2. Creation

Reasoning with Mormons out of the scriptures (Acts 17:2) (Home)

Table of Contents:
Introduction     3. Adam         6. The Priesthood     9. The Gospel   12. Eternal Life
1. His Image    4. God            7. Apostasy            10. Baptism        Summary
2. Creation      5. Trinity          8. Prophets             11. Marriage       Scripture Reference

2. Creation

The Word was made flesh (LDS Teachings | Bible | Catholic Teachings | Early Church Writings)

Reason with a Mormon by asking - Why does the LDS church teach Jesus was a spirit born of heavenly parents when the Bible reveals that Jesus was "the Word of God" that proceeded forth from the God the Father?

LDS Gospel Principles Chapter 2 " Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ, so he is literally our elder brother ."

John 1 ( [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.)

Jesus could not of been born of a heavenly mother because the Bible reveals the Son was "the Word of God" that proceeded forth from the God the Father (John 8:42; John 1:1,14; Rev 19:13). The Son was "the Word of God" prior to becoming flesh (John 1:1,14; Rev 19:13). "The Word" (Greek logos) is a term that combines God's dynamic, creative word (Gen 1:3) and personified preexistent Wisdom as the instrument of God's creative activity (Proverbs 8:12-30). Christ, the wisdom of God, was possessed by God in the beginning and was set up from everlasting before being brought forth (1Cor 1:24; Prov 8:22-30). The Word of God is before all things, is the beginning of the creation of God, is the beginning and the end (Col 1:17; Rev 3:14; Rev 22:13). Jesus is called the firstborn of every creature and the firstborn from the dead, the word firstborn does not necessarily mean to be the first born of parents (Col 1:17,18). The word “firstborn” can refer to position, God can make a person his firstborn, God made David his firstborn meaning he was higher than the kings of the earth, Christ was made King of kings (Psalm 89:27; Rev 19:6).

There is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things (1Cor 8:6). God made made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens (Jer 10:10-13). God created and made all things by His Word, he commanded and things were created, Psalm 33 says "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded." "The Word" was with God in the beginning, "the Word" is the wisdom of God and power of God, the Lord possessed Wisdom in the beginning of his way, before his works of old, he was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, he was brought forth, Wisdom was by the Lord rejoicing always before him (John 1:1; 1Cor 1:24; Prov 8:12-30). "The Word" was before the spiritual beings like angels and before the physical beings like man.

He commanded, and they were created (LDS Teachings | Bible | Catholic Teachings | Early Church Writings)

Reason with a Mormon by asking - Why does the LDS church teach Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers born of a heavenly parent when the Bible reveals Jehovah (the LORD) created angels like Satan with a command?

LDS Gospel Principles Chapter 3 "Two of our brothers ... Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah ... Satan ..."

Pss.148 ([1] Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. [2] Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. [3] Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. [4] Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. [5] Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.)

Neh.9 ([5] Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. [6] Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. [12] Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. [13] Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:)

Pss.33 ([6] By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. [9] For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast..)

Isa.45 ([7] I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. [11] Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.[12] I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. [18] For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. [21] Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. [22] Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.)

The Son of God and Satan are not brothers who share the same heavenly parents because all angels like Satan were created when Jehovah (the LORD) commanded (Psalm 148:1,5). Angels are created spirits (Psalm 148:1,5; Heb 1:7). The angels worship Jesus (Heb 1:6). Angels like Satan are called sons of God because they are created by God (Job 2:1; Psalm 148:1,5). God punished some of the angels by casting them out of heaven into darkness and bondage (Jude 1:6). The LORD has made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preserves them all; and the host of heaven worship thee (Nehemiah 9:6). The LORD made all things; stretched forth the heavens alone; spread abroad the earth by himself (Isa 44:24). The LORD formed the light, and created darkness: made peace, and created evil, the LORD created the heavens, all their host the LORD commanded (Isa 45:7-22). All that was made was made of things that were not, the Creator of the world found out the beginning of all things, the heaven and the earth, he formed the generation of man (2Mac 7:23-28).

By the Son were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, all things were created by him, and for him, he is before all things, and by him all things consist (Col 1:3-17). By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast ( Psalm 33:6,9). The gods did not make the heavens and the earth, the LORD made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, he uttered his voice (Jer 10:10-13). The Son of God was "the Word" of God prior to the incarnation, the Son of God is the only begotten of the Father who proceeded forth from the Father and became flesh when he was born of the virgin Mary (John 8:42; John 1:1,14). The eternal Son of God, the Wisdom of God, was begotten or proceeded forth from the Father from the beginning (John 1:14; 1Cor 1:24; Prov 8:12-30). The Son of God does not have the nature of an angel like Satan who has a created nature, the Son was the everlasting Word of God prior to the incarnation who was with God in the beginning (John 1:1,3; Rev 19:13).

