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Author’s Preface
This phrase-by-phrase consideration of the first eight chapters of the Epistle to the Romans is offered to the reader with the earnest prayer to God that it may be of spiritual help to some.

The comments only use the Authorised (King James) Version of the Scriptures, as it is the author’s firm belief that God specially superintended that translation so that there might be certainty as to what the word of God is until the coming of the Lord Jesus.

The last few verses of the Bible tell of a fearful curse upon those who tamper with the word of God, either by adding to it or taking away from it, Revelation 22:18,19. If, however, there is no way of knowing what God’s word actually is, there is no way of knowing whether words have been added or subtracted. So if this warning is to have meaning, there must be that which may rightly called the word of God. And since this warning is given in the light of the coming of Christ, it must be that the Lord will ensure that His word is available until He comes. We may have confidence that He has done this, hence only the Authorised Version is used in these notes.

Rights in The Authorised Version of the Bible, (The King James Bible), are vested in the Crown, and administered by the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press. They have kindly granted me a licence to reproduce the text of Romans 1-8 for the purpose of this e-book, and also to use in my website, Christiangospel.online

The wording of the permission is as follows:
Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

The Authorised Version does not use capitals for the pronouns relating to the persons of the Godhead. I assume this is because it was felt that the insertion of capitals was adding to the word of God. Accordingly, I leave the pronouns without capitals when quoting the scriptures, but use them in my comments. I hope you do not find this confusing.

If it should be asked what authority I have for setting out my thoughts on this inspired epistle, then the answer is simple. The Lord Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37,38. It was in 1953 that I came and drank from the well of salvation, Christ Himself. Owning up to my sinfulness, (even though but a child), I believed on Him. From that point on it was my responsibility, (along with all others who believe in Him), to ensure that there was an outflow from my innermost being to others around. This e-book is a further attempt to do this. I do trust that in the goodness of God it will be a blessing to you.

Introduction
The Epistle to the Romans is a logical and orderly exposition of the doctrines relative to the gospel of God. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul was guided to unfold those truths which it is necessary to know and believe in order to be reckoned right in the sight of God, and also to live a life which is righteous before God and before men.

Central to this gospel is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by whom the work of redemption which is the foundation of the gospel was effected at Calvary. It was there that He died for the ungodly, and subsequently rose from the dead and ascended to heaven to intercede for those who believe on Him.

No preacher should venture to present the gospel to sinners without first gaining a working knowledge of at least the first eight chapters of this epistle. No believer should seek to testify in a personal way without such a knowledge, either. And certainly no unsaved person should dare to enter eternity without first becoming acquainted with the saving truths this epistle contains. Since the moment of departure from this world is unknown to us, it is important to gain this acquaintance as a matter of great urgency.

“Boast not thyself of tomorrow;
for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
Proverbs 27:1.

Like the rest of the Holy Scriptures, the epistle to the Romans is carefully structured. We would do well to consider the general scheme of the epistle by way of introduction, for it will help in understanding the truth contained therein.

The epistle as a whole may be divided into three parts, each beginning on a personal note from the apostle, and each ending with a note of praise:

Chapters 1-8           God’s righteousness imputed

Personal note	“I am ready to preach the gospel”, 1:15
Key phrase	“him that justifieth the ungodly, ” 4:5
Concluding praise	“For I am persuaded,” 8:38

Chapters 9-11        God’s ways defended

Personal note	“I have great heaviness”, 9:2
Key phrase	“His ways past finding out!” 11:33
Concluding praise	“to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” 11:36

Chapters 12-16      God’s servants instructed

Personal note:	“I beseech you therefore, brethren,” 12:1
Key phrase	“Him that is of power to stablish”, 16:25
Concluding praise	“To God only wise, be glory”, 16:27

Chapters 1-8 may be further divided into two major sections as follows:

1:1 to 5:11 The sins of the person

The remedy: The blood of Christ

The result: Redemption and righteousness

5:12 to 8:39 The person who sins

The remedy: The death, burial and resurrection of Christ

The result: Identification and assurance

Romans chapters 1 to 8 may be divided into 14 sections as follows:

