The Beginning of Time
The nine interpretations of "In the beginning" (bereshit), exploring the relationship between time, eternity, and creation. Time began with the world, not before it: corporeal things are measured by time, angels by aeviternity, God by eternity. Augustine teaches that before creation, times are sought in vain.
Chapter I (The Six Days of Creation)
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In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations
— First interpretation: "In the beginning of time" — time began with the world; corporeal things are measured by time, angels by aeviternity, God by eternity.
""In the beginning," they say, that is, in the first origin or start, not of eternity, not of aeviternity, but of time and of the world, when indeed the world's duration, namely time, began together with the world."
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In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations
— Augustine: times began to run with the motion of creatures; before creation, times are sought in vain.
"Once creatures were made," he says, "times began to run in their motions. Hence before creation, times are sought in vain, as if they could be found before time itself."
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In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations
— God created not in time, but in the first moment of time, the first instant of the world; heaven and earth were created on the very first day.
"God created heaven and earth not in time, but in the beginning of time, that is, in the first moment of time, namely in the first instant of the world."
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In the Beginning: Nine Interpretations
— Ninth interpretation: "In the beginning" denotes God's eternity and omnipotence — He who created in the beginning of time existed eternally before all time.
"He whom it declares to have created the world in the beginning of time is certainly designated as having existed eternally before all time; and He whom it narrates to have created heaven and earth at the very beginning of creation is declared to be omnipotent by the great swiftness of His operation."