We were are not all spirit children born of heavenly parents, 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 (1Cor 8:6). We are the offspring of God because God created the first man by forming him of the dust of the ground and then breathing the breath of life into his nostrils, he then became a living soul, the first man is of the earth (Acts 17:29; 1Cor 15:47; Gen 2:7). We did not pre-exist as spirit children, God is the Father of spirits because God forms the spirit of man within him, He makes the soul, He has makes us from the womb (Heb 12:9; Isa 57:16; Zech 12:1; Isa 44:2). Men did not preexist before they were born, God has foreknowledge, he knew us before we are formed in the belly (1Pet 1:2; Jer 1:5). Prophets like Jeremiah and John the Baptist are sanctified and ordained a prophet before they came forth out of the womb because they are filled with the Holy Ghost from their mother's womb (Jer 1:5; Luke 1:15).

LDS Church Teachings

The Word was made flesh .

Gospel Principles Chapter 2 " Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ, so he is literally our elder brother ."

Gospel Principles Chapter 5 "Jesus Christ created this world and everything in it. He also created many other worlds. He did so through the power of the priesthood, under the direction of our Heavenly Father. ... In planning to create the physical earth, Christ said to those who were with him, "We will go down, for there is space there, . . . and we will make an earth whereon these [the spirit children of our Father in Heaven] may dwell". Under the direction of the Father, Christ formed and organized the earth. He divided light from darkness to make day and night."

LDS Ensign (Nov 1993) "The gospel teaches us that we are the spirit children of heavenly parents. Before our mortal birth we had “a pre-existent, spiritual personality, as the sons and daughters of the Eternal Father” (statement of the First Presidency, Improvement Era, Mar. 1912, p. 417).

LDS Gospel Principles Introduction "Gospel Principles was written both as a personal study guide and as a teacher's manual. ... Teach only what is supported by the scriptures and the Holy Spirit."

LDS Ensign, Aug 1977 "... the official publications of the Church carry messages that are sound in doctrine ..." Dean L. Larsen, “I Have a Question,” [“I Have a Question,” Ensign, Aug 1977, 38–41]

Approaching Mormon Doctrine "With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted." (Newsroom - The Official Resource for New Media, Opinion Leaders, and the Public 4 May 2007)

He commanded, and they were created .

LDS Gospel Principles Chapter 2 " Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ, so he is literally our elder brother ."

Gospel Principles Chapter 3 "Two of our brothers ... Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah ... Satan ..."

Joseph Smitth's King Follett Sermon "You ask the learned doctors why they say the world was made out of nothing, and they will answer, “Doesn’t the Bible say he created the world?” And they infer, from the word create, that it must have been made out of nothing. Now, the word create came from the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time He had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and re-organized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning and can have no end."

Bible verses from King James

The Word was made flesh .

John 1 ( [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men. [14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.)

John1:1 Footnotes in NAB [1] In the beginning: also the first words of the Old Testament (Genesis 1:1). Was: this verb is used three times with different meanings in this verse: existence, relationship, and predication. The Word (Greek logos): this term combines God's dynamic, creative word (Genesis), personified preexistent Wisdom as the instrument of God's creative activity (Proverbs), and the ultimate intelligibility of reality (Hellenistic philosophy). With God: the Greek preposition here connotes communication with another. Was God: lack of a definite article with "God" in Greek signifies predication rather than identification.

Preface to the New American Bible "It is the achievement of some fifty biblical scholars ... collaboration of scholars who are not Catholic. ... From the original and the oldest available texts of the sacred books, it aims to convey as directly as possible the thought and individual style of the inspired writers. The better understanding of Hebrew and Greek, ..."

Gen.1 ([1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness)

2Cor.4 ([6] For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.)

1Cor.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.)

John.8 ([42] Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.)

1Cor 1 ([24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.)

