
or “every creature,” the term de-
scribes humanity only throughout
the centuries of the Christian era. In
Romans 8:39 the context seems to
suggest that the created beings
again include extraterrestrial beings
who are not part of our creation.
“The first-born of all creation”
(Col. 1:15, NASB) and “‘“the Begin-
ning [beginner] of the creation of
God”’” (Rev. 3:14, NKJV) is Jesus.
Yet, in Christ, people, although
creatures of God, can become “a
new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17, KJV; cf.
Gal. 6:15). In this case, a spiritual
meaning is added to the physical.
Because Jesus is the Creator, He can
bring about a new creation, people
who are reconciled with God
through Him and proclaim this rec-
onciliation.
The verb ktizo describes God’s
activity when He brought about
creation, including humanity
(Mark 13:19; cf., Matt 19:4; 1 Cor.
11:9; Rev. 10:6). He has created all
things (Col. 1:16; Rom. 1:25; Eph.
3:9; Rev. 4:11). Again there is a spir-
itual dimension: “we are ...created
in Christ Jesus for good works”
(Eph. 2:10, NKJV). Jesus has also
broken down the barrier between
Israelite and Gentile. Those who
believe in Him are one church. He
has made (ktizo) “the two into one
new man” (vs. 15, NASB). Chris-
tians are called to “put on the new
self” (Eph. 4:24, NIV) which “has
been created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth” (vs. 24, NASB;
cf. Col 3:10). Thus, the term “to cre-
ate” refers not only to the creation
of this Earth and life upon it, but
also to Christ’s church, consisting of
individuals who form one body.
This “spiritual creation” forms a
smaller segment of the whole pic-
ture and cannot be used to reinter-
pret physical creation as known
from Genesis 1–2 and other texts.
The New Testament contains
numerous references to Creation,
among them eight direct quotations
from Genesis 1–2. The specific Cre-
ation language of the word family
ktiz- describes God’s activity in all
cases but one. Other vocabulary
needs to be studied. Obviously, the
New Testament texts assume that
Creation is to be understood liter-
ally. God created the heavens and the
Earth and various plants and beings.
The concept of creation is not lim-
ited to that described in Genesis 1–2.
Jesus has also created His church.
People have become—and even
today are becoming—a new creation
in Jesus Christ. But this ongoing cre-
What we know about Jesus is basically what the Gospels
and some other parts of Scripture tell us about Him. This can be
taken at face value or can be questioned. But even if we choose a
critical approach and claim that many New Testament texts
ascribed to Jesus are not authentic but are productions of the early
church, the outcome would probably remain quite similar.
3
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
25
24
ative activity of God does not chal-
lenge the idea of the specific creation
of heavens and earth and life upon it
at a specific point of time in the past.
Rather, because God was able to do
the first, He is able to do the other,
also.
Jesus Christ and Creation
Jesus and Scripture. The issue of
Creation is closely linked to the issue
of Scripture as the Word of God.
This is the crux in the current
debate. If we were not Christians, it
probably would be much easier to
accept Creation or evolution—or
other approaches such as theistic
evolution or progressive creation.
But we have Scripture, which plays a
central role in the life of our faith
community as well as in our private
lives. Therefore, we must ask: Is
Scripture the final authority in the
Creation/evolution debate, even if in
some cases it seems to contradict
interpretation of data produced by
science? Or should Scripture be
reinterpreted to fit these scientific
models of origins?
What we know about Jesus is
basically what the Gospels and some
other parts of Scripture tell us about
Him. This can be taken at face value
or can be questioned. But even if we
choose a critical approach and claim
that many New Testament texts
ascribed to Jesus are not authentic
but are productions of the early
church, the outcome would proba-
bly remain quite similar.
Some scholars have suggested
that Jesus favored traditionalism and
did not challenge wrong ideas. But
the Jesus of the Gospels was willing
to handle delicate and controversial
issues. Wenham states that Jesus was
“prepared to face the cross for defy-
ing current misconceptions. Surely
he would have been prepared to
explain clearly the mingling of
divine truth and human error in the
Bible, if he had known such to
exist.”
1
So, what did Jesus think about
Scripture?
1. Jesus believed in the inspira-
only the children of God wait for
the future, but the “whole creation
groans”(vs. 22, NKJV) and wants to
be “set free from its slavery to cor-
ruption” (vs. 21, NASB). In this pas-
sage, creation probably refers to all
created beings and is not limited to
humankind. In Mark 16:15 and
Colossians 1:23, however, when the
gospel is preached to “all creation”
or “every creature,” the term de-
scribes humanity only throughout
the centuries of the Christian era. In
Romans 8:39 the context seems to
suggest that the created beings
again include extraterrestrial beings
who are not part of our creation.
“The first-born of all creation”
(Col. 1:15, NASB) and “‘“the Begin-
ning [beginner] of the creation of
God”’” (Rev. 3:14, NKJV) is Jesus.
Yet, in Christ, people, although
creatures of God, can become “a
new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17, KJV; cf.
Gal. 6:15). In this case, a spiritual
meaning is added to the physical.
Because Jesus is the Creator, He can
bring about a new creation, people
who are reconciled with God
through Him and proclaim this rec-
onciliation.
The verb ktizo describes God’s
activity when He brought about
creation, including humanity
(Mark 13:19; cf., Matt 19:4; 1 Cor.
11:9; Rev. 10:6). He has created all
things (Col. 1:16; Rom. 1:25; Eph.
3:9; Rev. 4:11). Again there is a spir-
itual dimension: “we are ...created
in Christ Jesus for good works”
(Eph. 2:10, NKJV). Jesus has also
broken down the barrier between
Israelite and Gentile. Those who
believe in Him are one church. He
has made (ktizo) “the two into one
new man” (vs. 15, NASB). Chris-
tians are called to “put on the new
self” (Eph. 4:24, NIV) which “has
been created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth” (vs. 24, NASB;
cf. Col 3:10). Thus, the term “to cre-
ate” refers not only to the creation
of this Earth and life upon it, but
also to Christ’s church, consisting of
individuals who form one body.
