Romans Chapter 1:18-32
In order to show that the world actually needs the gospel (1:16), Paul proves that the Gentiles, individually and as a group, are justly condemned by God’s law, because they indeed have known God and His law, and have broken it. The reason why only the righteous will live by faith is because there is no other viable option. “Paul has just stated what the gospel is; he now goes on to show the necessity for such a gospel. The world is lost without it” (Cottrell p. 133). “Paul is about to expound a wonderful salvation. But first he establishes the need for it. Many of his contemporaries did not agree, with the result that his message seemed foolishness to them. Many of our contemporaries do not agree with him either, with the result that his words are incomprehensible to them, too. It has always seemed to most people that they are, on the whole, pretty decent people. But for Paul the significant thing is not that people have met their own standard but that they have not met God’s. They have come short of His demand. They are in the greatest of danger because they are subject to His wrath” (Leon Morris p. 73). Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness” “For”: Introducing the great need for a way of making people right with God, all unrighteousness faces God’s wrath. “He shows why it is so urgently necessary that the way to get right with God should be known. There is a moral law in life that men are left to the consequences of their own freely chosen course of action, and unless this tendency is reversed…their situation will go from bad to worse. “He begins with an area of human life whose moral bankruptcy was a matter of general agreement among moralists of the day. What is the cause, he asks, of this appalling condition that has developed in the world? Whence come these shameful perversions….it all arises, he says, from wrong ideas about God. And these wrong ideas of God did not arise innocently” (F.F. Bruce, pp. 81,82). “The wrath of God”: “The gospel is necessary because there is such a thing as the wrath of God” (Leon Morris p. 75). While many people do not like to think that God expresses wrath, we need to realize that wrath is just as much a part of God’s nature as is love. “Paul is clear that God is not passive in the face of sin. God is implacably and vigorously opposed to every evil” (p. 75). “God’s wrath is a fearsome reality. We must never weaken its force by separating it from the nature and will of God” (Cottrell p. 134). Neither can we attempt to make God’s wrath some impersonal force. “God’s wrath should not be compared with frivolous, impetuous, capricious human anger” (p. 134).
“Revealed from heaven”: There is another revelation of God in the world besides the Gospel. It is a revelation of God's wrath. The wrath under consideration may refer to the final judgment (1 Thess. 1:10; Romans 5:9), yet the wrath of God lingers over the sinner at this very moment (John 3:36). This wrath may also refer to the physical consequences that come upon sin (Galatians 6:7-8; Romans 1:27). “The history of the world is the judgment of the world” (Schiller). “Revealed”: Present tense, “is being revealed”. This wrath is revealed against sin in the gospel message (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). In the context this wrath is also revealed in His judicial action of giving over sinners to the bitter consequences of their sinful desires and depraved lifestyles (1:24,26,28). “From heaven”: This wrath comes directly from God. This wrath is not a human discovery. “The present tense is both cases indicates that Paul is talking about present realities, not remote possibilities. And this wrath is divine: the use of the phrase from heaven is a reverent way of referring to God (Luke 15:7,10)” (Morris p. 77). “Forgiveness is no cheap gesture. It is as costly as the cross. It is meaningless without the wrath. Unless there is something to be saved from, there is no point in talking about salvation” (Morris p. 77). 1:18 “Against all”: “His all is important. There are no exceptions. Nothing is overlooked. We cannot say that God does not mind some evils. His wrath is revealed against every wrong” (Morris p. 77). “Ungodliness and wickedness of men”: Some feel that sin here is divided into sins against God and sins against our fellow man. Hendriksen notes that both terms represent sin and rebellion against God. The first views sin as want of reverence for God; the second, as want of reverence for His ordinances. There are no exceptions, God’s wrath is against every single sin and every single sinner. God’s wrath is against all the sins of all people. Ungodliness and wickedness will be condemned in every generation. “Nothing arouses God’s wrath except evil, and evil always does” (Stott p. 72) “Who hinder”: “Suppress” (NASV). Far from being ignorant about God, the Gentiles had sought to stifle the true knowledge of God and His will with ungodly living, “who keep down the truth (which they know) by the wickedness