Romans 1:18-23 NKJV – 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
V18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…
God reveals His anger many times in the past from Adam’s sin to today. It is from heaven, because that is where God resides. All ungodliness, unrighteousness, and suppressing the truth. Ungodliness is breaking God’s standards. Unrighteousness is all thoughts, desires, words, and deeds that God would not approve. Suppressing the truth can happen in many, many ways.
God does get angry:
Breaking the Ten Commandments (Christians don’t keep the Sabbath, because that is a sign between Israel and God. See Ezekiel 20:10-12 and Exodus 31:13-17).
- Other gods
- Images of gods
- Blasphemy
- Breaking Sabbath
- Not honoring parents
- Murder
- Adultery
- Stealing
- False witness
- Covetousness
Each of these is the heading of a whole set.
- Other gods can be Greek gods (or any other religion), a person, money, ourselves, fame, etc.
- Images can be drawing statues, pictures, etc. that a person bows to, gives honor and praise to, serves, and/or invokes assistance (thus, a Roman Catholic does so to a statue of “Mary” is worship).
- Blasphemy can be false oaths, misrepresenting what God has done, doing, and will do, twisting His words, diminishing or changing His character traits, etc. It can be done in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.
- Breaking Sabbath (God’s laws for the Sabbath are mainly in Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 16:29, Exodus 31:12-17, and Jeremiah 17:27. Compare NT as in Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14:6).
- Not honoring parents as in making them angry, making them cry, refusing to help them, seeing them, assisting them (if possible), listening, etc.
- Murder includes unwarranted hate, anger, desires to hurt, violence, etc.
- Adultery includes all sexual sins as fornication, adultery (married only), porn, etc.
- Stealing can be goods, time, reputation, poor work ethics, wasting goods, etc.
- False witness includes any type of lies, slander, libel, smearing character, etc.
- Covetousness can be for others’ fame, fortune, reputation, location, spouse, etc.
V19 …because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them.
God has made all people aware of His existence. God wants people to know enough about Him and His ways, so they will seek Him (Acts 17:27). Compare Cornelius (Acts 10:1-2). We can seek Him because He writes the Law on our hearts, which is the conscience (Romans 2:15), and He gives witness through creation (intelligence to bring creation into being). Romans 3:10 shows that no one seeks God, but God seeks us (Luke 19:10 also see John 16:8). Some refuse to seek—2 Chronicles 12:14 (BSB) And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
One way is through His Law written on our hearts, the witness of Creation, and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8 and Acts 16:29-30).
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary on Revelation has “In addition to providing a general revelation through nature, God has revealed something of Himself through the basic knowledge of right and wrong that He has put within the hearts of all people. This unwritten standard, which makes possible the operation of the human conscience, is sometimes called ‘natural law’ (Rom 2:15).
“The revelation through conscience, like the revelation through nature, gives people some understanding of God, but it does not give them the detailed knowledge that is necessary for salvation. Such knowledge comes through the more specific revelation God has made through His spoken and written Word (1 Corinthians 1:21).”
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…
Creation does reveal God’s brilliant mind and ability. Some attributes of God seen in creation include omniscience, omnipotence, omnisapience, etc. By scientific examination one can find many of the amazing chemical and physical processes. His power is seen in the heavens.
I understand Godhead to mean His divine nature, which is particularly seen in God’s Son Jesus Christ. No one has any excuse. All know enough to cry out, “Who are you? Show me.”
V21 …because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
So, since all people know God exists, their response varies. Some respond by seeking. Most do not seek and offer no honor or thankfulness.
Doing this has consequences—their thoughts became futile (G3154), which means (Word Study Bible): “To make vain or worthless, to cancel out. In the past, mataiómai, to become vain, destitute of real wisdom (Rom 1:21), to be or act perversely, foolish. In reality, to get off the right path, to follow foolish or bad courses.”
Another consequence is spiritual blindness and hardness (stubbornness) of heart.
Albert Barnes notes:
“Was rendered obscure, so that they did not perceive and comprehend the truth. The process which is stated in this verse is,
(1) That people had the knowledge of God.
(2) That they refused to honor him when they knew him, and were opposed to his character and government.
(3) That they were ungrateful.
(4) That they then began to doubt, to reason, to speculate, and wandered far into darkness.
“This is substantially the process by which people wander away from God now. They have the knowledge of God, but they do not love him; and being dissatisfied with his character and government, they begin to speculate, fall into error, and then “find no end in wandering mazes lost,” and sink into the depths of heresy and of sin.”
V22 Professing to be wise, they became fools…
They talk like they know much, but in reality, God considers them to be fools. See 1 Corinthians 3:19. Their excuses may be very intellectual but false.
(People’s New Testament, 1891) “Became fools. The Greeks and Roman heathen boasted of their wisdom and held the rest of the world in contempt, but at the same time, their idolatry showed their utter folly.”
V23 …and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
The Greek word for change is (236) ἀλλάσσω allássō, which means (Thayer) “to cause one thing to cease and another to take its place.” This is a willful action. God cannot be corrupted, that is,
Day of Praise for FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1995, writes:
“When something is corruptible in the Biblical sense, it can decay, be spoiled, or be ruined. Man’s sinfulness is most evident when he attempts to create a mental picture or physical facsimile of God that resembles either himself or another of God’s creations. Thus, the battle lies in realizing that the “glory of the incorruptible God” is not like corruptible man or the creation which groans under the bondage of sin. Hebrews speaks of Jesus Christ with the “power of an endless life” (7:16). Contrast this with the work of men, which comes to “naught” (Acts 5:38).
“Our only real hope lies in the fact that God is incorruptible. It is His incorruption with which our corruption (I Corinthians 15:42–45) must be “clothed” (II Corinthians 5:2). “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (I Corinthians 15:49). Life comes from life—and true spiritual, immortal life must come from immortal life. Speaking of God, Paul says, “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto” (I Timothy 6:16). “For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). Man, on the other hand, is hopelessly trapped in a “body of death” (Romans 7:24). With these thoughts in mind, this old familiar verse takes on a new sweetness: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “Now unto the King eternal, immortal [same Greek word as incorruptible in our text verse], invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (I Timothy 1:17). CJH”
We learn:
- About sin, its reality, and God’s character.
- Why God becomes angry about sin.
- Why God seeks to save rather than punish.
Questions:
- What do you think about sin?
- Do you sin?
- Do you ignore God’s call?