Have you ever stood beneath a star-drenched sky, far from the glow of city lights, and felt an inexplicable pull on your soul? Or watched a fragile seed push through dark soil into the light, becoming a towering oak that defies gravity and time? In those moments, something ancient stirs within us, a whisper that there is more to this world than meets the eye. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Rome, captures this profound truth in Romans 1:19-20:
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20, ESV)
These two verses sit at the heart of Paul's argument in Romans 1, where he unfolds the reality of human guilt before a holy God. Yet, nestled within this sobering passage is one of the most beautiful invitations in Scripture: God is not hidden. He has revealed Himself, not just in thunderous miracles or burning bushes, but in the quiet eloquence of creation itself. Without a doubt, God speaks to us through His creation. There are allegories and metaphors under almost every rock, in every rustling leaf and crashing wave.
In this post, we will dive deep into these verses. We will exegete key words and phrases directly from the Koine Greek text, presenting them in the original script rather than transliteration, while continuing to explain them with reference to the English Standard Version. We will explore how creation testifies to God’s eternal power and divine nature, and why this leaves humanity “without excuse.” Along the way, we will reflect spiritually on the wonders around us, the changing seasons, the care for birds and lilies, the intricate design of the human body, and how they draw us closer to the Creator.
God’s Wrath and Revealed Truth (Romans 1:18-23)
To fully appreciate verses 19-20, we must see them in context. Paul begins Romans 1:18 by declaring that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Humanity’s core problem is not ignorance but suppression; we push down what we know deep inside to be true.
Yet God has not left us in the dark. What follows in verses 19-20 explains why suppression is inexcusable: God has made Himself known through creation. This is general revelation, truth available to all people, everywhere, at all times.
Exegeting Verse 19: “What Can Be Known About God Is Plain”
Romans 1:19 in the Greek text:
τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν.
τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ – “what can be known of God.” The adjective γνωστός means “knowable” or “that which may be known.” Paul is careful: not everything about God is knowable by unaided human reason (His essence remains a mystery), but what is knowable has been made abundantly available.
φανερόν ἐστιν – “is plain/manifest/evident.” From φανερός, derived from φαίνω (“to shine, appear”). The knowledge is not hidden in obscurity; it shines forth.
ἐν αὐτοῖς – “among them/in them.” Many scholars see here both an external revelation (in creation) and an internal one (conscience and innate knowledge).
ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν – “for God Himself revealed it to them.” The aorist ἐφανέρωσεν (from φανερόω) points to a definitive act, God took the initiative and uncovered what was hidden.
Spiritually, this verse demolishes every excuse. In a world of noise and distraction, God says, “I have made it shine.”
Exegeting Verse 20: The Invisible Clearly Seen
Romans 1:20 in the Greek text:
τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασιν νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους.
This single Greek sentence is one of the most tightly packed theological statements in the New Testament.
τὰ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ – “His invisible things/attributes.” ἀόρατα (alpha-privative + ὁράω, “to see”) = literally “the un-seeable things.” God is spirit (John 4:24); His essence cannot be seen with physical eyes.
ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου – “from the creation of the world.” The preposition ἀπό with genitive marks the starting point: ever since the very beginning of the ordered cosmos (κόσμος).
τοῖς ποιήμασιν νοούμενα καθορᾶται – “in the things made being understood, are clearly seen.”
ποιήμασιν – from ποίημα (“that which is made, workmanship, creation”). The same word is used in Ephesians 2:10 for believers as God’s “workmanship/poem.” Creation is God’s poetry.
νοούμενα – present passive participle of νοέω (“to perceive with the mind, to understand”). Creation is not merely observed; it is rationally comprehended as evidence.
καθορᾶται – present passive of καθοράω (“to behold fully, to see clearly”). The invisible is continuously and plainly visible through the visible creation. This is a deliberate paradox.
Paul then specifies the two attributes most plainly revealed:
ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις – “His eternal power.”
ἀΐδιος – “eternal, everlasting.” This rare adjective (only here and Jude 6 in the NT) emphasizes not only endless duration but unoriginated eternity.
δύναμις – raw power, the word behind “dynamite.” The sustaining, universe-creating, life-giving energy that holds every atom together (Colossians 1:17).
καὶ θειότης – “and divine nature/Godhead.”
θειότης (not θεότης, which Paul uses in Colossians 2:9 for the full essence of deity in Christ) emphasizes the qualities of deity, majesty, holiness, supremacy, beauty. Creation shouts not only that there is a God, but that He is infinitely glorious.
The purpose clause at the end is devastating in its simplicity:
εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους – “so that they are without excuse.”
ἀναπολογήτους – literally “without an apology/defense” (ἀ- + ἀπολογία). In a courtroom, no plea of ignorance will stand.
Allegories and Metaphors in Creation
With the Greek text freshly before us, let us now walk through creation as living theology.
The Seasons – Death and Resurrection
Autumn leaves blaze in final glory before release, surrender. Spring’s return is ἀνάστασις in miniature. We are God’s ποίημα; our own dying and rising are written into the fabric of the world.
The Sun’s Daily Faithfulness
Its rising and setting declare the character of God, unchanging, covenantally reliable (Malachi 4:2; Hebrews 13:8).
Rainbows – Covenant Faithfulness
After the storm comes the rainbow (τόξον) (Genesis 9 LXX), a sign of God’s divinity who keeps His word.
Birds and Lilies – Divine Provision (Matthew 6:25-26)
Jesus says καταμάθετε (“consider intently”) the ravens and lilies. Their instincts and beauty are sustained by the same eternal power that upholds the galaxies.
The Human Body – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
DNA, neural symphonies, and self-healing systems are proof of God's design. We reverse-engineer bird wings for aircraft, yet deny the original Designer?
Oceans, Mountains, Stars
Waves roar His majesty; mountains stand in ancient strength; the heavens declare τὰ ἀόρατα. Psalm 19:1 in Greek: οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν θεοῦ, ποίησιν δὲ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στερέωμα … The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands..
Even animal instincts, monarchs migrating 3,000 miles, salmon returning to their exact birthplace, bear witness to a wise Ordainer whose θειότης is woven into the instincts of the least creature.
Why This Leaves Us Analogies, And Invites Us to Worship
Paul’s logic is ironclad: creation → clear perception of eternal power and divinity (ἀΐδιος δύναμις καὶ θειότης) → moral responsibility. Suppression (v. 18: κατεχόντων τὴν ἀλήθειαν) leads to idolatry, exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God (δόξα τοῦ ἀφθάρτου θεοῦ) for corrupt images (v. 23).
But recognition leads to thanksgiving and worship (v. 21). In our age that worships τὰ poems (ποιήματα) instead of the Creator, Romans 1:20 remains the death knell of every excuse.
Yet grace shines brighter. The God who made Himself known in τὰ ποιήμασιν stepped into His own poem in the person of Christ, the image of the invisible God (εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου) (Colossians 1:15). On the cross, the wrath of God (ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ) we deserved was poured out; in the resurrection, the firstfruits of the new κτίσις.
Step Outside and Behold
Dear reader, step outside today. Feel the wind, the spirit of God (πνεῦμα θεοῦ). Watch ants march in perfect order. Listen to thunder echo His voice.
Romans 1:19-20 is not merely a condemnation; it is an invitation. The Creator who inscribed His divinity in galaxies and snowflakes wants a relationship with you. He made the invisible creation because He loves openly.
οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν θεοῦ… “The heavens declare the glory of God.”
No excuse remains, only invitation. Will you look, perceive with the mind (νοεῖτε), and worship?
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