Why does God reveal himself through creation?

Explanation:

Paul writes that through what God has made, his invisible qualities, including his power and deity, are clearly perceived. In other words, by reflecting on creation, people can detect that a powerful, majestic God exists. To understand why God reveals himself to every human through creation, it is important to consider other passages from Scripture. In Ezekiel 33:11 we read that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires that they would turn to God and live. And in 2 Peter 3:9 we read that God desires for all to come to repentance. So we know that God does not desire for humans to perish, but to be saved. Further, Jeremiah 29:13 says that when people search for God with all of their heart, they find him.³ Thus, we can detect that the reason God reveals himself through creation is to draw humanity into a relationship with him.

Counterargument:

That Scripture says that God desires humans to enter a relationship with him does not entail that the reason he reveals himself through creation is to lead people to himself. Rather, Paul could be saying that while no one is without excuse because God’s power and divinity are deduced from creation, no one naturally chooses to worship God. Thus, while God desires for humans to be in a relationship with him, no one naturally acknowledges him. But because God is revealed through creation, they should have acknowledged God and so are without excuse.

Response to counterargument:

There are two problems with this argument. First, we learn from Scripture not only that God desires for all humans to be saved, but that he has placed each person in a particular time and place in order that they might reach out to God. We learn this in Acts 17:26–27, where Paul explains that God placed every person in their allotted time and place that they might seek God and find him. In other words, God reveals himself through creation, desires for humans to be saved, and placed humans in their allotted times and places so that they will reach out to him. Further, Scripture tells stories about specific individuals who did reach out to God, and after hearing the preaching of the gospel, were saved. For example, in Acts 8:26–39 we read about an Ethiopian who travelled to the temple to worship God. Clearly this man was not an Israelite, and yet something had drawn him to worship God in Jerusalem. God then inspired Philip to find the man to teach him the gospel, after which he converts.⁴ Similarly, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is described by Luke as a devout worshipper of God (Acts 10:1–2).⁵ The Holy Spirit inspires Peter to meet with him, and when he does Peter says, Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him (Acts 10:34–35). In other words, there were individuals from many nations who have been drawn in by God through natural revelation.

Explanation:

Paul says that God has made himself known through what he has made. What Paul means is that God reveals himself through creation so that humans will acknowledge and worship him. We can detect that this is what Paul means because there were many ancient thinkers who readily admitted that the order and design of the universe imply that it was created by a powerful and majestic being.⁶ For example, the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, along with most Greek and Roman intellectuals, readily agreed that the universe displayed order and design that could only be explained by a designer, rather than chance.⁷ Thus, we have confirmation from non-Jewish sources that the universe displays God’s divinity so that no one is without excuse. Relatedly, there were Hellenistic Jews who made similar comments as Paul. For example, in the Jewish book of Wisdom we read that the power evident in fire and the stars should lead people to perceive how much more powerful is the one who formed them. And elsewhere we read that the original author is seen from the greatness and beauty of created things.⁸ Likewise, Paul has a similar train of thought in mind.

Counterargument:

The problem here is that the pagan philosophers all had an inadequate understanding of God. Aristotle referred to God as the unmoved mover and said that God was unable to interact with the universe because otherwise he would be changed by it. Others, such as the Stoics, thought that God is in all things and that all things will eventually contract back into God, which is a form of pantheism. The Neo-Platonists taught that God is the One who is beyond being, and even thought. Thus, the philosophers’ inadequate view of God demonstrates that it is not possible to know God through creation. Rather, creation reveals enough about God so that people are without excuse, but it is not meant to bring people to a knowledge of God.

Response to counterargument:

This counterargument misses the mark. For Paul does not say that God reveals everything about himself through creation. Rather, he says that God reveals his invisible qualities, which include his power and divinity. The fact is, while the ancient philosophers did not comprehend God fully, they did perceive that God is immaterial, powerful, and divine. For they understood that the universe is designed, and therefore there stands behind it an invisible, all-powerful deity. In fact, the terms Paul uses, including invisible attributes and divine nature, are rare in the New Testament but more common in the Stoic and Hellenistic Jewish philosophers.

The weakness of this view is that if God wants people to know him through creation, we would expect for this goal to be accomplished. For how can God have a goal that is not accomplished?

Explanation:

Paul says that God’s invisible qualities have been perceived since the beginning of creation. In other words, God has made himself known by the things that he made since creation. So why has God done this? Paul continues with the clause, so they are without excuse. What is important to notice is that the phrase so they are is used to state a purpose.¹² In other words, he is saying that the purpose of God’s revealing himself is so that no one has an excuse not to praise and worship him.¹³

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that the phrase so they are can also be used to denote a result.¹⁴ Of course, if Paul intended the final clause of Romans 1:20 in the sense of result, then he is saying that because God has revealed himself through creation, the result is that no one is without excuse when it comes to their responsibility to worship and serve him. This does not mean that the reason God makes himself known is to make sure all humans who do not worship him are guilty, but that since God has revealed himself, the result is that those who do not worship God are guilty.

Explanation:

Paul says that God’s invisible qualities have been revealed through what God made, which means they are without excuse. What Paul means is that God purposely revealed himself through creation in order to produce a negative result, which is that all people would be responsible to acknowledge God but would ultimately reject him. We can detect that this is Paul’s point because he says in Romans 1:21 that although they knew God they did not honour or give thanks to him, but their hearts were hardened.¹⁵ So God reveals himself through creation so that people are without excuse, and although people discerned God’s existence, they hardened their hearts.

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that it overlooks the immediate context that precedes Romans 1:20. Paul there identifies that people have hardened their hearts toward God. That is, Paul does not say that every human has hardened their heart toward God, but that a particular segment has, namely, the ungodly who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Paul says that God’s wrath is revealed against the ungodly who suppress the truth (Romans 1:18), but these have no excuse, because God’s deity is made clear through creation (Romans 1:20). Thus, it is the ungodly who suppress the truth that do no honour or give thanks to God. Of course, Paul never says that all humans are the ungodly who suppress the truth, leaving it open that possibly some people acknowledge God through his natural revelation.

The problem with this view is that many people do acknowledge God’s power and divinity through what he has made. Of course, these might not understand God’s grace, trinitarian nature, or love through Jesus Christ through nature, but they do know his power and divinity.