Creation & St. Augustine

[Jim_Baur]

BEGINNING is Second Person of the Trinity or WISDOM

Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

St. John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; 5 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Wisdom 7: 21 Such things as are hidden I learned, and such as are plain; for Wisdom, the artificer of all, taught me.

Colossians 1: 16 For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent.

Ephesians 3: 9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

KJV I Corinthians 8: 6 But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.

I Corinthians 8: 5 Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth (there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist.

Colossians.1: 20 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Hebrews 1: 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

KJV Hebrews 1: 10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

John 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life–2 for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us-- 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 8: 22 "The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; 23 From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth.

KJV Proverbs 8: 22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

KJV Proverbs 8: 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

KJV Proverbs 8: 24 When [there were] no depths, I was brought forth; when [there were] no fountains abounding with water.

Revelation 1: 8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 3: 14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this: "'The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God’s creation, says this: 15 "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot.

Revelations 22: 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." 14 Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates.

 

[Jim_Baur]

In the above passages, I wanted to add: These passages are from St. Augustine’s Literal Interpretation of Genesis. I ran out of space. Also, I wanted to say: If I have understood St. Augustine correctly.

 

[copland]

St. Augustine has done a few different exegetical works on Creation, and you can also find some of his interpretations in 'City of God." Here is the best site I have seen that give St. Augustine’s complete over-view on creation from all his works. rtforum.org/lt/lt47.html

 

[copland]

By the way I love his interpretation of "let there be light’ refering to the creation of angels, because God did not create the sun and the stars until 3rd day.

While, in The City of God, Augustine states that the implicit mention of the creation of the angels which could not conceivably have been omitted in the account is made either under the name of heaven in verse one “or perhaps rather under the name of light” in verse 3, 33 he strongly asserts in The Letter of Genesis that the creation of the angels is mentioned under the name of heaven in verse 1 and their enlightenment by divine grace under the name of light in verse 3. He was guided to this conclusion by insurmounted difficulties in first ascribing the creation of physical light to this latter verse and then putting the six days of creation into a reasonable historical succession. 34 Thus, among many affirmations in The Letter of Genesis that the light mentioned in Gen 1:3 refers to the supernatural enlightenment of the angels by the Beatific Vision, we find the following: “And messengers in Greek are called ‘angels,’ by which generic title is named that whole city on high which we think was created on the first day.” 35 It is my understanding, therefore, of St. Augustine’s opinion regarding the creation and elevation of the angels in the narrative of Genesis 1, that the supernatural illumination of the good angels in the Beatific Vision is literally implied under the name light in verse three, and the creation of the angels is most probably implied under the name of heaven (or the heavens) in verse one, but, if not, then it is tacitly included under the name of light in verse three, which expressly narrates their elevation by grace. But it must be added that he never excluded the possibility that material light is what is literally intended under the creation of light in verse three.

 

[Jim_Baur]

I, too, find St. Augustine’s works on Genesis to be beautiful. The angels are a key to understanding the six or seven days of creation.

The angels are formed when turned to God, and unformed when turned away from God. They angels are enlightened or morning when contemplating the Creator. They are in evening when only looking only at the creation. (Please forgive this caveat, if I have understood St. Augustine properly.)

Well, I have to get back to work.

 

[Jim_Baur]

God’s Word, law, commandment gives light to the angels and humans. Again, if I have understood St. Augustine correctly.

Genesis 1: 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

St. Matthew 4: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.”

St. Luke 2: 29 “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

St. John 1: 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;

5 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

St. John 1: 7 He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

St. John 3: 19 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. 21 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

St. John 8: 12 Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

St. John 9: 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

St. John 12: 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light.” After he had said this, Jesus left and hid from them.

St. John 12: 46 I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. 48 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, 49 because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me."

 

[copland]

And God said: Be light made. And light was made (Gen 1:3). The name of light the holy city was signified, composed of holy angels and blessed spirits, the city of which the Apostle says, ‘(that) Jerusalem which is above is our eternal mother in heaven’ (Gal 4:26); and in another place, ‘For ye are all the children of the light and the children of the day’ (1 Thess 5:5)." For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,(Eph 5:8)

The creation of the angels as participators in that eternal light which is the only-begotten Son of God, then they themselves, as sharing in the unchanging light and day which is the Word of God, Who is “the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world” (Jn 1:9), can be called day, although they are light and day, not in themselves, but in God.

**and he divided the light from the darkness (Gen 1:4). In The City of God, St. Augustine avers that, if he is correct in understanding by the creation of light (verse 3) the creation of the angels as participators in that eternal light which is the only-begotten Son of God.

Peter the Apostle, he says, very plainly declares (2 Peter 2:4) that certain angels sinned and were thrust down to the lowest parts of this world; they are called ‘darkness.’

 

[Jim_Baur]

I John 2: 7 Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you, for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

Acts of the Apostles 13: 47 For so the Lord has commanded (entellomai {en-tel’-lom-ahee}) us, 'I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.’

Acts of the Apostles 26: 17 I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, 18 to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.

(Genesis 1: 4 God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.)

Acts of the Apostles 26: 22 But I have enjoyed God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses foretold, 23 that the Messiah must suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.

Ephesians 5: 11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, 12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

 

[copland]

I taught my 8 year old son the Creation account in Genesis over about a 3 week span, I let him read the passages to me and we would discuss their meaning. He is very spiritual minded and he asks deep questions and grasps their meaning very well, better than most adults I have seen. It led me into searching out the Church Fathers exegesis on it to answer him, and being the big St. Augustine fan that I am I used alot of Augustine’s stuff. I also found St. Ambrose had some very good stuff concerning the Creation account. St. Ambrose I think is one of the most underated, his writings really pack a punch! St. Basil also has a whole writing on Creation (Hexaemeron) which is great stuff!