The Doctrine of Creation:
Mediated Action and Science
Robert C. Bishop
Wheaton College
4/8/2015
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God Is Distinct from the Created Order

Creator/creature distinction implies all of
creation valued
○ “God saw all that he had made and it was very good”
(Gen 1:31).
 Functioning and fulfilling purposes as intended
○ Includes galaxies, asteroids, molecules,…

Jesus’ incarnation affirms the goodness
of material order
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God Is Distinct from the Created Order

Creation’s being distinct from God
implies it’s to be itself
○ What God intended it to be
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“He stretches out the
heavens like a canopy, and
spreads them out like a tent
to live in” (Is 40:22b). 3
God’s Action in Creation Is Mediated
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God’s Action in Creation Is Mediated
Action takes place/shaped through
something else
 One form: His word/command

○ “And God said…” (Gen. 1)
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God’s Action in Creation Is Mediated

Another form: God’s “two hands” engaged
in creation (Irenaeus)
○ Jesus
- “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and
on earth, visible and invisible…” (Col. 1:16a)
- “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing
was made that has been made” (Jn. 1:3)
○ Holy Spirit
- “In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters” (Gen. 1:1-2)
- “When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You
renew the face of the Earth” (Ps 104: 30)
- Water/rivers symbolic of the Spirit’s renewing/healing,
e.g. Ez. 47:1-12
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God’s Action in Creation Is Mediated

Third form: God’s action in creation is
ministerial
○ Some parts of God’s creation empowered to
serve as mediators/ministers to other parts of
creation
○ God intends for creation to bring about some
elements of creation
- “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth…’” (Gen.
1:11, 24)
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God’s Action in Creation Is Mediated

God’s action in creation pictured three
ways in Bible
○ As personal word/command
○ As personal involvement through Jesus & Holy
Spirit
- God’s action in creation is Trinitarian
○ As personal superintendent of creation
empowered to bring about creation
- Relates to functional integrity of creation
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God Acts Patiently in Creation
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God Acts Patiently in Creation

God intends creation to become itself
○ God gives creation patience & grace to be what
it is

God’s activity in creation being
“ministerial”
○ God is active in creation so it can become itself
○ Creation is active bringing about creation (under
superintendence of Christ and the Spirit)
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Doctrine of Creation & Evolution

God intends creation to become itself
○ Creation should have capacities for
development & growth

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Evolutionary mechanisms are consistent
w/ this biblical expectation
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Doctrine of Creation & Evolution

One form of God’s activity in creation is
mediated by creation
○ General stability of environments & cycles
○ Some organisms sacrifice themselves so others
may live
○ Genetic variations minister to populations

4/8/2015
Key components of evolution look much
like creation ministering to creation
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Doctrine of Creation & Evolution

Biblically, the Spirit is often pictured biblically
as involved in life & enabling things to reach
their consummation in Christ
○ From quarks to galaxies & beyond!

Evolutionary mechanisms & biomolecules,
genomes, cells, organisms, populations,
ecological niches, environments
○ The Spirit enables all these elements of creation to
become what they’re called to be in Christ & fulfill their
ministerial functions
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Doctrine of Creation & Evolution
Biblically, the Spirit often involved in
variety, creativity & beauty
 Evolution would represent a means
through which the Spirit produces variety,
creativity & beauty

○ All reflecting the glory & wisdom of God
○ Including random genetic variations
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Doctrine of Creation & Evolution

Random/unguided mutations
○ Beneficial mutations don’t occur because they
would be good for organisms
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Doctrine of Creation & Evolution
God acts patiently in creation, salvation,
sanctification
 Evolution would represent God working in
& through creation towards its perfection
in Christ

○ Consummation “in the fullness of time”
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Doctrine of Creation & Cosmology
“He stretches out the
heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like
a tent to live in” (Is
40:22b).
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Doctrine of Creation & Cosmology

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One form of God’s activity in creation is
mediated by creation
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Doctrine of Creation & Science

False dilemma prevalent since 18th
century
○ Events in nature are either:
 The result of God’s immediate intervention
 The result of natural processes w/ no divine
involvement
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Doctrine of Creation & Science
 Genesis
1:24-25
○ And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living
creatures of each kind, cattle and crawling
things and wild beasts of each kind.” And it was
so. God made wild beasts of each kind and
cattle of every kind and all crawling things on
the ground of each kind, and God saw that it
was good.

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Psalm 104, Job 38-42, John 1:1-3,
Col 1:15-17, etc.
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