Romans 1.22-The Arrogance of Mankind
Tuesday June 19, 2007
Romans: Romans 1:22-The Arrogance of Mankind
Lesson # 27
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 1:18.
This evening we will continue with our study of Romans 1:18-32, which is divided into two sections: (1) The basis for Gentile guilt (1:18-23). (2) The results of Gentile guilt (1:24-32).
This evening we will continue with our study of the first section that appears in Romans 1:18-23, which presents three reasons why the entire Gentile world is unrighteous and condemned before God and thus in need of salvation and God’s righteousness: (1) They suppress the truth (1:18). (2) They ignore God’s revelation in creation (1:19-20). (3) They pervert God’s glory (1:21-23).
In Romans 1:18, Paul writes that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth of God by means of their unrighteousness.
Then, in Romans 1:19, Paul writes that the reason why God has revealed His wrath against the heathen Gentile world is that they have rejected knowledge of Him that He has made available by observing creation.
Then, in Romans 1:20, Paul writes that knowledge of God is acquired by observing creation and so therefore, all of humanity is held accountable by God who rejected this revelation since He has provided sufficient evidence of Himself.
On Sunday morning we noted Romans 1:21 and noted the rebellion, ingratitude, ignorance and spiritual incapacity of mankind as a result of their rejection of God’s revelation of Himself in creation.
In this passage, we studied the four-fold result of the human race rejecting God’s revelation of Himself in creation: (1) They never worshipped God. (2) They never thanked God. (3) They became ignorant. (4) They were unable to comprehend spiritual matters.
This evening we will study Romans 1:22 in which Paul presents another result of the human race rejecting God’s revelation of Himself in creation, namely, they became arrogant.
Romans 1:18-19, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Romans 1:21, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Romans 1:22, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.”
Corrected translation of Romans 1:22, “It is an eternal spiritual truth that although they profess to be wise, they became fools.”
“Professing” is nominative masculine plural present active participle form of the verb phasko (favskw) (fas-ko), which denotes a strong affirmation that something is true or an unfounded assertion.
In Romans 1:22, the verb phasko functions grammatically as a “concessive” participle implying that the entire human race are fools in spite of their assertion that they are wise.
The present tense is “gnomic” indicating it is an “eternal spiritual truth” that although the entire human race professes to be wise, they have become fools as a result of rejecting God’s revelation of Himself in creation.
The active voice of the verb indicates that they are volitionally responsible and have made the decision to become arrogant.
“Wise” is the adjective sophos (sofov$) (sof-os), which means, “wise, educated, sophisticated” and “cultured” but according to the standards of the cosmic system of Satan (See 1 Corinthians 1:19, 22; 3:18-19; 4:10).
1 Corinthians 3:19-20, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, ‘He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS’ and again, ‘THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.’”
The cosmic system of Satan refers to a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
This system is promoted by Satan, conformed to his ideals, aims, methods, and character, and stands perpetually in opposition to the cause of Christ and is used to seduce men away from the person of Christ.
1 John 5:19, “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
The believer is prohibited from loving the cosmic system of Satan.
1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
1 John 2:17, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, the apostle Paul condemns the wisdom of the cosmic system, teaching that the wisdom of God as revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ is superior and has made foolish the wisdom of the cosmic system.
1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:19, “For it is written, ‘I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.’”
1 Corinthians 1:20, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
1 Corinthians 1:21, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
1 Corinthians 1:22, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom.”
1 Corinthians 1:23, “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.”
1 Corinthians 1:24, “but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:25, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
1 Corinthians 1:26, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.”
1 Corinthians 1:27, “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.”
1 Corinthians 1:28, “and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are.”
1 Corinthians 1:29, “so that no man may boast before God.”
1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
1 Corinthians 1:31, “so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’”
The wisdom of God is expressed through creation.
Psalm 104:24, “O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all.”
God’s wisdom resides in the mind and thinking of Christ, which appears in the written Word of God.
Colossians 2:3, “in whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
The believer acquires the wisdom of God by letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in his soul, which gives him the capacity to glorify God in whatever circumstance or relationship in life.
Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
James describes God’s wisdom.
James 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”
In Ephesians 1:16-17, Paul informs the Ephesian believers that he prays that they would receive spiritual wisdom and revelation from the Holy Spirit regarding their union and identification with Christ, which is by means of an experiential knowledge of the Father.
Ephesians 1:16, “I never cease making it a habit giving thanks on account of all of you. I make it habit to make mention of all of you during my prayers.”
Ephesians 1:17, “In order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father may give to all of you a spiritual wisdom, yes, and revelation too (from the Holy Spirit) by means of an experiential knowledge of Him (the Father).”
“Spiritual wisdom” is an attribute of God that is found in the Person of Christ and expressed in the Word of Christ, which is the mind and thinking of Christ.
God’s wisdom is based upon His omniscience and is His unique ability to devise a perfect plan to accomplish His goal to glorify Himself.
“Revelation” refers to the Holy Spirit’s ministry on behalf of the believer in revealing through the Scriptures, the love the Father has for the believer as revealed in Ephesians 1:3-14.
“Experiential knowledge” refers to personally encountering through the process of fellowship the Father as He is revealed by God the Holy Spirit through prayerful study of the Word of God and being affected by this encounter with the Father resulting in the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ.
Romans 1:22, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.”
“They became fools” is 3rd person plural aorist passive indicative form of the verb moraino (mwraivnw) (mo-rah-ee-no), which in the ingressive aorist tense means, “to become foolish, to have one’s thoughts become devoid of meaning.”
The verb is related to the adjective moros (mwrov$), which means, “dull, stupid” and has been used to describe intellectual “dullness.”
We get our English word “moron” from this Greek word.
The passive voice indicates that the human race as the subject receives the action of the verb and according to the context (Romans 1:24, 26, 28), God is the unexpressed agency in the sense that He gave the human race over to foolishness as a result of rejecting the revelation of Himself in creation.
When you reject God’s truth, there is nothing left for Him to do but to hand you over to the lies of Satan’s cosmic system since God has only truth to offer the human race.
The human race rejects the truth of God as it is revealed in creation and thus God hands it over to the lies of Satan who seeks to live independently of God and to be worshipped by men (See Isaiah 14:12-14).
The statement “it is an eternal spiritual truth that although professing to be wise, they became fools” in Romans 1:22 teaches that the entire human race became arrogant as a result of their rejection of God’s revelation of Himself and refusing to worship and thank Him as their Creator.
To be arrogant is to make unwarrantable claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights whereas arrogance is the offensive exhibition of assumed or real superiority and is overbearing pride.
As a result of rejecting God’s revelation of Himself in creation and refusing to worship and thank Him as their Creator, the human race became arrogant in the sense that they made unwarrantable claims or pretensions to superior importance in the sense that they professed to be wise.
Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.”
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Proverbs 29:23., “A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.”
Isaiah 2:17-18, “The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols will completely vanish.”