Section 1
Romans 1:1-17

The person of Christ is central to the gospel

Section 2
Romans 1:18-32

God’s wrath against men as their Creator

Section 3
Romans 2:1-16

God’s wrath against men as their Moral Governor

Section 4
Romans 2:17-3:20

God’s wrath against men as their Legislator

Section 5
Romans 3:21-26

The work of Christ is central to the gospel

Section 6
Romans 3:27-4:25

God’s grace toward men as their justifier

Section 7
Romans 5:1-11

The glory of God is central to the gospel

Section 8
Romans 5:12-21

Christ and Adam compared and contrasted

Section 9
Romans 6:1-23

The believer’s present and past position

Section 10
Romans 7:1-6

Deliverance from the law of Moses

Section 11
Romans 7:7-25

Defence of the law and despair under the law

Section 12
Romans 8:1-17

Life in the flesh and life in the Spirit

Section 13
Romans 8:18-27

Sufferings then glory

Section 14
Romans 8:28-39

Overwhelmed and overcoming

From the foregoing it can be seen that chapters 1:1-5:11 are divided into three main sections, with two parenthetical passages:

First main section, 1:1-17

The person of Christ is central to the gospel.

First parenthesis, 1:18-3:20

God’s wrath in relation to Jew and Gentile as Creator, Moral Governor and Legislator.

Second main section, 3:21-26

The work of Christ is central to the gospel.

Second parenthesis, 3:27-4:25

The grace of God in relation to Jew and Gentile.

Third main section, 5:1-11

The glory of God is central to the gospel.

Special note on gospel preaching
There is a great need in these days to recognise that the gospel is God-centred, and Christ-centred, and not sinner-centred. The apostles “ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ”, Acts 5:42. Having taught who He was, they were then in a position to preach that He should be believed in and relied upon. It would be a useful exercise to note the number of verses about sinners and the number of verses about Christ in the gospel addresses recorded in the book of Acts.

The Acts of the Apostles serves several purposes. For instance, it provides a link between the ministry of the Lord Jesus as recorded in the four gospels, and the Epistle to the Romans. The Lord was not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, whereas Romans is written to Jew and Gentile alike. How the transition from preaching only to Israelites to preaching also to Gentiles took place is shown in the Acts of the Apostles.

Then again, we see in the Acts the way in which the charge given to the apostles was obeyed, for the word from the Lord Jesus was, “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8.

Yet again, we see in the Acts the various ways in which the Devil sought to frustrate the spread of the gospel, and also the ways in which the apostles dealt with those threats.

The Acts is also the Preacher’s Handbook, and gives us insight into the way in which apostles, and others, like Stephen and Philip, presented the gospel. The following thoughts are based on the principles they followed, and will hopefully encourage the practice of preaching in a scriptural way.

The preaching was directed to those who had a certain interest in the things of God
In this case of the preaching on the day of Pentecost, it was “Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven”, Acts 2:5 who were listening. There were those who mocked the speaking in tongues that happened that morning, but Peter is content to reject their mockery, and, by reference to Joel’s prophecy remind them that God’s judgment against sin is a reality, for the great and notable day of the Lord will certainly come. In other words, he left the word of God to do its convicting work in the hearts and consciences of the mockers. Having done this, he repeats his call to the nation to listen, verse 22. In this way he safeguards himself against the charge of disobeying the word of the Lord Jesus when He said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine”, Matthew 7:6.

The preaching was conducted in circumstances and situations conducive to serious thought
It is reasonable to assume that Peter’s address was given in the temple courts, the place where the Lord Jesus often taught, and where it was expected that the things of God would be set out. (At the end of the chapter the believers were found continuing with one accord in the temple, verse 46). Later on, it was the apostle Paul’s constant practice to seek out the Jewish synagogue in a place, and preach there to people who had an interest in Divine things. If, as sometimes happened, he was ejected from the synagogue, he did not stand in the street to harangue the worshippers as they emerged after their devotions, but went to a house nearby, so that if there were those interested in what he had to say, they could easily access the preaching.

This is not retreating in cowardly fashion to meet in a “holy huddle”, but a realistic and spiritual reaction to the situation, whilst still giving men the opportunity to seek the truth. That this was the mind of the Lord is seen in the fact that the large assembly in Corinth was formed as a result, Acts 18:6-11, and even the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord. And when the same thing happened at Ephesus, “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks”, Acts 19:10. So to teach and preach in a building does not contravene the Lord’s command to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, Mark 16:15. Paul was in the world when he preached in the synagogue, or in Justus’ house, or in Tyrannus’ school.

