temporal events is impossible, and that temporal events must have a beginning, since beginningless temporal events are impossible, as has been explained at length elsewhere.

They said:

“If that is so, then everything accompanied by temporal events must itself be originated. It is therefore impossible for the Creator always to have been acting and speaking by His will and power(1).

“Indeed, it is impossible for Him always to have had the power to do so, because power over the impossible is itself impossible. It is thus impossible for Him to possess the power to act and speak perpetually by His will and power.”

[The Response of the Leading Philosophers and Religious Authorities to the Speculative Theologians]

They said:

“This also establishes the temporal origination of body, because body is never devoid of temporal events, and whatever is never devoid of temporal events is itself originated.”

These people did not distinguish between that which is never devoid of the general kind of temporal events and that which is never devoid of the particular temporal events themselves(2). Nor, with respect to that which is never devoid of temporal events, did they distinguish between an effected, caused entity and an agent that is necessary in itself(3).

The leading philosophers and the leading figures among [the adherents](5) of religious communities, among others, therefore said(4) to them:

“This proof by which you claim to have established the temporal origination of the world (6 actually proves that the temporal origination of the world is impossible 6)(6). What you have presented proves only the opposite of what you intended.

“That is because, when a temporal event comes into being after not having existed(7), it must necessarily—”