Romans 1 - Part 2
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16 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.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Unashamed of the Gospel
Unashamed of the Gospel
16 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.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Paul goes on to state he is not ashamed of the gospel. Paul is willing to go to Rome, with all its worldliness, and take the message of Jesus Christ to them. For is used in these verses to point out a reason or a response to what Paul is saying. The REASON he is willing to go to Rome is because he knows the power found within the gospel and the power believers have through salvation. It wasn’t because of his ability to preach, it wasn’t for the ability to charm others, it wasn’t because of his ability to convince others, but Paul is coming through a boldness proclaiming the good news of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and reappearance.
“The word gospel (evaggelion), means good news, glad tidings,—of course, about love and grace in giving Christ; and Christ’s blessed finished work for the sinner, putting away sin on the Cross. (There is no other good news for a sinner!) The other word, for “preached,” is kerusso, which properly means to proclaim as a herald, to publish.” Newell, William R. Romans Verse-by-Verse. Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d. Print.
How much different is this from the fire WE should have in proclaiming the gospel of Christ?
Because the Jews were God’s chosen people, the new testament gospel is still a vital part of their salvation! However, since they rejected the gospel, the Gentiles were also included in those chosen/called by God.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.
46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
The righteousness of God is a theme throughout Romans, and appears over 30 times throughout the book (also justified/justification). The gospel reveals this through faith, and can only be revealed through the belief in God because only HE is inherently righteous. Faith alone is where we understand, and are imparted righteousness, and is known/revealed through the Holy Spirit upon salvation to ungodly sinners.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
The righteousness spoken of here does not come from obeying the law, but to everyone who believes “from faith to faith”. Righteousness comes completely from God, and is explained by Paul as the only way God justifies sinners - by grace on the basis of faith alone. This use of words indicates true faith is not a single event, but a way of life - it endures.
Salvation, by faith, means we are delivered in from the past, in the present, and in the future from the penalties of the corruption and sin in our lives. While we are helpless on our own, God can save man. However, salvation does not mean God delivers us from the pain, difficulties, or dangers in this present world. We CAN have security, peace, and inward strength to endure. When a person believes the gospel—really believes that Christ saves him—God takes that person’s faith and counts it for righteousness. The person is not righteous; he is still imperfect, still corruptible, and still short of God’s glory as a sinful human being. But he does believe that Jesus Christ saves him.
Unrighteous
Unrighteous
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
What kind of people is Paul describing in these verses?
While it could be inferred from other books that the “unrighteous” would be the Gentiles, “Greeks”, etc., there is no distinction here between the Jews or Gentiles that are outside the will of God. What we DO see here is what God’s stance is on sin. It and those who are in it, are the recipients of God’s wrath.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
The wrath of God can be seen in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues on Egypt, and the bowls of wrath in Revelation. Notice also the use of unrighteousness and ungodliness. These two concepts cannot be separated; one pertains to the religious realm and the other the moral realm. It indicates the need reverence of God and reverence for his ordinances (the law) and both represent sin - rebellion against God.
Scripture teaches that there are wicked that will make an attempt to speak out and suppress truth.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
To contradict this, though, God makes himself known and continues to do so by revealing Himself through nature, history, and conviction of the Holy Spirit (conscience). Man doesn’t just blindly stumble upon God, but God does make himself known to man.
Paul goes on to describe “God’s invisible qualities” - what does he mean here?
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
A further explanation of these invisible qualities or attributes is given in the words “his eternal power and divine nature.”
Paul is speaking of the God who created heavens and earth simply by speaking them into existence. How amazing is that, to think of the nature of God who can speak His will and all in existence obeys. The divine nature speaks of His attributes - his power, wisdom, and goodness. All of which again is unseen. We see the EFFECTS, the IMPACT, the RESULT of His nature, but we do not see Him or His thoughts and actions.
Verse 21 is a clarification and amplification of verse 18 (final clause) and verse 20. It confirms the statement that by their unrighteousness these wicked people are constantly attempting to suppress the truth that has been and is continually being revealed to them, and that they are accordingly without excuse.
For, although they knew God from his works in creation, they did not glorify him: did not acknowledge him as their God and did not bestow upon him the honor and praise they owed him. Nor did they return thanks to him for the blessings they were constantly receiving. Such darkness indicates mental dullness, emotional despair, and spiritual depravity.
Notice in verses 22 and 23, there is a contrast between the claim of wisdom…and the reality of foolishness. It again points to the blindness of sin, and all who follow its foolishness. As previously pointed out, though, God’s nature can be seen in nature, so blindness to God is inexcusable.
In the previous and following verse, notice there is a close connection between idolatry and immorality. Paul is writing Romans from Corinth, a city well know for its immorality, and their continued depravity leads Paul to point out the continuation in sin can lead to a giving over to them to their sins. Not that, when someone sins God turns His back to them, but that continuation in unrepentant sin can cause God to remove His blessings and the sinners could be carried away in their sins - pulling them further from God.
In verse 25, what Paul is saying, then, is this: they (the Gentiles, etc.) worshiped (i.e., adored, revered) and served (rendered cultic service to) the creature rather than the Creator, and therefore deserved the punishment described in verse 24.
At the mention of God, the Creator, the apostle adds a doxology, strictly speaking a benediction: “who is blessed forever. Amen.” Commentators remind us that this was a Jewish custom when God’s name was mentioned. Nevertheless, anyone who has made a study of Paul’s life, as revealed to us in his epistles and in the book of Acts, is bound to agree that for this apostle a benediction, or in general a doxology, was not uttered merely out of custom. Rather, when Paul reflects on God, to whom he owes so very much, he shrinks back in revulsion at the thought that there are those who, in their religious practices, substitute a mere creature for that wonderful God who has done so much for him, the former bitter persecutor.
