A Letter Of Explanation

Romans 1:13-31

Open your Bibles to Romans, chapter one, starting in verse 13. We will be looking at the importance of Paul's message through to verse 32.

We read Paul's letter to the Roman church, large or small. I do not know. Paul does talk about a group of believers in the house of Caesar in Philippians, chapter 4.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also just as among the rest of the Gentiles.

How is it that an apostle has not visited the most important city in the known world?

Paul often planned to come, but these plans had not come to pass. Although, in the mysterious providence of God, it all worked out for the best. After all, Paul's delay in fulfilling his trip to Rome caused him to write this particular letter. Besides, Paul did eventually go to Rome as a prisoner (Ac 25:10–28:16), spending two years in the city preaching the gospel "without hindrance" (Ac 28:31).

Believers must understand that God works out events in ways we could never imagine (Rm 8:28).[1]Just look at your own life or those closest to you. Many decisions in life have significant effects on our testimony and faith.

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Paul's obligation is to God Himself and no other. "Paul's conversion placed a unique mission and obligation on him (Ac 9:15; 13:47; 1Co 9:16; Gl 2:8–9)".[2] "I am under obligation," Paul's statement demonstrates his total obedience to Jesus and the Damascus Road encounter. Bearing this obligation, Paul reveals, through his letters, in his joy-filled journey, in accepting every humiliation, injury, and eventual death. Is something to be considered as blessed by heaven.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: "But the righteous one will live by faith."

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Paul speaks of the "General Revelation of God." No one can look outside at the beauty of this world, the differing trees on our surrounding land, flowers, animals, insects, different kinds of fruits and vegetables. And not understand it took something more significant than just an accident to make this world happen.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

Because of human willfulness, people's knowledge of God became clouded, and their thinking became darkened. Without contact with God, the human heart loses touch with reality, misses the purpose of one's existence, ignores God, and becomes ungrateful and stiff-necked. People are supposed to glorify God as God but find all sorts of created objects to worship. Thus, part of the wrath of God reveals in humanity's loss of intelligent thinking.[3]

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

Here Paul gives the people knowing that God knows what is going on around them—quoting from Isaiah 44:9-11; 18-19.

"Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no benefit? Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them be put to shame together… They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. No one remembers, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, 'I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I bow down before a block of wood!'"

Therefore, God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Many people believe the history of religion grew along with an evolutionary model. In this view, humanity initially held animistic beliefs, progressing to polytheism and God's single Creator. From there, we moved to a vague philosophical monotheism in the Enlightenment. Finally, we are now embracing atheism in the age of science.

This theory is not an authentic look at the early history of religion. Instead of beginning in polytheism, the Bible begins with the knowledge of the one true God, then declined into polytheism as humans were separated from God and fractured from one another. As a result, even in the last century, continuing today, we have seen dictators worshiped as gods. The Bible shouts this sin will repeat itself climactically in the end times (2Th 2:3–12; Rv 13:1–18).[4]

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

[1]Edwin A. Blum, “Romans,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1780. [2]Ibid [3]Edwin A. Blum, “Romans,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1781. [4]Edwin A. Blum, “Romans,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1781.