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08: Jesus, Provider and Sustainer – Thought Starters — 5 Comments

  1. Creatio Continua (Continual Creation)

    This has a long history since the time of Augustine. Creatio Continua is variously interpreted and sometimes considered as upholding creation (Hebrew 1:3) causing confusion of understanding. Upholding is not the same thing as creation. C. C. in modern deism holds that God initiated creation leaving natural laws to bring about the process of evolution considered as creation. C. C. in pantheism believes God to be an immanent, energetic power in nature: a driving force of evolution as continual creation. In both cases finished creation (Genesis 2:1) is denied. C. C. is seen as an ongoing evolutionary process of creation along the line of time and as long as time lasts. As God has not rested yet, the Sabbath is transposed into future time to be awaited as an eschatological gift. Any protological significance of the Sabbath is abolished, i. e. related to the origin of mankind at the beginning.

    How do we get out of this terminological confusion mixing up creation and upholding creation? The verb ktizein (to create) in the New Testament is a completed action in all instances, as far as context and grammar (aorist) is concerned. See Revelation 4:11; 10:6; 14:7; Matthew 19:4; Mark 13:19; Romans 1:25; 1 Corinthians 11: 9; Ephesians 2:10; 3:9; 4:24; Colossians 1:16; 3:10.
    As to the term upholding in Hebrews 1:3, the verb ferein (to uphold, to carry) in present tense denotes continued action.

    Conclusion: Creation is finished at the beginning (Genesis 2:1)followed by the continuous action of God upholding finished creation (John 5:17; Matthew 5:45; 7:26-30; Hebrews 1:3). There is no such thing as continual creation after finshed creation (Genesis 2:1). Creation and upholding creation are two different terms with two different meanings not to be mixed up to cause confusion.

    Winfried Stolpmann

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    • Thank you for this explanation, Winfriede.

      I confess I`ve not run into this theory in just this form. It seems internally consistent and opposed to the gift of the Sabbath, but is quite different from `progressive creation` which I`ve seen espoused by some `progressive` Adventists.

      Are you seeing CC promoted anywhere in modern society? Among what people?

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  2. When John says, “Without him nothing was made that was made,” Following that, I doubt if God made poisonous creatures the way they are now. when man sinned, knowing that everything was to be under him (man) those creations fell short of the glory of God. They certainly weren't part of God's original plan of Creation because God saw everything that HE had created as "GOOD".

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    • Well, Norah..... that's a good query, and it has bothered me for a while! However, try and visualise this..... There is this company that makes beautiful glass, which you put in your house windows and people admire a lot.... you are proud of this company for putting you up to this image....... Then as your little ones play ball, .... smash! that beautiful glass goes into pieces...not beautiful anymore... and somebody asks you...' Who made such broken glass..... it is so ugly and so dangerous!!!' Would you, conscientiously, frankly and truthfully respond to this query by pointing them to the company? No, no, no.... you will point to the little ones who have broken the once beautiful image... and these little ones have not CREATED, but DEFORMED the ORIGINAL, CREATED NATURE!.... Get the picture?.... Stay blessed, Norah!

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