God created everything through Jesus.  (John 1:3)

Christ is the power of God.  (1 Corinthians 1:24)

The creation narrative meets science in the field of cosmology: “Modern cosmology aims to develop the most complete and economical understanding of the Universe that is consistent with observations elucidated by natural forces. Cosmology has exploded in the last 20 years with radically new information about the structure, origin and evolution of the Universe obtained through recent technological advances in telescopes and space observatories” (University of Oregon).

Here’s a brief history. Beginning with the ancient Greeks, scientists/philosophers up to the 20^th century believed that the universe was static, fixed, immutable and eternal (no beginning or ending). However, in 1917, Einstein indicated that the static model was untenable. According to his Theory of General Relativity the universe was either contracting or expanding. In the 1920s two scientists working with Einstein’s equations, mathematically proved that the universe must be expanding. In 1929 Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer working at the Mount Wilson Observatory, actually observed evidence that indeed the universe is expanding. Hubble’s discovery was called, by William Lane Craig, “a veritable turning point in the history of science”, and is now universally accepted as fact.

ILLUSTRATION—Over 12 minutes slowly inflate a balloon to a 12” diameter. Now, let’s say a person began to observe you in the 8 minute range. Based upon common sense, the observer could rightly conclude that before he arrived the balloon was somewhat smaller in size. And, if one continues backwards in time, the balloon gets smaller and smaller and smaller until ……..?

“Most scientists now believe that we live in a finite expanding universe which has not existed forever, and that space, time, energy and matter all came into being at an infinitely dense, infinitely hot gravitational singularity, and began expanding everywhere at once. This is called ‘The Big Bang Theory’ which attempts to explain how the universe developed from a very tiny, dense state (singularity)” (University of Oregon). Note the agreement between this statement and the creation narrative: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

1. There was a beginning! The cosmos is NOT eternal!
2. Though beyond our ability to comprehend, the cosmos is nonetheless finite!
3. At the beginning space, time, matter and energy came into being together.

However, note this dissimilarity! “The universe developed from a very tiny, dense state (singularity).” Common sense asks: “From where did this singularity come? Most cosmologists answer: “hocus pocus”! On the other hand Scripture simply asserts: “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1). Furthermore, the supposed Big Bang is a Person: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. Through Him all things were made” (John 1:1-3). When “God spoke: ‘Light!’ and light appeared,” that powerful Word was none other than Christ, “the power of God.”

Part 2 of my “Christ and creation” series is coming next week. Please stay tuned, or even better: subscribe to my blog and receive these posts via email as soon as they are published.