Creation
God freely creates and sustains the world. Created things depend on God for life while remaining distinct from the uncreated divine nature.
Key points
- The world is good as God's creation, not divine by nature.
- Creation and God's sustaining presence do not erase the Creator–creature distinction.
Scripture
- Genesis 1:1 — God creates heaven and earth.
- John 1:3 — All things came to be through the Word.
- Colossians 1:16-17 — Creation is through and for Christ and is sustained in him.
Primary sources
Athanasius writes:
Athanasius confesses that God brought the universe into existence from nothing through the Word.
out of nothing, and without its having any previous existence, God made the universe to exist through His word
Passage context and translation
Athanasius argues against a rival eternal matter and cites Genesis 1:1, the Shepherd, and Hebrews 11:3. The excerpt records his theological interpretation; Genesis 1:1 alone is not presented as a grammatical proof of the full doctrine.
Before the excerpt
because God is not weak; but that
After the excerpt
as He says firstly through Moses
Athanasius also states:
Athanasius distinguishes the Word from the universe while describing the Word as present and active throughout it.
present in the whole of Creation, He is at once distinct in being from the universe, and present in all things by His own power — giving order to all things, and over all and in all revealing His own providence, and giving life to each thing and all things
Passage context and translation
Athanasius argues that the Incarnation did not confine the divine Word to a body or remove the Word's life-giving governance from the rest of creation.
Before the excerpt
the universe was [not] left void of His working and Providence
After the excerpt
including the whole without being included, but being in His own Father alone wholly and in every respect