Athanasius on Christmas - Part 2

When it comes to the origin of the universe and the creation of all things, there have been various opinions, and each person has argued the theory that suited their own taste.

For instance, some say that all things are self-originated and the product of random chance, so to speak. The Epicureans are among these; they deny that there is any Mind behind the universe at all.

This view goes against all the facts of experience, their own existence included.

For if all things had come into being in this mechanical, automatic way, instead of being the outcome of Mind, though they existed, they would all be the same, all products of the same mechanical process - without variety.

In the universe everything would be like the sun or like the moon or whatever it was, and in the human body the whole would be like a hand or eye or foot.

But in truth the universe is full of variety: the sun and the moon and the earth are all different things, and even within the human body there are different members, such as foot and hand and head.

This variety of things goes against the idea of an automatic, mindless generation of the universe, but rather argues FOR planning and purpose - an original Cause. From that idea of a rational Cause we can begin to get a sense of the Living God as the Designer and Maker of everything.

Others take the view expressed by Plato, that giant among the Greeks. He said that God had made all things out of pre-existent and uncreated matter, just as a carpenter makes things only out of wood that already exists.

However, those who hold this view do not realize that if God isn’t the origin of all the material of the universe, they have deeply limited Him. Just as a carpenter is limited by the availability of wood, so this would limit God by the availability of matter.

How could God be called Maker and Creator if His ability to make depended on another cause, on what material was available to Him?

If He only formed and organised material that already existed rather than creating the material Himself, then can He really be called the Creator? Wouldn’t He really be just a Craftsman rather than a Creator?

Here’s another idea that people believe - the theory of the Gnostics.
They invented the idea of a Creator who is different to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These Gnostics simply shut their eyes to the obvious meaning of Scripture.

For instance, when the Lord Jesus was talking to Jewish people He reminded them of what was written in Genesis - “He who created humanity in the beginning made them male and female…” and that a man leaves his parents to join with his wife.

Jesus went on to say “what God has joined together, let no one divide”.

So, Jesus indicates that the Creator is God, His own Father. How can the Gnostics get a work of creation independent from God the Father out of Genesis?

And, again, St. John, including everything with these words, says, "All things began to exist by Him and without Him came nothing into being." How then could the Creator be someone different than the Father of Christ?