One interpretation I have been playing around with is that Gen 1:1 is actually the first reference to the chaos. For reference, I am using the NKJV.
Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Gen. 1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
I take this to mean that in the beginning god created the chaos. It is only in Gen. 1:3 that god begins to order this chaos. Taken this way, the bible does claim that god created the universe out of nothing.
The creation of Heaven on the second day refers to the creation of the firmament which separated the water above from those below.
The creation of land on the third day refers to the creation of dry land.
I have found an interesting interpretation of the beginning of genesis on youtube which you might find interesting. In this interpretation god only shapes the chaos or primeval matter, rather than creating it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaNnd...eature=related
As for your question ,
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How can God create chaos, if creating is ordering?
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I would ask how can you create without destroying? And, if creating is to order then destroying is to disorder (or create chaos). So, it would seem to me, god must be capable of both if he is capable of either. However, it seems, even with this view something must have existed for god to destroy. Admittedly, this is not an answer; it is just my attempt to make sense of it.