Romans 1.20-Knowledge of God is Revealed Through Creation
Prairie View Christian Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday June 14, 2007
Romans: Romans 1:20-Knowledge of God is Revealed Through Creation
Lesson # 25
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 1:18.
On Tuesday evening we began a study of the second major section in the book of Romans, which appears in Romans 1:18-3:20 and deals with the universal need of the righteousness of God.
This passage is divided into three major sections: (1) The unrighteousness of the Gentiles (1:18-32). (2) The unrighteousness of the Jews (2:1-3:8). (3) The universal unrighteousness of men (3:9-20).
On Tuesday evening we began a study of Romans 1:18-32, which is divided into two sections: (1) The basis for Gentile guilt (1:18-23). (2) The results of Gentile guilt (1:24-32).
On Tuesday we began a study of the first section that appears in Romans 1:18-23, which deals with the basis for Gentile guilt before a holy God.
In this passage, Paul states three reasons why the entire Gentile world is unrighteous and condemned before God and thus in need of salvation and God’s righteousness: (1) They suppress the truth (1:18). (2) They ignore God’s revelation in creation (1:19-20). (3) They pervert God’s glory (1:21-23).
On Tuesday we studied Romans 1:18 in which Paul writes that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth of God by means of their unrighteousness.
Last evening we noted Romans 1:19 in which Paul writes that the reason why God has revealed His wrath against the heathen Gentile world is that they have rejected knowledge of Him that He has made available by observing creation.
This evening we will study Romans 1:20 in which Paul writes that knowledge of God is acquired by observing creation.
Therefore, the entire Gentile world is held accountable by God who reject this revelation of Himself through creation since He has provided sufficient evidence of Himself.
Romans 1:18-19, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Corrected translation of Romans 1:20:
Romans 1:20, “Because from the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature are as an eternal spiritual truth observed and comprehended by means of that which He has created so that they are without excuse.”
“For” is the causal use of the post-positive conjunction gar (gavr), which introduces a statement that describes how God revealed Himself to the human race.
The “invisible attributes” of God: (1) Sovereignty (Father: Matt. 6:10; Eph. 1:11; Son: Matt. 28:18; John 5:21; Spirit: 1 Cor. 12:11). (2) Righteousness (Father: John 17:25; Son: 1 John 2:1; Spirit: Psa. 51:11) (3) Justice (Father: Psa. 89:14; Rom. 3:24-26; Son: 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:18; Spirit: Neh. 9:20a; John 16:8-11) (4) Love (Father: John 3:16; Son: Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16a; Spirit: Rom. 5:5; 15:30) (5) Eternal life (Father: John 1:1; 5:26; Son: John 1:1; 1 John 5:11; Spirit: Heb. 9:14) (6) Omnipotence (Father: Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son: Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Rom. 15:13) (7) Omniscience (Father: Matt. 6:8; Son: John 2:25; 18:4; Spirit: Isa. 11:2) (7) Omnipresence (Father: Eph. 4:6; Son: Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Spirit: Psa. 139:7) (9) Immutability (Father: Heb. 6:17; Jam. 1:17; Son: Heb. 13:8; Spirit: John 14:16; 1 John 5:7) (10) Veracity (Father: John 7:28; Son: John 1:14; 14:6; Spirit: John 14:17; 1 John 5:7)
During His First Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed the character and nature of the invisible God.
John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
The phrase “since the creation of the world” emphasizes that God’s revelation of Himself began with His creation.
The noun ktisis, “creation” refers to that which has been produced by God out of non-existing material and includes the orderly arrangement of the heavens and the earth and all things in their complex order and composition as created by God, created in perfect order and subject to the laws God established to govern its operation (Matt. 13:35; John 21:25; Acts 17:24).
Genesis 1:1, “In eternity past, God created out of nothing the heavens and the earth.”
“Created” is the verb bara (arB), “to create something out of nothing” and informs us that at this point, God spoke the stellar universe into existence.
The universe had no existence prior to this creative activity of God.
God alone is infinite and eternal and is also omnipotent, so that it was possible for Him to call the universe into existence.
Although it is impossible for us to comprehend fully this concept of an eternal, transcendent God, the only alternative is the concept of an eternal, self-existing universe; and this concept is also incomprehensible.
Eternal God or eternal matter-that is the choice.
The latter is an impossibility if the present scientific law of cause and effect is valid, since random particles of matter could not, by themselves, generate a complex, orderly, intelligible universe, not to mention living persons capable of applying intelligence to the understanding of the complex order of the universe.
A personal God is the only adequate Cause to produce such effects.
