• One objection to the theory of creation is that if God created the Universe at a certain point in time, then he must have transitioned from a state of potentiality to a state of actuality (point 5 in the Guide II.14 ). Maimonides responds that this only applies to corporeal beings which have a substance and a form: when they transition from a state of poentiality to actuality, an agent must exist which effects this transition; an incoporeal (‘spiritual’) being, on the other hand, if it acts at one time and not another, does not necessitate a transition from potentiality to actuality”. It’s interesting to note that Maimonides clarifies

    it is not our intention to state the reason why God created at one time and not at another; and … we do not mean to assert that God acts at one time and not at another … We have thus refuted the strong objection raised by those who believe in the Eternity of the Universe; since we believe that God is neither a corporeal body nor a force residing in a body, we need not assume that the Creation, after a period of inaction, is due to a change in the Creator Himself.

  • Another objection is that “all wants, changes, and obstacles are absent from the Essence of God”, and if God acted at one time and not in another, it would mean that there were some obstacles preventing him from acting. Maimonides’ answer is that we have developed this intuition from examples of human beings who act in accordance with their will (e.g., wanting to build a house) but in response to external factors (e.g. not having the money for it), they may or may not actually carry it out.

    Every being that is endowed with free will and performs certain acts in reference to another being, necessarily interrupts those acts at one time or another, in consequence of some obstacles or changes. … This, however, is only the case when the causes of the actions are external; but when the action has no other purpose whatever than to fulfil the will, then the will does not depend on the existence of favourable circumstances [emphasis added]. The being endowed with this will need not act continually even in the absence of all obstacles, because there does not exist anything for the sake of which it acts, and which, in the absence of all obstacles, would necessitate the action: the act simply follows the will.

  • a third objection is that since God’s wisdom is eternal, everything that is produced from this wisdom must also be eternal. Maimonides’ response is that

    [just] as we do not understand why the wisdom of God produced nine spheres, neither more nor less, or why He fixed the number and size of the stars exactly as they are; so we cannot understand why His wisdom at a certain time caused the Universe to exist, whilst a short time before it had not been in existence. All things owe their existence to His eternal and constant wisdom, but we are utterly ignorant of the ways and methods of that wisdom, since, according to our opinion, His will (mashi’at مشيئة) is identical with His wisdom (hikmat حكمة).