St Paul: Romans 1:20 (2)

Question 1

Q: Which Bible verse seems to justify natural theology by suggesting that God’s qualities can be understood from the natural world?

Answer 1

A: Romans 1:20.

Question 2

Q: What does Romans 1:20 state about God’s invisible qualities?

Answer 2

A: “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Question 3

Q: According to Romans 1:20, how are God’s invisible qualities understood?

Answer 3

A: They are understood from what has been made (the natural world).

Question 4

Q: What kind of arguments does Romans 1:20 seem to support?

Answer 4

A: Inductive a posteriori arguments, such as the cosmological and teleological (design) arguments.

Question 5

Q: How does Romans 1:20 suggest people are without excuse regarding the knowledge of God?

Answer 5

A: Because God’s invisible qualities have been clearly seen and understood from the natural world.

Question 6

Calvin’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 6

Calvin was influenced by romans 1:20 but attempted to explain how it justifies natural theology without using human reason, i.e. the sensus divinitatis.

Question 7

Calvin’s analysis of Romans 1:20

However

Answer 7

However, what about the word ‘understood’ – doesn’t that imply reasoning rather than merely sensing?

Furthermore, the verse seems to suggest that the understanding is gained from creation itself, which sounds like reasoned inference from the natural world rather than a sense of God which isn’t derived from ‘what has been made’; creation. Finally, the verse suggests that God’s qualities and nature can be understood – not just his existence, so it seems to go further than the sensus divinitatis in that regard also.

Question 8

Q: How does Barth interpret Romans 1:20?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 8

A: He acknowledges that it shows creation allows knowledge of God, but asserts humans are too sinful to achieve this.

Question 9

Q: What does Barth argue about natural theology?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 9

A: He contends that it leads to idolatry, as humans substitute created things for the Creator, as stated in Romans 1:25.

Question 10

Q: According to Romans 1:25, what did the Gentiles do?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 10

A: They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.

Question 11

Q: What does Barth warn about regarding natural theology?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 11

A: He warns that it overlooks the qualitative distinction between humans and God, leading to idolatry.

Question 12

Q: According to Grenz and Olson, what does Barth argue happens when theologians ground the truth of God’s Word in human reasoning?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 12

A: It inevitably leads to theology being subverted by human, historical modes of thought, resulting in ‘anthropocentric theology’.

Question 13

Q: What is ‘anthropocentric theology’?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 13

A: It is theology that places humans at the center, rather than God, thereby distorting the true nature of God’s Word.

Question 14

Q: What is the evil that Barth resisted?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 14

A: Nazism, which influenced Christianity in ways that Barth considered detrimental and contrary to God’s Word.

Question 15

Q: How did Barth view the influence of Nazism on Christianity?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 15

A: He saw it as a perversion that led to anthropocentric theology and undermined the authority of God’s Word.

Question 16

Q: What does Barth argue against grounding theology in human reasoning?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 16

A: He argues that it leads to a distortion of God’s Word and a shift away from true faith in God.

Question 17

Q: What does Romans 1:25 warn about regarding the worship of created things?

Barth’s analysis of Romans 1:20

Answer 17

A: It warns against replacing worship of the Creator with worship of created things, which Barth interprets as a consequence of natural theology.

Question 18

Q: According to Romans 1:20, who is capable of knowing God through his creation?

Who is capable of knowing God through his creation, if not us?

Answer 18

A: The passage suggests that people can understand God’s qualities through what he has made, indicating that knowledge is possible.

Question 19

Q: What does Barth argue about human reason in relation to knowing God through creation?

Who is capable of knowing God through his creation, if not us?

Answer 19

A: Barth argues that human reason is too corrupted and ‘fallen’ to achieve knowledge of God through creation.

Question 20

Q: How does the warning in Romans 1:25 about idolatry relate to understanding God through the natural world?

Who is capable of knowing God through his creation, if not us?

Answer 20

A: It suggests that while understanding God through creation is possible, there is a risk of idolatry if this understanding leads to worshiping created things instead of the Creator.

Question 21

Q: What does Romans 1:20 mean by “so that people are without excuse”?

Who is capable of knowing God through his creation, if not us?

Answer 21

A: It implies that even after the Fall, people are still accountable for recognizing God through creation, suggesting that the passage applies to humanity in its fallen state.

Question 22

Q: How does the interpretation of Romans 1:25 affect Barth’s argument against natural theology?

Who is capable of knowing God through his creation, if not us?

Answer 22

A: It suggests that while Barth warns against natural theology leading to idolatry, there is also a possibility of understanding God through creation, albeit with caution against idolatry.