According to
many (not all) Protestants, a doctrine must only be believed if it is explicit in
the biblical text, though some will argue only core doctrines must be explicit therein, with implicit teachings
being part of the “adiaphora” (i.e., beliefs that are permissible but not
"binding" or definitional of what the “gospel” is).
While many
believe that the doctrine is creation ex
nihilo is explicit in the Bible, a growing consensus among scholars who
themselves accept creation ex nihilo
is that the doctrine is not explicit
in the Bible, and a Protestant must rely on logic, philosophy, and the post-New
Testament writings and debates, not the Bible alone as an authoritative source for arriving to acceptance of this
doctrine:
The account of creation in Gen 1 depicts God
bringing order to the chaos of a primordial earth. While Genesis 1:1 and
Hebrews 11:3 support the idea that in the very beginning, God created matter
out of nothing, the concept of creatio ex nihilo is not explicitly
stated in the Bible. Given this, the potential ambiguity of interpretation
in Gen 1:1–2 is often used to suggest that God was working with pre-existing
raw materials. However, the emphasis on God alone acting to create the cosmos
makes a powerful assertion about the nature of creation and the uniqueness of
God. The biblical writers were not concerned with the question of where matter
ultimately came from. Their appeal to God as creator was designed to enhance
His sovereignty, not explain the origin of the universe. The explicit doctrine
of creation from nothing developed in early Christianity in opposition to
philosophical ideas about the eternal nature of matter. (Douglas Mangum,
Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis
1-11 [Lexham Research Commentaries; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2012],
Ge 1:1-2:3)
For Catholics, they can, without trouble, rely on extra-biblical sources
(e.g., the Fourth Lateran Council [1215] that elevated the doctrine to a
defined dogma), while Latter-day Saints, with modern revelations given to the
Prophet Joseph Smith (e.g., D& 93; Abraham 3) argue for creation ex materia. Furthermore, the Protestants are embracing a false epistemology, namely, Sola Scriptura. For a full discussion refuting this doctrine, see:
Notwithstanding, one can make the case that, contra Mangum et al (quoted
above), the Bible affirms, often explicitly (e.g., 2 Pet 3:5) creation ex materia. For those wishing to delve
more into this issue, see:
Blake T. Ostler, Out of Nothing: A History of Creation ex Nihilo in Early Christian Thought
Daniel O. McClellan, James Patrick Holding refuted on Creation Ex Nihilo
