So far we have studied in the Confession that God’s Word is our ultimate authority in life, and how God has revealed Himself in His Word, and that God has decreed all things that come to pass. Now the Confession explains how God’s decrees are actually executed — through the works of creation (Article 4) and providence (Article 5). So here are some study questions for Article 4.
Paragraph 1 of Article 4
1. What does ex nihilo mean and how does it apply to creation?
Any effect must have a cause. Aristotle listed following kinds:
- Material – out of which something comes
- Instrumental – means by which the effect is brought to pass
- Formal – the idea to which the effect must correspond
- Final – purpose for which it is made
- Efficient Cause = the one who does something
- Sufficient Cause = the power which the Efficient cause used. Every effect needs both Efficient and Sufficient Causes.
2. Creation had neither a Material or an Instrumental Cause. The Efficient and Sufficient Causes of creation were God. What were the Formal Cause and Final Cause of creation?
3. In what ways have the Genesis account of creation been attacked? What are the theological issues at stake? Below are the Four Basic Theories explaining the time frame of Genesis 1-2. Can you explain each theory?
- The Gap Theory
- The Day-Age Theory
- The Framework Hypothesis
- Six-Day Creation
Tweet
Jason Robertson is a husband and a father and a pastor. He is dedicated to leading and equipping his the Church with God’s word and biblical theology for life ministry, using a combination of pastoral, church planting and evangelism experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is experienced in church planting, evangelism, missions, and the training of pastors and Bible teachers.
Jason has been preaching the gospel since 1985, serving the first ten years of ministry as a Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist out of Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, LA which ordained him in 1993. He has preached in hundreds of churches in over 30 States and 4 countries. He planted churches in Siberia, Russia in the summers of 1993 and 1994. He founded Murrieta Valley Church in California, which he planted in cooperation with the SBC NAMB in 2001. He also teaches ministry students at California Baptist University.
You can hear his sermons and read his manuscripts on sermonaudio.com. Just follow the link to "sermons" at the top of this page.