Romans 1:18 ff. -- the natural man's knowledge of God

[Confessor]

As I looked at John Gill's commentary on 1:18, I noticed that he said the unbelievers referred to in Romans 1 are those who have not yet heard the Gospel (they know only "the law of nature"), or at least unbelievers who have not necessarily heard the Gospel. (If this preliminary assumption is wrong, then I have no questions.)

Anyway, just what does this passage mean? Clearly, natural revelation does not reveal Jehovah as specifically as the Bible does -- e.g., unbelievers who have never heard the Gospel do not know anything about the Trinity; they do not know that God is Trinitarian from natural revelation. Yet, v. 20 says that "God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

What is the nature of this knowledge via natural revelation? How extensive is it? And, seeing as the Bible is so important -- i.e. seeing as we are to learn about God with the Bible as our sole authority -- then how can we blame people who have never heard the Gospel for not knowing things that only the Bible could reveal?

Clearly a line has to be drawn, for Romans 1 speaks of very specific attributes of God, yet the specificity cannot be too extensive, or the Bible itself becomes superfluous, because we would know everything from natural revelation. Where is that line?

 

[rbcbob]

Here may be a clue ....

Romans 2:14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)

 

[ExGentibus]

I think verse 20 answers the questions as to what attributes of God can be known via natural revelation and why unbelievers are held responsible even when they have never heard the Gospel.

By the visible things He created, we can clearly see that there is one God, who is invisible, holy and almighty. He created us and the world in which we live in, and for this very reason we owe Him worship in truth ("that which may be known of God is manifest," v. 19) and spirit ("the invisible things of him," v. 20; "the glory of the uncorruptible God," v. 23). The natural revelation provides a knowledge about the true God, but that knowledge is not "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (v. 16). The natural revelation provides that knowledge that leaves us, as rational creatures, without excuse: we are sinners in Adam, "condemned already" (John 3.18), and we cannot even attempt to adduce ignorance of God as an excuse, because of the divine truth manifest in the creation.

 

[Prufrock]

Good answers so far. It is often specifically interpreted in conjunction with the immediate context of man's idolatry -- from nature it should be known that God is, and that he alone as Creator and God is to be worshiped; man, however, has turned to worship the creature instead of the Creator and is thus wholly without excuse. And, as noted by Bob already, the law is also written on the heart of man, so it is also known what God requires of us.

 

[toddpedlar]

I was about to post something longer, but then Paul K. came along and posted a concise answer that says all I'd want to. Natural revelation is sufficient to render a man guilty for not seeking God in His ways, but not sufficient to reveal redemption (not sufficient to bring forth of itself saving faith). The point Paul (the apostle) is making here is that with or without the message of the Gospel, man has sufficient revelation made to him for him to realize that God must be sought out as sovereign and the one appropriate receiver of worship.

Bavinck is worth checking out on special and general revelation in one of (I forgot which) the volumes of his Reformed Dogmatics, but more directly in the work published as "The Philosophy of Revelation", which are his Stone Lectures from 1908-09. Fantastic stuff there. If you've not got the RD, picking up the Philosophy of Revelation is an inexpensive and worthwhile investment. Excellent stuff.

 

[Prufrock]

If you've not got the RD, picking up the Philosophy of Revelation is an inexpensive and worthwhile investment. Excellent stuff.

It's also online (Googlebooks, I think), if you just want to look at it first.

 

[BJClark]

What is the nature of this knowledge via natural revelation?

Many unbelievers love to say they are a 'moral' people..they know murder is wrong, they know lying is wrong, they know adultery is wrong, they know 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'

They also understand reaping what you sow..even if they call it by another name..such as "karma" or 'kismet'


And they know these things even if they have never read the bible..

 

[Scott1]

You might find Dr RC Sproul, What is Reformed Theology? helpful.

In it, he distinguishes between natural revelation (through Creation) and special revelation (through Scripture).

Basically, God has revealed enough about Him, His attributes through nature so that man is without excuse to not worship Him.

Yet, even though man has "seen" and "understood" enough about the God of Creation, man refuses to worship Him. In that, God is just in condemning man in judgment.

 

[Theogenes]

I believe Romans 1:18ff demonstrates what Calvin called the "sense of the Divine" in every human being by virtue of the fact that man is created in God' image in righteousness and true holiness. Observing creation reminds man of what he knows innately being created in God's image yet in his sin he supresses the Truth in his unrighteousness. But because of this sense of the Divine, man is without excuse. I agree with John Murray in his commentary on Romans that it is NOT the law that is written on the heart of man for that is an attribute of the New Covenant (Jer.31, Ezek.36), but rather "the work of the law" is written on their hearts is what Paul wrote. So, man being created in God's image after true holiness and righteousness, after the fall has the ideas of right and wrong within him as part of his human nature (even though in his sin he tries to suppress it). This is why anthropologists find primitive peoples in deep, dark jungles, never having had contact with "civilization", yet having a moral code which includes the second table of the 10 Comm.
God will not judge these people for not hearing the Gospel, because if He wanted them to hear it He would certainly bring it to them. But they will be judged according to justice and the light they have based on their being made in God's image. Those people who have had the Law of God and those who have heard the Gospel are held to a higher standard, if you will, because greater light has been given to them. See Jesus' discussion in Luke 12:41-48. The man in the jungle will receive "few stripes", but the man with the bible (who doesn't believe the Gospel) will receive "many stripes", i.e. his hell will be hotter!

-----Added 6/2/2009 at 09:54:53 EST-----

Also, the extent of general revelation is limited, although leaving man without an excuse, and this of course demonstrates the need for special revelation.
From GR, man knows there is a God to whom he will give an account and he hates this knowledge, but that's about all. No gospel from GR!

 

[Beth Ellen Nagle]

Ben, I highly recommend reading this book. It goes into more detail on the law written on the heart.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Foundation-Critical-Analysis-Beliefs/dp/0761839909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243953731&sr=1-1]Amazon.com: Philosophical Foundation: A Critical Analysis of Basic Beliefs: Surrendra Gangadean: Books[/ame]

 

[Confessor]

Ben, I highly recommend reading this book. It goes into more detail on the law written on the heart.

Amazon.com: Philosophical Foundation: A Critical Analysis of Basic Beliefs: Surrendra Gangadean: Books

Is that a Christian book?

 

[Beth Ellen Nagle]

Ben, I highly recommend reading this book. It goes into more detail on the law written on the heart.

Amazon.com: Philosophical Foundation: A Critical Analysis of Basic Beliefs: Surrendra Gangadean: Books

Is that a Christian book?

It is written by a reformed Christian, yes.

 

[Confessor]

Ben, I highly recommend reading this book. It goes into more detail on the law written on the heart.

Amazon.com: Philosophical Foundation: A Critical Analysis of Basic Beliefs: Surrendra Gangadean: Books

Is that a Christian book?

It is written by a reformed Christian, yes.

Thanks. I was just curious, given the title of the book.

 

[Beth Ellen Nagle]

Is that a Christian book?

It is written by a reformed Christian, yes.

Thanks. I was just curious, given the title of the book.

Well, it is a book about philosophical foundations (basic beliefs, presuppositions) but goes into the foundation that is based on the clarity of general revelation according to Scripture. The last section covers the Moral Law.

If you don't want to invest I would be glad to lend it to you. I trust you to return it.