| Romans 1:18-25 ESV |
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| 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 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. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. |
| Acts 17:22-31 ESV |
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| 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” |
These two passages seem to present different perspectives on the visibility of God to humanity. In Romans 1:18-25, it is emphasized that the wrath of God is revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness, and that what can be known about God is plain to all because God has shown it to them. The passage further asserts that God's invisible attributes, such as eternal power and divine nature, are clearly perceived through creation, leaving humanity without excuse for their actions.
However, in Acts 17:22-31, the Apostle Paul, addressing the men of Athens, acknowledges their religious inclinations and encounters an altar dedicated to the "unknown god." In this context, Paul proclaims that the God who made the world is not far from each one of us, emphasizing that humans should seek God, feel their way toward Him, and find Him. This seems to suggest a more elusive or hidden aspect of God that requires active seeking.
This apparent paradox raises questions about the nature of God's revelation to humanity. How can God be both evident to all through creation, as stated in Romans, and yet simultaneously require active seeking, as suggested in Acts? Are these passages compatible, or do they represent different theological perspectives?