The connection between verse 26 and verse 25 is the same as that between verse 24 and verses 22, 23. In each case the sin is mentioned first, then the result. Now Paul no longer dwells on sexual immorality in general, as in verse 24, but becomes specific, and focuses the attention on one of its most disgusting manifestations, namely, wilful homosexuality. It is clear that the apostle is censuring the wilful practice of homosexuality or sodomy. And, indeed, Scripture does not make light of this vice. A person’s sexual orientation, whether heterosexual or homosexual is not the point at issue. What matters is what a person does with his sexuality!
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
In verse 27, for the third and last time our attention is focused on the correlation between man’s rejection of God and God’s rejection of man. Instead of regarding this knowledge about God which they were deriving from his revelation in nature to be a precious treasure, they were constantly attempting to suppress it (verse 18) and, as is stated here in verse 28, regarded it as a negligible entity. They did not deem it to be worthwhile to pay any attention to God and to his revelation. So they continued on their sinful way, as described in verses 21–27 (the way of idolatry and immorality).
The list of vices mentioned in Rom. 1:29–31 is similarly listed elsewhere in Paul’s writings. The most simple and logical way to divide the twenty-one vices mentioned in Rom. 1:29–31 is to list them in three groups:
a. one group of four vices (in the original each in the dat. s.), these four being introduced by the words “having become filled with every kind of”;
b. one group of five vices (all in the gen. s.), introduced by “being full of”; and
c. one group of twelve items, beginning with “gossips.”45
The final four items in this group of twelve form a kind of sub-group, each member beginning with ἀ-privative (equal to English prefix un, dis-, or suffix -less).
William Hendrickson describes them this way in the New Testament Commentary:
Group of Four
unrighteousness. Going against God’s moral law.
wickedness. This describes those people who take delight in doing what is wrong.
greed. This is covetousness, over-reaching, the craving for more and more and still more possessions, no matter how they are obtained. At times, the word applies to ravenous self-assertion in matters of sex, at the expense of others.
depravity. This is badness in general. It is hard to distinguish it from wickedness.
Group of Five
envy.47 This is the keen displeasure aroused by seeing someone having something which you begrudge him.
murder. Envy often leads to murder. This was true in the case of Cain who murdered Abel (Gen. 4:1–8; 1 John 3:12). It was true also with respect to those who demanded Christ’s crucifixion (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10). And was it not envy that caused the brothers of Joseph to plan his death? See Gen. 37:4, 18.
strife. This refers to a quarrelsome disposition and its consequences.
deceit. This is cunning, treachery.
malice. This indicates malignity, spite, the desire to harm people.
Group of Twelve
gossips. The “whispering” slanderers are meant. They do not—perhaps do not dare to—come out in the open with their vilifying chatter, but whisper it into someone’s ear.
slanderers. What the gossips do secretly, the slanderers do openly.
haters of God. The word used in the original more often refers to those who are hated by God. However, the word is also used at times, as it is here, to indicate those who hate God.
insolent. See also 1 Tim. 1:13. This marks overweening individuals. They treat others with contempt, as if they (these insolent ones) and they alone, amounted to anything, and all others amounted to nothing.
arrogant. These fellows consider themselves “supermen.”
boastful. Such people are constantly bragging about themselves. Think of Lamech (Gen. 4:23, 24), of Sennacherib (2 Chron. 32:10–14); and of those described in Isa. 10:8–11; 14:13, 14.
inventors of (novel forms of) evil. The reference is to those who take special delight in inventing “original” methods of destroying their fellowmen.
disobedient to (their) parents. Read Exod. 20:12; Lev. 19:3; Prov. 20:20; Matt. 15:4; 19:19; Eph. 6:2.
And now the little sub-group of four:
senseless.48 These are the people that are “void of understanding.” But this is not merely a mental weakness; it is also a moral blemish. They are stupid because they have all along been unwilling to listen to God! See Matt. 15:16; Mark 7:18; Rom. 10:19 (cf. Deut. 32:2).
faithless. They are “not true to the covenant,” hence are perfidious, not to be trusted. See Ps. 73:15; 78:57; 119:158.
loveless. The meaning is: without natural affection. It was not at all unusual for pagans to drown or in some other way to destroy unwanted offspring. In this connection think of present-day abortion, for which all kinds of excuses are being invented.
pitiless. The reference is to people without mercy, cruel persons, ruthless ones. Think not only of the robbers in the parable of The Samaritan Who Cared (Luke 10), but also of the priest and the Levite, the two who “passed by on the other side.”
What Paul is saying in Verse 32 is that the perpetrators of the crimes, either implied or expressed in verses 29–31, must not be regarded as being so innocent that they cannot distinguish between right and wrong. On the contrary, they know—have an awareness of the fact—that according to God’s ordinance, his decree, those who practice such vices are worthy of death. How do they know this? They know it because a righteous and holy God has revealed himself to them in nature (1:21) and in conscience (2:14, 15); in fact, is constantly doing this.
Paul’s real purpose in writing it was to show that man’s (here particularly the Gentile’s) wickedness is so great that only God is able to rescue him. Only when man accepts the divinely appointed way of salvation, namely, that of embracing God by faith, can he be saved. To God alone be the glory!
Hendriksen, William, and Simon J. Kistemaker. Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Vol. 12–13. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001. Print. New Testament Commentary.