The preaching began with a quotation from the word of God
The verses from Joel that the apostle quoted made up the third chapter of the prophecy of Joel in the Hebrew Bible, although to us they are the end-verses of chapter 2. So the apostle was not averse to citing a large portion of the scriptures. There were no “wonders in heaven above”, and “signs in the earth beneath” on that day, but Peter wanted to warn the mockers about the day of judgment so as to silence them, and then extract two further thoughts from the prophecy, one at the beginning and one at the end. At the beginning Joel speaks of the pouring out of the Spirit, and at the end he declares that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Peter did not omit the intervening verses however, so that those he did use were rooted in the context. His listeners were devout Jews, and would have been quick to criticise any apparent misuse of the holy scriptures they loved and revered. We should beware of giving the impression that we think some portions of scripture are redundant and may be missed out.

The public reading of the scriptures should be done reverently, accurately, and intelligently. They are far more important than anything we may say about them, so they should be given their due and prominent place. The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to “give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:13. A blessing is promised to those who publicly read the scriptures in the hearing of the people, Revelation 1:3. Attention should be given to the punctuation, and the correct amount of weight given to each word, or else the sense will be lost. The word of God does not need to be dramatised, but it does need to be read in a way that holds the attention.

It is not the preacher’s task to constantly bombard his hearers with anecdotes, personal experiences, or hymn quotes. These may have a limited use when done sparingly, but they are no substitute for the plain teaching of the truth of the word of God. This is what the Spirit uses. Wrote James, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth”, James 1:18. We should preach to people assuming they are present because they are seeking God, not seeking entertainment.

The preaching was Christ-centred
The preaching was not sinner-centred. In the opening of his classic treatise on the gospel, the apostle Paul wrote, “the gospel of God… concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”, Romans 1:1,3. When Philip went down to Samaria he “preached Christ unto them”, Acts 8:5. When he met the eunuch in the desert he “preached unto him Jesus”, verse 35. When Paul was converted “he preached Christ in the synagogue, that he is the Son of God”, Acts 9:20. When some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch, they “spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus”, Acts 11:20. In the synagogue in Thessalonica it was Jesus that Paul preached unto them, that He is Christ, Acts 17:3. In Athens, Paul preached Jesus, and the resurrection, Acts 17:18. In Corinth Paul testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ, Acts 18:5.

We have been given the inspired account of what the apostles actually said when they preached. This, of course, is a great help to preachers. We shall look in vain, however, for any help as to how to appeal effectively to people to get saved. No advice on what emotional levers to pull; or how to coax them “over the line”. The reason why this advice is lacking is simple: there is no need for it.

So the gospel is not a constant appeal to the hearers to believe and get saved, but a setting forth of the truth regarding the person of Christ. In fact the preachers in the book of the Acts never made an appeal; they simply presented facts. The gospel is preached “with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven”, 1 Peter 1:12, so the preacher has the assurance that the Holy Spirit will do His sovereign work of convicting and convincing men. It is not left to human ingenuity or contrivance to try to produce results, for “the wind bloweth where it listeth”, John 3:8.

The apostle Peter had the happy experience of finding that every person in his audience was converted before he had finished his message, Acts 10:44-48. The Holy Spirit had done His work, and Peter did not need to coax his hearers to believe.

Of course the apostle Paul wrote, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men”, 2 Corinthians 5:11, but how did he do it? The word for persuade means “to convince by argument”, so as he expounded the scriptures, the apostle presented valid reasons why people should believe; but it was not his task to coerce them. It is the Spirit’s work to “compel them to come in”, Luke 14:23.

The preaching was instructive
We ought to either learn or re-learn something about the Lord Jesus every time we hear the gospel. It is said of the apostles that “they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ”, Acts 5:42. So they taught Him before they preached Him. It is not that they preached to sinners and taught the converts. The teaching was part of the presentation of the gospel. After all, this was what the Lord had commanded when He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations”, Matthew 28:19. Sinners need to know on whom they are believing for salvation.

We learn how the apostle Paul went about this by the account of his preaching in Thessalonica. For three sabbath days he “reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ”, Acts 17:2,3. So he first of all opened up thoroughly the meaning of the scriptures that spoke of Christ, and then showed that Jesus of Nazareth fulfils those scriptures. As a result of this “some of them believed”. The comparative fewness of Jews who believed does not reflect on the standard of the preaching, or the method used, but simply on the hardness of the hearts of men, over which the preacher has no control. The gospel hall should be a seat of learning for believer and unbeliever alike. It should be known in the locality as the place where the truth of God is taught.

