In this post I will cite some of the very early witnesses for the Church’s belief in the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo, that God created all things from nothing. All emphasis is mine.

The Shepherd of Hermas (Book II)

Commandment 1

On Faith in God.

First of all, believe that there is one God who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing. He alone is able to contain…

In this post I will be referencing two pseudonymous works attributed to St. Clement of Rome. Despite the fact that scholars question the authenticity of these writings, they still serve as an early witness, in fact a 2nd–4th century testimony, to the beliefs of the Christians which composed them. These sources show that the author(s) affirmed the essential Deity of Christ, his Incarnation and…

In this post I will be quoting from the Commentary on John (Origen).

The citations that I will be providing will help the readers see that Origen affirms,

The Monarchy (monarchia) of the Father, that he is the unbegotten Source of Divinity.

Christ is the uncreated Wisdom of God, being the timelessly begotten Son of the Father.

Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the…

The following excerpts are from Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of John. In this section, Origen will argue for the Father being stronger and greater than the Son, and the Spirit owing his existence/essence to the Son, and not just the Father alone. However, Origen makes it clear that he doesn’t mean this in terms of the Son and Spirit being created from nothing or creation, but in respect to…