ACC ~ Romans 1 v20

THE PALPABLE TRUTH OF THE SENSES. TERTULLIAN: The objects which are touched by the mind are of a higher nature, since they are spiritual, than those which are grasped by the senses. Since these are corporeal, any superiority they may display lies only in the “objects”—e.g., as lofty ones contrasted with humble—not in the “faculties” of the intellect over against the senses. For how can the intellect be considered sovereign above the senses, when it is these which educate it for the discovery of various truths? It is a fact that these truths are learned by means of palpable forms; in other words, invisible things are discovered by the help of visible ones, even as the apostle says in his epistle. A TREATISE ON THE SOUL 18.

BEHOLDING GOD THROUGH CREATURES. ORIGEN: These things apply to all human beings who possess natural reason. Yet they more specifically apply to those called philosophers, who are wise in the things of this world. Their job is to ponder the creatures of this world and everything which is made in it, and from the things which are seen, to perceive in their minds the things which are invisible. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

USE OF THE SENSES UPON SENSIBLE OB-JECTS. ORIGEN: From this we infer that all who live on this earth have to begin with the use of the senses upon sensible objects in order to go on from them to a knowledge of the nature of intellectual things. Yet their knowledge must not stop short with the objects of sense. AGAINST CELSUS 7.37.

THE EYES OF THE MIND. NOVATIAN: The human mind, learning to know the hidden things from those which are manifest, may consider in spirit the greatness of the Maker from the greatness of his works, which it sees with the eyes of the mind. THE TRINITY 3.6.

A TRAINING PLACE FOR SOULS. BASIL: You will find that the world was not devised at random or to no purpose, but to contribute to some useful end and to the great advantage of all beings. It is truly a training place for rational souls and a school for attaining the knowledge of God. Through visible and perceptible objects it provides guidance to the mind for the contemplation of the invisible. HOMILY ONE, CREATION OF THE HEAVENS AND EARTH 1.6.

REMINDERS OF THE BENEFACTOR. BASIL: In all things visible, clear reminders of the Benefactor grip us. We shall not give any opportunity for sins, nor shall we leave any place in our hearts for the enemy, if we have God as a dweller in us by our constant remembrance of him. HEXAMERON 3.10.

HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DEITY. AMBROSIASTER: Paul here repeats the same thing in order to teach even more absolutely that, although the power and majesty of God cannot by themselves be seen by the eyes of the creature, they may be known by the work of the structure of the world. In this way he indicts those who lived without law, whether natural or Mosaic. For by the habit of sinning they broke the law of nature, wiping out any memory of him. But they did not want to accept the law, which had been given for their reformation, and thus were doubly condemned.

His power and deity are eternal, so that they are without excuse. So that ungodliness might in no way be excused, Paul added that the power of God and his eternal divinity were known by men, who were prevented by some foolishness from honoring God, who they knew existed and provided for their welfare. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

CREATION FROM NOTHING. AMBROSE: We can find it easy to understand, then, that the Creator of angels, dominions and powers is he who in a moment of his power made this great beauty of the world out of nothing, which did not itself have existence and gave substance to things or causes which did not themselves exist. SIX DAYS OF CREATION 1.4.16.

THE HEAVENS DECLARE. CHRYSOSTOM: The prophets also said: “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Will the heathen say at the judgment that they were ignorant of God? Did they not hear the heaven sending forth a voice while the well-ordered harmony of all things spoke out more clearly than a trumpet? Did you not see the hours of night and day remaining constantly unmoved, the good order of winter, spring and the other seasons remaining both fixed and unmoved? … Yet God did not set so great a system of teaching before the heathen in order to deprive them of any excuse but so that they might come to know him. It was by their failure to recognize him that they deprived themselves of every excuse. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 3.

HIS GLORY BEHELD EVERY DAY. [PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Because we see the world composed and fashioned by God, in its glory we behold the whole of his work every day. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

CERTAINTY OF THE INVISIBLE. AUGUSTINE: Invisible things are seen in a special and appropriate way. When they are seen they are much more certain than the objects of the bodily sense, but they are said to be invisible because they cannot be seen by mortal eyes. LETTER 120.

KNOWING THE TRUTH. AUGUSTINE: Notice that Paul does not call them ignorant of the truth but says that they held the truth in iniquity, and he does not fail to answer the obvious question: How could those to whom God had not given the law have a knowledge of the truth? For he says that through the visible things of the creation they reached an understanding of the invisible things of the Creator. THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER 19.12.

WITHOUT EXCUSE. AUGUSTINE: How does Paul mean that they are without excuse, except by reference to a kind of excuse that usually prompts human pride to voice such protestations as: “If only I had known, I would not have done it.” … This kind of excuse is taken away from them when a precept is given or when the knowledge of how to avoid sin is made clear to them. GRACE AND FREE WILL 2.2.

VISIBLE THINGS SO SPLENDID. PELAGIUS: God’s hidden qualities can be deduced from things which are manifest. For if he made visible things so splendid that some people thought they were gods and tried to maintain that they were eternal, how much more were these people capable of understanding that the one who made these things is everlasting, almighty and boundless? PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

STUDYING THIS WORLD. GENNADIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE: He created us with such a nature, placing a mind and reason within us and granting us these things so that by studying this world we might come to a knowledge of the invisible things which are his.

Paul says that they are without excuse in order to shut them up. … For God did not deign to reveal himself to human beings in order to give them some excuse but in order to show them that it would be to their advantage to accept him and his mercy. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

CREATION PROCLAIMS GOD’S MAJESTY. JOHN OF DAMASCUS: The very creation, by its harmony and ordering, proclaims the majesty of the divine nature. ORTHODOX FAITH 1.1.

Rom