who created the World?

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For by him all things were created. [Col. 1:16a]

The word for God in Genesis 1:1 and the Old Testament is elohim, the plural of the Hebrew el. The verb create is singular, however, so we cannot translate the verse, “the gods created.” Rather, the plural elohim refers to a singular Being. Because elohim is used, however, many expositors have believed this a cloaked reference to the Trinity. The Bible makes it clear that all three Persons of the Godhead were involved in creation, so it is felt that the use of a plural word here and elsewhere in the Old Testament hints at the tri-unity of God. We cannot be dogmatic about this, however, since in Hebrew the plural form is often a plural of majesty, as when a king uses we to refer to himself.

Christians often believe that creation was the work exclusively of the Father, that redemption was accomplished only through the activities of the Son Jesus Christ, and sanctification is the work of the Spirit alone. Actually, all three Persons are involved in each. We saw (p. 39) that the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters. Let us consider Jesus’ place in the creation process.

The Gospel of John begins:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [John 1:1–3]
It is no accident that John commences his Gospel with the same words that open the book of Genesis. John is saying that the Word created all things with the Father and the Spirit.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul makes the same point. Speaking of the Son, he writes: 
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; . . . all things were created by him and for him” (1:16).

He made all things, and all things are for him. Therefore, in Christ, creation finds its origin, its destiny, and its meaning.

Just as God reveals himself through creation, so he revealed himself through the Word incarnate. As you observe God’s creation, look for what he has chosen to reveal through it. Did God further reveal some of these things in the life of Christ? Praise God for his creation and incarnation, thanking him for revealing himself clearly and abundantly.

Sproul, R.C., Before the Face of God: A Daily Guide for Living from the Old Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books) 1994.

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