This “spiritual creation” forms a
smaller segment of the whole pic-
ture and cannot be used to reinter-
pret physical creation as known
from Genesis 1–2 and other texts.
The New Testament contains
numerous references to Creation,
among them eight direct quotations
from Genesis 1–2. The specific Cre-
ation language of the word family
ktiz- describes God’s activity in all
cases but one. Other vocabulary
needs to be studied. Obviously, the
New Testament texts assume that
Creation is to be understood liter-
ally. God created the heavens and the
Earth and various plants and beings.
The concept of creation is not lim-
ited to that described in Genesis 1–2.
Jesus has also created His church.
People have become—and even
today are becoming—a new creation
in Jesus Christ. But this ongoing cre-
What we know about Jesus is basically what the Gospels
and some other parts of Scripture tell us about Him. This can be
taken at face value or can be questioned. But even if we choose a
critical approach and claim that many New Testament texts
ascribed to Jesus are not authentic but are productions of the early
church, the outcome would probably remain quite similar.
4
Perspective Digest, Vol. 10 [2005], Iss. 3, Art. 3
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
27
26
clear impression that according to
Jesus, Noah and Abel were real
human persons, that Genesis 3–11 is
historical narrative, and that a global
flood actually happened.
(The com-
parison between the Flood and
Christ’s worldwide Second Coming
as well as the statement that the
unbelievers were destroyed suggests
that the Flood was a global event
[Matt. 24:39].)
We should expect that Jesus
would use the same approach to bib-
lical interpretation when it comes to
the Creation account, and this
appears in the Gospels. Jesus’ state-
ments about Creation can be
grouped as follows: (1) indirect ref-
erences to Creation, (2) direct refer-
ences to Creation, (3) quotations
from Genesis 1–2.
1. Indirect references to Creation.
Ten texts in the New Testament
(KJV), for example, use “foundation
of the world” terminology to iden-
tify the starting point for this world’s
history. Thus, the writers of the New
Testament saw Creation week as a
finite point in time that divided the
time and events before it from those
that took place after it. As Bible writ-
ers referred to Creation, it was not
vague or nebulous, but historically
specific.
The phrases do not allow us to
talk about creation of humanity only
and thereby separate it from the rest
of creation, but rather the phrases
“from/before the foundation of the
world”“refer to the beginning of the
whole creation as described in Gen-
esis 1.”
2
Jesus also referred to preaching
the gospel to all Creation: “‘Go ye
into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature’” (Mark
16:15, KJV), or “‘to all creation’”
(NIV). The proclamation of the
gospel is directed to all human
beings. The parallel text in Matthew
28:19 talks about “all nations”
(KJV). The Book of Acts shows how
that commission was carried out.
“Creation” or “creature” is used in a
restricted sense, referring to hu-
mans only. By calling people “crea-
tures” or “creation,” Jesus may have
been reminding His audience that
all human beings are created by
God, have intrinsic value, and are
God’s property. As such they de-
serve to hear the gospel and be
saved.
2. Direct references to Creation.
Jesus said, “‘The Sabbath was made
for man, and not man for the Sab-
bath. Therefore the Son of Man is
also Lord of the Sabbath’” (Mark
2:27, 28, NKJV). This refers to the
fourth commandment in Exodus
20:8–11, where the Sabbath is
linked with Creation. However,
Creation is also present in Mark 2
itself. According to Jesus, the Sab-
bath is God’s creation, as is human-
ity. The purpose of the Sabbath is to
be a blessing to humankind. It is
one of the great gifts of Paradise
tion of the human authors of the
Bible of His time, the Old Testa-
ment. He saw all of Scripture as the
Word of God through which God
had spoken. He considered the
prophets reliable mediators of God’s
Word (Matt. 15:4; 22:31, 32; Mark
12:36).
2. He accepted the historical reli-
ability of Scripture, including all
important events of Israel’s and
humankind’s history. He referred to
Abraham, Lot and his wife, Isaac,
Moses, David, Isaiah, Jonah, and
Daniel—and regarded them as his-
torical persons. Scripture is inter-
preted literally and typologically
(John 10:34–36; Matt. 12:42).
3. Divine interventions in human
history, as in the form of miracles,
were no problem for Jesus (Matt.
12:39–41).
4. He used Scripture as authority
and as a weapon against temptation
(Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).
5. He taught that God’s will and
His work can be recognized through
Scripture. He asserted that biblical
doctrines are derived from Scrip-
ture, which is the standard by which
all behavior and all Christian doc-
trines must be checked (Matt. 9:13;
19:4–6; 22:31, 32).
6. Jesus believed that Scripture
contained genuine prophecy that
has been or will be fulfilled. He
regarded many of the predictions as
fulfilled in Himself and in His min-
istry (Matt. 11:10; Luke 18:31).
7. Jesus was persuaded that Scrip-
ture was directed not only to the
original hearers and readers, but also
to His generation centuries later
(Matt. 13:14; 15:3–8; 19:18, 19).
8. He commanded His followers
to know, believe, and obey God’s
Word (Matt. 22:29; Luke 8:21;
11:28). When He interpreted Scrip-
ture, a change occurred in His disci-
ples’ lives (Luke 24:25–27, 32–35).
Jesus and Creation. When Jesus
pointed to the past, He did not do so
exclusively to Genesis 1–2. In His
speeches He referred to Abel, Noah,
and the Flood, all occurring in Gen-
esis 3–11. These passages give the
When Jesus pointed to the past, He did not do so exclusively
to Genesis 1–2. In His speeches He referred to Abel, Noah, and the
Flood, all occurring in Genesis 3–11. These passages give the
clear impression that according to Jesus, Noah and Abel were real
human persons, that Genesis 3–11 is historical narrative, and that
a global flood actually happened.
5
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
27
26
clear impression that according to
Jesus, Noah and Abel were real
human persons, that Genesis 3–11 is
historical narrative, and that a global
flood actually happened.
(The com-
parison between the Flood and
Christ’s worldwide Second Coming
as well as the statement that the
unbelievers were destroyed suggests
that the Flood was a global event
[Matt. 24:39].)