Col 1 ([3] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, [15] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: [16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence)

Col 1 Footnotes in the NAB ([15-20] As the poetic arrangement indicates, these lines are probably an early Christian hymn, known to the Colossians and taken up into the letter from liturgical use (cf Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Tim 3:16). They present Christ as the mediator of creation (Col 1:15-18a) and of redemption (Col 1:18b-20). There is a parallelism between firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15) and firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18). While many of the phrases were at home in Greek philosophical use and even in gnosticism, the basic ideas also reflect Old Testament themes about Wisdom found in Proverb 8:22-31; Wisdom 7:22-8:1; and Sirach 1:4. See also the notes on what is possibly a hymn in John 1:1-18.)

Prov.8 ([12] I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. [22] The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. [23] I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. [24] When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. [25] Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: [26] While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. [27] When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: [30] Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; )

Rev.19 ([6] And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. [13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.)

Rev.3 ([14] And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;)

Rev.22 ([13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.)

Pss.89 ([20] I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: [26] He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. [27] Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.)

Jer.31 ([9] They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.)

2Mac.7 ([22] I cannot tell how ye came into my womb: for I neither gave you breath nor life, neither was it I that formed the members of every one of you; [23] But doubtless the Creator of the world, who formed the generation of man, and found out the beginning of all things, will also of his own mercy give you breath and life again, as ye now regard not your own selves for his laws' sake. [28] I beseech thee, my son, look upon the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, and consider that God made them of things that were not; and so was mankind made likewise.)

He commanded, and they were created .

Heb.1 ([7] And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.)

Pss.148 ([1] Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. [2] Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. [3] Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. [4] Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. [5] Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.)

Neh.9 ([5] Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. [6] Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. [12] Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. [13] Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:)

John 1 ( [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.)

Pss.33 ([6] By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. [9] For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast..)

Col 1 ([3] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, [15] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: [16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. )

Isa.44 ([6] Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. [8] Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. [24] Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;)

Isa.45 ([7] I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. [11] Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.[12] I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. [18] For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. [21] Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. [22] Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.)

Pss.33 ([6] By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. [9] For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast..)

John 1 ([1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. [14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.)

1Cor.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.)

Jer.10 ([10] But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. [11] Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. [12] He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.[13] When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.)

Jude.1 ([6] And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.)

Jude 1:6 Footnotes in the NAB [6] This second example draws on Genesis 6:1-4 as elaborated in the apocryphal Book of Enoch (cf Jude 1:14): heavenly beings came to earth and had sexual intercourse with women. God punished them by casting them out of heaven into darkness and bondage.

Catholic Church Teachings

The Word was made flesh .

There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit. The apostles confess Jesus to be the Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was begotten from the Father before all ages as to his divinity and in these last days, for us and for our salvation, was born as to his humanity of the virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

In the beginning was the Word. . . and the Word was God. . . all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. The New Testament reveals that God created everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son. In him all things were created, in heaven and on earth.. . all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. There exists but one God. . . he is the Father, God, the Creator, the author, the giver of order. He made all things by himself, that is, by his Word and by his Wisdom, by the Son and the Spirit who, so to speak, are "his hands". Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity.

By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear. The world began when God's word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human history are rooted in this primordial event. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth: three things are affirmed in these first words of Scripture: the eternal God gave a beginning to all that exists outside of himself; he alone is Creator (the verb "create" - Hebrew bara - always has God for its subject). The totality of what exists (expressed by the formula "the heavens and the earth") depends on the One who gives it being. The Scriptural expression "heaven and earth" means all that exists, creation in its entirety.

The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God. Every spiritual soul is created immediately by God. The first man, Adam,became a living soul, the first had a beginning.

God is called "Father" inasmuch as he is Creator of the world. Calling God "Father" emphasizes God's immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature. God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He is the Father in a special way only of Christ, but he is the common Father of us all, because while he has begotten only Christ, he has created us. Men become Christ's brethren. We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son.

Catholic Answers "The Church Fathers who wrote the creeds had a different view--the view of today's Catholic Church. They pictured the Son as the eternal Word (Logos) of God, proceeding from him outside of time much as speech proceeds from a speaker."

Athanasian Creed "The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is from the Father alone, not made or created, but begotten. . . " (ca. A.D. 475)."

813 There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her "Church."

241 For this reason the apostles confess Jesus to be the Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"; as "the image of the invisible God"; as the "radiance of the glory of God and the very stamp of his nature".

