Subject: Graeme and co. : The Holy Trinity in creation
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 11:15:26 GMT
From:  (Troy Harris)
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

Creation Ex nihilo, as an "opus ad extra", is the work of the Triune
God.  

Let's keep it simple for now:

It is ascribed to the Father : Gen 1:1, 1 Cor 8:5,6, Ps 33, Heb 11:3
and almost every OT reference to creation.
  
It is acsribed to the Son: Heb 1:10, Jn 1:3, Col. 1:16

It is ascribed to the Holy Spirit: Gen 1:2 

IOW, The whole of the Trinity shares in the creation according to
the Divine revelation.

Then, we have the Credal statements of the early Christians:

In the Apostle's Creed:
"I believe in God the Father...maker of Heaven and Earth"....

In the Nicene Creed:
" I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and earth,
and of all things, visible and invisible"

........"and in one Lord Jesus Christ...........being of one
substance with the Father, by whom all things were made..."
........"and I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life"

Again, the whole of the Trinity.

The problem that seems to be occuring in the current discussion is
that the work of the Trinity is being unnecessarily divided, against
both scripture and the witness of the faithful.

This is dangerous, and we would be wise not to speak of the
distribution of the Divine power among the three persons.  Holy
Scripture never does this.

The fact that all things come from the Father (1 Cor 8:6) seems to
be overlooked.

The earliest Christians witness to the Triune God as creator, the
Father creating, by the Son, with the Spirit. 
(See Irenaeus, Adv. Her. 2, 30, 9:4 20, 1 for example)

Here is some advice:
 
"We must not dispute too curiously concerning the distinction of the
persons in the work of creation, but let us be content with the
revelation that all things were created by the eternal Father, through
the Son, while the Holy Ghost hovered over them".  (Chemnitz,
Doctr.Theol, p 162ff- not currently in print in English)

Troy Harris