We should expect that Jesus
would use the same approach to bib-
lical interpretation when it comes to
the Creation account, and this
appears in the Gospels. Jesus’ state-
ments about Creation can be
grouped as follows: (1) indirect ref-
erences to Creation, (2) direct refer-
ences to Creation, (3) quotations
from Genesis 1–2.
1. Indirect references to Creation.
Ten texts in the New Testament
(KJV), for example, use “foundation
of the world” terminology to iden-
tify the starting point for this world’s
history. Thus, the writers of the New
Testament saw Creation week as a
finite point in time that divided the
time and events before it from those
that took place after it. As Bible writ-
ers referred to Creation, it was not
vague or nebulous, but historically
specific.
The phrases do not allow us to
talk about creation of humanity only
and thereby separate it from the rest
of creation, but rather the phrases
“from/before the foundation of the
world”“refer to the beginning of the
whole creation as described in Gen-
esis 1.”
2
Jesus also referred to preaching
the gospel to all Creation: “‘Go ye
into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature’” (Mark
16:15, KJV), or “‘to all creation’”
(NIV). The proclamation of the
gospel is directed to all human
beings. The parallel text in Matthew
28:19 talks about “all nations”
(KJV). The Book of Acts shows how
that commission was carried out.
“Creation” or “creature” is used in a
restricted sense, referring to hu-
mans only. By calling people “crea-
tures” or “creation,” Jesus may have
been reminding His audience that
all human beings are created by
God, have intrinsic value, and are
God’s property. As such they de-
serve to hear the gospel and be
saved.
2. Direct references to Creation.
Jesus said, “‘The Sabbath was made
for man, and not man for the Sab-
bath. Therefore the Son of Man is
also Lord of the Sabbath’” (Mark
2:27, 28, NKJV). This refers to the
fourth commandment in Exodus
20:8–11, where the Sabbath is
linked with Creation. However,
Creation is also present in Mark 2
itself. According to Jesus, the Sab-
bath is God’s creation, as is human-
ity. The purpose of the Sabbath is to
be a blessing to humankind. It is
one of the great gifts of Paradise
tion of the human authors of the
Bible of His time, the Old Testa-
ment. He saw all of Scripture as the
Word of God through which God
had spoken. He considered the
prophets reliable mediators of God’s
Word (Matt. 15:4; 22:31, 32; Mark
12:36).
2. He accepted the historical reli-
ability of Scripture, including all
important events of Israel’s and
humankind’s history. He referred to
Abraham, Lot and his wife, Isaac,
Moses, David, Isaiah, Jonah, and
Daniel—and regarded them as his-
torical persons. Scripture is inter-
preted literally and typologically
(John 10:34–36; Matt. 12:42).
3. Divine interventions in human
history, as in the form of miracles,
were no problem for Jesus (Matt.
12:39–41).
4. He used Scripture as authority
and as a weapon against temptation
(Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).
5. He taught that God’s will and
His work can be recognized through
Scripture. He asserted that biblical
doctrines are derived from Scrip-
ture, which is the standard by which
all behavior and all Christian doc-
trines must be checked (Matt. 9:13;
19:4–6; 22:31, 32).
6. Jesus believed that Scripture
contained genuine prophecy that
has been or will be fulfilled. He
regarded many of the predictions as
fulfilled in Himself and in His min-
istry (Matt. 11:10; Luke 18:31).
7. Jesus was persuaded that Scrip-
ture was directed not only to the
original hearers and readers, but also
to His generation centuries later
(Matt. 13:14; 15:3–8; 19:18, 19).
8. He commanded His followers
to know, believe, and obey God’s
Word (Matt. 22:29; Luke 8:21;
11:28). When He interpreted Scrip-
ture, a change occurred in His disci-
ples’ lives (Luke 24:25–27, 32–35).
Jesus and Creation. When Jesus
pointed to the past, He did not do so
exclusively to Genesis 1–2. In His
speeches He referred to Abel, Noah,
and the Flood, all occurring in Gen-
esis 3–11. These passages give the
When Jesus pointed to the past, He did not do so exclusively
to Genesis 1–2. In His speeches He referred to Abel, Noah, and the
Flood, all occurring in Genesis 3–11. These passages give the
clear impression that according to Jesus, Noah and Abel were real
human persons, that Genesis 3–11 is historical narrative, and that
a global flood actually happened.
6
Perspective Digest, Vol. 10 [2005], Iss. 3, Art. 3
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
29
28
tween genders was set by God. By
quoting from Genesis 1–2, Jesus
affirmed the Creation account and
the mode of creation as described
there. He understood Genesis 1–2
literally and took the two chapters at
face value.
Thus the New Testament stresses
that Jesus accepted the Bible of His
time as the authoritative, trustwor-
thy Word of God. Israel’s history
traced back to the Creation account
is reliable. All Old Testament charac-
ters were real beings who lived in
time and space. A real Creation and
a real Flood happened. Jesus did not
utter any doubts about Scripture,
but stressed that “‘Scripture cannot
be broken’” (John 10:35, NKJV).
Jesus held that Creation took
place. God created. Creation hap-
pened at a definite time. There was a
beginning, Creation week, which
included all of God’s creative activi-
ties described in Genesis 1–2 and the
establishment of the Sabbath. Be-
cause Jesus mentioned major biblical
characters throughout Israel’s history,
the beginning of humanity is not sep-
arated from the other creative acts of
God in the Creation week.
Humans were created before the
Sabbath. They are worthy to attain
salvation and must be able to hear
the gospel. In Mark 2, the Sabbath is
a 24-hour day. This Sabbath refers
back to the Creation Sabbath. Obvi-
ously, according to Jesus, the Cre-
ation days were literal 24-hour days.
A literal and close reading of Genesis
1–2 seems to be the proper approach
to Scripture.
