I must go back and say that human beings "suppress" the truth - natural
revelation. It's a willful action. I know that this action is rooted in
their nature, but it is an action nevertheless. When humans experience a
"new" nature in Christ then they are able to "repent" from the action of
suppressing the truth.
George Murphy wrote:
>
> Glenn Morton wrote:
> >
> > At 02:03 PM 12/18/97 -0600, George Andrews wrote:
> >
> > >I do not see why Eduardo and you accuse me of being in "direct opposition to
> > >Romans 1" when it is here that Paul instructs us of mankind's total depravity
> > >with its accompanying tendency toward idolatry. Hence, unbelievers worship the
> > >creation and only believers see the God of nature. It appears to me that
> > you see
> > >the emphasis of Rom. 1 as teaching a natural revelation of God for all to see.
> > >Instead, its emphasis plainly reveals man's inexcusable guilt before God. The
> > >thrust of Paul's argument in Romans is that mankind has SUPPRESSED the truth of
> > >God that HAS BEEN revealed through nature because of their "wickedness."
> >
> > Interesting. I have never read that passage that way. I have always viewed
> > Romans 1:20 as an explanation of 1:19
> >
> > Romans 1:19 (NIV) since what may be known about God is plain to them,
> > because God has made it plain to them.
> >
> > Romans 1:20 (NIV) For 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 men are without excuse.
> >
> > if 20 is an explanation of 19 then the creation is what has been made plain
> > to them.
>
> It is "plain" but unbelievers don't see it! That is precisely
> what Paul says. Any attempt to get back to some primordial condition of
> humans prior to Sin & then to find God in nature ignores the reality
> of Sin, & results in the consequences Paul describes: Not atheism but
> idolatry, worshipping the Philosopher God or the Clockmaker God or the
> Intelligent Designer or something of the sort - a step above birds &
> reptiles, but not the real God!
> Those who believe in the God revealed to Israel & in Christ can
> see that God at work in nature, but that "sight" depends on faith.
> Natural theology must be part of Christian theology, not something
> independent of it.
> I'm not happy with the term "total depravity", for even sinners
> are in essence good creatures of God. But aside from that, george A is
> on the mark here.
>
> George L. Murphy
> gmurphy@imperium.net
> http://www.imperium.net/~gmurphy