whereby they live” (Con). Plenty of people today seek to hinder the truth through unrighteousness, such as those that deny that the unborn are human, people that claim that homosexuality is normal or inborn, those who argue against the need to be baptized, the reality of hell, or the inspiration of the Bible. “It is not just that they do wrong, though they know better. It is that they have made an a priori decision to live for themselves, rather than for God and others, and therefore deliberately stifle any truth which challenges their self-centeredness” (Stott p. 72). Remember, the very fact that they are hindering or suppressing the truth is proof that they have it. It may appear that the Gentiles, or my neighbor, does not know any better, that is, they are genuinely ignorant, “but Paul is saying it is only an apparent ignorance and not a real one. The knowledge is there, but suppressed” (Cottrell p. 137). Compare with Ephesians 4:18. “It isn't knowledge he is in need of. It's integrity he needs”' 1 “The truth”: In the context, the truth under consideration is the truth about God (1:25). This is truth that is open and available to all (Romans 1:20). “People are guilty because they sin against the truth they have, not the truth they do not have” (Morris p. 78). Which in this context, homosexuals do know that homosexuality is neither natural nor right (1:26-27). 1
McGuiggan p. 75
Romans 1:19 “because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them” “Because”: Here is why God’s wrath is justly revealed against sin, because man is not ignorant of God or His laws. “That which is known of God”: The things that all men can know about God are further clarified in the next verse, and in 1:32. Thus, no man can ever say, “I did not know”. “Known”: Or, that which is knowable. “Is manifest”: “Lies plain before their eyes” (NEB); “is evident” (NASV); “is plain to them” (TCNT). A truth that is open and easily seen. “This is why this truth is known: it cannot be missed” (Cottrell p. 138). “In them”: In their conscience and in their hearts. “Is clear to their minds” (Knox). “Man cannot charge God with hiding himself from them and thus excuse their ir-religion and their immorality” 2 Paul preached the same sermon in Acts 14:16ff and 17:22ff. “For God manifested it unto them”: “The Gentiles know this truth about God because He chose to make Himself known. Their knowledge is neither an accidental discovery nor a cleverly devised speculation” (Cottrell p. 139). “It is not people’s innate ability or cunning that enables them to rise to the knowledge of God” (Morris p. 80). Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, {even} his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse” “For”: This verse explains how God has made His presence plain. “The invisible things of Him”: “Invisible attributes” (TCNT). Two invisible qualities of God are mentioned in this verse, His everlasting power and divine nature. “Since the creation”: This has been the case ever since God made the universe. Every man or woman since the beginning have had access to the same knowledge about God, yes, even if they lived in the most remote parts of the planet. This verse also infers that mankind has existed on this planet “since the creation of the world”, that is, man did not arrive on this planet millions or billions of years after Genesis 1. “Are clearly seen”: All the evidence for God’s existence and our accountability to Him surrounds us every day! “This whole mighty universe has always reflected its Creator” (Morris p. 81). Compare with Psalm 19:1-2 and Acts 14:17. “Being perceived”: Which requires someone from the beginning to perceive such things. Note, the word “perceive” requires an exercise of the mind. The basic arguments for the existence of God assume “some basic reasoning power, which all human beings have by virtue of being created in God’s image” (Cottrell p. 142). Such a use of the mind “is not abstract speculation by sane and sober thought on the things made by God” (Lenski p. 97). “Through the things that are made”: The very existence of the universe logically demands a Maker. Note, this universe is not eternal, neither is it the product of a random accident, rather it was “made”. This is a telling commentary about the person that can study the physical creation and yet still believe in evolution and or remain an atheist or agnostic. “Even His everlasting power”: Clearly only omnipotent power could have produced the universe in which we live. This is not merely power, but eternal power. True omnipotence would have to be eternal in nature, otherwise such a power would end and thus not be omnipotent. Seeing that this world is created of perishable things, the inference is 2
Lenski p. 96
