The CRC affirms God's creation ex nihilo as non-negotiable: God alone is eternal; all else is created by divine fiat. However, the denomination remains open regarding the timeline and method. While some CRC theologians hold to literal six-day creation, others accept old-earth creationism or framework interpretations. The CRC emphasizes that Genesis teaches God's creative action and humanity's divine image, not necessarily the precise chronology. This intellectual flexibility reflects reformed confidence in God's Word while avoiding dogmatic claims beyond Scripture's primary teaching. The key doctrine is creation by God; the details of mechanism and duration are secondary.