What is the meaning of Romans 1:19? For what may be known about God • Paul begins with the encouraging truth that God is knowable. He is not hiding behind a cosmic curtain, leaving us to guess who He is (Jeremiah 9:24). • “What may be known” points to truths God has chosen to disclose—His character, power, and divine nature (Romans 1:20). • When Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life: that they may know You” (John 17:3), He confirmed that genuine knowledge of God is possible and essential. is plain to them • “Plain” means clear, evident, unmistakable. Creation itself preaches daily sermons about God’s glory (Psalm 19:1-4). • Conscience also resonates with God’s moral law, quietly affirming right and wrong (Romans 2:14-15). • Because the evidence is plain, ignorance cannot be pleaded. As Job observed, even the animals and earth “tell you that the LORD’s hand has done this” (Job 12:7-10). because God has made it plain to them • The clarity is God’s own work; He takes the initiative. Just as He “gives all people life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25-27), He also supplies the witness that points back to Him. • Paul’s wording stresses intentionality—God wants to be known. He “did not leave Himself without testimony” but filled the world with “rain from heaven and fruitful seasons” to nudge hearts toward gratitude (Acts 14:17). • This gracious self-revelation leaves everyone “without excuse” (Romans 1:20), highlighting the seriousness of suppressing truth that God Himself has graciously illuminated. summary Romans 1:19 teaches that God has already supplied every person with clear evidence of His existence and character. He authored creation and conscience so that all might recognize Him, respond in worship, and be without excuse if they turn away. |
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