Creation (is) subjected to futility…

(Romans 8:20)

Paul provides essential revelation in his great doctrinal letter that he hopes will revolutionise the reader’s relationship with his life, but none strikes so hard as the spiritual reality that anything gained and achieved is meaningless and worthless within this creation. The world of men and women, indeed, the earth upon which they tread along with every cosmic body will be destroyed by God. Thus, mortal life is futile, because God subjected his creation to futility.

The Greek word Paul employs mataiotés (ματαιότης) means inutility, i.e. good for nothing; figuratively speaking that which is transient or debased. It derives from mataios, an adjective meaning ‘worthless.’

Of course this is not a fresh revelation, a similar one was given to the Kohelet, the Preacher whom some consider to be Solomon. He opens his thought experiment by immediately giving his conclusion, ‘all is in vain’ (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The Hebrew word hebel, literally a vapour or mist conveys all the same understanding of mataiotés [for more on this see post 1/6/23 entitled Pointless].