(Text Only)
Title: What May Be Known of God?
This is a passage where it really helps to understand the Greek language to help this text make a bit more sense. So, what does this mean, do you have to toil through two semesters of Greek in order to understand this word? No, but there are two tools that I’d like to draw your attention to that greatly aid me, both in my sermon preparation and personal study.
1. Zodiates
2. Www.blueletterbible.org
I. What may be known of God?
v19 “What may be known of God…” This is very interesting permissive language by Paul. He does not say, “All there is to know of God can be known.” He says, “what may be known of God” In other words, enough evidence that you know he’s real, but not enough to know him intimately. And who is dictating how much may be known of God? Not man, but God himself. Think of the accounts where God doesn’t reveal himself fully to us, for his Glory would destroy us in our sin. But he does give witness to his own Glory, so that what may be known of God (namely, that he exists) is clear.
Paul’s not saying that every person should look around, see the witness of God’s glory, and recognize Jesus as the Christ. But Paul is saying there is no excuse for those who look around and say that God doesn’t exist.
(Story of the snake movie vs. Bill Maher)
II. What has God done?
v19: two very interesting Greek words
1. “Manifest” from Greek Phaneros (Fan-air-os) and
“shown” from Greek Phaneroo (Fan-air-oh-oh)
both are from the same root word phaino {fah’-ee-no} which means
1. to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light
2. to appear to the mind, seem to one’s judgment or opinion
So to use a poor English parallel, what Paul is saying is that man has seen God because God has shown himself to them. So they are without any excuse. It is the same Greek word, used in two tenses one says they have been given this vision, the other insists that because they have been given this vision, they now own it.
III. How has He done this?
Now, the next question is, “Okay, how has God shown himself to men?” Paul answers that in verse 20 (read).
The answer, quite simply, is God’s creation. His invisible attributes are clearly seen. How can an something invisible be clearly seen? Is Paul using a play on words, or is it lost in the original Greek?
The literal breakdown of the Greek is: Gar aorotos autos apo ktisis kosmos kathorao
Which literally translates to:
For the invisible things of him (from the creation of the world) are clearly seen.
Essentially, God’s creation speaks a witness to all of our senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) that God is the creator, ruler, and God of the universe.
Another way to say it is: The things that man couldn’t otherwise see about God, are clearly seen in his creation.
Paul says all of this to arrive at his conclusion in verse 20: “So that they are without excuse”
Even those who would deny the Christ cannot deny God altogether! Yet we do. In the name of science, we do. Most Americans have more faith in the ideas of Star Trek than the ideas of scripture.
Close:
Answering objections:
1. If God has revealed his attributes and character through creation, why doesn’t everyone believe in God?
A: Because we suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
Because no one seeks God, not one is righteous (Romans 3:10-12)
2. So is there any hope? Is there any asterisk?
A: The is a HUGE asterisk, his name is Jesus Christ. All of these things that Paul is exposing, don’t apply to believers, but to the lost. We (with Christ) have the ability to do something that non-believers simply cannot do: We can chose to NOT sin. Part of that “NOT Sinning” means recognizing, and praising God in his creation, for his glorious attributes, that we not only see, but recognize and give God the Glory for them.
When God created the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Appalachian Mountains, do you think His intention was for man to look at wonder and say: Praise be to you science! Praise be to you, wind, river, and time for forging these great things? NO!
He wants us to stand, in utter awe and humility, and say: Praise be to you Lord. I know not your ways, but I want to. Show me yourself, praise your glory forever and ever, amen!