The preaching was comprehensive
We see this when we notice the range of the apostle Peter’s address at Pentecost. He began by pointing out that the miracle-ministry of Christ was the sign that God approved of Him as a man, Acts 2:22. Then he pointed out that Jesus of Nazareth was the subject of God’s eternal counsel, verse 23. He charged the nation with their sin in handing Christ over to the Gentiles to crucify until He was dead, verse 23. He then announced that God has raised Him from the dead. The implication of these things would not be lost on the intelligence of his hearers. But more than this, God has exalted Him to His very throne, where He waits until His foes will be subdued under Him when He reigns on earth as the son of David.

Having presented the people with these facts, the apostle’s task is over for the moment. He has made known the truth that the Spirit uses, and the result was that they were pricked in their heart as the Spirit convicted them. It is only when they have reached this point, and they ask what they should do, that the apostle makes his appeal to them, not to believe, but to repent. Faith is the expression of a repentant heart, and is valueless if there is no prior repentance.

The preaching consisted of the setting forth of the truth of the word of God
Peter based what he had to say on various passages from the Old Testament, namely Joel 2, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110. He showed how these scriptures were fulfilled in Christ. We in our day have the added resource of the New Testament, and passages relevant to the gospel abound.

In his first epistle the apostle Peter wrote about being born again, “not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”. Then in support of this he quoted from Isaiah 40 the words, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever”. Then he added, “And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”, 1 Peter 1:23-25. So the answer for men who are but flesh, and are as frail as grass and its insignificant flower, is the word of God. Men are frail and passing, but the word of God is strong and eternal. If men are to gain life from God they must do so by the agency of His living word. As James wrote, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures”, James 1:18. It is the preacher’s solemn responsibility, then, to faithfully present the truth of that word. He does not need to be a high-pressure salesman, for it is the Spirit of God who convinces men. Nor does he need to tell emotional stories to try to sway men’s feelings. His duty is to present the unaltered word of God to men.

Notice the order of words in the quote from 1 Peter chapter 1. It is not “and this is the gospel by which the word is preached unto you”, but rather, “this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you”. This is an important difference. So what is preached is the word, (meaning the scriptures connected with the subject in hand), and the gospel is the expression of the truth of that word in a format which is relevant to sinners. The scriptures are not merely a tool to better present the gospel, perhaps to provide an illustration.

We have an example of this with Philip, who began at the scripture the eunuch was reading, and preached Jesus from it, Acts 8:35. And when Paul went to Corinth he preached that Christ had died, that He was buried, that He was raised, and that He was seen afterwards, but he preached this message as being “according to the scriptures”, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

The preaching was done by Spirit-filled men
The promise of the Lord Jesus to His own was, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me”, Acts 1:8. The preachers were not full of themselves, but of the Spirit. He it was who enabled and encouraged them in their task. Since it is one of the Spirit’s functions to glorify Christ, John 16:14, then all trace of self-advertisement was absent from apostolic preachers, so that as they preached their hearers “saw no man, save Jesus only”, Matthew 17:8. All those things that draw attention to the preacher, and draw attention away from Christ, would have been absent. Theirs was a priestly ministry, (such is the force of the word “serve” in Romans 1:9), and they conducted themselves with dignity and gravity. There was no ostentation, whether it be in dress or mannerisms. These were men who were on heaven’s business, and they let nothing of man intrude in their preaching.

Perhaps we under-estimate the impact that the preacher has on his audience. All the time he is before his hearers, they are tending to judge his message by looking at him. If he lacks credibility in some way, then in the eyes of the natural man the gospel loses credibility in like measure. Of course it is the Spirit who works and convicts, but the preacher should do his utmost not to get in the way of that work. He must be on top of his subject without appearing to be a know-all. He must look neat and tidy without being outlandish or ostentatious. He must be confident and bold without being brash. Treat his audience with respect without being patronising. Be polite without compromising. Be faithful but all the while remembering to be gracious. Be serious without being boring. Earnest without being eccentric. Winsome without being sentimental. Joyful without being jolly. Any display of self will detract from the Man of the message. To quote the apostle’s words, “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord”, 2 Corinthians 4:5.

The preaching was done by those well-versed in the scriptures
Of course even newly-saved believers may testify in a private capacity, but when it comes to public preaching, a thorough working knowledge of the scriptures is essential. This requires study, and the preacher should expect to study for three hours for every fifteen minutes of message. Those who preach should be prepared for this, and let less important things go.

May we heed the solemn exhortation of Paul to Timothy in the light of the coming of Christ to judge the living and the dead, “preach the word”, 2 Timothy 4:2. And may the word of God mightily grow and prevail in our day, Acts 19:20.

