Romans 1: Addition

As chapter one continues we come to understand that the bad news shared by Paul is as bad as can be imagined.

Paul does not take a single step back in chapter one from his awful truth concerning the depravity of mankind.

God reveals his wrath concerning these matters and all of Paul’s concern is for the rejection by mankind of the redemption made possible by God.

The affections of these people in Rome were on everything except the Lord who had made them and the entire world they lived in, and their awful state was because they could see God’s majesty in creation itself yet still they rejected it and were not either thankful nor appreciative.

They rejected the wisdom of God, professing themselves to be wise.

This rejection made them to be fools.

They rejected the glory of God shown in His revelation of Himself because they wished only to know the things of man.

They gave themselves over to full iniquity and therefore God gave them over to the lusts of their own hearts, things which were impure and condemned before God. 

As sins became the normal pattern of their lives, they reached a point of being unclean, violating even the human body and the commands God had given concerning the flesh. Their sinful practices brought shame before God which they disregarded.

They were given over to idolatry and vile affections abusing the proper manner of sexual intimacy that God had commanded and were seen as widespread acceptance men unseemly with other men and women the same with other women.

Their minds were reprobate meaning depraved in thought and filthy in attitude.

Verses 29-31 teach that they were filled with evil which were reflected in their sinful natures, given over to:

• unrighteousness

• fornication

• wickedness 

• covetousness

• maliciousness (deliberate & ill intentions)

• envy

• murder

• malignity (evil minds)

• debate of deceit

• backbiters

• haters of God

• prideful

• arrogant

• boasters

• disobedient

• without natural affections

• always unsatisfied unmerciful

Clearly Paul saw no limits to the sin among these people.

Verse 32 teaches they were of wicked minds, rejecting the truth and therefore worthy of death.

All these things were Paul’s closing arguments to prove how much these sinners needed a savior.

Paul was a ready witness and we will see in the coming chapters how he intends to extend this needed solution to these so much in need.