Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 14:1 (Spring 1971)
Article: Creation-Reasonable And Satisfactory
Author: Stephen B. Cornelius

CenQ 14:1 (Spring 1971) p. 2

Creation-Reasonable And Satisfactory

Stephen B. Cornelius

Prepared for the Kathy Sansovini Memorial Scholarship

Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis

Today as in every age the question of origins has continued to be a subject of great interest to man. It is not uncommon for any rational being to ask from where all things have come. It has been aptly stated that “no thinking man is content to live merely in a transitory present, … without knowing anything of the origin and issue of the world and its inhabitants.” This truth is well evidenced by the fact that the poet, the philosopher, the historian, and the scientist have all shared a common concern in this intriguing mystery of the universe. But why has the question of origins been of such importance to man? Many may reply that it is but man’s curious nature which causes his concern. There may be some truth here; yet the matter goes deeper than this. The very nature of the question of origins seems to have made it important, for its answer is related to the very meaning of life itself. It has been correctly said that “what a man believes about ultimate origins … will inevitably affect his beliefs concerning destinies and purposes.”

CenQ 14:1 (Spring 1971) p. 3

Metaphysics. That branch of philsophy which is concerned with first principles and the problem of origins is called metaphysics. Though an extensive amount of human effort has been put forth in this area of philosophy, no enduring or satisfactory answers have ever been found. History reveals that no philosophical system with its accompanying ideas as to origins has long endured, for philosophy must change with the advance in human knowledge. It appears that even in this day of advancement man may be no nearer to solving the mystery of origins than in ages past, and it is certain that history would cause one to question whether speculative philosophy will even yield any final or authoritative solutions.

Christian Theism’s answer. The question now arises as to whether there ever have been or ever will be any final answers to this mystery. In the past as in the present, only one system of thought has offered a consistent answer which its proponents claim is a satisfactory and final solution. This system is known as Christian Theism. For the Christian Theist there is no problem of origins, for he, claiming to have an historical account of the beginning, knows that every finite thing which exists is the result of divine creation. By way of definition, creation is the divine act of bringing into existence the universe ex nihilo, or out of nothing.

Importance of creation to the Christian Theist. The doctrine of creation has been...