The Bible’s first statement is an authoritative statement of fact; “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That statement is not asking for approvals or debate, it merely states a matter of fact. Yet, from time immemorial, it has been debated, scoffed at, ridiculed, intellectually reasoned over by many and simply believed by some.
As to the beginning of the universe, of all things in existence, there can only be three proposed explanations as to that beginning. One, that nothing interacted with nothing to make something, an explanation, that is ludicrous and not worthy of contemplation. Two, that the universe had a beginning void of personality, a random, by chance, interaction of matter (which, by default, demands at least some things already being in existence which causes yet another explanation of their existence) or, three, it had a beginning of a personal nature…some intellect and power which existed that caused its creation—which is the Bible’s declaration found in Gen. 1:1.
The universe is, therefore, either one devoid of intellect or it is one alive with personality and being. If the universe is absent of intellect and owes its existence to chance and randomness then one is left with no logical reason as to why there exists a human species that is flooded with thinking, acting, communicating, loving, hating, feeling and having ideas with the ability of choice and creativity. It would be like a fire developing in an airless and substance-free universe. Those that ascribe to a beginning of an impersonal universe are left with a meaningless existence of mankind.
However, since the universe had its beginning with a Personality—Someone Who both had a purpose for its existence and the power to bring it into existence—then we are left with the realization that our lives do indeed have purpose and meaning both to us and to the One Who created all things. This awareness is what causes the springing forth of thoughts such as; “Who am I?”, “What is my purpose?”, “Is there life after death?”, “What is life really all about?” which otherwise, such thoughts, in a universe of chance would have no value in any proposed answers to such questions.
“In the beginning God…” In the beginning a thinking, feeling, loving, communicating, God. A universe created by Someone for someone — a people-oriented universe. Man created in the image of that Creator — meaning that the creature would be like his Creator — having the ability to think, feel, love and communicate. The reason man can have compassion is that it existed first in his Creator.
The child may ask his father, “Who made the house we live in?” To which the father might answer that before there was a house there existed first an idea in the mind of a builder of the house and then that builder brought together the necessary materials for its construction and then applying his idea he used his power to build the house. The house had a personality behind its existence — a personality with an idea.
“In the beginning was the Word…” The Logos, the idea. “And the Word was God.” The divine Architect with the power to bring it into existence.
—jlg