1:30 God, (f-4) I doubt that it has the sense of 'God-haters.' It acquired the sense of 'abominably wicked.' as 'cursed children' does not mean that a curse is pronounced, but that they are fit only to be so named. It is the moral state. read more
1:32 who (g-1) As in v. 25, 'who being such as so knew.' judgment (h-5) Dikaioma . what the righteous will of God requires; hence even an ordinance of his will, or a righteous act meeting his requirement. See ch. 5.18; Luke 1:6 ; and Revelation 15:4 , where it is judgment itself. In ch. 2.5, 'righteous judgment' is dikaiokrisia . do (i-11) Prasso . to do an act. see John 5:29 . practise (k-20) Poieo . practise a course of action. see John 5:29 . delight (l-25) It means that not only their... read more
The Power of the Gospel and the need of the World. The Guilt of the HeathenIn his salutation the apostle emphasises his commission, and the greatness of the Person whose servant he is and who is the centre of his message (Romans 1:1-7). After expressing his desire to visit the Romans (Romans 1:8-15), he states the subject of his Epistle, viz. acceptance with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17), and proceeds to develop it by showing that none have been able to merit acceptance... read more
(24-32) Hence they fell into a still lower depth; for, in anger at their perversion of the truth, God refrained from checking their downward course. He left them to follow their own evil bent. Their idolatry developed into shameless immorality and unnatural crimes. At last the extreme limit was reached. As they voluntarily forsook God, so He forsook them. They ran through the whole catalogue of sins, and the cup of their iniquity was full.In the passage taken as a whole, three steps or stages... read more
(29, 30) Whisperers, backbiters.—In the Greek the idea of secresy is contained chiefly in the first of these words. “Secret backbiters and slanderers of every kind.” read more
(30) Haters of God.—Rather, perhaps, hated by God. There seem to be no examples of the active sense. The Apostle apparently throws in one emphatic word summing up the catalogue as far as it has gone; he then resumes with a new class of sins. Hitherto he has spoken chiefly of sins of malice, now he turns to sins of pride.Despiteful, proud, boasters.—The three words correspond to the distinction between act, thought, and word. The first implies distinctly insolence in outward bearing; it is the... read more
(31) Without understanding—i.e., without moral or spiritual understanding; incapable of discriminating between right and wrong, expedient and inexpedient. St. Paul prays that the Colossians may possess this faculty (Colossians 1:9).Without natural affection.—The affection founded upon natural relationship—e.g., between parent and child, husband and wife, brother and sister. In illustration of this particular expression, we may remember that infanticide and divorce were very common at this... read more
(32) Knowing.—Again the word for “full or thorough knowledge.” With full knowledge of the sentence of eternal death which is in store for them.They show that it is no mere momentary yielding to the force of temptation or of passion, but a radical perversion of conscience and reason, by the fact that they not only practise such things themselves, but in cold blood commend and applaud those who practise them.With reference to the truth of the description which is here given of the ancient pagan... read more
The Incarnation of God Romans 1:1-4 We are invited to turn our thoughts with special devotion to that great truth upon which the Gospel, as St. Paul here says, is founded, the awful and overwhelming mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God the truth expressed in the beginning of St. John's Gospel 'the Word was made Flesh'. It must be, indeed, to Christians, their continual thought. I. Such an event as that can have nothing like it, or parallel to it, while this world lasts. The Gospel of... read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 1:28-32
3. The wickedness of mankind 1:28-32The second key word in Romans 1:18, "unrighteousness" (Romans 1:29), reappears at the head of this list of man’s sinful practices. It is a general word describing the evil effects in human relations that man’s suppressing the knowledge of God produces. In the Greek text there is a wordplay that highlights God’s just retribution. As people disapproved of the idea of retaining God in their thinking, so God gave them over to a disapproved mind (Romans 1:28).... read more