The Operation of God's Wrath in the World (2): Inescapable Knowledge and Inexcusable Unbelief (Romans 1:19-20) by Rev. Martyn McGeown
I. What Man Knows
II. How Man Knows
III. How Man Is Inexcusable
Richard C. Trench: “[In Romans 1:20] St Paul is declaring how much of God may be known from the revelation of himself which he has made in nature, from those vestiges of himself which men may everywhere trace in the world around them. Yet it is not the personal God whom any man may learn to know by those aids: he can be known only by the revelation of himself in his Son; but only his divine attributes, his majesty and glory … it is not to be doubted that Paul uses this vaguer, more abstract, and less personal word θειότης [Godhead], just because he would affirm that men may know God’s power and majesty … from his works, but would not imply that they may known himself from these, or from anything short of the revelation of his Eternal Word… But in the second passage (Col. 2:9) St Paul is declaring that in the Son there dwells all the fullness of absolute Godhead; they were no mere rays of divine glory which gilded him, lighting up his person for a season and with a splendour not his own; but he was, and is, absolute and perfect God; and the apostle uses θεότης to express this essential and personal Godhead of the Son” (Synonyms of the New Testament, p. 8).
Herman Hoeksema: “This is madness. It is madness because [God will not stop]. The truth does not change because we do not want it. God goes on—everlasting power, everlasting divinity. The sinner crosses this everlasting power and divinity. It is madness because the sinner knows that coming against this power and divinity, he must be crushed” (Righteous by Faith Alone, p. 27).
John Calvin: “Paul’s object was to teach us where salvation is to be found. He has already declared that we cannot obtain it except through the gospel: but as the flesh will not willingly humble itself so far as to assign the praise of salvation to the grace of God alone, Paul shows that the whole world is deserving of eternal death” (Romans, p. 68).