“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.”
My Notes
What Does Romans 1:19 Mean?
"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." Paul begins Romans' argument about divine revelation: what CAN be known about God IS known — because God SHOWED it. The knowledge isn't hidden. It's MANIFEST. The revelation isn't withheld. It's DISPLAYED. The inability to know God isn't because God failed to reveal. It's because humanity failed to receive what was already MANIFEST.
The phrase "that which may be known of God" (to gnōston tou theou — the knowable of God, what is able to be known of God) identifies a CATEGORY of divine knowledge: not everything about God is knowable by natural revelation. But what IS knowable — God's eternal power and divine nature (verse 20) — is ACCESSIBLE. The 'may be known' sets the boundary: some things about God CAN be known through creation. Other things require special revelation. The natural-revelation category is what Paul addresses.
The "God hath shewed it unto them" (ho theos gar autois ephanerōsen — God indeed to them revealed/manifested) makes God the REVEALER: the knowledge doesn't arrive through human investigation alone. GOD SHOWED it. The initiative is divine. The revelation is from above. Humanity didn't discover God through cleverness. God REVEALED Himself through creation. The showing is God's action. The knowing is the human response.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has God shown you through creation that you haven't fully received?
- 2.What does God SHOWING (active revelation) differ from humanity discovering (independent investigation)?
- 3.How does the knowledge being 'manifest IN them' (internal) as well as external change your view of universal revelation?
- 4.What CAN be known about God from what you observe — and what requires additional revelation?
Devotional
What CAN be known about God IS known — because God SHOWED it. The knowledge isn't hidden. It's manifest. The revelation isn't withheld. It's displayed. The problem isn't that God failed to reveal. It's that humanity failed to receive what was already made visible.
The 'that which may be known of God' sets a BOUNDARY: not everything about God is accessible through natural observation. But what IS accessible — His eternal power and divine nature (verse 20) — is FULLY manifest. The natural-revelation category is LIMITED but REAL. You can know God's POWER and NATURE from creation. You can't know the GOSPEL from creation. The boundary defines what nature can and can't communicate.
The 'is manifest in them' means the knowledge is INTERNAL as well as external: the 'in them' (en autois) can mean 'to them' or 'within them.' Either way, the manifestation has reached the INSIDE of human beings. The revelation isn't just external (visible in creation). It's also internal (manifest within human consciousness). The knowledge of God is both OUT THERE (in creation) and IN HERE (in the human awareness).
The 'God hath shewed it' makes the revelation GOD-INITIATED: humanity didn't DISCOVER God. God REVEALED Himself. The showing is DIVINE ACTION. The creation that displays God's power was DESIGNED to display it. The universe isn't accidentally informative about God. It's INTENTIONALLY revelatory. The showing was the purpose of the making.
What has God shown you through creation — and have you received what was already manifest?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Because that which may be known of God,.... There are some things which could not be known of God by the light of…
Because - The apostle proceeds to show how it was that the pagan hindered the truth by their iniquity. This he does by…
That which may be known of God - Dr. Taylor paraphrases this and the following verse thus: "Although the Gentiles had no…
In this last part of the chapter the apostle applies what he had said particularly to the Gentile world, in which we may…
that which may be known of God Lit. that which is known; i.e. ideally known; that which, under any circumstances, man…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture