The natural knowledge of God

The psalm speaks of the heavens declaring the glory of God to every land. Read by the Fathers and in the Church’s liturgy, it sets creation before the reader as a witness to its Creator. It bears on the teaching that God can be known from the things he has made.

The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands. Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge. There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard. Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.

The author of Wisdom blames those who admired the beauty and power of creatures and did not know the workman, yet judges them less severely, since they sought God. The Church cites this passage for the knowledge of the Creator from his works. It bears on the teaching that reason can argue from creatures to their cause.

But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:

With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things. Or if they admired their power, and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they: For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.

But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him. For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen. But then again they are not to be pardoned. For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?

In Romans the Apostle says that God’s invisible things, his eternal power and divinity, are understood by the things that are made, so that men are inexcusable. Dei Filius cites this verse when it defines the knowledge of God by natural reason. It bears on the teaching that this knowledge is real and open to all.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice: Because that which is known of God is manifest in them. For God hath manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. His eternal power also and divinity: so that they are inexcusable.

The Apostle says that the Gentiles, who have not the law, show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness. The text points to the natural law and to conscience as a second way to the knowledge of God, within the person and not only in the world.

For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these, having not the law, are a law to themselves. Who shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them: and their thoughts between themselves accusing or also defending one another,

In the Areopagus speech in Acts, Paul addresses a pagan audience: God made the world, gives life and breath to all, and is not far from any of us. He cites their poets. It bears on the teaching that men may seek and find God by what he has made, and that idols fall short of the divinity.

God, who made the world and all things therein, he being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Neither is he served with men's hands, as though he needed any thing: seeing it is he who giveth to all life and breath and all things: And hath made of one, all mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, determining appointed times and the limits of their habitation. That they should seek God, if haply they may feel after him or find him, although he be not far from every one of us.

For in him we live and move and are: as some also of your own poets said: For we are also his offspring. Being therefore the offspring of God, we must not suppose the divinity to be like unto gold or silver or stone, the graving of art and device of man.