that the God behind it is imperishable. “And divinity”: This speaks of the sum of all the attributes and perfections of God, the sum of God’s glorious attributes, all the attributes that we usually associate with God. From the creation we can see God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and His grace, mercy and goodness (Acts 14:17). We can also see His patience (Acts 17:30) and justice as the sinner naturally reaps the error of his way (Galatians 6:7-9). What this verse is saying is that from observing the creation, man can grasp enough of God’s nature to prevent him from going into idolatry or atheism. “That they may be without excuse”: God actually designed the universe with plenty of knowledge about the truth built into it, thereby removing all human excuses. Romans 1:21 “because that, knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened” “Because that”: “For even though” (NASV). “Knowing God”: God’s system did work, by observing the creation men did know about God, and this is a point that Paul does not let us forget (Romans 1:25,28). Sadly, this knowledge of God was not followed by gratitude or obedience. “They glorified Him not as God”: They knew enough about Him to understand that such praise was due, but they withheld it from Him. “They may perhaps have said polite things about Him, but they did not ascribe to Him the glory that was His due” (Morris p. 84). “Not as God”: Saying nice or neutral things about God is not the same as praising Him. “Neither gave thanks”: Ingratitude and human pride are often at the root of unbelief and false religion. Giving God thanks is only appropriate and logical. “Giving Him thanks is simply acknowledging that He, rather than blind fortune or human merit, is the source of all life and blessings and happiness. By giving Him thanks we renounce selfsufficiency and confess our dependence upon and indebtedness to Him” (Cottrell p. 145). “But became vain in their reasonings”: This is what logically happens when we abandon God and His truth. “Their thinking is no longer the proper use of reason and logical. Instead of true thinking it is mere speculation and self-serving rationalization” (p. 145). “All their thinking has ended in futility” (NEB); “their thoughts turned to worthless things” (Beck); “they busied themselves with silly speculations” (Nor). Reasonings that fail to arrive at any purposeful goal. The word often means “devious” and “useless thinking”. Seeing that God made us, and this is His world, to deny such truths is to abandon the very foundation of learning and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). When people reject God, it does affect their thinking. “Sin is never an enlightened procedure despite the attitude of ‘advanced’ secularists. It always represents a darkening of some part of us. It is never ‘bright’ to walk in the ways of evil” (Morris pp. 84-85). “And their senseless heart was darkened”: Unbelief does affect a person intellectually, it does affect one’s integrity, level of honesty, openmindedness to the truth and willingness to change if one is wrong. Notice, such a result does not mean that people can no longer add or develop new technology, but what it does mean is that they will miss the true purpose in living, the true meaning of what it means to be human, and how to make relationships work. Romans 1:22 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” “Professing”: “They boast of their wisdom, but they have made fools of themselves” (NEB) (1 Corinthians 1:21). "Haven't you heard some people talk the greatest load of drivel and act like
they've just delivered themselves of some profound discovery?" 3 “People do not always recognize the realities of their situation” (Morris p. 85). They affirmed or proclaimed their wisdom, as the self-sufficient often do. “Wise”: In a worldly sense, but having no desire to be wise in the eyes of God or a wisdom built upon a respect for God and humility (Proverbs 1:7). “They became”: Notice the process, one “becomes” a fool. “Fools”: Wisdom is knowing how to make right choices. “Basically, it is knowing how to live. Those who reject God always think they are wise, and that their rejection of God is the highest evidence of it. They always think they are wiser than believers. They consider believers to be naïve, gullible, foolish, illogical, and full of wishful thinking. They consider themselves to be sophisticated, unbiased, very intelligent, and guided by critical thinking. It is the nature of worldly wisdom to confuse real foolishness with real wisdom, and vice versa (1 Corinthians 1:18ff)” (Cottrell p. 146). Romans 1:23 “and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things” “Changed”: This verse more fully explains how they became fools. The word “changed” or “exchanged” reveals the foolish bargain or deal that the Gentiles made. They traded the real God for something phony and useless. “The glory of the incorruptible God”: Such glory is clearly seen in the universe (Romans 1:20). “Incorruptible God”: The God who never fades or ceases and thus who can always be trusted for He is always there. “Nothing is more valuable and precious than this. It is like the ‘pearl of great price’: it is worth everything else to acquire and it must never be surrendered at any