2 comments

1. I would suggest that man knows God’s law, not by the light of nature, but because Jesus Christ is the light which lights everyone who comes into this world. Rom 1: 19, John 1:19. Nature cannot give man knowledge of the true God of the Bible or his law. Christ is that light which gives man sufficient knowledge of himself to make him responsible and without excuse.

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   • Lara,

     See Paul, in Romans 2:12–16:

     All those who sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus (Holman Christian Standard Bible).

     See Van Drunen’s work on this, e.g., Divine Covenants and Moral Order: A Biblical Theology of Natural Law.

     See also our resource page on natural law etc.

     The HCSB translation was the first on my screen and it’s not the best on that passage. Nature, natural knowledge of God, and natural law are significant themes in Romans 1 and 2.

     Consider Romans 1:19-20:

     For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (ESV).

     and Romans 1:26ff:

     For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error (ESV).

     The ESV translation of Romans 2:14-15 is better (less paraphrastic):

     For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

     The natural knowledge of God and of his moral/natural law is Pauline doctrine but that knowledge, according to Paul is not saving. The gospel is available only through special revelation and it is through the gospel that God saves but natural knowledge is real and does leave us without excuse. We all know the essence of the moral law from nature and from our own consciences.

     As an unbeliever, before I was converted, I knew that God existed and that he had a law. I did not love either but I knew they existed and, as a pagan, I hated being accountable to them.

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