Section 1   Romans 1:1-17
The Person of Christ is central to the gospel

Subject of Section 1
Having introduced himself as the writer of the epistle, Paul goes straight into his theme, which is the gospel of God. He shows that this gospel was promised in Old Testament times as the prophets foretold the coming of Christ. He has now come, and is preached as being relevant to all men. Having assured the believers at Rome to whom he writes that he has a great desire for their blessing, Paul then asserts his strong belief in the ability of the gospel of Christ to save those who believe it.

Structure of Section 1
The person of Christ in relation to:

1(a)	1:1	Paul
1(b)	1:1	The prophets
1(c)	1:3	The people of Israel
1(d)	1:4	God
1(e)	1:5	The people of all nations
1(f)	1:6,7	The people of God
1(g)	1:8-12	Paul’s ministry
1(f)	1:13-15	Paul’s motives
1(g)	1:16-17	Paul’s message

1(a)   1:1
The person of Christ in relation to Paul

1:1
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ- as a servant or slave, Paul was captive to Christ’s will, and ready to be told what he must do, Acts 9:6.
Called to be an apostle- this means he was appointed by Christ’s call, Galatians 1:1, in accordance with the will of God, Ephesians 1:1. An apostle is a “sent one”, sent out from the presence of his superior to do what he commands. Paul was just as much an apostle as those twelve men who had been with Christ from His baptism until His ascension, Acts 1:21,22. The difference was that he had been sent forth by Christ after He had ascended to glory, Galatians 1:15,16, whereas the twelve had been sent forth by Christ when He was on earth, Matthew 10:1-6.
Separated unto the gospel of God- he was not only commissioned for Christ’s service, Acts 22:21, but also committed to it, Acts 26:19-23. We could say he was singled out, and single-minded.

1(b)   1:2
The person of Christ in relation to the prophets

1:2
(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Which he had promised afore- since Christ is the subject of the gospel, then to promise Him, (as God did through the Old Testament prophets), is to promise the gospel, for He is the sum and substance of it.
By his prophets- because they were His prophets, they spoke for God with authority. As the apostle Peter said, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled”, Acts 3:18. It is said of the Lord Jesus, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”, Luke 24:27. See also the prophetic words of Zecharias in Luke 1:69,70.
In the holy scriptures- the writings of the Old Testament are holy, for they express God’s holy will, and are completely separate in character from all other writings, being utterly reliable and trustworthy. As the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God”, 2 Timothy 3:15,16.

1(c)   1:3
The person of Christ in relation to the people of Israel

1:3
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord- as God’s Son, the Lord Jesus shares the nature of God the Father. See on verse 4. Jesus is the name He was given when He came into manhood to save His people from their sins, Matthew 1:21. As Christ, He is the Anointed One, the Messiah of Old Testament predictions, see 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm 2:2; Daniel 9:25. As our Lord, He is the One whose will is sovereign, and to whom believers readily submit themselves, Romans 14:7-9.
Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh- as One who is of the seed of David, the Lord Jesus is qualified to bring in a future righteous kingdom on earth, see Luke 1:30-33. But the three main principles of that kingdom will be “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”, Romans 14:17, and these also sum up the blessings that come to those who believe the gospel.
The apostle is careful not to alienate the Jewish element amongst his readers, so reminds them that the line of David clearly reaches to Christ, as Matthew chapter one shows. (In fact, “according to the flesh” may include the idea that even a unbelieving man might consult the temple records and see this to be true). But he is also careful to point out that since Christ has become flesh, He is relevant to all men, not just Israel. He became Real Man, and as such is God’s Ideal Man, and the Available Man for the world.