cost” (Cottrell p. 147). “For the likeness of an imagine of corruptible man”: Men should worship the God who is not subject to decay of any sort, “but they chose to worship not even man, but the imagine of man who wastes away” (Morris p. 87). “And of birds, fourfooted beasts, and creeping things”: And this sorry story does not end with man worshipping himself, but actually lowering himself further to worship the images of mere animals, to whom man is superior! (Genesis 1:28) “The characteristic shared by all these categories is mortality. This is true not just of the idols or statues, but of the things themselves after which the idols were patterned” (Cottrell p. 148). Notice that when one reads the Bible and gets the true context, that the worship of the eagle or wolf or whatever does not look spiritual, rather it looks completely foolish and is an insult to God Himself. Man does not gain any nobility or insight when he worships nature, rather he lowers himself and becomes foolish. “The lofty philosophy of Hinduism utters no effective protest against the most degrading practices of popular religion in India today. But the cultural idolatry of the West is no better. To exchange the worship of the living God for the modern obsession with wealth, fame, and power is equally foolish and equally blameworthy” (Stott p. 76). Romans 1:24 “Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves”
3
McGuiggan p. 82
“Wherefore”: This verse may revert back to 1:18 to reveal one way (not the only way) in which God’s wrath comes against the sinner. Notice that God did not ignore man’s rebellion and neither did grace automatically cover it. “God gave them up”: “Gave them over” (NASV); “letting them follow” (Beck); “let them go ahead into” (Tay). “These people had already willfully deserted God who merely left them to their own self-determination and self-destruction, part of the price of man's moral freedom, the words sound to us like clods on the coffin as God leaves men to work their own wicked will” 4 “The lost, enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved” 5 “In other words, He lets them alone to do as they please without hindrance from Him in the matter of sin” (Lard p. 149). Remember, this is God’s universe and people cannot reject God and remain immune to the consequences. This is a moral universe where you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7-9), and where the link between cause and effect cannot be broken or short-circuited. “In the lusts of their hearts”: This is a deep-seated evil desire and not merely some surface impulse. Note, God did not create such evil desires, rather such desires were allowed to enter their hearts and minds as they began to abandon God and His truth. If one does not fall for the truth, then one will fall for anything. “Unto uncleanness”: This word is often used in reference to sexual impurity. “The desires were already there; the punitive action is that God withdraws His restraints and lets them act out their fantasies in a sexually impure lifestyle” (Cottrell p. 151). Therefore, sinners should never take comfort in the fact that God is not providentially hindering them from sinning. Rather, such is proof that God has abandoned them. “They had become masters of themselves and their environment, or so they thought. They did not realize that they had thrust themselves into the depths of degradation. In every age an equivalent mistake is possible” (Morris p. 89). “That their bodies should be dishonored among themselves”: “So they degrade their own bodies with one another” (Wms). Christianity gives one a new sense of dignity and self-respect (1 Cor. 6:13, 19-20; 1 Thess. 4:4-5). Sin is its own punishment. Instead of being ashamed of the gospel, the world needs to be ashamed of its own conduct. Try living apart from God and you will end up embarrassing yourself. “Heathenism left its stamp on the bodies of men and women” 6 “When God is not honored as Creator (21,23), there is no longer any reason to respect and honor one’s body as a creation of God and as a gift from God” (Cottrell p. 151). Notice how the desire to be free from God and His restrictions is really nothing more than a selfish desire to engage in immorality. “When man forfeits God, he forfeits virtue” (p. 152). The sinner might not immediately perceive that they are being dishonored, but eventually most sinners encounter loneliness, frustration, meaninglessness, anxiety, shame and despair. These are consequences that the sinner did not expect to find in their supposed life of “freedom”. Apart from God man sees no need to take care of his body and be a good steward of what God has given him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Romans 1:25 “for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” 4 5 6
Robertson p. 330 The Problem of Pain. p. 115, C.S. Lewis Robertson p. 330
“For that they exchanged the truth of God”: They actually knew the truth about God. “The truth that God was the Creator and the natural object of their worship” (Morris p. 153). Before Paul moves on to emphasize the depths of sin into which the people went (1:26ff), he reminds us that these people were really this bad and that they deserve to be rejected. “For a lie”: When one rejects the truth all that is left to believe is a lie (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Proverbs 23:23; 2 Thess. 2:10-12). “All sin is a lie…the very reality of God is the starting point for all thinking, the elemental framework for the only valid worldview” (Cottrell p. 153). The rejection of God’s truth leaves a vacuum that the devil will gladly fill. Notice that God does not see idolatry and heathen religion in the context as being “partial truth”. “Worshipped and served”: Thus, to “serve” in this sense is to worship. One will naturally “serve” what one “worships”. One cannot worship one thing and serve something else (Matthew 6:24). “The creature”: They worshipped created things instead of worshipping the Creator. Side note: If Jesus is a created being, as some claim, then worshipping Jesus would be idolatry. Idolatry constitutes an upheaval and reversal of the created order, that is, according to Genesis 1:28 man is the master and not the servant in relation to other created things. “Man the intended lord of creation, deliberately makes himself religiously subservient to some created thing and thereby becomes a slave to the material world in general” (Cottrell pp. 153-154). “Who is blessed forever”: Or, who is forever praised. “All the meaning we can put into ‘blessing’ belongs to God, and that not for a moment but forever” (Morris p. 91). God, despite the attempts of sinners, will be praised forever. “Amen”: This is a solemn and devout note, this is what the faithful must say about such a statement. “As Paul uses it here, it is equivalent to, ‘it’s the truth!’” (Cottrell p. 154). Romans 1:26 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature” “For this cause”: Because they rejected the Creator and His truth. “A false image of God leads to a false understanding of sex” (Stott p. 76). One cannot reject God and still have a clear and correct understanding of why they are here, the meaning of life, and even such basic truths as men are to be men and women are to be women. People only have questions concerning “sexual orientation” when they abandon God. “God gave them up”: Homosexuality is not a wonderful thing, rather it is a punishment. It is not liberation, it is a mark of condemnation. It is not a movement in the direction of enlightenment, but rather a downward plunge into depravity and darkness. “Unto vile passions”: The “passion” behind homosexual urges is not genetic, and neither is it a different kind of love, rather such urgings come from only one place, “vile passions”, that is, depraved lusts. Compare with 1:24 “lusts of their hearts to impurity”. “This is the most shameful of the sexual lusts that run wild when God is rejected” (Cottrell p. 155). “For their women”: God condemns both female and male homosexuality. Thus lesbians and homosexual men are both under equal condemnation. Hodge reminds us that women are here mentioned first, “they are always the last to be affected in the decay of morals, and their corruption is therefore proof that all virtue is lost” (Morris p. 92). “Changed the natural use into that which is against nature”: This whole section is a devastating blow against the modern homosexual movement, because it answers all the popular pro-homosexual arguments. Homosexuality is not another kind of love, it is not caused by genetics, homosexual urges are not harmless, and neither are they a natural part of growing up. The Holy Spirit here declares that homosexuality is “against nature”, which means it is against the
created order, it violates how we were created, and it is a perversion of what is normal, natural and genetic. Please note that by the term “nature” God does not mean “my” nature or “what feels or seems natural for me”, rather He means, “what is in harmony with how God created this world”. Thus what is specifically declared to be “against nature” can never be regarded as a legitimate alternative to marriage. “I heard a psychologist on a television saying that homosexuality was ‘natural’. I could tell right away he was no anatomist. Whatever else homosexuality isn't, it isn't natural” 7 Romans 1:27 “and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due” “Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman”: Notice that this was a conscious choice. They were not born having no desire for women, rather they deliberately chose another object of their desires. “Burned in their lust one toward another”: Again, this is not an expression of love, rather it is an expression of perverted desires. “Working unseemliness”: “Shameless acts” (Mon). This is an “old word that means deformed. “Primarily want of form, disfigurement” (Vincent p. 20). Practices that are better left unsaid. “Receiving in themselves”: “In their own persons” (RSV). “That recompense of their error which was due”: “The due penalty of their error” (NASV) There was always an due penalty, a proper reward, a just paying back for such sinfulness. “The fitting wage of such perversion” (NEB). Their practices here are called “error”, and such an error brings, yea, deserves punishment. “Unnatural vice brings its own perverted reward. The truth of the matter is that homosexuals have always been in a constant state of health crisis, because there are many illnesses and health problems that are directly related to such practices. “As it exists under the curse (8:18-22), the world is full of all sorts of bacteria, viruses, and ailments that are a threat to all of us under certain conditions. The fact is, though, that certain practices, especially sinful practices, openly invite these maladies to strike us down” (Cottrell p. 159). Romans 1:28 “And even as they refused to have God in {their} knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting” “And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge”: Again, here is a deliberate and conscious choice. “God gave them up unto a reprobate mind”: “Their own depraved reason” (NEB). Lit., not standing the test. They did not approve of the truth (God in their knowledge), and God called such an attitude, disapproved. They rejected God, and God rejected their attitude. “As they deserted God, so God abandoned them. They preferred other things to the knowledge of God” (Morris p. 94). “Reprobate”: This term was used of coins that were substandard. When one rejects God and His truth, the mind ceases to be able to make trustworthy moral judgments. “The worst penalty for sin is to love sin” (Morris p. 94). “They judged God to be a worthless idea, so God gave them over to their own worthless speculations. The mind that judges God to be worthless is itself worthless” (Cottrell p. 161). “To do those things which are not fitting”: This is the only course left open to the mind that has rejected God. 7
McGuiggan pp. 85-86
“Without Him, there is no basis either for absolute ethical obligation or for absolute ethical norms” (p. 161). Romans 1:29 “Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips” “Being filled with”: “These sins do not occur just once in a while; the Gentile world is filled with them. This double reference to ‘filled’ indicates the prevalence and depth of the lawlessness that permeates the world” (Cottrell p. 162). They are not half-hearted about his sin. “All”: Every kind of. “Unrighteousness”: General term for unrighteousness or transgression of God’s law. “Wickedness”: “It describes the inner nature of a person who delights in acting in ways that oppose God and goodness, and who puts his evil desires into practice” (Cottrell p. 163). “Greed”: “The insatiable desire to accumulate more and more things in general, without regard for the rights and needs of others” (p. 163). “It is selfishness unlimited. This covetous person pursues his own desires with a complete disregard of the effect of other people” (Morris p. 96). “Evil”: Another very general term for depravity. “It is the degeneracy out of which all sins grow and in which all sins flourish” (Barclay pp. 27-28). “Full of envy”: “Reminds us that evildoers are not just one happy band of brothers. There is a divisiveness about evil that sets people apart from one another. Evil people are apt to be envious rather than appreciative” (Morris p. 96). As greed is directed toward objects, envy is directed toward another person. “It means not just wanting what another person has, but also resenting that person for having it” (Cottrell p. 163). “Murder”: From the previous sins, murder will often spring. Compare with Matthew 5:21-22; 1 John 3:15. “Strife”: Contention, wrangling, rivalry. “Someone who is always looking for an argument or a fight” (Cottrell p. 163). “Deceit”: Which would include guile, treachery, cunning and hypocrisy. “There is nothing straightforward about sin, and sinners do not hesitate to deceive one another if their purposes can be advanced” (Morris p. 96). “Malice”: “Conscious and intentional wickedness” (p. 97). “The spirit that always supposes the worst about other people” (Aristotle). This would involve the desire to hurt others. “They are gossips”: Literally the term here means a whisperer, that is whispering what one does not wish to be heard openly. 1:30 “Slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents” “Slanderers”: There may be a distinction between the gossip and the slanderer, that is, the first is secret and the second is public. “Haters of God”: Not only do they speak evil of others, both privately and publicly, but they also slander God (Jude 15). “Insolent”: This and the next two words deal with pride. Such a person has a very lofty opinion of themselves and at the same time they view others with contempt. “It is the pride that is totally unaware of its limitations and goes before a fall” (Morris p. 98). This word would include the “bully”. “Arrogant”: “A certain contempt for everyone else except oneself” (Barclay). “Boastful”: The Greek term here derives from a word meaning ‘wandering’. It “apparently goes back to the extravagant claims made by wandering men: merchants with something to sell, quacks with claims to heal, and wanders in general with tall tales to tell” (Morris p. 98). “Inventors of evil”: “Suggests a certain ingenuity in devising wrong. These people are not content to go on in the established paths of evil, but are eager to strike out on new
