Doctrine of Creation

Definition and Meaning

The doctrine of creation is a topic within the doctrine of God that addresses the confession that God made the world. Its core teachings are as follows:

• Creation out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo): God made the world without using any preexisting material.
• Distinction between Creator and creature: What has been made (creatures) is not God and depends on God for its existence.
• The work of the triune God: Creation is understood as the joint work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The doctrine of creation is connected with providence, the teaching that God continues to care for the world he made, and with the teaching that human beings were created in the image of God. In Korea, the term "creationism" (changjoron) is also widely used to denote a position opposed to the theory of evolution; this scientific debate is treated in the article Creation and Evolution.

Biblical Background

The Bible opens with the words, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Genesis 1–2 recounts the process of creation and the creation of humanity. Psalm 33:6 sings that the heavens were made by the word of the Lord. The New Testament testifies that Christ took part in creation (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Hebrews 11:3 states that it is through faith that we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.

Historical Background

In the period of the early church, Gnosticism and Marcionism regarded the material world as evil or as the work of an inferior deity. In response, the church confessed that the one good God made the world. The Apostles' Creed confesses God as "Maker of heaven and earth," and the Nicene Creed confesses him as the Maker "of all things visible and invisible." Augustine held that time itself began together with creation. John Calvin is known for likening the created world to a theater in which the glory of God is displayed. Chapter 4 of the Westminster Confession of Faith states that God created the world "in the space of six days."

Practice in the Korean Church

Most Korean Protestants confess God the Creator through the Apostles' Creed in Sunday worship. Genesis 1 is also treated as foundational material in Sunday school and Bible study.

Faith in creation itself is shared across denominations. There are, however, differences in how the text of Genesis is read.

• Conservative Presbyterians (Hapdong, Kosin, Hapshin, and others): Drawing on the Westminster Confession of Faith and biblical inerrancy, they tend strongly to read Genesis 1 as a historical record. Churches holding this position sometimes host lectures on creation science.
• Tonghap Presbyterians, Methodists, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (Kijang), and others: They tend to emphasize the theological message of Genesis 1 and to accept a broad range of interpretations. They also show interest in ecotheology, which connects faith in creation with environmental issues.

Some churches include a Season of Creation in their liturgical calendar to emphasize care for the created world.