Jesus Christ as the Creator
The New Testament affirms
repeatedly that Jesus is God, that He
exists forever, and that He was
incarnated as a human being “when
the fullness of the time had come”
(Gal. 4:4, NKJV). As such He lived
among us, died a shameful and
painful death in our place, then was
raised from the dead and taken to
heaven. He now serves as our High
Priest and will come back as King of
kings in order to take His people
that has reached us. This text also
assumes that humanity was created
by God.
Just as the Sabbath and the origi-
nal Creation were linked in the Old
Testament, they are also connected in
the New Testament. Humans were
already in existence when the Sabbath
was made; therefore, the day evi-
dently was made for their use and
benefit. It is significant, however, that
Adam was not made lord of the Sab-
bath. The “‘Son of man,’” Jesus Christ,
holds that title (Mark 2:28, NKJV).
The shift from verse 27 to verse
28 is abrupt: “‘Therefore the Son of
Man is also Lord of the Sabbath’”
The term therefore or so (NIV)
seems to make sense if the One who
created humankind and Sabbath is
the Son of Man. If this conclusion is
correct, Mark 2 is a remarkable text
in which Jesus Himself maintains an
indirect claim of being the Creator
of humankind and of the Sabbath.
The New Testament stresses again
and again that Jesus is Creator, but it
seems that this claim is not found in
Jesus’ own statements directly.
Jesus does use direct language,
however, in Mark 13:19: “‘For those
days will be a time of tribulation
such as has not occurred since the
beginning of the Creation which
God created, until now, and never
shall’” (NASB).
This text is part of the Synoptic
Apocalypse. It is a strong statement
connecting “to create” with “cre-
ation.” Although it is obvious that
God is the creator, it is stressed any-
way. The phrase “since the beginning
of the creation” is shortened in a
number of other statements by Jesus
and His followers, but still refers to
creation (Matt. 19:4, 8; 1 John 1:1;
2:13, 14). A similar phrase, “in the
beginning” (John 1:1, 2; Heb. 1:10),
is not just the beginning of human-
ity, but comprises the entire creation
process.
3. Quotations from Genesis 1–2.
Matthew 19:1–12 and Mark 10:1–12
are parallel texts dealing with the
problem of divorce. Jesus was
opposed to divorce, but whereas in
Matthew, an exception clause is
mentioned, such a provision is not
made in Mark. In both cases, how-
ever, Jesus supported His position by
pointing back to Creation and show-
ing God’s intention when He insti-
tuted marriage.
Whereas Mark 2 deals with Cre-
ation and Sabbath, Mark 10 and
Matthew 19 deal with Creation and
marriage, the other institution left to
us from Paradise. These texts are the
clearest reference to the Genesis cre-
ation account found in Jesus’ teach-
ings. He quoted Genesis 1:27 and
2:24.
By applying these texts to mar-
riage, Jesus declared that they are
foundational to Christians. Creation
took place in the beginning. God
created. He created the first couple,
Adam and Eve. The distinction be-
Humans were created before the Sabbath. They are worthy to
attain salvation and must be able to hear the gospel. In Mark 2, the
Sabbath is a 24-hour day. This Sabbath refers back to the
Creation Sabbath. Obviously, according to Jesus, the Creation days
were literal 24-hour days. A literal and close reading of Genesis 1–2
seems to be the proper approach to Scripture.
7
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
29
28
tween genders was set by God. By
quoting from Genesis 1–2, Jesus
affirmed the Creation account and
the mode of creation as described
there. He understood Genesis 1–2
literally and took the two chapters at
face value.
Thus the New Testament stresses
that Jesus accepted the Bible of His
time as the authoritative, trustwor-
thy Word of God. Israel’s history
traced back to the Creation account
is reliable. All Old Testament charac-
ters were real beings who lived in
time and space. A real Creation and
a real Flood happened. Jesus did not
utter any doubts about Scripture,
but stressed that “‘Scripture cannot
be broken’” (John 10:35, NKJV).
Jesus held that Creation took
place. God created. Creation hap-
pened at a definite time. There was a
beginning, Creation week, which
included all of God’s creative activi-
ties described in Genesis 1–2 and the
establishment of the Sabbath. Be-
cause Jesus mentioned major biblical
characters throughout Israel’s history,
the beginning of humanity is not sep-
arated from the other creative acts of
God in the Creation week.
Humans were created before the
Sabbath. They are worthy to attain
salvation and must be able to hear
the gospel. In Mark 2, the Sabbath is
a 24-hour day. This Sabbath refers
back to the Creation Sabbath. Obvi-
ously, according to Jesus, the Cre-
ation days were literal 24-hour days.
A literal and close reading of Genesis
1–2 seems to be the proper approach
to Scripture.
Jesus Christ as the Creator
The New Testament affirms
repeatedly that Jesus is God, that He
exists forever, and that He was
incarnated as a human being “when
the fullness of the time had come”
(Gal. 4:4, NKJV). As such He lived
among us, died a shameful and
painful death in our place, then was
raised from the dead and taken to
heaven. He now serves as our High
Priest and will come back as King of
kings in order to take His people
that has reached us. This text also
assumes that humanity was created
by God.
Just as the Sabbath and the origi-
nal Creation were linked in the Old
Testament, they are also connected in
the New Testament. Humans were
already in existence when the Sabbath
was made; therefore, the day evi-
dently was made for their use and
benefit. It is significant, however, that
Adam was not made lord of the Sab-
bath. The “‘Son of man,’” Jesus Christ,
holds that title (Mark 2:28, NKJV).
The shift from verse 27 to verse
28 is abrupt: “‘Therefore the Son of
Man is also Lord of the Sabbath’”
The term therefore or so (NIV)
seems to make sense if the One who
created humankind and Sabbath is
the Son of Man. If this conclusion is
correct, Mark 2 is a remarkable text
in which Jesus Himself maintains an
indirect claim of being the Creator
of humankind and of the Sabbath.
The New Testament stresses again
and again that Jesus is Creator, but it
seems that this claim is not found in
Jesus’ own statements directly.
Jesus does use direct language,
however, in Mark 13:19: “‘For those
days will be a time of tribulation
such as has not occurred since the
beginning of the Creation which
God created, until now, and never
shall’” (NASB).
