The Beginning and End of All Things: A Biblical Theology of Creation and New Creation

Essential Studies in Biblical Theology

by Edward W. Klink III, Benjamin L. Gladd (Editor)

Many Christians think of the doctrine of creation primarily as relating to the world's origins. In The Beginning and End of All Things , Edward W. Klink III presents a more holistic understanding of creation―a story that is unfolded throughout all of Scripture and is at the core of the gospel itself. From beginning to end, the theme of creation and new creation not only directs the movement of the entire biblical story but also unifies its message. Klink explores the goodness of the physical world and how it will be perfected in the new creation of heaven and earth. Along with offering rich insights about God and his purposes for the world, a biblical theology of creation guides how we engage nature, culture, and life as embodied beings. Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT), edited by Benjamin L. Gladd, explore the central or essential themes of the Bible's grand storyline. Taking cues from Genesis 1–3, authors trace the presence of these themes throughout the entire sweep of redemptive history. Written for students, church leaders, and laypeople, the ESBT offers an introduction to biblical theology.

Genres: Theology

200 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2023

Reviews

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with a discussion group over the course of 9 months. I found the book to be helpful in understanding God’s intent for creation and how He has been moving it toward completion in Christ. It addressed some big misconceptions many may hold and explained some Biblical connections I may have missed.

I did find the book to be a bit repetitive. However, as someone in my group mentioned, the repetition does have its benefits in helping the reader recall the important points.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biblical theology book par excellence. It is masterful on so many levels and is one of the best big picture books that I’ve come across. It suggests sidelines of thought in droves. It was so good that I had to really slow down and just take it in. I probably underlined half the book, which probably overthrows the value of underlining, but you get the point.

It is no surprise that this is such a good book. Edward Klink wrote a few years back one of the best commentaries on the Gospel of John that I have ever encountered. If he continues on this track, I predict an incredible career for him.

I might have a few caveats for the book, but they really don’t decrease its value. Not as badly as a few other books in this series, this book is something of a polemic for Covenant Theology. Personally, I am one who enjoys learning all I can from writers of that persuasion while ignoring some of their excesses. For the record, I approach many dispensational writers in the same way. Occasionally, he gets so carried away championing the cause of Creation and New Creation that he kind of runs over Redemption a little bit. He didn’t have to downplay heaven either in an effort to magnify the already glorious thought of what this New Creation will be. You can easily stay on track, though, and continue to learn treasures of such exquisite worth that it will be hard to really criticize the book at all.

He puts on no airs as he writes. Rather than being impressed with himself as some theological writers are, he is only impressed with his subject. You might say he is in awe. Those writers give us the best books.

All the titles in the ESBT are helpful, but not all as incredible as this one. I’ve not explored them all yet, but I will be shocked if one can surpass this one. Whether you procure the entire series or not, don’t miss this one!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Austin Gannett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good biblical theology of creation! He wades into the deeps without drowning the average reader and makes his points accessible and clear while remaining pastoral. He also popularizes (and leans heavily on) Meredith Kline, Colin Gunton, and GK Beale - impressive.

I love his intent to focus on the who, what, where and why rather than the HOW questions of creation and new creation that too easily divide and distract (even if important).

Thankful for this book - great refresher on many things but also learned a lot along the way as well! Highly recommend.

[Jake Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and accessible biblical theology of creation. Klink makes a convincing argument that the entire biblical story can be framed as creation-redemption-new creation rather than the traditional framework that would include “fall.” Two emphases stand out: (1) Jesus was always Plan A for bringing creation to its full purpose and (2) the church urgently needs to flee from an escapist view of “heaven” and instead equip disciples with a robust, biblical eschatology.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me awhile to get through. Would pick it up and put it down several times. It just never really grabbed me. Too theological for me.

[Isaac Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Creation is not simply one part of the biblical story or, as more commonly assumed, merely the beginning of the story. Creation is the story the Bible tells, for the truth about creation includes all the purposes for which God made the world.” (12)

A major point of this book is that creation is not just the background of redemption, but is intrinsically part of it. While there is so much rich biblical theology here, it is also intensely practical, explaining how our understanding of creation affects how we think about salvation, our physical reality, and ultimately the purpose of this world.

[Hobart]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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While there is some biblical wiggle room for us to disagree about how God created the world, we better not misunderstand who God is and who humanity was designed to be, or what God intended to do in the world, ultimately through the work and person Jesus Christ, or why God made the world in a way that explains my life and purpose in the world. In short, if we misread the beginning of the story, we potentially misread the rest of the story. And since this story is about the Creator and his creation, the stakes could not be higher.

THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS (Mostly of the Book)

Every time the term creation or even doctrine of creation was used, the Christians in my church were thinking of origins. It was as if the only category the term creation would elicit in their minds was the beginning of time when the world came into existence. The only question was about what happened in the beginning, and even then, the primary focus was clearly on the heavily debated “six days” The rest of the history of the world, the physical reality in which we live our lives, or even the purposes for which the world was created were not even part of the equation. It seemed to me to be like a man who, when asked about his marriage, was unable to think of anything else besides his wedding ceremony. His love and commitment to his wife, the purpose and design of marriage, and even the current state of his marriage and the family it produced were viewed as distinct or unrelated. My point is not to deny the importance of the first six days of creation but to make important every created day.

Klink starts out by stressing that a doctrine of creation is not about what the first two chapters of Genesis mean—it's not about how God made the Earth. Or at least, it's not just about that. It's about why God made the Earth—what was His purpose in creating, what's His goal for the creation, and so on. It's about the goodness of the creation and how we are to enjoy and preserve it. It's ultimately about the new creation, what is going to happen on that Last Day when creation is renewed, restored, and recreated.

With that in mind, Klink then looks at how these (and related) ideas and themes are expressed throughout the Biblical narrative, from the Fall through Christ's ministry on Earth, and on through the time up to the End.

THE END OF ALL THINGS (and of the Book)

...Creation was good but not yet finished to perfection. Again, quoting Gunton: “As created, it is perfect, because it is God's project. . . . But it is not pertest in the sense of completion. It has somewhere to go" To be clear, this is eschatology. Not in the sense of the last few years of human history (the end times) but the entirety of human history. Eschatology, therefore, is referring to God’s goal or purpose for creation, his ordained intention and the plot of the world. Thus, eschatology 1s the aim of trajectory of all things, the goal of all things. Our argument in this chapter—and the book as a whole has been that the biblical stary of creation and new creation, which includes redemption, is a biblical theology of the goal of all things. The use of etymology for defining eschatology (the study of the end times) should be banned by royal decree! Eschatology ts only tangentially defined by interpretive questions regarding a millennium, let alone a rapture. Simply stated, eschatology is referring to the intentions of God for the world, even the will of God. Eschatology, which extends from creation to new creation, is the goal of all things.

From the Introduction through the first nine chapters, Klink has kept one eye on the Eschaton (and kept the reader looking for it, too). Chapter 10, Creation's Consummation, focuses on that. He shows how all those earlier themes bring us to this point, and Creation and Redemption will shape the coming New Creation. This chapter is worth at least half of the purchase price of the book. It's a great way of tying the book together and reminding the reader what our focus should be during our pilgrimage on Earth.

He follows this with a concluding few pages of Pastoral Reflections. He talks about the importance of thinking—and having pastors getting their flocks to consider—about creation in a fuller sense than just the "beginnings." He also tries to show ways that the doctrine of creation should be applied and worked out in the believer's life, what it should look like lived out. It's a brief few pages, but very powerful.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK OF THE BEGINNING AND END OF ALL THINGS?

...the Christian life is not merely a spiritual life but a physical life—a life lived in creation and in relation to the Creator. If Christians are united to their Creator in Christ and through the Spirit, then they should be the most aware of their physical existence and createdness. A few examples might be helpful. First, Christians should have a robust theory and practice of the human body and reflect God’s concern for its purpose and care. Second, Christians should be both aware of and concerned for physical creation, especially the earth, which is a gift from God that he both created and will re-create.”' Both of these topics, however, have been minimized or manipulated by too many Christians for too long. This is not only detrimental to the church's witness but also to the fullness of its life. In a world filled with creatures who neither know or submit to their Creator, Christians should reflect in word and deed the beauty, awe, and affection of the mystery of creation that is reflective of the new life they have been given by their Creator and Redeemer. Psalm 104 (especially Ps 104:24, 30, 33) provides us with a lens for our appreciation of the physical world and, therefore, the honor and praise due to our Creator.

When Klink started by saying that a doctrine of creation needs to be about more than what happened in Genesis 1-2, he piqued my interest and got me on his side immediately. The Introduction and Chapter 1 were just fantastic.

The "meat" of the book—Chapter 2, Creation's Curse, through Chapter 8, Creation's Commission—is refreshing both in outlook and insight. Any quibbles I had with Klink did show up in these chapters but were only in some of the ways he described ideas or on minor points (ultimately due to differences in confessional outlooks).

But as I indicated above, the last chapter and the pastoral reflections were as good (probably better) as the beginning of the book. At least a third of the notes I took about the whole book were on these 24 pages.

On the whole, this book is warm and pastoral, reminding the believer that the world we live in was created very good, and while it groans for the new creation, it remains full of good gifts from our Father for us to use, enjoy, and glorify Him with. I heartily encourage you to pick this up and read it.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Proposes that creation is not confined to beginnings but unfolds throughout the biblical story, concluding in the new creation.

Edward W. Klink III contends that the church has a truncated doctrine of creation, focused only on the beginning of all things. We focus on the scientific controversies around beginnings. We see it as subordinate to redemption and we are often focused more on the end of all things. Klink argues that the doctrine of creation ties all of this together and runs through the narrative of scripture. He sees the work of Jesus both revealing and fulfilling the purpose of creation and the new creation being the end for which all things were created.