467 The Monophysites affirmed that the human nature had ceased to exist as such in Christ when the divine person of God's Son assumed it. Faced with this heresy, the fourth ecumenical council, at Chalcedon in 451, confessed: Following the holy Fathers, we unanimously teach and confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, composed of rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father as to his divinity and consubstantial with us as to his humanity; "like us in all things but sin". He was begotten from the Father before all ages as to his divinity and in these last days, for us and for our salvation, was born as to his humanity of the virgin Mary, the Mother of God. We confess that one and the same Christ, Lord, and only-begotten Son, is to be acknowledged in two natures without confusion, change, division or separation. The distinction between the natures was never abolished by their union, but rather the character proper to each of the two natures was preserved as they came together in one person (prosopon) and one hypostasis.

291 "In the beginning was the Word. . . and the Word was God. . . all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." The New Testament reveals that God created everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son. In him "all things were created, in heaven and on earth.. . all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." The Church's faith likewise confesses the creative action of the Holy Spirit, the "giver of life", "the Creator Spirit" (Veni, Creator Spiritus), the "source of every good".

292 The Old Testament suggests and the New Covenant reveals the creative action of the Son and the Spirit, inseparably one with that of the Father. This creative co-operation is clearly affirmed in the Church's rule of faith: "There exists but one God. . . he is the Father, God, the Creator, the author, the giver of order. He made all things by himself, that is, by his Word and by his Wisdom", "by the Son and the Spirit" who, so to speak, are "his hands". Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity.

286 Human intelligence is surely already capable of finding a response to the question of origins. The existence of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his works, by the light of human reason, even if this knowledge is often obscured and disfigured by error. This is why faith comes to confirm and enlighten reason in the correct understanding of this truth: "By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear."

338 Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator. The world began when God's word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the world was constituted and time begun.

290 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth": three things are affirmed in these first words of Scripture: the eternal God gave a beginning to all that exists outside of himself; he alone is Creator (the verb "create" - Hebrew bara - always has God for its subject). The totality of what exists (expressed by the formula "the heavens and the earth") depends on the One who gives it being.

326 The Scriptural expression "heaven and earth" means all that exists, creation in its entirety. It also indicates the bond, deep within creation, that both unites heaven and earth and distinguishes the one from the other: "the earth" is the world of men, while "heaven" or "the heavens" can designate both the firmament and God's own "place" - "our Father in heaven" and consequently the "heaven" too which is eschatological glory. Finally, "heaven" refers to the saints and the "place" of the spiritual creatures, the angels, who surround God.

He commanded, and they were created .

God from the beginning of time made at once (simul) out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is, the angelic and the earthly, and then (deinde) the human creature, who as it were shares in both orders, being composed of spirit and body. The Church confesses, following the New Testament, one God and Father from whom all things are, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and one Holy Spirit in whom all things are. Scripture bears witness to faith in creation "out of nothing". Look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. God was able to make light shine in darkness by his Word.

The apostles confess Jesus to be the Word. In the beginning was the Word. . . and the Word was God. . . all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. The New Testament reveals that God created everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son. In him "all things were created, in heaven and on earth.. . all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him." They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him."

The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels". They are messengers of Christ's saving plan. They are ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation. 'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.' " With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. In the Old Testament, "son of God" is a title given to the angels. It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature.

Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing." Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries, the action is permitted by divine providence. Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt against God. Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies". Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

327 The profession of faith of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) affirms that God "from the beginning of time made at once (simul) out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is, the angelic and the earthly, and then (deinde) the human creature, who as it were shares in both orders, being composed of spirit and body."

258 The whole divine economy is the common work of the three divine persons. For as the Trinity has only one and the same natures so too does it have only one and the same operation: "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not three principles of creation but one principle." However, each divine person performs the common work according to his unique personal property. Thus the Church confesses, following the New Testament, "one God and Father from whom all things are, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and one Holy Spirit in whom all things are". It is above all the divine missions of the Son's Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit that show forth the properties of the divine persons.

297 Scripture bears witness to faith in creation "out of nothing" as a truth full of promise and hope. Thus the mother of seven sons encourages them for martyrdom:I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws. . . Look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being.

298 Since God could create everything out of nothing, he can also, through the Holy Spirit, give spiritual life to sinners by creating a pure heart in them, and bodily life to the dead through the Resurrection. God "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." And since God was able to make light shine in darkness by his Word, he can also give the light of faith to those who do not yet know him.

296 We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create, nor is creation any sort of necessary emanation from the divine substance. God creates freely "out of nothing": If God had drawn the world from pre-existent matter, what would be so extraordinary in that? A human artisan makes from a given material whatever he wants, while God shows his power by starting from nothing to make all he wants.

