Confessions - Book Xii - Chapter Viii
St. Augustine reflects on God's creative power in bringing order and form from formlessness, revealing the divine origin and transformation of the visible world.
In this sermon, St. Augustine explores the profound mystery of creation, emphasizing God's sovereign power in shaping the formless earth into the visible world. He reflects on the initial state of chaos and darkness and how divine command brought order and light. Augustine's exposition invites believers to marvel at the divine craftsmanship behind the heavens and the earth, deepening their understanding of God's providence and creative authority.
Text
8. That heaven of heavens was thine, O Lord, but the earth which thou didst give to the sons of men to be seen and touched was not then in the same form as that in which we now see it and touch it. For then it was invisible and unformed and there was an abyss over which there was no light. The darkness was truly over the abyss, that is, more than just in the abyss. For this abyss of waters which now is visible has even in its depths a certain light appropriate to its nature, perceptible in some fashion to fishes and the things that creep about on the bottom of it. But then the entire abyss was almost nothing, since it was still altogether unformed. Yet even there, there was something that had the possibility of being formed. For thou, O Lord, hadst made the world out of unformed matter, and this thou didst make out of nothing and didst make it into almost nothing. From it thou hast then made these great things which we, the sons of men, marvel at. For this corporeal heaven is truly marvelous, this firmament between the water and the waters which thou didst make on the second day after the creation of light, saying, \"Let it be done,\" and it was done.[468] This firmament thou didst call heaven, that is, the heaven of this earth and sea which thou madest on the third day, giving a visible shape to the unformed matter which thou hadst made before all the days. For even before any day thou hadst already made a heaven, but that was the heaven of this heaven: for in the beginning thou hadst made heaven and earth.
But this earth itself which thou hadst made was unformed matter; it was invisible and unformed, and darkness was over the abyss. Out of this invisible and unformed earth, out of this formlessness which is almost nothing, thou didst then make all these things of which the changeable world consists--and yet does not fully consist in itself[469]--for its very changeableness appears in this, that its times and seasons can be observed and numbered. The periods of time are measured by the changes of things, while the forms, whose matter is the invisible earth of which we have spoken, are varied and altered.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Original State of the Earth
- Earth was invisible and unformed
- Darkness covered the abyss
- The abyss lacked light and form
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II. God's Creative Act
- Creation from nothing (ex nihilo)
- Formation of the firmament on the second day
- Giving visible shape to the earth and seas
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III. The Marvel of the Visible World
- The corporeal heaven as a marvel
- Change and seasons mark time
- Forms vary but depend on invisible matter
Key Quotes
“That heaven of heavens was thine, O Lord, but the earth which thou didst give to the sons of men to be seen and touched was not then in the same form as that in which we now see it and touch it.” — St. Augustine
“For thou, O Lord, hadst made the world out of unformed matter, and this thou didst make out of nothing and didst make it into almost nothing.” — St. Augustine
“This firmament thou didst call heaven, that is, the heaven of this earth and sea which thou madest on the third day, giving a visible shape to the unformed matter which thou hadst made before all the days.” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- Trust in God's power to bring order out of chaos in your own life.
- Recognize the visible world as a testimony to God's creative authority.
- Reflect on the spiritual significance of transformation from formlessness to form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Augustine mean by 'unformed matter'?
He refers to the initial state of the earth as invisible, formless, and without light before God shaped it.
How does Augustine describe God's creation?
God created the world out of nothing and brought order and form to what was once formless and invisible.
What is the significance of the firmament?
The firmament is the visible heaven formed by God to separate waters and give shape to the earth and sea.
Why does Augustine mention darkness over the abyss?
To emphasize the initial chaos and lack of light before God's creative intervention.