1. From creation mankind can know God exists. Creation points us to the creator.
2. All people have this visual knowledge. This knowledge is not verbal but visible.
3. Creation informs all that God is a powerful and glorious creator
4. The Superstitious who are enslaved to the worship of nature and the deception of astrology, see more the stars than is there. Thy look to the skies for knowledge that can only be found in scripture (the bible)
5. The modern secularist and atheist see less than the heavens reveal
The statements you provided are a summary of the theological arguments found in John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, specifically focusing on his commentary on Psalm 19 and Romans 1.
While these exact numbered bullet points look like modern study notes or a lecture outline, they distill the “Calvinist” view on General Revelation.
Key Sources for These Ideas
- John Calvin (1509–1564): In the opening chapters of the Institutes, Calvin discusses the sensus divinitatis (a sense of deity) and the “theatre of God’s glory.”
- Points 1–3: Calvin argues that the universe is a “dazzling theater” where God reveals his power and majesty so clearly that no one has an excuse for ignorance.
- Point 4: Calvin was famously critical of astrology (notably in his Admonition against Astrology), arguing that people wrongly try to find “hidden fates” in the stars instead of looking to the Word of God.
- Point 5: This is a modern application of Calvin’s thought, often used by Reformed theologians (like R.C. Sproul or Cornelius Van Til) to describe how modern secularism “suppresses the truth” revealed in nature.
Summary of the Philosophy
The core of this text is the distinction between General Revelation (nature/conscience) and Special Revelation (the Bible).
According to this view:
- Nature tells you that God is.
- The Bible tells you who God is.
This was taught by Pastor Tim Simpson (at Crosspoint Baptist Church Sumter on 5/11/26) when teaching on Psalms 19