241 For this reason the apostles confess Jesus to be the Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"; as "the image of the invisible God"; as the "radiance of the glory of God and the very stamp of his nature".

291 "In the beginning was the Word. . . and the Word was God. . . all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." The New Testament reveals that God created everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son. In him "all things were created, in heaven and on earth.. . all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." The Church's faith likewise confesses the creative action of the Holy Spirit, the "giver of life", "the Creator Spirit" (Veni, Creator Spiritus), the "source of every good".

331 Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him." They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"

328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition

329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.' " With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".

441 In the Old Testament, "son of God" is a title given to the angels, the Chosen People, the children of Israel, and their kings. It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature. When the promised Messiah-King is called "son of God", it does not necessarily imply that he was more than human, according to the literal meaning of these texts. Those who called Jesus "son of God", as the Messiah of Israel, perhaps meant nothing more than this.

391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil".The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."

395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature- to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."

414 Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt against God.

392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".

394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.

Early Church Writings

The Word was made flesh .

Tertullian "[W]hen God says, `Let there be light' [Gen. 1:3], this is the perfect nativity of the Word, while he is proceeding from God. . . . Thus, the Father makes him equal to himself, and the Son, by proceeding from him, was made the first-begotten, since he was begotten before all things, and the only-begotten, because he alone was begotten of God, in a manner peculiar to himself, from the womb of his own heart, to which even the Father himself gives witness: `My heart has poured forth my finest Word' [Ps. 45:1-2]" (Against Praxeas 7:1 [ca. A.D. 220]).

Hippolytus "Therefore, this sole and universal God, by reflecting, first brought forth the Word--not a word as in speech, but as a mental word, the reason for everything. . . . The Word was the cause of those things which came into existence, carrying out in himself the will of him by whom he was begotten. . . . Only [God's] Word is from himself and is therefore also God, becoming the substance of God" (Philosophoumena or Refutation of All Heresies 10:33 [ca. A.D. 225])."

Cyril of Jerusalem "Believe also in the Son of God, the one and only, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God begotten of God, who is life begotten of life, who is light begotten of light, who is in all things like unto the begetter, and who did not come to exist in time but was before all the ages, eternally and incomprehensibly begotten of the Father. He is the Wisdom of God. (Catechetical Lectures 4:7 [ca. A.D. 350]).

Gregory of Nazianz "He is called Son because he is identical to the Father in essence; and not only this, but also because he is of him. He is called only-begotten not because He is singular Son . . . but because he is Son in a singular fashion and not in a corporeal way. He is called Word because he is to the Father what a word is to the mind ... because of his union and because of his conveying information" (Orations 30:20 [A.D. 380]).

Ambrose "... the Son is from the Father; on account of the Father, because he is of one substance with the Father; on account of the Father, because he is the Word given forth from the heart of the Father; because he proceeds from the Father, because he is generated in the paternal bowels, because the Father is the source of the Son, because the Father is the root of the Son" (On the Christian Faith 4:10:132 [A.D. 380]).

Council of Rome "If anyone does not say that the Son was begotten of the Father, that is, of the divine substance of him himself, he is a heretic" (Tome of Damasus, canon 11 [A.D. 382]).

Justin Martyr "God begot before all creatures a beginning, who was a certain rational power from himself and whom the Holy Spirit calls . . . sometimes the Son, . . . sometimes Lord and Word... We see things happen similarly among ourselves, for whenever we utter some word, we beget a word--yet, not by any cutting of, which would diminish the word in us when we utter it. We see a similar occurrence when one fire enkindles another. It is not diminished through the enkindling of the other, but remains as it was" (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 61 [ca. A.D. 155])."

Irenaeus "[The Gnostics] transfer the generation of the uttered word of men to the eternal Word of God, attributing to him a beginning of utterance and a coming into being . . . . In what manner, then, would the Word of God—indeed, the great God himself, since he is the Word—differ from the word of men?" (Against Heresies 2:13:8 [A.D. 189])

Tertullian "[W]hen God says, `Let there be light' [Gen. 1:3], this is the perfect nativity of the Word, while he is proceeding from God. . . . Thus, the Father makes him equal to himself, and the Son, by proceeding from him, was made the first-begotten, since he was begotten before all things, and the only-begotten, because he alone was begotten of God, in a manner peculiar to himself, from the womb of his own heart, to which even the Father himself gives witness: `My heart has poured forth my finest Word' [Ps. 45:1-2]" (Against Praxeas 7:1 [ca. A.D. 220]).

