The Heathen: Have: Evidence of the Power of God
Jump to: Torrey'sLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
The term "heathen" traditionally refers to those who do not acknowledge the God of the Bible, often encompassing various pagan nations and peoples. Despite their lack of direct revelation, the Bible indicates that the heathen have evidence of the power of God through creation, historical events, and divine intervention.

Creation as Evidence

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, asserts that the natural world provides clear evidence of God's power and divine nature. Romans 1:20 states, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse." This passage suggests that the very existence and order of the universe testify to the power of God, leaving the heathen without excuse for unbelief.

Historical Events and Divine Intervention

Throughout the Old Testament, God demonstrates His power to the heathen through miraculous events and judgments. One notable example is the plagues of Egypt, where God displayed His supremacy over the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh. In Exodus 9:16 , God declares, "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth." The plagues served as a testament to God's power, not only to the Israelites but also to the surrounding nations.

Similarly, the fall of Jericho is another instance where God's power was evident to the heathen. Joshua 6 recounts how the walls of Jericho fell after the Israelites marched around the city for seven days, a clear demonstration of divine intervention that would have been recognized by the Canaanite nations.

Prophetic Witness

The prophets of Israel often spoke of God's power in terms that would be understood by the heathen nations. Isaiah 45:22-23 proclaims, "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess allegiance." This passage highlights the universal scope of God's power and His call to all nations to recognize His sovereignty.

Moral Conscience

The Bible also suggests that the heathen have an innate sense of God's moral law, which is another evidence of His power. Romans 2:14-15 explains, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them." This internal moral compass points to the power of God in instilling a sense of right and wrong within all humanity.

Conclusion

The evidence of God's power is manifest to the heathen through creation, historical events, prophetic witness, and the moral conscience. These elements collectively testify to the reality and sovereignty of God, providing a witness to His power even among those who do not have direct access to the special revelation of Scripture.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Romans 1:19,20
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

In Scripture, the True God Opposed, Exclusively, to all the Gods ...
... and rejects all the gods of the heathen, because religion ... he shows, by a great variety
of evidence, that the ... [77] But as all, without exception, have in the ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 10 in scripture the.htm

Heathen Plots
... our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were ... Yet even this evidence of
the Lord's controlling hand was ... These have it in their power to place every ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 55 heathen plots.htm

The Resurrection of the Flesh is not Impossible.
... For if the heathen believe in their gods, which are ... to believe in our God, since
also we have proofs [of ... earth by God; and this is sufficient evidence of God's ...
/.../chapter v the resurrection of the.htm

The Wisdom of God in the Means Used to Propagate the Gospel.
... to them, seems to have carried greater evidence of their ... the Christians; and myriads
of the faithful to have been sacrificed to heathen malice and ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon i the wisdom of.htm

Book iii. The Words of the Lord, I in the Father...
... made mankind familiar with it; the very heathen have worshipped it ... our own infirmity,
that so the evidence of God's ... of our own foolishness, and have felt the ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book iii the words of.htm

Ephesus
... Thus they gave evidence of true conversion. ... The magicians of heathen times have their
counterpart in the spiritualistic mediums, the clairvoyants, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 27 ephesus.htm

"Peace, be Still"
... to beset them in association with their heathen countrymen ... isolation from society
seemed to have disqualified them ... in their own persons the evidence that Jesus ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 35 peace be still.htm

Sanctification.
... its attainableness, than the fact that the heathen have not embraced ... can go, I have
the same evidence that it is ... real spiritual state of many who have come here ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xlii sanctification.htm

The Marcionites Depreciate the Creation, Which, However, is a ...
... of Deity) a god who has no evidence to show ... foremost in site and state, should have
been more ... By sapienti?? professores he means the heathen philosophers; see ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xiii the marcionites depreciate the.htm

The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians an Absurd Erasure of ...
... Now, to inflict punishment on the heathen, who very likely ... Him; and therefore even
Marcion will now have to come ... but who in spite of all this evidence has not ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xvi the second epistle to.htm

Resources
What is the Gathering of Christ Church? | GotQuestions.org

Cults and Religions Basics ' Article Index | GotQuestions.org

How can I learn to distinguish right from wrong? | GotQuestions.org

Heathen: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Heathen

Heathen: Abimelech

Heathen: Balaam

Heathen: Bildad

Heathen: Cast out of Canaan

Heathen: Cyrus

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Abimelech

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Balaam

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Belshazzar

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Cornelius

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Cyrus

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Nebuchadnezzar

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to Pharaoh

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to The Centurion at Capernaum

Heathen: Divine Revelations Given to The Magi (Wise Men from the East)

Heathen: Elihu

Heathen: Eliphaz

Heathen: Excluded from the Temple

Heathen: Jethro

Heathen: Melchizedek

Heathen: Nebuchadnezzar, After his Restoration

Heathen: Pious People Among

Heathen: The Centurion at Caesarea

Heathen: The Centurion at Capernaum

Heathen: The Magi (The Wise Men from the East)

