Clarence B. Mason, Jr., Th.M., D.D., Philadelphia College of Bible
 

The Unified Creationist View
Part One: Three Meanings of the term "Creation"

EX NIHILO creation -- The bringing into being of that which did not (either in its substance or its form) previously exist.

IMMEDIATE creation -- The bringing into being of that which did not (in its form) previously exist, employing previously-existing substance but not secondary causes.

MEDIATE creation -- The bringing into being of that which did not (in its form) previously exist, employing both previously-existing substance and secondary causes.

Part Two: A Proposed Structuring of the Creative Elements of Genesis 1-2

Creative Period	Creation Day	Creative Event	Reference
1st	Pre-1	(1) EX NIHILO creation of primal matter-energy	1:1
		(2) MEDIATE creation of the structured universe	1:1
		(3) MEDIATE creation of our Milky Way Galaxy	1:1
2nd	Day-1	(4) MEDIATE creation of our solar system (thus light, and thus day, and night)	1:2-5
3rd	Day-2	(5) MEDIATE creation of earth's atmosphere, and the subsequent separation of water above the surface of earth from water covering earth's surface	1:6-8
4th	Day-3	(6) MEDIATE creation of dry land, by the structuring of earth's surface into lands and seas	1:9-10
		(7) IMMEDIATE creation of land plants begins	1:11-13
5th	Day-4	(8) MEDIATE creation	1:14-19
6th	Day-5	(9) IMMEDIATE creation of aquatic animals and of birds begins	1:20-23
7th	Day-6	(10) IMMEDIATE Creation of terrestrial animals begins	1:24-25
		(11) IMMEDIATE Creation of The Garden Of Eden	2:8
		(12) EX NIHILO Creation of Man's soul	1:26-27
		(13) IMMEDIATE Creation of Man's body	2:7
		(14) Cessation of IMMEDIATE creation; MEDIATE creation continues to the present	2:1-3

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