1(d)     1:4
The person of Christ in relation to God

1:4
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

And declared to be the Son of God- note the change of verb; not made, as in connection with His coming into flesh and blood conditions, but declared, for He is ever the Son of God, sharing the Father’s eternal, unchanging nature. The Lord Jesus indicated in John 10:30,36 that to be Son of God was to be one in essence and nature with the Father. If He had meant anything less than this, the Jews would not have tried to stone Him for blasphemy.
With power, according to the spirit of holiness- the declaration of Christ’s Deity is a powerful one, and is made in relation to the spirit of holiness. Views differ as to whether this is a reference to the Holy Spirit, or to the spirit of the Lord Jesus. If the former, then the Holy Spirit empowers and endorses the declaration, but if the latter, then the holiness of Christ’s own spirit is set in relation to the fact that He was raised from the dead. It was because He was God’s Holy One that His soul was not left in hell, and He was raised from the dead, Acts 2:31. The glory of the Father demanded that such a person as Christ should not be left in the grave one moment more than was necessary, and that He should be raised from the dead.
There is a sense in which the spirit of the Lord Jesus was so in harmony with the Spirit of God, that both could be described in a similar way. So we could either say that “the spirit” is the Holy Spirit, and the “holiness” is Christ’s, or that the spirit is Christ’s, and the holiness is that of the Holy Spirit.
The apostle uses the word spirit in a similar way when writing to Timothy, reminding him that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”, 2 Timothy 1:7. So we may say that the Spirit of God manifested Himself in the holy attitude of Christ. This attitude was all the more marked given the unholiness of men as described in the second half of Romans chapter one.
By the resurrection of the dead- not resurrection from among the dead, but the resurrection of dead persons, Himself included. See for instance, John 11:4,40. Every time a dead person was raised by Christ, when He Himself was raised, and when the dead are raised at the resurrection relevant to them, there is a powerful testimony to His Deity. See John 5:17-31.

Special note on the name “Son of God”
Angels, Adam, and believers are all called sons of God, but the sonship of Christ is of a different sort. Angels and Adam are called sons because they are the product of God’s hand as Creator. Believers are sons by adoption by God as Father. Christ, however, is the Son of God because of His equality with the Father in the Godhead. Because the Father is eternal, the Son is also, so His Sonship is underived. In John 10:30,33,36, the expressions “I and my Father are one”, “makest thyself God”, and “I am the Son of God”, mean the same thing, and signify His Deity. If this were not so, as already noticed, the Jews would not have attempted to stone Him for blasphemy.

To be the son of someone or something in Bible times meant to share their nature. Examples are “sons of thunder”, “sons of Belial” (worthlessness), “son of perdition”, “son of consolation”. As Son of God, the Lord Jesus shares the nature of God. Believers are sons by new birth, but He is un-originated and eternal. If it were not so, He could not be the Only-begotten Son, for He would not be alone, and that title indicates He is.
The Sonship of Christ is especially set forth by the apostle John in his gospel. He describes Christ first of all as the Word, John 1:1, for He is the revealer of the mind of God. Then he goes on to speak of Him as “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father”, verse 18, for He is the revealer of the heart of God. He can reveal the mind and heart of God because He is equal with Him.
At the commencement of John’s gospel we learn of the eternal existence of the Word, for “In the beginning was the Word”, (with the word “was” in the imperfect tense), so when the first thing that had a beginning began, then the Word already was, which means He is eternal.
He has distinct personality also, for John goes on “and the Word was with God”. If the first phrase tells of the pre-existence of the Word before time began, and therefore indicates His eternal being, this phrase tells of His co-existence.
John next announces that He has substantial Godhood, for “the Word was God”, a clear statement as to the Deity of the Word. Note that although there are distinctions of Persons in the Godhead, for “the Word was with God”, yet there is identity of essence, for “the Word was God”. This expression assures us that the One who is pre-existent, and co-existent, is co-equal with God as well.
Fourthly, John tells us that “all things were made by Him”. It follows logically, then, that He is not part of creation. A person is either Creator, created, or self-created, with the latter option being an impossibility. So if the Word caused all things to come into being that did come into being, then He Himself cannot have come into being. He is therefore uncreated and eternal.
In the first public discourse that John records, Christ made a seven-fold claim to Deity. The whole discourse is in the third person, as if He stands back from His relationship with the Father to view it in its entirety in the same way as believers may.

First claim: Equality of action
He said, “The Son can do nothing of himself”, John 5:19. God is one, and the persons of the Godhead do not, and indeed cannot, act independently of one another. The act of one can be said to be the act of the other.

Second claim: Equality of affection
“For the Father loveth the Son”, verse 20. God is love, 1 John 4:8, but love must have an object. The Son has been the object of His Father’s love for all eternity.

Third claim: Equality of perception
The Father “sheweth him all things that himself doeth”, verse 20. The Son of God has the ability to comprehend all the things that God does.

Fourth claim: Equality in resurrection
“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will”, verse 21. Since when a man dies his spirit returns to God, the one who retrieves that spirit and gives it back to the dead man must Himself be God. Of course, prophets in the Old Testament and apostles in the New Testament raised the dead, but only with delegated authority. That Christ’s authority is not delegated is firstly seen in the phrase “even so”, meaning He acted in exactly the same way as His Father, and secondly in the phrase “whom he will”, for His will is to raise from the dead, in harmony with the Father. This is why Christ’s works were “works which none other man did”, for they were the expression of the will of one who is God, John 15:24.

