You asked

how does the new testament echo or develop the idea of creation as a witness to god?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Romans 1:19-20

“because that which is known of God is plainly visible among them, for God demonstrated it to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

The Apostle Paul, writing in the mid-first century CE to believers in Rome, introduces his expansive argument about humanity's need for God's righteousness. He begins by asserting that all people have some knowledge of God through the natural world around them.

What does it mean for us to be 'without excuse' when we encounter the natural world?

Then — the setting

Paul wrote this letter to a diverse community of Christians in Rome, likely around 55-57 CE. In a highly pluralistic Greco-Roman world, where various gods and philosophies competed for allegiance, Paul's assertion that God's existence and attributes are universally perceivable through creation served as a foundational claim. This wasn't just for 'unbelievers' but also to establish a common ground for understanding sin and salvation, arguing that humanity's problem isn't a lack of information about God, but a willful suppression of that truth.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, texts like Psalm 19:1-4 articulate that the heavens 'declare the glory of God,' suggesting a pervasive, non-verbal witness from creation. The New Testament, particularly in Romans, develops this by making it a basis for human accountability. While the Psalms emphasize the wonder and praise evoked by creation, Paul uses it to explain why all humanity, regardless of access to specific revelation like the Law of Moses, is 'without excuse.' The witness shifts from solely inspiring awe to establishing moral responsibility, laying groundwork for the universal need for God's grace revealed in Christ.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 19:1-4
This Psalm famously declares that 'the heavens declare the glory of God,' expressing a similar idea of creation's testimony.
Acts 14:15-17
Paul, addressing gentiles, points to God's provision in nature as evidence of a living God, offering a different angle on creation's witness.
Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-5
This deuterocanonical text also speaks of those who can deduce God's existence and attributes from the grandeur of creation.

Ask your own follow-up