Hippolytus ""Therefore, this sole and universal God, by reflecting, first brought forth the Word--not a word as in speech, but as a mental word, the reason for everything. . . . The Word was the cause of those things which came into existence, carrying out in himself the will of him by whom he was begotten. . . . Only [God's] Word is from himself and is therefore also God, becoming the substance of God" (Philosophoumena or Refutation of All Heresies 10:33 [ca. A.D. 225])."

Origin "So also Wisdom, since he proceeds from God, is generated from the very substance of God" (Commentaries on Hebrews [ca. A.D. 240]).

Cyril of Jerusalem "Believe also in the Son of God, the one and only, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God begotten of God, who is life begotten of life, who is light begotten of light, who is in all things like unto the begetter, and who did not come to exist in time but was before all the ages, eternally and incomprehensibly begotten of the Father. He is the Wisdom of God. (Catechetical Lectures 4:7 [ca. A.D. 350]).

Athanasius ""When these points have been demonstrated, then they [the Arians] speak even more impudently: `If there never was a time when the Son was not, and if he is eternal and co-exists with the Father, then you are saying that he is not a Son at all, but the Father's brother.' O dull and contentious men! Indeed, if we said only that he co-existed eternally and had not called him Son, their pretended difficulty would have some plausibility. But if while saying that he is eternal, we confess him as Son of Father, how were it possible for him that is begotten to be called a brother of him that begets? . . . For the Father and the Son were not generated from some pre-existing source, so that they might be accounted as brothers. Rather, the Father is the source and begetter of the Son. . . . And if he is called the eternal offspring of the Father, he is rightly so called . . . It is proper for men to beget in time, because of he imperfections of their nature; but the offspring of God is eternal because God's nature is ever perfect" (Discourses against the Arians 1:14 [A.D. 358])."

Gregory of Elvira "[In Genesis 49:9 the Son] is called a [lion's] whelp so as to show that it refers not to the Father, but to the Son of God. For when both a lion and the whelp of a lion are named, both the Father and the Son are indicated. Their nature is not divided, but distinct Persons are manifested. For just as a lion is born of a lion, so too it is said that God proceeds from God and light from light" (Homilies on the Books of Sacred Scripture 6 [ca. A.D. 375]).

Gregory of Nazianz "He is called Son because he is identical to the Father in essence; and not only this, but also because he is of him. He is called only-begotten not because He is singular Son . . . but because he is Son in a singular fashion and not in a corporeal way. He is called Word because he is to the Father what a word is to the mind ... because of his union and because of his conveying information" (Orations 30:20 [A.D. 380]).

Ambrose "[The Arians] think that they must posit the objection of his [Christ] having said, `I live on account of the Father.' Certainly if they refer the saying to his divinity, the Son lives on account of the Father, because the Son is from the Father; on account of the Father, because he is of one substance with the Father; on account of the Father, because he is the Word given forth from the heart of the Father; because he proceeds from the Father, because he is generated in the paternal bowels, because the Father is the source of the Son, because the Father is the root of the Son" (On the Christian Faith 4:10:132 [A.D. 380]).

Council of Rome "If anyone does not say that the Son was begotten of the Father, that is, of the divine substance of him himself, he is a heretic" (Tome of Damasus, canon 11 [A.D. 382]).

Augustine "In the way that you speak a word that you have in your heart and it is with you . . . that is how God issued the Word, that is to say, how he begot the Son. And you, indeed, beget a word too in your heart, without temporal preparation; God begot the Son outside of time, the Son through whom he created all things" (Homilies on the Gospel of John 14:7 [A.D. 416])."

Athanasian Creed "The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is from the Father alone, not made or created, but begotten. . . . Let him who wishes to be saved, think thus concerning the Trinity. But it is necessary for eternal salvation that he faithfully believe also in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly it is the right faith, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. He is God begotten of the substance of the Father before time, and he is man born of the substance of his mother in time. This is the Catholic faith; unless everyone believes this faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved" (ca. A.D. 475)."

Ignatius of Antioch "There is then one God and Father, and not two or three; one who is, and there is no other besides him, the only true [God]. For ‘the Lord your God,’ says [the Scripture], ‘is one Lord’ [Deut. 6:4]. . . . And there is also one Son, God the Word. . . . And there is also one Paraclete" (Letter to the Philadelphians 2 [A.D. 110]).