This text is part of the Synoptic
Apocalypse. It is a strong statement
connecting “to create” with “cre-
ation.” Although it is obvious that
God is the creator, it is stressed any-
way. The phrase “since the beginning
of the creation” is shortened in a
number of other statements by Jesus
and His followers, but still refers to
creation (Matt. 19:4, 8; 1 John 1:1;
2:13, 14). A similar phrase, “in the
beginning” (John 1:1, 2; Heb. 1:10),
is not just the beginning of human-
ity, but comprises the entire creation
process.
3. Quotations from Genesis 1–2.
Matthew 19:1–12 and Mark 10:1–12
are parallel texts dealing with the
problem of divorce. Jesus was
opposed to divorce, but whereas in
Matthew, an exception clause is
mentioned, such a provision is not
made in Mark. In both cases, how-
ever, Jesus supported His position by
pointing back to Creation and show-
ing God’s intention when He insti-
tuted marriage.
Whereas Mark 2 deals with Cre-
ation and Sabbath, Mark 10 and
Matthew 19 deal with Creation and
marriage, the other institution left to
us from Paradise. These texts are the
clearest reference to the Genesis cre-
ation account found in Jesus’ teach-
ings. He quoted Genesis 1:27 and
2:24.
By applying these texts to mar-
riage, Jesus declared that they are
foundational to Christians. Creation
took place in the beginning. God
created. He created the first couple,
Adam and Eve. The distinction be-
Humans were created before the Sabbath. They are worthy to
attain salvation and must be able to hear the gospel. In Mark 2, the
Sabbath is a 24-hour day. This Sabbath refers back to the
Creation Sabbath. Obviously, according to Jesus, the Creation days
were literal 24-hour days. A literal and close reading of Genesis 1–2
seems to be the proper approach to Scripture.
8
Perspective Digest, Vol. 10 [2005], Iss. 3, Art. 3
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
31
30
explicitly that all things came into
existence through Him.
Hebrews 1:10 applies a quota-
tion, namely Psalm 102:25, to Jesus,
although the Old Testament context
talks about Yahweh as the Creator.
The phrase “in the beginning” (KJV)
takes us back to Genesis 1:1.
Colossians 1:15–20 is an exten-
sive christological hymn. The first
part, stressing Jesus as Creator (vss.
15, 16), corresponds with the last
part (vss. 18b–20), in which Jesus is
the Reconciler. The very same per-
son who has created all things is able
to reconcile all things through His
blood shed on the cross.
Therefore, to claim Jesus as Sav-
ior but question Him as Creator
does not make sense. To claim that
He has saved us through His once-
and-for-all death on the cross, a
short event in history, but maintain
that He has created us through an
evolutionary process that takes mil-
lions of years, is inconsistent.
Furthermore, Jesus’ creative
power is seen in the fact that His fol-
lowers are spiritually re-created.
Ephesians 2:10 talks about being
“created in Christ Jesus for good
works” (NKJV) and 2 Corinthians
5:17 about being a new creation or
new creature in Christ. Ephesians
2:15 points to Christ creating one
church, the new person, out of two
groups, Jews and Gentiles (NLT).
None of these creative processes that
depend on Christ’s sacrifice on the
cross requires an evolutionary
process taking billions of years.
On the other hand, if the biblical
testimony is trustworthy, namely
that Jesus is the Creator, He must
know what creation is all about, and
His words carry a weight that sur-
passes all human knowledge. If it is
true that Jesus is the Creator, He
should know by which process He
has accomplished creation. To claim
that creation occurred as described
in Genesis—which is the picture
presented in the Gospels—while
having used an evolutionary proc-
ess, is deceptive to say the least. Why
should we trust Christ with regard
to our salvation if we have to ques-
tion the veracity of His statements
on Creation?
Since Jesus is the Creator, we can-
not talk about the topic of Creation
and the problems related to faith
and science without focusing on
Him. As crucial as Genesis 1–11 is
for the current debate, Jesus cannot
be excluded from this discussion.
Jesus’ Disciples and Creation
Jesus’ disciples had much more to
say about Creation.
Paul proclaimed “the living God,
who made the heaven, the earth, the
sea, and all things that are in them”
(Acts 14:15, NKJV), which probably
alludes to the Sabbath command-
ment (Ex. 20:11). This God has “from
one man ...made every nation”(Acts
17:26, NIV). In Romans 5, he men-
If the biblical testimony is trustworthy, namely that Jesus is the
Creator, He must know what creation is all about, and His words
carry a weight that surpasses all human knowledge. If it is true that
Jesus is the Creator, He should know by which process He has accom-
plished creation. To claim that creation occurred as described in
Genesis—which is the picture presented in the Gospels—while hav-
ing used an evolutionary process, is deceptive to say the least.
home. But in addition to all these
functions, Jesus is described as the
Creator and the Sustainer of all cre-
ation.
This is a unique contribution by
the New Testament to the theology
of Creation. Although the Old Testa-
ment points to Christ as the Creator
in a somewhat hidden way (Gen.
1:26; Prov. 8:22), the New Testament
clearly spells out that Jesus is the
Creator. Though a number of texts
emphasize that God has created all
things (e.g., Acts 4:24; 14:15; 17:24,
26; Rom. 1:25), crucial passages
stress that Jesus is the Creator. Jesus
provides some hints that He is the
Creator through proclamation and
deeds. In the stilling of the storm, for
example, it is left to His disciples to
plainly tell us who Jesus is: the Cre-
ator-God (John 1:3; Col. 1:15, 16;
Heb. 1:2, 10).
All these passages and their con-
texts show that Jesus is God. Since
He is God, He is also Creator. Or vice
versa: since He is Creator, “who is
the image of the invisible God” (Col.
1:15, KJV). These texts exclude Jesus
from the realm of created beings. In
fact, all things and all beings have
been created through Him. The cos-
mic perspective that includes more
than the creation, which we en-
counter, is spelled out most clearly
in Colossians 1. In encountering
Jesus, we encounter the Creator.
John 1:1–3 portrays Jesus as the
Word, as God, the Creator, and life.
