What is natural law?
Natural law is the set of universal moral principles that are inherent in human nature and can be discerned through the use of human reason. The concept of natural law originated with the ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle and was later developed extensively by Christian thinkers such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. At its core, natural law asserts that just as there are observable physical laws that govern the physical universe, there are also objective moral laws that are woven into the fabric of human nature and that provide a standard for right and wrong.
According to the Bible, natural law exists because we are created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” As beings created by God with a moral capacity, we participate in God’s eternal law through our ability to reason and discern what is good. Romans 2:14-15 confirms this notion, stating that the moral standards of God’s law are “written on their hearts” even of those without specific knowledge of the Bible or Christian teaching. Their consciences bear witness to an unwritten moral law that is universal across cultures and societies.
At the same time, the Bible is clear that humanity’s ability to follow the moral law has been corrupted by sin. Our minds are clouded, and our understandings are imperfect. What we perceive of natural law derives from the divine standards that exist objectively, but our grasp of it is partial and obscured by our fallen nature. We see “in a mirror dimly” as the apostle Paul describes it (1 Corinthians 13:12). Even our capacity to reason has been affected by sin. As Paul writes in Romans 1:21, although people knew God, “they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Our comprehension of natural law depends on special revelation from God through Scripture to enlighten our understanding.
This is why the Ten Commandments hold such an important place in Christian ethics and natural law theory. The Commandments are considered divine moral law epitomized in a clear written form that was specially revealed to counteract the deficiencies of human reason damaged by the Fall. Though the moral principles such as prohibitions against murder or theft are accessible to natural reason, God wrote them explicitly for his chosen people to eliminate all doubt and ambiguity about what they entailed. The clarity of the Ten Commandments bridges the gap between the limited discernment of natural law through reason and the perfect comprehension of the moral order in the mind of God.
Beyond the Decalogue given specially to Israel, the Bible articulates moral truths applicable to all people that align with a natural law ethic. Scriptural support for natural law goes all the way back to Cain being punished for murdering Abel in Genesis 4, long before the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. The covenant with Noah after the Flood in Genesis 9 likewise prohibits unjustified killing of human beings, showing that this standard applies not just to Israel but to all nations on the earth descended from Noah. Other examples abound, such as Psalm 19 proclaiming that the ordinances of the Lord are good and right, bringing happiness to those who follow them. Christ himself quotes the commands to love God and neighbor when asked about the greatest among the commandments (Matthew 22:37-39). The apostle Paul affirms the existence of universal moral duties when he speaks of gentiles who do not possess the (Mosaic) law but “show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts” (Romans 2:14).
Crucially, natural law is differentiated from mere human opinion because it is grounded in the eternal, unchanging nature of God. Passages like Numbers 23:19 (“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind”) and James 1:17 (“with [God] there is no variation or shadow due to change”) attest that God’s moral law flows necessarily from his perfect attributes. It does not arbitrarily depend on God’s will or whims. This provides natural law its firm footing against subjectivity. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “though good and evil are real, they are not two but one” in God’s very being. The moral law aligns with His holy essence.
In light of all this biblical evidence, here are the key points that summarize the doctrine of natural law:
– There is an objective moral order that derives from God’s unchanging righteous nature.
– We can discern elements of God’s moral law through conscience and reason since we are made in His image.
– Our ability to understand the moral law has been distorted by sin and requires correction from divine revelation.
– The Ten Commandments constitute a uniquely clear revelation of God’s moral will tailored to counteract deficiencies in fallen human reason.
– Scripture testifies to moral duties binding upon all people, not simply those with access to special revelation.
– Natural law is grounded in who God is; Christian ethics therefore revolves around the embodiment of godly virtues.
In conclusion, natural law theory begins with the conviction that the Creator has built into the order of the universe certain norms of right and wrong that govern moral behavior for all persons at all times. These universal principles are accessible to all because they flow necessarily from God’s own moral character realized in creation. Thus, even without possessing knowledge of Christ or the Bible, people are accountable to a common standard of moral obligation discoverable through reason and built into human nature from the beginning. At the same time, special revelation proves necessary to provide correction and moral guidance attuned to the failings of fallen humanity. Christian ethics stands with one foot in universal natural law and the other in the uniquely revealed Word of God, affirming moral truth that is grounded in the unchanging character of the omnibenevolent Creator to whom all persons owe worship and allegiance.