Romans 1:20 - The Witness of Creation
Jul
23
Written by:
7/23/2008 7:10 PM
You do not see God, and yet you acknowledge him as God by his works; Cicero.
For the invisible things of him - The expression “his invisible things” refers to those things which cannot be perceived by the senses. It does not imply that there are any things pertaining to the divine character which may be seen by the eye; but that there are things which may be known of him, though not discoverable by the eye. We judge of the objects around us by the senses, the sight, the touch, the ear, etc. Paul affirms, that though we cannot judge thus of God, yet there is a way by which we may come to the knowledge of him. What he means by the invisible things of God he specifies at the close of the verse, “his eternal power and Godhead. ” The affirmation extends only to that; and the argument implies that that was enough to leave them without any excuse for their sins. Dr. Albert Barnes
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. (NASB)
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" (KJV)
"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." (NLT)
The invisible things of God refer to that which cannot be perceived by the senses. It is not an implication that His divine character can be seen by the eye but that there are things about Him that we may discover.
We all have our reasons in life for not knowing God. We are raised in a society that considers science to have fully enlightened the world. We are, after all, Americans and we put men on the Moon. But from where did the Moon come? I guess it must be the arrogance that lives in my heart that would allow me to think that the orderliness that exists in the universe is a matter of "natural selection" or the descendent of the primordial soup. But I am without excuse because the handiwork of Almighty God is displayed for my eyes to see. The more I look the more wondrous it becomes. The bigger the telescope or the stronger the microscope the larger and more complex the questions to be answered.