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what did 'creation of the world' mean for first century romans, jewish and gentile?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Romans 1:19-20

because that which is known of God is plainly seen among them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his eternal power and divinity; so that they are without excuse.

Paul wrote this letter to various Christian communities in Rome, both Jewish and Gentile believers, around the mid-first century. Here, he is explaining that everyone, regardless of their background, has some access to knowledge about God through observing the natural world.

What does a closer look at the natural world reveal to you about what might be beyond it?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Psalm 19:1-4

    This Psalm expresses the idea that the heavens declare God's glory and handiwork to all.

  • Acts 17:24-28

    Paul, speaking to Athenian philosophers, argues that God, the creator of the world, does not live in temples made by human hands.

  • Hebrews 11:3

    This verse states that through faith, we understand that the ages have been framed by the word of God.

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