Creation out of nothing

Bereshit Rabbah says the Holy One blessed be He looked into the Torah and created the world. It reads Genesis 1:1 as “Bereshit God created,” where reshit is none other than the Torah, citing Proverbs 8:22: “The Lord made me at the beginning of His way.”

Sefaria 2022 translation, Midrash Rabbah, Genesis — Sefaria 2022 translation — Bereshit Rabbah 1:1 (on Genesis 1:1)

Irenaeus says God, according to His pleasure and by His own will and power, formed all things out of what did not previously exist, so that things now are have existence. He says those who do not believe this have collected vain discourses.

Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-c. 202), Against Heresies, Book II (trans. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson), in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (Buffalo: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885) — Book II, ch. 10 ('God created all things out of nothing, and not from pre-existent matter'), §2

Sollier states that the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 formulated this teaching. The council taught the unicity of the creative principle, unus solus Deus, and the fact of creation out of nothing. He adds that the nature of creation was here first designated by the formula condidit ex nihilo, doubtless through the influence of the schools.

Joseph Sollier, The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Robert Appleton Company), vol. 4, s.v. 'Creation' — article 'Creation', section on the Church's formulation of the doctrine

John of Damascus states that God created heaven and earth and all they contain, bringing all things out of nothing into being. Some things, such as heaven, earth, air, fire, and water, He made without any pre-existing basis of matter. The rest, such as living creatures, plants, and seeds, He made from those created elements.

John of Damascus (c. 676-749), An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (trans. S. D. F. Salmond), in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, ser. 2, vol. 9 (New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1899) — Book II, ch. 5 ('Concerning the visible creation')

Calvin argues that the word “created” (bara) means what before did not exist was now made, not merely formed or framed. Therefore the world was made out of nothing, refuting the folly of those who imagine unformed matter existed from eternity.

John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentaries on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, vol. 1 (trans. John King; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1847; CCEL text from the Baker reprint) — Commentary on Genesis 1:1

Barnes says Hebrews 11:3, where the worlds were framed, presents the first instance of faith's strength: by faith we give credence to the Scriptures' declarations about the work of creation in Genesis 1:3. This is selected first because it is the first thing in the Bible, or the first narrated matter involving the exercise of faith.

Albert Barnes (1798-1870), Notes on the New Testament, Explanatory and Practical (enlarged ed. by Robert Frew; Edinburgh: Blackie & Son, 1884) — Notes on Hebrews 11:3