Irenaeus "The Son, though, always co-existing with the Father, of old and from the beginning, always reveals the Father to the angels and archangels and powers and virtues and to all to whom God wishes to give revelation" (ibid. 2:30:9). "The various heretical gnostics transform the generation of the uttered word of men to the eternal Word of God, attributing to him a beginning of utterance and a coming into being in a manner like that of their own word. In what manner, then, would the Word of God--indeed, the great God himself, since he is the Word--differ from the word of men, were he to have the same order and process of generation?" (Against Heresies 2:13:8 [A.D. 180]).

Irenaeus "Of his own accord and by his own power he made all things and arranged and perfected them, and his will is the substance of all things. He alone, then, is found to be God; he alone is omnipotent, who made all things; he alone is Father, who founded and formed all things, visible and invisible, sensible and insensate, heavenly and earthly, by the Word of his power. And he has fitted and arranged all things by his wisdom; and while he comprehends all, he can be comprehended by none. He is himself the designer, himself the builder, himself the inventor, himself the maker, himself the Lord of all" (ibid., 2:30:9).

Irenaeus "For, to attribute the substance of created things to the power and will of Him who is God of all, is worthy both of credit and acceptance. It is also agreeable [to reason], and there may be well said regarding such a belief, that 'the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.' While men, indeed, cannot make anything out of nothing, but only out of matter already existing, yet God is in this point proeminently superior to men, that He Himself called into being the substance of His creation, when previously it had no existence." Against Heresies,2,10:4(A.D. 180),in ANF,I:370

He commanded, and they were created .

Irenaeus "For the Church, although dispersed throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and from their disciples the faith in one God, Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them; and in one Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Against Heresies 1:10:1 [A.D. 189]). "Nor is he moved by anyone; rather, freely and by his Word he made all things. For he alone is God, he alone is Lord, he alone is Creator, he alone is Father, he alone contains all and commands all to exist" (ibid., 2:1:1). "Of his own accord and by his own power he made all things and arranged and perfected them; and his will is the substance of all things. He alone, then, is found to be God; he alone is omnipotent, who made all things; he alone is Father, who founded and formed all things, visible and invisible, sensible and insensate, heavenly and earthly, by the Word of his power. And he has fitted and arranged all things by his wisdom; and while he comprehends all, he can be comprehended by none. He is himself the designer, himself the builder, himself the inventor, himself the maker, himself the Lord of all" (ibid., 2:30:9).

Irenaeus "It was not angels, therefore, who made us nor who formed us, neither had angels power to make an image of God, nor anyone else. . . . For God did not stand in need of these in order to accomplish what he had himself determined with himself beforehand should be done, as if he did not possess his own hands. For with him [the Father] were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, he made all things, to whom also he speaks, saying, ‘Let us make man in our image and likeness’ [Gen. 1:26]" (Against Heresies 4:20:1 [A.D. 189].

Irenaeus For the Son, who is the Word of God, arranged these things beforehand from the beginning, the Father being in no want of angels, in order that He might call the creation into being, and form man, for whom also the creation was made; nor, again, standing in need of any instrumentality for the framing of created things, or for the ordering of those things which had reference to man; while, [at the same time,] He has a vast and unspeakable number of servants. For His offspring and His similitude do minister to Him in every respect; that is, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Word and Wisdom; whom all the angels serve, and to whom they are subject (Against Heresies 4:7:4 [A.D. 180-190]).

Irenaeus “4. This manner of speech may perhaps be plausible or persuasive to those who know not God, and who liken Him to needy human beings, and to those who cannot immediately and without assistance form anything, but require many instrumentalities to produce what they intend . But it will not be regarded as at all probable by those who know that God stands in need of nothing, and that He created and made all things by His Word , while He neither required angels to assist Him in the production of those things which are made, nor of any power greatly inferior to Himself, and ignorant of the Father, nor of any defect or ignorance, in order that he who should know Him might become man. But He Himself in Himself, after a fashion which we can neither describe nor conceive, predestinating all things, formed them as He pleased, bestowing harmony on all things, and assigning them their own place, and the beginning of their creation . In this way He conferred on spiritual things a spiritual and invisible nature , on super-celestial things a celestial , on angels an angelical , on animals an animal, on beings that swim a nature suited to the water, and on those that live on the land one fitted for the land — on all, in short, a nature suitable to the character of the life assigned them— while He formed all things that were made by His Word that never wearies.“ (Against Heresies Book II, Chapter 2)

