This creation is properly to be ex nihilo, "out of nothing," thus preserving the distinction in essence between Creator and the world... Herman Bavinck (1854-1921)

This creation is properly to be ex nihilo, "out of nothing," thus preserving the distinction in essence between Creator and the world and the contingency of the world in its dependence on God. The triune God is the author of creation rather than any intermediary. The outgoing works of God are indivisible, though it is appropriate to distinguish an economy of tasks in the Godhead so that the Father is spoken of as the first cause, the Son as the one by whom all things are created, and the Holy Spirit as the immanent cause of life and movement in the universe. Scripture does relate the creation in a special way to the Son through categories of Wisdom and Logos. The Son is the Logos by whom the Father creates all things; the whole world is the realization of an idea of God. The creation proceeds from the Father through the Son and in the Spirit so that, in the Spirit and through the Son it may return to the Father.

Herman Bavinck (1854-1921)
Reformed Dogmatics Vol. 2 (1895-1901)

Why such intellectual gymnastics? To refocus the mind as well body, heart, and soul away from ourselves, to name one objective among others. So much so the persistence then insistence per selfishness, self-absorption, thus covetousness as the rot-at-root, even the Gospel all too often perverted by audaciously positioning ourselves at center-stage, as though Self the main objective, as done for most if not all other Christian doctrines.

Merely consider the astonishing preoccupation with ourselves when studying, pondering, laboring, praying, meditating, as well worshipping. Consequently, not so much "to God be the glory," though routinely uttered the rhetoric, but to God be the glory as Self so effected and benefited. Such preoccupation can be traced to the fountainhead of misdirected, Self-centered ideologies oppose to redirected, God-centered theology.

Seemingly unrelated though actually quite related; until late 19th century, perhaps (very) early 20th century, many within academia oft cited Logic as the Science of Sciences, while Theology the Queen of Sciences. It was not an attempt to place theologians ahead of scientists, rather to properly, rightly, logically, consistently served to remind the thinker regardless his/her discipline to place God ahead of Self. Thereby, preempting else mitigating illogic, inconsistency, inaccuracy, arbitrariness, presumption, arrogance, extreme, perversion, cultism, and more.

To elaborate and propose, the incremental departure then wholesale abandonment of the axiom's second half ergo "Theology the Queen of Sciences" facilitated the axiom's first half "Logic the Science of Sciences" to be consequently regarded less and less so, dismantling the rigid framework for all other studies and researches. Until today with Self as God, inconsistency no longer humbly, laboriously pursued as an unknown consistency yet understood, rather covetously, presumptuously embraced then arrogantly, violently defended as foregone conclusions while slandering, threatening, ruining anyone and everyone who challenge.

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23