Creation is expressed in several
ways. This Word existed already “in
the beginning” (vs. 1, KJV), a
reminder of Genesis 1:1. The Old
Testament background of the state-
ment about the Word of God is at
least partially found in Psalm 33:6:
“By the word of the Lord the heav-
ens were made, and all the host of
them by the breath of His mouth”
(NKJV). Three verses later one
reads: “For He spoke, and it was
done; He commanded, and it stood
fast” (NKJV). Jesus is this creative
Word of God. And John tells us
9
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
31
30
explicitly that all things came into
existence through Him.
Hebrews 1:10 applies a quota-
tion, namely Psalm 102:25, to Jesus,
although the Old Testament context
talks about Yahweh as the Creator.
The phrase “in the beginning” (KJV)
takes us back to Genesis 1:1.
Colossians 1:15–20 is an exten-
sive christological hymn. The first
part, stressing Jesus as Creator (vss.
15, 16), corresponds with the last
part (vss. 18b–20), in which Jesus is
the Reconciler. The very same per-
son who has created all things is able
to reconcile all things through His
blood shed on the cross.
Therefore, to claim Jesus as Sav-
ior but question Him as Creator
does not make sense. To claim that
He has saved us through His once-
and-for-all death on the cross, a
short event in history, but maintain
that He has created us through an
evolutionary process that takes mil-
lions of years, is inconsistent.
Furthermore, Jesus’ creative
power is seen in the fact that His fol-
lowers are spiritually re-created.
Ephesians 2:10 talks about being
“created in Christ Jesus for good
works” (NKJV) and 2 Corinthians
5:17 about being a new creation or
new creature in Christ. Ephesians
2:15 points to Christ creating one
church, the new person, out of two
groups, Jews and Gentiles (NLT).
None of these creative processes that
depend on Christ’s sacrifice on the
cross requires an evolutionary
process taking billions of years.
On the other hand, if the biblical
testimony is trustworthy, namely
that Jesus is the Creator, He must
know what creation is all about, and
His words carry a weight that sur-
passes all human knowledge. If it is
true that Jesus is the Creator, He
should know by which process He
has accomplished creation. To claim
that creation occurred as described
in Genesis—which is the picture
presented in the Gospels—while
having used an evolutionary proc-
ess, is deceptive to say the least. Why
should we trust Christ with regard
to our salvation if we have to ques-
tion the veracity of His statements
on Creation?
Since Jesus is the Creator, we can-
not talk about the topic of Creation
and the problems related to faith
and science without focusing on
Him. As crucial as Genesis 1–11 is
for the current debate, Jesus cannot
be excluded from this discussion.
Jesus’ Disciples and Creation
Jesus’ disciples had much more to
say about Creation.
Paul proclaimed “the living God,
who made the heaven, the earth, the
sea, and all things that are in them”
(Acts 14:15, NKJV), which probably
alludes to the Sabbath command-
ment (Ex. 20:11). This God has “from
one man ...made every nation”(Acts
17:26, NIV). In Romans 5, he men-
If the biblical testimony is trustworthy, namely that Jesus is the
Creator, He must know what creation is all about, and His words
carry a weight that surpasses all human knowledge. If it is true that
Jesus is the Creator, He should know by which process He has accom-
plished creation. To claim that creation occurred as described in
Genesis—which is the picture presented in the Gospels—while hav-
ing used an evolutionary process, is deceptive to say the least.
home. But in addition to all these
functions, Jesus is described as the
Creator and the Sustainer of all cre-
ation.
This is a unique contribution by
the New Testament to the theology
of Creation. Although the Old Testa-
ment points to Christ as the Creator
in a somewhat hidden way (Gen.
1:26; Prov. 8:22), the New Testament
clearly spells out that Jesus is the
Creator. Though a number of texts
emphasize that God has created all
things (e.g., Acts 4:24; 14:15; 17:24,
26; Rom. 1:25), crucial passages
stress that Jesus is the Creator. Jesus
provides some hints that He is the
Creator through proclamation and
deeds. In the stilling of the storm, for
example, it is left to His disciples to
plainly tell us who Jesus is: the Cre-
ator-God (John 1:3; Col. 1:15, 16;
Heb. 1:2, 10).
All these passages and their con-
texts show that Jesus is God. Since
He is God, He is also Creator. Or vice
versa: since He is Creator, “who is
the image of the invisible God” (Col.
1:15, KJV). These texts exclude Jesus
from the realm of created beings. In
fact, all things and all beings have
been created through Him. The cos-
mic perspective that includes more
than the creation, which we en-
counter, is spelled out most clearly
in Colossians 1. In encountering
Jesus, we encounter the Creator.
John 1:1–3 portrays Jesus as the
Word, as God, the Creator, and life.
Creation is expressed in several
ways. This Word existed already “in
the beginning” (vs. 1, KJV), a
reminder of Genesis 1:1. The Old
Testament background of the state-
ment about the Word of God is at
least partially found in Psalm 33:6:
“By the word of the Lord the heav-
ens were made, and all the host of
them by the breath of His mouth”
(NKJV). Three verses later one
reads: “For He spoke, and it was
done; He commanded, and it stood
fast” (NKJV). Jesus is this creative
Word of God. And John tells us
10
Perspective Digest, Vol. 10 [2005], Iss. 3, Art. 3
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
33
them about right after the Millen-
nium, why should He not have used
similar techniques right in the
beginning? We may not be able to
understand precisely how He has
done that, and there may be conflict-
ing data or interpretations that do
not yet fit the great puzzle, but obvi-
ously the New Testament confirms a
literal reading of the Creation ac-
count, a Creation week of 24-hour
days, and a short chronology.
Implications for the Current Debate
What are some of the implica-
tions for us? We are neither afraid of
science nor opposed to it. We can
hardly do without it. We appreciate
both knowledge that can be gained
through science and knowledge that
comes through God’s Word. That
does not mean that we accept all
presuppositions, theories, and philo-
sophical or scientific models on the
market.
