In the Beginning…God

The origins of man and of the cosmos should not only be a subject of great interest to us but it is also a subject of vital importance to us as human beings. We must first understand how we got here and then only will we be able to understand what the purpose of life on Earth might be. The two major non – biblical theories of origins are the so-called scientific ‘Big Bang’ Theory and the mythological ‘Chaos’ theory. Wikipedia states: “As used by cosmologists, the term Big Bang generally refers to the idea that the universe has expanded from a primordial hot and dense initial condition at some finite time in the past, and continues to expand to this day. The scientist and Roman Catholic priest Georges Lemaître proposed what became known as the Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe, although he called it his "hypothesis of the primeval atom". Leaving aside the fact that this theory originated with a Catholic priest who is supposed to believe in God, it fails to explain how the original primordial hot and dense condition came into being in the first place. Although garbed with a scientific cloak the big bang theory has a lot in common with the mythological explanations of the origins of the universe and of intelligent life. Mythology claims that everything began in chaos but again fails to explain how the chaos came into being in the first place.

Now let’s study what the bible teaches us about the origins of the cosmos and of man. John1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. If we can determine what existed in the beginning then we may be able to understand how everything came into existence.

What was in the beginning?

In the Beginning was the Word; what was the Word? The Word was God. So we could say that ‘In the Beginning was God’. If we can define what is God then we will know exactly what was in the beginning? God is The Word according to the bible. ‘Word’ is a translation of the Greek word ‘Logos’ which means Intelligence, Reason, Speech, Language, basically then we can say that ‘The Word is Intelligence’. So the biblical assertion that ‘In the beginning was the Word’ may be accurately rephrased as ‘In the beginning was God which in turn can be restated as ‘In the beginning was The Intelligence’. Whereas science and mythology both promote a random theory for creation of the universe the bible proposes the opposite view that everything began with ‘Intelligence’ not randomness. So the study of origins actually becomes the study of the nature of God, of what He is not necessarily who He is.

God is ‘The Intelligence’, biblically speaking, but what else is God?

Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God is quick; the word ‘Quick’ is an Elizabethan word meaning ‘Alive’. So the Word of God is a living dynamic power not something lifeless and static. Heb 4:12 also states that The Word of God is Powerful meaning Energy; this word powerful in Heb. 41:2 comes from the Greek word ENERGEO from which the word ENERGY is derived. So what this verse of scripture tells us that the Word of God is living powerful energy. And since the Word is also intelligent we can say that the Word of God is living, powerful, intelligent energy. Since the Word is God we can then conclude that God is living powerful intelligent energy, he is not a material being. This is a difficult understanding to wrap one’s head around as to how God the infinite is not made out of matter, that the infinite energy or power that he is occupies no space and does not exist in time. We need to understand that the only way for matter to have a beginning is for all matter or material things to have been created by something non-material, living energy for example. Since God is that living energy who is intelligent, he is able to intelligently direct that energy into forming matter in any shape or form that he desires. The existence of intelligence from the beginning eliminates any possibility that this wonderfully structured and ordered universe could ever have arisen randomly. The only thing that comes out of nothing is NOTHING.

The bible does not teach Ex-Nihilo creation, that is something out of nothing. It clearly states in Heb. 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. What are the things that we cannot see out of which visible things were made? The answer is intelligent living energy. And what is that intelligent living energy? The answer is God! The whole universe is made out of energy which is not such a strange concept. Energy can be converted into matter and matter can be converted into energy, these are real scientific measurable truths. If someone had access to infinite energy and the intelligence to direct that energy could they not create an infinite universe? If God is that being who possesses these attributes then does it not simplify our understanding of our origins a whole lot? If God wanted to create the sun; he not only has the intelligence to design the sun but more importantly he has the energy or the power that would be required to build such a celestial body. Since God is infinite intelligence and is also infinite energy it is not at all difficult to believe that he created this infinite universe, and the Earth that we inhabit. What is impossible to believe is the ‘Big Bang’ or ‘Chaos’ theories that provide no satisfactory explanation as to how things got started and how such order could arise with no intelligence having existed to design and guide the act of creation. The odds of a tornado going through a junkyard and creating a jumbo jet are far greater than randomness having given rise to intelligence. It hurts my intelligence to even think that someone could propose such a preposterous theory but incredibly enough it is taught in the halls of academia all over the world!

So going back to the beginning, we know that in the beginning was the Word, which can be rephrased as ‘In the beginning was the living, powerful intelligent energy. And all things were made by this energy which is God. So the bible does not teach that everything was made out of nothing, on the contrary it tells us that the energy required to create matter was present right from the beginning and everything came into existence as a result of this energy being intelligently released to be converted into matter. If you can find a better explanation for the origin of matter please be sure to share it with me.

Why then does man keep rejecting God and searching for alternative explanations for his origins? That is a different subject which has to do with good and evil, another major biblical doctrine that will be explored at a later date.