Fifth claim: Equality in jurisdiction
“The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son…and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man”, verses 22 and 27. Abraham described God as the judge of all the earth, Genesis 18:25, so He that judges all the earth must be God.

Sixth claim: Equality of recognition
He has been given judgement over all men “That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him”, verse 23. One day every knee shall bow to Christ, and confess that He is Lord, Philippians 2:10,11. But God has said that He is the one to whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear, Isaiah 45:23, so Christ must be equal with God.

Seventh claim: Equality of expression
He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”, verse 24. To hear the word of the Son is to hear the word of the Father. To believe the Son is to believe the Father.

We return now to Romans 1.

1(e)  1:5
The person of Christ in relation to people of all nations

1:5
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

By whom we have received grace- grace is unmerited favour, and believing sinners are shown this when they are saved from their sins. But there is a constant need for the believer to receive Divine favour, in order that the Christian life may be lived effectively. As the Lord Jesus said, “without me ye can do nothing,” John 15:5.
And apostleship- grace is the common portion of all the people of God, whereas apostleship was granted to only a few, who must have seen the Lord Jesus personally, 1 Corinthians 9:1. Divine favour was needed by apostles also for the discharge of their responsibilities. Note the incidental testimony to the Deity of Christ in that the grace which elsewhere is said to be the grace of God, 1 Corinthians 15:10, is here said to be from Christ Himself.
For obedience to the faith- the preaching of the gospel sets out the truth about Divine things. Men are expected to submit to that truth in repentance and faith. By repenting they turn from their own thoughts, and by believing they accept God’s thoughts. Sin came in when Adam and his wife rebelled against the truth of God and believed Satan’s lie. When a man repents and believes the gospel he ceases to rebel against God, and obediently submits to the truth of God as expressed in that body of Christian doctrine known as “the faith”.
Among all nations- the epistle emphasises the universal need of man to hear and believe the gospel. It was Luke, one of Paul’s companions, who records the words of the Lord Jesus just before He ascended back to heaven, saying “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”, Luke 24:46,47. Luke’s other writing, the Acts of the Apostles, records how the preaching began at Jerusalem, and spread until the apostle Paul can say in the very last chapter, “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it”, Acts 28:28.
For his name- that is, for the good of His name, and the advancement of His cause. The object of the apostle’s preaching was not only that sinners might be saved, but that the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord might be honoured. Paul certainly did not seek to advance his own name. He said elsewhere, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake”, 2 Corinthians 4:5.

1(f)   1:6,7
The person of Christ in relation to the people of God

1:6
Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ- amongst the many Gentiles who had believed were the saints to whom Paul was writing. He himself had not been to Rome up to this point, so he gladly acknowledges the effective preaching of others. There had been “strangers of Rome” present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:10.
The preaching of the gospel is the means by which Jesus Christ calls men and women to Himself, that they might enter into the blessings which He obtained at infinite cost when He died upon the cross at Calvary. The call is not only to Himself, but also away from self and the world. “The called” are a definite company, comprising those who have responded in faith to the gospel call. That call goes out to all men, but only those who respond in faith are “the called”. See notes on 8:28 and 30.

1:7
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To all that be in Rome- as is clear from the next statement, this means all the believers in Rome.
Beloved of God- they were the object of Divine affections. “Beloved” is a title of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 12:18, telling of the active love of the Father for Him; here it is used of believers. As He Himself said in His prayer to His Father, “Thou…hast loved them, as thou hast loved me”, John 17:23.
Called to be saints- this means that they were constituted saints or separated ones by the call of Christ, not that they were called to develop into saints, although it is true that believers should be constantly perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Corinthians 7:1. All true believers are saints, or holy ones, as far as their standing before God is concerned, but their current condition as regards practical holiness varies.
Grace to you and peace- grace has been described as “the fount of all mercies”, and peace “the crown of all blessings”. Grace (“Charis”) was a Gentile greeting, whereas peace (“Shalom”) was a Jewish salutation. Here they are combined in the apostle’s greeting to all believers in Rome, whether former Jews or former Gentiles. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, Galatians 3:28.
From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ- a further testimony to the Deity of Christ in that Divine blessings come equally from the Father and the Lord Jesus. When men greet one another with “Charis”, or “Shalom”, they are simply expressing a wish, which may or may not come true. The apostle is doing more than that, for he knows the wish will be granted, for God delights to bestow blessing on His people.