Thomas C. Oden suggests: “Clas-
sical Christian doctrines of Creation
do not necessarily deny an evolu-
tion, or the possibility of a natural
evolutionary development of nature
and history....One can posit a grad-
ual evolutionary process that is not a
denial of creation.”
3
It seems that
Jesus has not left us this choice.
Another author discusses antino-
mies in science and theology.
“Antinomies are resorted to when
one single model of reality does not
do justice to all the data,” and appar-
ently contradictory statements or
laws are both believed to be true. He
mentions the nature of light, Christ
being totally God and totally
human, the doctrine of the Trinity,
and others and suggests “that we
now stand before two great antino-
mies: special creation and theistic
evolution. Both models can legiti-
mately appeal to supporting sets of
data, both scriptural and scientific.
...Both models have serious prob-
lems. . . . As a procedural strategy we
must embrace both models.”
4
This scholar may have over-
looked that, for instance, in the case
of the doctrine of the Trinity, the
32
tions Adam by name and discusses
the consequences of his sin, but also
the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
“In Adam all die, [but] in Christ all
will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22,
NIV). The creation groans and suffers
and longs to be set free “from its slav-
ery to corruption” (Rom. 8:21, NASB)
while Christians eagerly wait for the
final salvation. Paul knows that Eve
was deceived (2 Cor. 11:3) and that
Adam was formed first and then Eve
(1 Tim. 2:13). The catalogue of vices
in Romans 1 is presented in the con-
text of Creation.
Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 when he
warns against sexual immorality (1
Cor. 6:16) and when he dwells on the
relationship between husband and
wife, which becomes a symbol for
the relationship between Christ and
His church (Eph. 5:31). In the con-
text of his discussion of the first res-
urrection, Paul quotes part of Gene-
sis 2:7, slightly embellished: “The
first man Adam became a living
being” (1 Cor. 15:45, NKJV).
In Hebrews 4:4, when the issue of
rest is discussed, he quotes Genesis
2:2: “‘God rested on the seventh day
from all His works’” (NKJV). In
Hebrews 11:3, he states: “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”
(NKJV).
Paul bases his theology on a lit-
eral reading of the Creation account
and the story of the subsequent Fall.
When he uses typology, he com-
pares historical persons with other
historical persons. He follows
Christ’s approach to interpreting
Genesis 1–11.
Like Paul, John is strong in
pointing out that Jesus is the Cre-
ator. Allusions abound in the Book
of Revelation. All things are created
by God (Rev. 4:11). God “created
heaven and the things that are in it,
the earth and the things that are in
it, and the sea and the things that
are in it” (10:6, NKJV). Humankind
is called to “‘worship Him who
made heaven and earth, the sea and
springs of water’” (14:7, NKJV).
Both texts not only point to Cre-
ation, but may refer to the Fourth
Commandment (Ex. 20:11). The
tree of life (Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 19), the
springs of the water of life (21:6), as
well as the serpent (12:9, 17; 20:2)
remind us of the original paradise
(Gen. 2:9, 10; 3:1, 3, 14, 22, 24). The
trumpets and the bowls seem to be
an undoing and a reversal of Cre-
ation; whereas the description of
Revelation 21–22 points to the new
Jerusalem and the new heavens and
earth—a new Creation.
Again, John used the same
understanding of Creation that
Jesus and Paul employed. If at the
end of the Millennium, God is able
to create a new heaven and a new
Earth without time spans of mil-
lions or billions of years, but brings
John used the same understanding of Creation that
Jesus and Paul employed. If at the end of the Millennium, God is
able to create a new heaven and a new Earth without time
spans of millions or billions of years, but brings them about right
after the Millennium, why should He not have used similar
techniques right in the beginning?
11
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
33
them about right after the Millen-
nium, why should He not have used
similar techniques right in the
beginning? We may not be able to
understand precisely how He has
done that, and there may be conflict-
ing data or interpretations that do
not yet fit the great puzzle, but obvi-
ously the New Testament confirms a
literal reading of the Creation ac-
count, a Creation week of 24-hour
days, and a short chronology.
Implications for the Current Debate
What are some of the implica-
tions for us? We are neither afraid of
science nor opposed to it. We can
hardly do without it. We appreciate
both knowledge that can be gained
through science and knowledge that
comes through God’s Word. That
does not mean that we accept all
presuppositions, theories, and philo-
sophical or scientific models on the
market.
Thomas C. Oden suggests: “Clas-
sical Christian doctrines of Creation
do not necessarily deny an evolu-
tion, or the possibility of a natural
evolutionary development of nature
and history....One can posit a grad-
ual evolutionary process that is not a
denial of creation.”
3
It seems that
Jesus has not left us this choice.
Another author discusses antino-
mies in science and theology.
“Antinomies are resorted to when
one single model of reality does not
do justice to all the data,” and appar-
ently contradictory statements or
laws are both believed to be true. He
mentions the nature of light, Christ
being totally God and totally
human, the doctrine of the Trinity,
and others and suggests “that we
now stand before two great antino-
mies: special creation and theistic
evolution. Both models can legiti-
mately appeal to supporting sets of
data, both scriptural and scientific.
...Both models have serious prob-
lems. . . . As a procedural strategy we
must embrace both models.”
4
This scholar may have over-
looked that, for instance, in the case
of the doctrine of the Trinity, the
32
tions Adam by name and discusses
the consequences of his sin, but also
the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
“In Adam all die, [but] in Christ all
will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22,
NIV). The creation groans and suffers
and longs to be set free “from its slav-
ery to corruption” (Rom. 8:21, NASB)
while Christians eagerly wait for the
final salvation. Paul knows that Eve
was deceived (2 Cor. 11:3) and that
Adam was formed first and then Eve
(1 Tim. 2:13). The catalogue of vices
in Romans 1 is presented in the con-
text of Creation.
Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 when he
warns against sexual immorality (1
Cor. 6:16) and when he dwells on the
relationship between husband and
wife, which becomes a symbol for
the relationship between Christ and
His church (Eph. 5:31). In the con-
text of his discussion of the first res-
urrection, Paul quotes part of Gene-
sis 2:7, slightly embellished: “The
first man Adam became a living
being” (1 Cor. 15:45, NKJV).
