Romans 1:20

τὰ γὰρ� … θειότης are best treated as parenthetic—explanatory of ἐφανέρωσεν—the revelation of GOD through nature and human nature is true as far as it goes, but it is confined to His power both in nature and in morals, and His character as Divine Ruler and Lawgiver. Cf. generally Luke 18:18 f.

τὰ� |[72] τὸ γν. τ. θ.; cf. Acts 14:15 f., Acts 17:22 f. The argument from the natural order was the first argument addressed to Gentiles, as the argument from the O.T. order was the first argument addressed to Jews. The invisible things of GOD, His spiritual and moral attributes, are brought within the range of man’s mental vision through a conception gained by reflection upon the things He has made. There is a play on the double meaning of ὁρᾶν as applied to sensual and mental vision, the transition to the second being marked by νοούμενα; cf. Colossians 1:15 f.; Hebrews 11:27.

[72] | parallel to

ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου, temporal: ever since there was a world to be the object of sense and thought, and minds to feel and think. Not, as Giff., = ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκτισμένου κόσμου; this would require articles and be tautologous; cf. Mark 10:6; Mark 13:19; 2 Peter 3:4.

τοῖς ποιήμασιν, dat. of means. καθορᾶται = are brought within the range of vision.

νοούμενα, being conceived or framed into conceptions, made objects of thought; cf. Isaiah 44:18; qu. John 12:40 : and n. Hebrews 11:3, esp. the connexion of πίστει and νοοῦμεν.

ἥ τε�. δύναμις καὶ θειότης explain τὰ�. The primary conceptions of the Maker, formed by reflection upon things, are power and divinity. The fundamental assumption implied is that there must be a Maker—things could not make themselves, and man obviously did not make them. This assumption might well be taken by S. Paul as universally agreed. From that he sees man’s reflection passing to the conception of power, and lasting or spiritual power; the conception of divinity is a further step, logically if not chronologically, first involving hardly more than antithesis to man and nature, but growing more complex with continued reflection; it involves qualitative conceptions of the Maker, not merely quantitative conceptions of His Power. The very abstract term θειότης (only here in N.T.; cf. Acts 17:29 and Wis 18:9) is used because the conceptions of GOD’s nature vary so widely with time and place. The term covers every conception of a Being, antecedent and superior to creation, which man has formed or can form.

ἀΐδιος. Only here and Jude 1:6 in N.T.; Sept. only Wis 7:26; frequent in class. Gk for lasting, eternal; e.g. Plato, Timaeus, 40 B, ζῶα θεῖα ὄντα καὶ�.

δύναμις. Esp. used of GOD’S power in creation, old and new. Cf. above, Romans 1:4.

εἰς τὸ may either express ‘purpose’ (Romans 8:29) or simple result (Romans 12:3): here generally taken of ‘purpose,’ in which case it must be connected with ἐφανέρωσεν above. But there is force in Burton’s argument for ‘result’ (M. T. § 411). cf. Moulton, p. 219. N. A.V. and R.V. invert text and margin.

ἀναπολογήτους, Romans 2:1 only. They have no defence as against GOD.