Confused About Creation?

[Van]

Recently I opined that to translate two or more Greek words into the same English word made it difficult to discern what (if any) distinction the inspired word choice was intended to convey.

Naturally someone countered with the observation sometimes two or more different Greek words are used to convey the same idea. Which of course is true.

A family of Greek words, G2936-39, falls into this vortex of confusion. This family includes verbs, nouns, participles all pointing to either the action to make or create something, the thing or things created, or the entity creating the thing or things. These interpretations are conveyed by words like "creation, "creature," "creatures" and Creator. And words like creation or creature(s) could refer to everything created or a subset, such as human creation or creatures or even a smaller subset, born anew creation or creatures, those who have been saved, i.e the firstborn of all creation. To arrive at our best understanding of this confusing topic will take hours of study.

Here are the four Greek words and the verses where those words are used:

1) G2936, "Ktize" a verb (or verb participle) used in: Matthew 19:4, Mark 13:19, Romans 1:25, 1 Corinthians 11:9, Ephesians 2:10, 2:15, 3:9, 4:24, Colossians 1:16, 3:10, 1 Timothy 4:3, Revelation 4:11 and 10:6.

2) G2937, "Ktisis" a female noun, used in: Mark 10:6, 13:19, 16:15, Romans 1:20, 1:25, 8:19, 8:20, 8:21, 8:22, 8:39, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15, Colossians 1:15, 1:23, Hebrews 4:13, 19:11, 1 Peter 2:13, 2 Peter 3:4, and Revelation 3:14.

3) G2938, "Ktisma" a neuter noun, used in: 1 Timothy 4:4, James 1:18, Revelation 5:13, and 8:9.

4) G2939, "Ktistes" a masculine noun, used in: 1 Peter 4:13.​

 

[Van]

Mark 10:6 NASB
“But from the beginning of creation, God CREATED THEM MALE AND FEMALE.

The first step in discernment is to consider each verse in context, and see if we can determine which meaning (everything, including the physical realm and the spiritual realm such as angels or just humanity or just those born anew) is in view

In the above verse we see that in and after the creation week, God has created humanity in male and female genders

So as a first step, G2937 is translated as creation but only actually refers to God's creation of humanity, and not rocks or planets or angels, and on the other side, not just born anew, siblings of Christ.

 

[Van]

Why not "from the beginning of the creation of everything, God created them (humans) male and female?

I had expected someone to have raised this question.

The reason is that God has continued His creation of men and women, thus "from the beginning" and not "in the beginning."

So the studied interpretation is "from the beginning of human creation, God created them (humans) male and female.

Hopefully we can see it will take lots of study and evaluation to decode or unravel the use of vague translations, in order to arrive at a studied understanding of "creation."

 

[Van]

I see I made a typo in the reference of #4, "Ktistes" (G2939). This noun is used once in scripture, in 1 Peter 4:19, not 4:13.

1 Peter 4:19 NASB
Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.​

Here the masculine noun is translated as Creator, referring to God Almighty, as our Triune God, rather than one of His Persons.

 

[Van]

Romans 1:20 NASB
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Here the unstudied view might be "creation" refers to the creation of everything, including planets. But, I believe, that is wrong. When did His attributes become understood, before humanity was created, or only since humanity was created? Only since, so the studied (in my opinion) view is since the creation of humanity, his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature....

 

[Van]

James 1:18 NASB
In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

Here the noun the neuter gender is used to refer to either all of humanity or those born anew of humanity. My view is that humanity is in view. While one could conclude only those born anew are in view, i.e. those brought forth by the word of truth, a more literal rendering of the last phrase is "of His creatures." So to be born or brought forth so we would be first fruits of His creatures seems most probably to refer to all humanity.

One additional aspect of this form needs to be considered. The neuter gender points toward the spiritual aspect of God's creation, so our born anew human spirits are a kind of first fruits of His creation of human spirits.

 

[Van]

The verb "Ktize" G2936 appears six times in the verb participle form, and is translated as "who created,"" "One who creates," and One who created," and "who has been created." Thus this form of the word is used to refer to God, who creates, or born anew humans, who has been created.

I have bolded the verses where our word, in various participle forms, appears.

​

1) G2936, "Ktize" a verb (or verb participle) used in: Matthew 19:4, Mark 13:19, Romans 1:25, 1 Corinthians 11:9, Ephesians 2:10, 2:15, 3:9, 4:24, Colossians 1:16, 3:10, 1 Timothy 4:3, Revelation 4:11 and 10:6.​

There are the verses where God is the One taking or has taken the action: Matthew 19:4, Romans 1:25, Ephesians 2:10 and 3:9 and Colossians 3:10.
In Ephesians 4:24, the verb participle is used to refer to our new born selves.

 

[Van]

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study or be diligent to show ourselves to be a proven worker, not needing to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Another translation renders the idea as accurately handing the word of truth.

Discernment is the skill of separating rather than blurring distinctions, and the failure to separate the truth from error or half truth is to turn from truth, or to apostatize. Many times we are taught to have faith and not doubt, or turn from the truth.

In this thread, the distinctions between what is being referred to as "creation" are being presented. If, in our understanding we expand the actual message, in effect we are "adding to scripture" which is a no no. On the other hand, if we narrow the intended scope of a statement to less than the intended message, we are nullifying or taking away from scripture, another no no.

 

[Van]

Mark 13:19
“For those days will be such a time of tribulation as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will again.

Here we have a verse where two of our family of words appear, "creation" is the female noun G2937, and "created" is the verb G2936. Obviously God created "the creation" and using the same discernment reasoning as in post #5, the idea is "since the beginning of the creation of humanity" is intended meaning.

In 1 Corinthians 11:9 our verb is used not for all of humanity, but just to refer to God's creation of men.

In Ephesians 2:15, born anew believers who were transferred spiritually into Christ, are said to be newly created, unified with Christ and all our other siblings in Christ, and not divided by decrees of the past. Thus we have peace, no longer alienated from the citizenship of Israel. Here our verb is used subjunctively to indicate the purpose, to bring peace, for His sacrifice on the cross.

 

[Van]

In Colossians 1:16, our verb appears twice, both times referring the past action of God to create all things. In the second usage, the verb is in the "perfect" tense, indicating a past action but with continuing results. Everything created was created for Him, and that purpose continues to this day.

 

[Van]

In 1 Timothy 4:3-4 human food is the thing created, and it is good and to be received by us with thanksgiving. However, the second usage, 1 Timothy 4:4, the thing created is described with a neuter noun, suggesting the idea is not limited to physical nourishment, as we are not to live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Matthew 4:4)

Note how God's word, rightly divided, reinforces itself over and over.

 

[Van]

To finish our study of the verb "Ktize" G2936, all three usages in Revelation 4:11 and 10:6 refer to God creating everything, rather than some subset.

 

[Van]

Turning now to Ktisis, G2937, here are the verses and the studied application of the female noun.
Mark 10:6 - creation of humanity
Mark 13:19 - creation of humanity
Mark 16:15 - preach to human creatures
Romans 1:20 - creation of humanity
Romans 1:25 - creation of humanity and animals
Romans 8:19, 8:20, 8:21 and 8:22 - creation of born anew children of God.
Romans 8:39 - everything created
2 Corinthians 5:17 - creation of born anew children of God.
Galatians 6:15 - creation of born anew children of God
Colossians 1:15 - everything created, as Christ is "first" or over everything.
Colossians 1:23 - creation of humanity,
Hebrews 4:13 - creatures of humanity and other living things.
Hebrews 9:11 - every material or physical thing created
1 Peter 2:13 - the institutions or ordinances created by humanity according to the will of God
2 Peter 3:4 - everything created
Revelation 3:14 - everything created

 

[Van]

Our last Greek word in our family of "creation" words is "ktisma" G2938. We addressed two of the four usages in posts #6 and #11.

That leaves the following two usages to complete our study of the family of "creation" words.

Revelation 5:13 - At first glance, "every living thing created" seems to be the meaning. But Revelation 5:14, has at least some angels saying "Amen" thus not included in those making the statement. Therefore, I believe the actual meaning is every born anew creation.

Revelation 8:9 - Here, I think it is clear, a third of the animal life creatures is the subset of creation in view.

May God bless as you study to show yourselves approved.