If Genesis 1:1 was the only verse in the entire Bible saying that God created the physical universe, would it be enough to form the basic doctrine of creation? Anyone who would deny that nothing more than Genesis 1:1 is necessary to establish that the Bible teaches that God created matter would do so out of stupidity. When asked a question like this, many Christians would (hopefully) realize the clarity of Genesis 1:1 on its own.
What should be a simple exercise of reason is often avoided with other doctrines, of course. If a Bible verse which is just as clear as the first verse of Genesis passes an arbitrary threshold of controversy or unfamiliarity, some of the same people who would concede that Genesis 1:1 demonstrates the doctrine of creation on its own would suddenly claim that they need more than one verse to verify that a doctrine is Biblical. Usually, the arbitrary threshold has to do with an individual's subjective discomfort over a particular idea.
The claim that a single verse is not sufficient to establish a doctrine as Biblical is usually nothing more than a flimsy shield used to deflect away an idea that someone does not want the Bible to teach. It is certainly true that many parts of the Bible do illuminate other parts. Some verses clarify others; some verses are necessary to fully understand other passages. Nonetheless, a clear verse is clear even if no other verses are consulted--indeed, even if no other verses in the Bible address the same point!
If a single Bible verse posits an idea that is nowhere reworded or explained by a different passage, it is not as if the verse in question simply isn't part of the Bible. This is the obvious conclusion that follows from even the slightest Biblical affirmation of a given concept. The heightened controversy or shock factor of certain verses is of no relevance to this fact, and the desire for subjective persuasion that the Bible teaches an idea is only valid if logical clarity is all that it takes to be persuaded.
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