Audio commentary on this verse

Note 1 at Rom. 1:18: Paul's purpose in writing verses 18-20 is to explain why the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (v. 16). The problem was that then, just as now, most people felt the way to get people to come to God was to condemn them and scare them out of Hell. People doubted that Paul's good news of the love of God would be enough to cause repentance.

Therefore, Paul begins to prove that every person already has an instinctive knowledge of God's wrath against their sin. We don't need to prove God's wrath. God has already done that. What people need to know is the good news that God placed His wrath for our sins upon His own Son so that we could be completely forgiven. This good news will draw men to God more than the bad news will ever drive men to God.

Note 2 at Rom. 1:18: In Romans 1:18-20, Paul is declaring that God has revealed Himself to all mankind. Old Testament scriptures proclaim that God has revealed Himself to everyone through nature (Ps. 19:1-3), but Paul is stating here that there is an intuitive revelation of God within every man.

There are five words used in these three verses to describe the extent to which God has revealed Himself to mankind that are worth special note. Any one of these five words used by itself would have made a strong argument for Paul's case. However, the combination of these words in just two sentences emphasizes the certainty of Paul's claims.

The use of the word "all" in verse 18 shows the extent to which God has revealed Himself. God has placed a witness within every man against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

In verse 19, the Greek word that was translated "manifest" is the same word that was also translated "shewed" in this same verse. The word is "phaneroo" and it means "to render apparent; manifestly declare; make manifest; shew." This word makes it very clear that this instinctive or intuitive knowledge is not so subtle that it can be overlooked. God gives every individual the right to choose, but there can be no doubt that every person has, at one time, clearly seen and understood (v. 20) the basic truths of God's existence.

In verse 20, Paul says this inner witness of God causes the individual to "clearly see" the invisible things of God and even "understand" the Godhead. The Greek word that was translated "clearly see" is the word "kathorao" and means, "to behold fully; i.e. distinctly apprehend." This leaves no doubt that every person who has ever walked the earth has had a clear revelation of God. The use of the word "understand" emphatically states that God not only gave them knowledge but the understanding to use that knowledge.

Therefore, no one will be able to stand before God on judgment day and say "God is not fair." He has given every person who has ever lived, regardless of how remote or isolated they may have been, the opportunity to know Him. They are without excuse.

Someone might say, "If all this is true, then why can't you observe more of this intuitive knowledge of God in the lives of those who have not heard the gospel?" Paul gives the answer to this in verses 21-23 (see note 1 at v. 21, p. 745).