Heathen: The Ninevites

Heathen: Their Land Given to Israel

Heathen: Zophar

The Heathen are Without God and Christ

The Heathen: Aid Missions To

The Heathen: Baptism to be Administered To

The Heathen: Cautions Against Imitating

The Heathen: Conversion of, Acceptable to God

The Heathen: Cruel

The Heathen: Danger of Intercourse With

The Heathen: Degradation of

The Heathen: Employed to Chastise the Church

The Heathen: Evil of Imitating

The Heathen: Filthy

The Heathen: Given to Christ

The Heathen: God: Brings to Nought the Counsels of

The Heathen: God: Punishes

The Heathen: God: Rules Over

The Heathen: God: Will be Exalted Among

The Heathen: God: Will Finally Judge

The Heathen: Have: Evidence of the Goodness of God

The Heathen: Have: Evidence of the Power of God

The Heathen: Have: The Testimony of Conscience

The Heathen: Having No Hope

The Heathen: Idolatrous

The Heathen: Ignorant

The Heathen: Necessity for Preaching To

The Heathen: Persecuting

The Heathen: Praise God for Success of the Gospel Among

The Heathen: Pray For

The Heathen: Salvation of, Foretold

The Heathen: Salvation Provided For

The Heathen: Scoffing at Saints

The Heathen: Strangers to the Covenant of Promise

The Heathen: The Church Shall be Avenged of

The Heathen: The Glory of God to be Declared Among

The Heathen: The Gospel Received By

The Heathen: The Gospel to be Preached To

The Heathen: The Holy Spirit Poured out Upon

The Heathen: Worshippers of the Devil

Related Terms

Lord'the (1 Occurrence)

Is'the (1 Occurrence)

The (669438 Occurrences)

Oak-the (1 Occurrence)

Saying'the (1 Occurrence)

Jok'the-el (1 Occurrence)

The-oph'ilus (2 Occurrences)

The-not-beloved (1 Occurrence)

Ko'hathites (19 Occurrences)

Kohathite (18 Occurrences)

Kir'iath-je'arim (18 Occurrences)

Zin (9 Occurrences)

Zarephath (4 Occurrences)

Kirjathjearim (17 Occurrences)

Vintage (14 Occurrences)

Kore (4 Occurrences)

Knives (12 Occurrences)

Zidonians (11 Occurrences)

Kareah (14 Occurrences)

Vegetation (18 Occurrences)

Kanah (3 Occurrences)

Vine-dressers (18 Occurrences)

Vicinity (18 Occurrences)

Zeboim (7 Occurrences)

Kadeshbarnea (9 Occurrences)

Kare'ah (14 Occurrences)

Volition

Kol

Kirjath-jearim (17 Occurrences)

Vashti (10 Occurrences)

Zabdi (17 Occurrences)

Knitted (9 Occurrences)

Kids (12 Occurrences)

Killeth (23 Occurrences)

Vial (12 Occurrences)

Zelophehad (9 Occurrences)

Home-born (14 Occurrences)

Kingship (17 Occurrences)

Kadesh-barnea (9 Occurrences)

Zealot (4 Occurrences)

Kibroth-hattaavah (5 Occurrences)

Kibrothhattaavah (5 Occurrences)

Victorious (17 Occurrences)

Zacchaeus (3 Occurrences)

Zenas (1 Occurrence)

Kneel (10 Occurrences)

Zachariah (6 Occurrences)

Kebar (8 Occurrences)

Kerethites (9 Occurrences)

Zeeb (3 Occurrences)

Zoheleth (1 Occurrence)

Zarethan (4 Occurrences)

Kinnereth (7 Occurrences)

Knowledge

Knelt (20 Occurrences)

Visible (12 Occurrences)

Zeus (3 Occurrences)

Ziph (9 Occurrences)

Zebadiah (9 Occurrences)

Zorah (10 Occurrences)

Kenite (9 Occurrences)

Kick (8 Occurrences)

Kedar (11 Occurrences)

Zichri (12 Occurrences)

Ko'rahites (6 Occurrences)

Zeru'iah (24 Occurrences)

Kei'lah (16 Occurrences)

24000 (10 Occurrences)

Vapor (6 Occurrences)

Vanished (13 Occurrences)

Verdict (7 Occurrences)

Violated (23 Occurrences)

Knop (4 Occurrences)

Visiting (10 Occurrences)

Zaphon (4 Occurrences)

Zephani'ah (10 Occurrences)

Zaccur (10 Occurrences)

Koz (5 Occurrences)

Kadmiel (8 Occurrences)

The Heathen: Have: Evidence of the Goodness of God
Top of Page
Top of Page