He begins with Genesis 1 and 2 and the covenantal relationship God establishes with his people as prophets, priests, in a creation that is the temple of God. Genesis 3 tells the story of creation under the curse of sin, while revealing God’s ongoing commitment to creation, eventuating in redemption. Genesis 11 is the focus of the next step in this unfolding story, that of creation’s confusion at Babel as the ultimate expression of the anti-God city of man.

In Abraham God renews and reinstates his vision for humanity, the promise of a new country. Israel embodies the new Adamic humanity; prophets, priests, and kings with God in their midst. Yet, their failure opens the way for God to fully reveal creation’s purpose in Christ as prophet, priest and king. He is not only these things, but also the temple. Klink asserts that Jesus was never plan B (or C) but the one toward whom creation’s purpose pointed. One of the most fascinating parts of his discussion is his reflection on John 18-20 where the agony, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are set in a garden with Jesus as the Gardener as he comes to Mary, reversing the story of the first garden. He explores how the cross’s suffering and shame restores what was lost in partaking of the tree, bringing what was intended in creation to fulfillment.

Just as Christ as second Adam fulfills creation’s purpose, so the church fulfills the corporate Adam’s (Israel’s) purpose, becoming, as the body of Christ, a temple unto the Lord. As a people remaining in the world, they fulfill Adam’s embodied life, caring both for human bodies and for the rest of physical creation. All this anticipates the new creation, in which “heaven” comes to earth and all things are re-created under Christ. This in turn leads to the consummation of the sabbath rest of creation and life in God’s garden city.

I greatly appreciated the idea of the continuity of creation throughout the biblical narrative and not opposing creation and salvation. It removes salvation from a purely “spiritual” experience to one that brings redemption into our bodily life, into the care of creation, and into the expectation of the new creation. I do think there is more work to be done in explaining how Jesus is not plan B, particularly, what the work of Christ would have been had there not been a fall. Yet the picture of Christ as the one who fulfills creation’s purpose only enlarges our vision of Christ. Klink opens for us a vision of creation not truncated and subordinated, but integral throughout the biblical story to the purposes of God in Christ.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does the doctrine of creation have to do with our daily lives? In The Beginning and End of All Things, Edward W. Klink III presents a biblical theology of creation and new creation.

Klink makes it clear that our asking the how questions about creation should not become more important than the why questions about creation. I saw the significance of creation being designed as the temple of God, with unmistakable parallels between creation and the tabernacle. Furthermore, mankind was charged as the prophet, priest, and king over creation — all under the Lordship of Jesus.


The Curse and Our Condition

When speaking of creation’s curse, I was amazed to see how the purposes of God are sustained by the provisions of God. The sinful condition of creation was purposefully met with a purposeful commitment from the Creator. I saw God in a more intimate way as he entered the plot, eager to see his plans come to fruition in my life as well.

I was most interested to read of Klink’s labeling of the world as the Anti-Church. Klink pulls this from Augustine’s The City of God, citing how the city of humanity is opposed to the people of God. Klink continues to champion God’s plans, saying that he cannot be thwarted. In moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see that God’s plan comes into focus with a Gardener who will cultivate God’s Kingdom. Jesus was always Plan A.



Redemption and Unity

I was most eager to read how our redemption is linked back to creation. At the cross, we get the birds-eye view of what God was doing all along. I gained new insight from Ephesians 1:8-10, which states that God’s will was to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

At the end of the book, Klink champions the church as the family of God and charges us to live for Christ. I am motivated to view my own life as a new-creation and as an active participant in continuing God’s Creation Project — enjoying the common graces we receive from our Creator, and pointing others toward the special grace we have in our Savior.


I received a media copy of The Beginning and End of All Things and this is my honest review.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Klink III sees a problem with contemporary Western evangelicalism - our doctrine of creation has become too narrow, and overly obsessed with origins. The result is a truncated creation theology, which fails to equip us for life on earth, in anticipation of the New Creation. His ESBT biblical theology is an attempt to provide a much-needed corrective.

Klink offers a bigger, eschatological, picture of the Bible's teaching: "When the Bible speaks about creation, it is not just referring to the beginning of all things but also the end of all things, new creation, and therefore the goal of all things" (2). He gives an inspiring overview of God's purposes for creation, and highlights some stimulating OT/NT connections.

At the same time, I'm not sure the book delivers everything that it promises. He suggests that the word "creation" has been "so narrowed by the contemporary scientific debate that the theological and discipleship significance of the physical body, a Christian’s life in and relation to the physical world, the earth, and the cultural mandate has either been minimized or completely ignored" (165). But Klink's own discussion is not grounded enough to adequately address these significances or implications either.

A good read, but not exactly the book I was hoping it to be.

[Lauren Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When the Bible speaks about ‘creation,’ it is not just referring to the beginning of all things but also the end of all things, new creation, and therefore the GOAL of all things.’

[Stephanie Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool I liked it