In response to Louis Lavallee, who argued that Justin taught creation ex nihilo:
In fact, Lavallee explicitly misrepresents
Justin’s teaching on creation out of nothing, using him as one who has not been
taken “captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human
tradition.” He identifies Justin as a “philosopher” who turned to Christianity
and “found this philosophy alone to be safe and profitable.” Lavalee does
properly cite Justin here, but his claim immediately following that “the early
fathers, like Justin . . . believed the Bible and that God created all things
out of nothing” reveals his ignorance of the Father he is claiming for support.
In his First Apology Justin himself states, “And we have been taught
that He in the beginning did of His goodness, for man’s sake, create all things
out of unformed matter.” (Justin Martyr, First Apology 10 [ANF 1:165])
Later, in the same apology, he argues that Plato actually borrowed from Moses “his
statement that God having altered matter which was shapeless, made the world.”
(Ibid. 59 [ANF 1:179]) Justin then quotes Genesis 1:1-3 to demonstrate the
agreement between Moses and Plato regarding creation of the world. Not only has
Lavallee completely misrepresented his position vis-à-vis philosophy after his
conversion. Justin’s commitment to Middle Platonism continued even after his conversion
to Christianity, albeit in ways that sought to remain true to God’s revelation through
the Logos, Jesus. (Craig D. Allert, Early Christian Readings of Genesis One:
Patristic Exegesis and Literal Interpretation [Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP
Academic, 2018], 67-68)