“World” is the noun kosmos and refers to the orderly arrangement of the heavens and the earth and all things in their complex order and composition as created by God, created in perfect order and subject to the laws God established to govern its operation.(Matt. 13:35; John 21:25; Acts 17:24).
The Scriptures teach that the second member of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God is the Creator.
John 1:1-4, “In eternity past the Word has always existed and the Word has always existed face to face with the God (the Father) and the Word has always existed as God. He was in eternity past face to face with God. All things came into existence through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into existence that has come into existence. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
Colossians 1:15-17, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
“Power” is the noun dunamis (duvnami$) (doo-nam-is), which refers to the attribute of God’s omnipotence meaning that God is all powerful (Father: Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son: Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Rom. 15:13).
“Eternal” is the adjective aidios (a)i<dio$) (ah-id-ee-os), which is modifying the noun dunamis and describes God’s omnipotence as being infinite, or limitless, having no limitations.
“Divine nature” is the noun theiotes (qeiovth$) (thi-ot-ace), which refers to those particular attributes in God in which He reveals not so much Himself and His being, as His powers and attributes, His abilities, and thus does “not” signify who God is but rather what He is.
“Have been clearly seen” is the 3rd person singular present passive indicative form of the verb kathorao (kaqoravw) (kath-or-ah-o), which means, “to acquire definite information and with emphasis upon the process of perception, thus to observe.”
To “observe” implies paying strict attention to what one sees or perceives and is continuative in action.
To “observe” is to mark or be attentive to something seen and heard and refers to observing something carefully and conveys the idea of intense scrutiny.
Therefore, the verb kathorao means that God’s invisible attributes, His limitless power and divine nature can be observed or scrutinized carefully through what He has created.
The present tense of the verb kathorao is “gnomic” used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact indicating that it is an “eternal spiritual truth” or “spiritual axiom” that God’s invisible attributes, His limitless power and divine nature can be observed or scrutinized carefully through what He has created.
“Being understood” is nominative neuter plural present passive participle form of the verb noeo (noew) (no-eh-o), which means, “to comprehend something on the basis of careful thought and consideration.”
Therefore, in Romans 1:20, the verb noeo refers to the human race comprehending God’s invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature through creation on the basis of careful thought and consideration.
The present tense is “gnomic” used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact indicating that it is an “eternal spiritual truth” that God’s eternal power and nature can be comprehended through what He has made.
“Through what has been made” is the articular dative neuter plural form of the noun poiema (poivhma) (poy-ay-mah), which is used of God and means, “that which is made, creation.”
The noun functions as a dative “instrumental of means” indicating the means by which the verbal action is accomplished and so therefore, God’s invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature are observed and comprehended “by means of” that which He has created.
The phrase “so that they are” expresses the result of members of the human race going through the process of observing and comprehending God’s invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature by means of what He has created and which result is that they are without excuse.
“Without excuse” is the compound adjective anapologetos (a)napolovghto$) (an-ap-ol-og-ay-tos), which is composed of the negative prefix a and the noun apologia, “defense,” thus the word literally means, “without defense.”
This compound adjective was frequently used in Greek literature to describe the hopelessness of trying to defend a case in court without an adequate defense.
In Romans 1:20, the word describes the hopelessness of the entire human race attempting to defend their unbelief and idolatry before the Supreme Court of heaven because they do not have an adequate defense as a result of observing and comprehending God’s invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature through that which He has created.
Robert H. Mounce commenting on this word, writes, “Nature holds people responsible to believe in a God of eternal power. The question of what may or may not constitute the minimum requirements for salvation is not dealt with here. To rebel against God’s self-revelation in nature is to incur the results of that rebellion. Things visible call for a power that is invisible. The idea that matter has always existed is an impossible premise for the logical mind. The view that behind the visible world there must exist an invisible Being is far more reasonable. So those who do not believe are without excuse.” (The New American Commentary, volume 27, Romans, Broadman and Holman Publishers, pages 78-79)
Science cannot determine Who or what started the universe but can only observe the creation and only theology and specifically biblical Christianity can answer the question as to the origin of the cosmos.
Creation could not have taken place by itself or without an intelligent being initiating it.
Kenneth Wuest writes, “The things which are invisible of God, namely, His eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen. What a paradox, invisible things which are visible. This state of things has been true since the creation of the universe. The eternal power and Godhead of the Creator have been since that time and are now understood by the things that have been made, namely, the material creation. Man, reasoning upon the basis of the law of cause and effect, which law requires an adequate cause for every effect, is forced to the conclusion that such a tremendous effect as the universe, demands a Being of eternal power and of divine attributes. That being must be the Deity who should be worshipped.” (Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Romans, page 30, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan)