Difference between revisions of "Romans 1"

Revision as of 20:09, March 28, 2009

See also: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1 is one of 16 chapters in the Epistle to the Romans, penned by the apostle Paul, by the Divine inspiration of God. (2Tim. 3:16; 2Pet. 3:16) This book contains two basic sections, that of doctrine (1-11) and application (12-16). Beginning in chapter one, Jews and Gentiles are shown to be the object of Paul's gospel ministry, in which both will be shown to be in need of salvation by grace through faith, and believers enabled to understand their faith better.

Due to the recent phenomenon of prohomosex polemics, Romans chapter 1 has been subject to varied and often contradictory attempts to negate its unconditional condemnation of female and (likewise) male homosex, and as such it often receives much attention.

Overview

Beginning in verse one, "St. Paul shows the Romans his Divine call to the apostleship, and for what end he was thus called, Rom_1:1-6. His salutation to the Church at Rome, and his commendation of their faith, Rom. 1:7, Rom. 1:8. His earnest desire to see them, that he might impart to them some spiritual gifts, Rom. 1:9-15. His description of the Gospel of Christ, Rom. 1:16, Rom_1:17. The crimes and profligacy of the Gentile world, which called aloud for the judgments of God, Rom. 1:18-32."^[1]

1:1 Called to be an apostle - This word called means here not merely to be invited, but has the sense of appointed. It indicates that he had not assumed the office himself, but that he was set apart to it by the authority of Christ himself. It was important for Paul to state this,

• (1) Because the other apostles had been called or chosen to this work Joh_15:16, Joh_15:19; Mat_10:1; Luk_6:13; and,
• (2) Because Paul was not one of those originally appointed.^[2]

This Gospel is commended from the author of it, who is God himself; and from the antiquity of it, Rom. 1:2, being as ancient as the writings of the prophets; and from the subject of it, being the Lord Jesus Christ; who is described by his relation to God, his Son, by his dominion over the saints, their Lord, by both his natures, human and divine; his human nature, as being of the seed of David, his divine nature, being the Son of God, Rom. 1:4^[3]

Commentary and Exegesis: Rm. 1:14-32

"I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians" - It has been remarked before that all the nations of the earth, themselves excepted, were termed barbarians by the Greeks. (Adam Clarke) Ammonius says that “all who were not Greeks were barbarians.” Barbaros, properly denotes one who speaks a foreign language, a foreigner, and the Greeks applied it to all who did not use their tongue; compare 1Cor. 14:11. (Albert Barnes)

Paul declares both his commissioned obligation to preach to all classes and his readiness, as he has full confidence in the gospel which has been given him by Christ. (Acts 9:15; Rom. 11:13; 1Cor. 9:16) The essential salvation issue dealt with in Romans is that "the just shall live by faith" (Rm. 1:17; cf. Hab. 2:4; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38)), receiving by contrite, repentant faith the gift of righteousness, (Rm. 5:17; cf. Ps. 34:18; Acts 15:7-9), in contrast to being justified before God on the merit one's own works, Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8,9; 2Tim. 1:9; Titus. 3:5-7) and for which Abraham is invoked as an example (Rm. 3:25-5:1,2; Gn. 15:6) Yet to have and live by faith in the Lord Jesus is evidenced to mean that one will live a holy life, in obedience to the Object of saving faith,^[4] which Abraham also serves as an example of, with saving faith being "confessed" in word and deed. (Ja. 2; Rm. 10:9,10; 12-15; 16:26; Acts 26:20; 2Cor. 4:14; 1Thes. 1:9; Titus. 3:8) It is necessary that both Jews and Gentile see themselves as sinners in need of justification by faith, and Paul will proceed to indict both. This will serve to help both Gentile and Jewish believers to understand and be comforted in that faith, without controversy between the two classes.^[5]

Verse 18 begins a section illustrating the opposite of being both saved by and living by faith, warning of the righteous wrath of God against all "ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Paul therefore proceeds to detail how the Gentiles have done so, in going against the natural revelation given them by nature, resulting in progressive stages of moral declension, before Paul turns his attention to the Jews beginning in the next chapter.^[6]

Paul proceeds to manifest a progression of degeneration, with punishment marked by "God gave them up"^[7] which moral declension is shown to result from idolatry, which is the mother of sin, as one would not sin in obedience to the living and true God of the Bible,^[8] with all sin being a transgression of the law. (1Jn. 3:4) Paul reveals here that as men did not respond to but rejected the light that they had, not seeking or acknowledging their Creator, then they thus "became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools", and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image more to their liking, like unto corruptible man and animals, (Rm. 1:19-23) elevating mere created creatures to a place of worship. "They wandered from God, till all traces of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel prevented it". (Matthew Henry)

This principle of darkness resulting from not responding to revealed truth from God, or conversely, of enlightenment in accordance with Scripture by obedience to truth, is seen in the next chapter (Rm. 2:7-10) as well as elsewhere. (Jn. 12:34-50; Heb. 11:6) While Paul may be referencing historical examples of manifest idolatry^[9] the principle behind this declension is understood as universal, with the misconstruance of God transcending cultures and being manifest in various ways, and not restricted to formal expressions such as is seen in worshiping statues. (cf. Ezek. 14:3) As Wesley states, "Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of."^[10]

This obstinate denial of basic truth resulted in the judgment of God in delivering them up to their own desires, loosing restraints unto immoral sensuality, "to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and changing the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (Rm. 1:24)

In the next stage (vs. 25-27) Paul goes on to state that God gave them up unto vile affections, resulting in them engaging in homoeroticism. Both female and male consensual homosex is condemned, with likewise indicating a same general form. While a multitude other sinful characteristics will also be detailed in the next section, homosex is dealt with here as a particularly notable aspect of the progressive moral degeneration of idolatry, of acting contrary to natural revelation, which testifies to the existence of God as the Supreme Designer, including the compatibility and complementarity of the male/female union. As idolatry corrupts God and His revelation, homosex itself is seen as being a manifestation of idolatry.

Dr. Robert Gagnon comments, "Those who disoriented themselves by a turn from the true God were more likely to be disoriented in their behavior..."Gentiles were rendered liable because they sinned against the revelation about God and God’s will available to them in creation/nature.^[11]

"As the Gentiles did not like to keep God in their knowledge, they committed crimes wholly against reason and their own welfare. The nature of man, whether pagan or Christian, is still the same; and the charges of the apostle apply more or less to the state and character of men at all times, till they are brought to full submission to the faith of Christ, and renewed by Divine power." (Matthew Henry's concise commentary)

Beginning in Rm. 1:28 the third stage of this moral declension is described, in which multiple sins are listed, with men “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”, as Paul reminds Christians later they were. (Eph. 2:3)

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology comments,

The trifold structure of the passage is a rhetorical device to drive home the point: a general complaint (vv. 24-25), consideration of a specific vice (vv. 26-27), and a culminating list of various vices (vv. 28-32). The distinction between the second and third sections may follow another Greek-styled distinction of sins of passion and sins of the unfit mind.^[12]

Beginning in chapter two, Paul will show the Jews by the law that they are sinners as well, and hypocritical in judging the pagan Gentiles, whose judgment he has shown to be just in the light of natural revelation. This use of two fold revelation for these two different respective classes of people is consistent with his preaching in Acts, where, in addition to the power of God seen in miracles, (Rm. 15:18,19) Paul appeals to the pagan Gentiles by invoking natural revelation, both that of creation and inward light, (Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-29), while in preaching to the Jews Paul much references the Scriptures. (Acts 13:16-41; 24:25; 26:22,23; 28:23) Having both indicted Gentiles and Jews according to the truth of God revealed to them, Paul will conclude, "we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin"...(Rm. 3:9)

See also

Homosexuality and biblical interpretation

References

External links