and worse ways” (p. 98). This infers that even sin can become boring thus the sinner must look for new thrills. “Disobedient to parents”: This clearly reveals that disobeying your parents is not some little matter. Look at the sins among which this act of rebellion is placed. “It indicates a readiness to be false to those to whom one owes the most. It implies a lack of gratitude and a contempt for family authority” (p. 98). Compare with Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2. 1:31 “Without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful” This verse lends itself to some clever translations, “Without brains, honor, love, or pity” (New Jerusalem Bible). “Foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless” (RSV). “Without understanding”: This refers not to the person who lacks intelligence but rather to the person who refuses to use the sense that God gave them, people who cannot “put two and two together in the moral life” (Lenski p. 122). One cannot act like a wise men while living in sin. “Untrustworthy”: Unreliable, disloyal, dishonest, basically one who does not keep their agreements, a covenant breaker. “Satisfactory living comes to an end when people cannot be trusted to keep their pledged word. But such considerations do not trouble the wicked. Where they see personal advantage, keeping faith does not matter to them” (Morris p. 98). Not honoring the commitment of marriage would be one example of being untrustworthy. “Unloving”: Also translated, “without natural affection”. This person lacks the natural love that should exist between members of the same family, especially the love that ties parents and children together. “When it is absent the results are such things as abortion, infanticide, child abuse, fratricide, and matricide” (Cottrell p. 165). “Unmerciful”: “This is the person who simply does not care when others are in need or are suffering” (p. 165). This letter that will stress God’s mercy in the gospel ends this lists of sins with a lack of mercy. “The person who shows no mercy can scarcely go lower” (Morris p. 99). 1:32 “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 give hearty approval to those who practice them” “And although they know”: This brings us back to the main point of this section, that the Gentiles know about God and they also know that the sinful practices listed in this section are wrong. They have enough knowledge of God and His truth to be rightly judged and condemned by it. “The ordinance of God”: The term ordinance is a legal term, and means a decree or a righteous and just command. God did lay down decrees for the Gentiles. The Gentiles not only knew that such things were wrong, but they also knew why, that is, because God said so. “Granted that no evildoer ever understands all the implications of the wrong he is doing, it still remains that he knows enough to know that he is doing wrong” (Morris p. 99). “Such things”: The sins mentioned in this section. “Are worthy of death”: The death penalty has been imposed on some of the vices in this section (murder, disobedient to parents). Even though God does not command stoning today, it does not mean that He has changed His mind concerning the awfulness of these sins. But more importantly, such sins result in spiritual and eternal death. What this means is that the Gentiles were not ignorant of God’s existence, His requirements, or the consequences for transgressing His law. Clearly, they are without excuse. Even today, the common sinner knows that certain acts are wrong and that doing certain things will send one to hell. “They not only do the same”: In spite of
having all this knowledge, they still go ahead and violate God’s law. “But also give hearty approval to those who practice them”: “Encouraged others to do them too” (Tay); “But they even applaud those who do them” (TCNT). Such people are not content to simply engage in evil by themselves, they also actively encourage others. “Those who condone and applaud the vicious actions of others are actually making a deliberate contribution to the setting up of a public opinion favorable to vice, and so to the corruption of an indefinite number of other people” (Cottrell p. 168). People really need to examine this last verse. Marching in a gay-rights parade is giving “hearty approval to those who practice them”. “The best modern example of this is the plethora of movies, TV programs, books, musicians, and entertainers in general who openly and brazenly promote all forms of ungodliness and wickedness” (Cottrell p. 168).