§ Godhead in creation
The first mention made of God in the Bible is that he is the Creator; God has always existed; he is eternal. Material things or matter is not eternal God has always existed and he has brought the material universe into existence; he is the Originator, Creator, and Founder of this material universe; it came into being by his fiat.
He has omniscience and omnipotence; hence, all the wisdom, power, and authority in the universe came into existence by his decree. He planned creation and invested his wisdom and power in it; he is the Author as well as the Creator of "the heavens and the earth." "He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding hath he stretched out the heavens." (Jer. 51: 15.)
Jehovah spoke and the world came into existence; "the voice of Jehovah is powerful." (Psalm 29: 4.) God is not only omnipotent and omniscient, he is also omnipresent; he has all power, possesses all wisdom, and is everywhere at the same time. "But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." (1 Kings 8: 27.) "Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah." (Jer. 23: 24.) All the wisdom, power, and energy in nature came from God; he invested all these in nature when he created the universe.
The agent through whom God created "the heavens and the earth" was the Word. The creation took place "in the beginning." This was the eternity before the first that we have mentioned in Genesis. There are eight periods of time mentioned in Gen. 1, and this period designated as "the beginning" is the first period. This period had no beginning; it is*the stretch of eternity before our universe was called into existence. During this indefinite period of time the heavens and the earth were created. The Godhead was present. Christ was there as the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made." (John 1: 1-3.) The "Word" was the member of the Godhead through whom God created all things. We may not know the part that the Word or Christ had in creation, but we d< that he was present "in the beginning" when the heavens in earth were created.
Moreover, we know that they were by and through Christ; he was the divine agent "Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through are all things, and we through him." (1 Cor. 8:6.) Paul, in speaking of Christ, said: "For in him were all created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visit things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or princes or powers; all things have been created through him, an him; and he is before all things, and in him all things cc (Col. 1: 16, 17.) The New Testament is still more defying emphasizing that Christ is the divine agent through who things were created. "Hath at the end of these days spoken us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds?" (Heb. 1: 2.) No stance in the Bible could be more positive and definite than this declares that the worlds were created through Christ.
We come now to examine more closely the part that the Spirit had in the creation of the material world. God Creator; Christ, the Word, is the agent through whom created all things; the Holy Spirit gives„ life, enacts law organizes the material universe. Creation was not finished the third member of the Godhead functioned. After the "h and the earth" were created, "the earth was waste and void darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit с moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen. 1:2.) The m of "the heavens and the earth" was unorganized; it "was and void." "Waste" means that it was not yet fully org with respect to land and water, mountain and plain; the m had not assumed its final condition and arrangement as liquid, and solid, in due proportion. "Void" means that: destitute of organized beings, and that man had not yet on the earth as its chief occupant. "Darkness was upon the of the deep" means that the shoreless and chaotic sea of m elements was in unbroken darkness. The light of sun, moon stars could not penetrate this darkness.
It is similar to the benediction given by Paul to the church at Corinth. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Cor. 13: 14.) The emphasis in this benediction is placed upon "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "the love of God," and "the communion of the Holy Spirit." Emphasis is placed upon "grace," "love," and "communion"; however, the three members of the Godhead are mentioned. Christ is mentioned first since it was through him that the grace came to man; his name has been made prominent in man's redemption; "wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2: 9-11.) The Holy Spirit is mentioned last, as is usually the case, and shows that this follows the order of placing the third member of the Godhead last.
He has omniscience and omnipotence; hence, all the wisdom, power, and authority in the universe came into existence by his decree. He planned creation and invested his wisdom and power in it; he is the Author as well as the Creator of "the heavens and the earth." "He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding hath he stretched out the heavens." (Jer. 51: 15.)
Jehovah spoke and the world came into existence; "the voice of Jehovah is powerful." (Psalm 29: 4.) God is not only omnipotent and omniscient, he is also omnipresent; he has all power, possesses all wisdom, and is everywhere at the same time. "But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." (1 Kings 8: 27.) "Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah." (Jer. 23: 24.) All the wisdom, power, and energy in nature came from God; he invested all these in nature when he created the universe.
The agent through whom God created "the heavens and the earth" was the Word. The creation took place "in the beginning." This was the eternity before the first that we have mentioned in Genesis. There are eight periods of time mentioned in Gen. 1, and this period designated as "the beginning" is the first period. This period had no beginning; it is*the stretch of eternity before our universe was called into existence. During this indefinite period of time the heavens and the earth were created. The Godhead was present. Christ was there as the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made." (John 1: 1-3.) The "Word" was the member of the Godhead through whom God created all things. We may not know the part that the Word or Christ had in creation, but we d< that he was present "in the beginning" when the heavens in earth were created.
Moreover, we know that they were by and through Christ; he was the divine agent "Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through are all things, and we through him." (1 Cor. 8:6.) Paul, in speaking of Christ, said: "For in him were all created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visit things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or princes or powers; all things have been created through him, an him; and he is before all things, and in him all things cc (Col. 1: 16, 17.) The New Testament is still more defying emphasizing that Christ is the divine agent through who things were created. "Hath at the end of these days spoken us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds?" (Heb. 1: 2.) No stance in the Bible could be more positive and definite than this declares that the worlds were created through Christ.
We come now to examine more closely the part that the Spirit had in the creation of the material world. God Creator; Christ, the Word, is the agent through whom created all things; the Holy Spirit gives„ life, enacts law organizes the material universe. Creation was not finished the third member of the Godhead functioned. After the "h and the earth" were created, "the earth was waste and void darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit с moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen. 1:2.) The m of "the heavens and the earth" was unorganized; it "was and void." "Waste" means that it was not yet fully org with respect to land and water, mountain and plain; the m had not assumed its final condition and arrangement as liquid, and solid, in due proportion. "Void" means that: destitute of organized beings, and that man had not yet on the earth as its chief occupant. "Darkness was upon the of the deep" means that the shoreless and chaotic sea of m elements was in unbroken darkness. The light of sun, moon stars could not penetrate this darkness.
It is similar to the benediction given by Paul to the church at Corinth. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Cor. 13: 14.) The emphasis in this benediction is placed upon "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "the love of God," and "the communion of the Holy Spirit." Emphasis is placed upon "grace," "love," and "communion"; however, the three members of the Godhead are mentioned. Christ is mentioned first since it was through him that the grace came to man; his name has been made prominent in man's redemption; "wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2: 9-11.) The Holy Spirit is mentioned last, as is usually the case, and shows that this follows the order of placing the third member of the Godhead last.