Irenaeus “5. For this is a peculiarity of the pre-eminence of God, not to stand in need of other instruments for the creation of those things which are summoned into existence. His own Word is both suitable and sufficient for the formation of all things, even as John , the disciple of the Lord , declares regarding Him: All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made. John 1:3 Now, among the all things our world must be embraced. It too, therefore, was made by His Word , as Scripture tells us in the book of Genesis that He made all things connected with our world by His Word . David also expresses the same truth [ when he says] For He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created . Whom, therefore, shall we believe as to the creation of the world — these heretics who have been mentioned that prate so foolishly and inconsistently on the subject, or the disciples of the Lord , and Moses, who was both a faithful servant of God and a prophet? He at first narrated the formation of the world in these words: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, Genesis 1:1 and all other things in succession ; but neither gods nor angels [ had any share in the work]. Now, that this God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul the apostle also has declared, [saying,] There is one God, the Father, who is above all, and through all things, and in us all. I have indeed proved already that there is only one God; but I shall further demonstrate this from the apostles themselves, and from the discourses of the Lord . For what sort of conduct would it be, were we to forsake the utterances of the prophets, of the Lord , and of the apostles, that we might give heed to these persons, who speak not a word of sense?“ (Against Heresies Book II, Chapter 2)

Irenaeus “1. How, again, could either the angels, or the Creator of the world, have been ignorant of the Supreme God, seeing they were His property , and His creatures, and were contained by Him? He might indeed have been invisible to them on account of His superiority, but He could by no means have been unknown to them on account of His providence. For though it is true, as they declare, that they were very far separated from Him through their inferiority [of nature ], yet, as His dominion extended over all of them, it behoved them to know their Ruler, and to be aware of this in particular , that He who created them is Lord of all. For since His invisible essence is mighty, it confers on all a profound mental intuition and perception of His most powerful, yea, omnipotent greatness. Wherefore, although no one knows the Father, except the Son, nor the Son except the Father, and those to whom the Son will reveal Him, Matthew 11:27 yet all [ beings ] do know this one fact at least, because reason , implanted in their minds , moves them, and reveals to them [the truth] that there is one God, the Lord of all. “ (Against Heresies Book II, Chapter 6)

Irenaeus “3. For, when they tell us that all moist substance proceeded from the tears of Achamoth , all lucid substance from her smile, all solid substance from her sadness, all mobile substance from her terror, and that thus they have sublime knowledge on account of which they are superior to others —how can these things fail to be regarded as worthy of contempt , and truly ridiculous? They do not believe that God ( being powerful, and rich in all resources) created matter itself, inasmuch as they know not how much a spiritual and divine essence can accomplish. But they do believe that their Mother , whom they style a female from a female , produced from her passions aforesaid the so vast material substance of creation . They inquire, too, whence the substance of creation was supplied to the Creator ; but they do not inquire whence [ were supplied] to their Mother ( whom they call the Enthymesis and impulse of the Æon that went astray) so great an amount of tears, or perspiration , or sadness, or that which produced the remainder of matter . “ (Against Heresies Book II, Chapter 10)

Irenaeus “4. For, to attribute the substance of created things to the power and will of Him who is God of all, is worthy both of credit and acceptance . It is also agreeable [to reason ], and there may be well said regarding such a belief , that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:27 While men , indeed, cannot make anything out of nothing, but only out of matter already existing , yet God is in this point pre-eminently superior to men, that He Himself called into being the substance of His creation , when previously it had no existence. But the assertion that matter was produced from the Enthymesis of an Æon going astray, and that the Æon [ referred to] was far separated from her Enthymesis , and that, again, her passion and feeling, apart from herself, became matter — is incredible, infatuated , impossible, and untenable . “ (Against Heresies Book II, Chapter 10)

Hermas "First Of all, believe that there is one God who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing." Hermas,Shepard,2:1:1(A.D. 80),in ANF,II:20

Hippolytus "On the first day God made what He made out of nothing. But on the other days He did not make out of nothing, but out of what He had made on the first day, by moulding it according to His pleasure." Hippolytus, Six Days Work(Hexameron)(A.D. 217),in ANF,V:163

Tertullian "The object of our worship is the One God, He who by His commanding word, His arranging wisdom, His mighty power, brought forth from nothing this entire mass of our world, with all its array of elements, bodies, spirits, for the glory of His majesty; whence also the Greeks have bestowed on it the name of Cosmos." Tertullian,Apology,17:1(A.D. 197),in ANF,III:31