In Hebrews 4:4, when the issue of
rest is discussed, he quotes Genesis
2:2: “‘God rested on the seventh day
from all His works’” (NKJV). In
Hebrews 11:3, he states: “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”
(NKJV).
Paul bases his theology on a lit-
eral reading of the Creation account
and the story of the subsequent Fall.
When he uses typology, he com-
pares historical persons with other
historical persons. He follows
Christ’s approach to interpreting
Genesis 1–11.
Like Paul, John is strong in
pointing out that Jesus is the Cre-
ator. Allusions abound in the Book
of Revelation. All things are created
by God (Rev. 4:11). God “created
heaven and the things that are in it,
the earth and the things that are in
it, and the sea and the things that
are in it” (10:6, NKJV). Humankind
is called to “‘worship Him who
made heaven and earth, the sea and
springs of water’” (14:7, NKJV).
Both texts not only point to Cre-
ation, but may refer to the Fourth
Commandment (Ex. 20:11). The
tree of life (Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 19), the
springs of the water of life (21:6), as
well as the serpent (12:9, 17; 20:2)
remind us of the original paradise
(Gen. 2:9, 10; 3:1, 3, 14, 22, 24). The
trumpets and the bowls seem to be
an undoing and a reversal of Cre-
ation; whereas the description of
Revelation 21–22 points to the new
Jerusalem and the new heavens and
earth—a new Creation.
Again, John used the same
understanding of Creation that
Jesus and Paul employed. If at the
end of the Millennium, God is able
to create a new heaven and a new
Earth without time spans of mil-
lions or billions of years, but brings
John used the same understanding of Creation that
Jesus and Paul employed. If at the end of the Millennium, God is
able to create a new heaven and a new Earth without time
spans of millions or billions of years, but brings them about right
after the Millennium, why should He not have used similar
techniques right in the beginning?
12
Perspective Digest, Vol. 10 [2005], Iss. 3, Art. 3
http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol10/iss3/3
35
odern cosmology had its ori-
gin in the 1920s when the
American astronomer Edwin
Hubble found that almost all
galaxies—Milky Way systems
like our own—show a so-called “red
shift.” That is to say, the color of the
light we receive from a galaxy is red-
der than when it left that galaxy. The
simplest way to interpret this is by
assuming that this is a manifestation
of the Doppler effect: A light source
moving away from an observer on
Earth will look redder than it did at
its source. When Hubble started to
interpret his observations, he did
not immediately rely on the Doppler
effect for an explanation because he
wanted to keep open the possibility
of alternative explanations.
Models of the universe into
which the new findings could be fit-
ted included one by Milne and
another by Lemaltre, both of which
allowed an expanding universe. The
idea of an expanding universe
agreed with Einstein’s Theory of
General Relativity (GR). Although
other viable models existed, since
THE SEARCH
FOR A PLAUSIBLE
COSMOLOGY
BY MART DE GROOT*
M
Science and religion need to integrate
their knowledge for a clearer worldview.
*Mart de Groot, retired, is a former
research astronomer and a Seventh-
day Adventist pastor in Belfast, Ire-
land.
34
Bible itself furnishes two sets of data.
However, this is not true when it
comes to the issue of Creation. Jesus
does not propose a literal reading of
Genesis 1–2 and at the same time a
symbolic reading. Second, although
antinomies are found in Scripture,
that does not mean that all biblical
doctrines can be presented as such.
In some cases it is an either-or, not a
both-and. This author would proba-
bly reject a position claiming that we
are both justified by grace and saved
by works, and so would we. In the
end, one must allow Scripture to
speak for itself. If it presents antino-
mies, fine. If not, then we do not
construct them.
Van Bemmelen reminds us that
“Scripture not only focuses on
Christ as Redeemer, but also as Cre-
ator, Lord of creation and of the
whole history of the world since cre-
ation. Therefore, no area of knowl-
edge is excluded from the authority
of Christ and His Word, the Scrip-
tures. Some claim that since the
Bible is not a textbook of science or
history, it should not be used as
authoritative in these areas of
knowledge. While this claim is true
in a technical sense, it becomes a
frontal attack on the authority of the
Bible if the truthfulness of its clear
record of the creation and its histor-
ical narratives is rejected or reinter-
preted along lines of scientific theo-
ries or historical research. Neither
Jesus nor any of the inspired
prophets and apostles ever ques-
tioned the historical truth of the
Genesis record or of any other part
of the Scriptures. Rather, they af-
firmed the truthfulness and divine
authority of them all.”
5
The authors of the New Testa-
ment, disciples of Jesus Christ, fol-
lowed the footsteps of their Master.
They followed His method of inter-
preting Scripture. By accepting the
name “Christian,” we acknowledge
that we too intend to follow Christ in
His understanding and interpretation
of Scripture. The New Testament tes-
timony to Creation is not only infor-
mative. It is also normative for today’s
followers of Christ. And the message
of Creation is part of God’s last mes-
sage to this world: “‘Fear God and
give glory to Him, for the hour of His
judgment has come; and worship
Him who made heaven and earth, the
sea and springs of water’” (Rev. 14:7,
NKJV).
REFERENCES
1
John Wenham, Christ and the Bible
(Grand Rapids, Mich.; Baker, 1994), p. 27.
2
Terry Mortenson, “Jesus, Evangelical
Scholars and the Age of the Earth” (unpub-
lished paper, presented Nov. 19, 2003, at the
annual meeting of the Evangelical Theologi-
cal Society in Atlanta, Ga.), p. 5.
3
Thomas C. Oden, The Living God, Sys-
tematic Theology (Peabody: Prince, 1998),
vol. 1, p. 265.
4
Robert M. Johnston,“The Necessity and
Utility of Antinomies” (unpublished paper,
2004), pp. 1, 2.
5
Peter van Bemmelen, “The Authority of
Scripture” (unpublished manuscript), pp. 12, 13.
13
Mueller: Creation Through the New Testament Looking Glass
Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2005