1(g)   1:8-12
The person of Christ in relation to Paul’s ministry

1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all- verses 8-10 emphasise Paul’s attitude Godward, whereas verses 11-15 emphasise his attitude towards believers as he thinks of their energetic faith and testimony. He gives thanks through Jesus Christ, meaning that his thanksgiving is offered through the agency of Jesus Christ, who gives acceptability to the prayers of His people. Note that even a leading apostle needed the Lord Jesus as mediator between himself and His God.
That your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world- living as they did in the capital city of the Roman Empire, they were in a good position to spread the gospel, and this they had done diligently. By so spreading the word, they showed the genuineness of their faith.

1:9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son- the preaching of the gospel is a spiritual activity, and nothing of man or self must be allowed to intrude into it. It is also a priestly activity, as the word for ‘serve’ indicates, so the preaching must be with dignity and holiness, with God’s glory as the end in view. Paul calls on God to witness because his prayers for them were in the closet, unseen of men.
That without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers- it is just as important to pray for converts after they are saved as it is to preach to sinners so that they may be saved. Note the apostle prayed for these believers even though he did not know many of them personally. Samuel said to the people, “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way”, 1 Samuel 12:23.

1:10
Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you- in the ordering of God he was prevented for many years from visiting them, with the result that we have the benefit of his epistle to them in which he sets out what he would have said if he had come before. Note he subjected his movements to the over-riding will of God.

1:11
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift- the gifts he had were for the edifying of the believers, not the advancing of self, Ephesians 4:11,12. He longed to impart the blessing the exercise of his gift would bring to them.
To the end ye may be established- sound doctrine is vitally necessary if believers are to be firmly grounded in the faith, Ephesians 4:13-16. We cannot be established in the faith by any other means than apostolic doctrine.

1:12
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me- the apostle is at pains not to elevate himself above them. He would be comforted by evidences of their genuine faith, and so would they be comforted by evidences of his faith.

1(h)   1:13-15
The person of Christ in relation to Paul’s motives

1:13
Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto)- he had been let, or hindered, from coming to them by his desire to fully preach Christ elsewhere. Those at Rome had heard from others, for as we have noticed there were strangers of Rome at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and they would have heard the preaching of Peter on that occasion, Acts 2:10.
Paul had been prevented from coming to them because of his labours in places where Christ was not named, see 15:18-24. It is a solemn fact that the great majority of missionaries go to places where the gospel is already being preached. The apostle was exercised to reach those who had not heard the gospel, and so should all believers be, either by going themselves, or supporting those who do go.
That I might have some fruit among you also- fruit means results for God’s glory from the making known of His truth. A tree does not produce fruit for itself, but for the one who tends it, so Paul sought glory only for God in his service. He could only be fruitful through Christ, who said, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5.
Even as among other Gentiles- this would remind us that Paul was commissioned to concentrate on preaching to Gentiles, Acts 22:21; Galatians 2:9.

1:14
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 

I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians- it did not matter whether men were cultured or otherwise, Paul was concerned to discharge his debt of obligation to preach the gospel to them, for Christ had died for them all.
Both to the wise, and to the unwise- those who sought God through philosophy, or those who were unthinking, all had a claim on his time and attention, for he wrote “for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel!” 1 Corinthians 9:16. Note that the gospel is for all sorts of men, of whatever nationality, culture, or natural ability. There might be wise or unwise Greeks, and wise or unwise barbarians, but they all needed the wisdom of God in the gospel.

1:15
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

So, as much as in me is- this is as if Paul is saying, “as much as depends on me and my willingness to act for God”. He knew God’s desire was that the gospel should be preached, and he longed to be in sympathy with God’s desire.
I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also- note that he intends to preach the gospel to believers, not because they need to be saved again, but so that the principles of the gospel might govern their lives. It is a mistake to think that the gospel is just for sinners. When the believers at Rome had come to Christ in faith, they had obeyed that form of doctrine that was delivered unto them, Romans 6:17, and they become obedient unto the faith, Romans 1:5. They had committed themselves to the whole body of Christian truth, and it is this that Paul is going to teach when he arrives in Rome. For our benefit, however, the Spirit has seen to it that what he said at Rome is recorded for our learning.

1(i)   1:16,17
The person of Christ in relation to Paul’s message

1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ- the preaching of the gospel is foolishness to men, 1 Corinthians 1:18, but those who have been saved know it is nothing to be embarrassed about. “And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed”, Romans 9:33.
For it is the power of God unto salvation- the men of the world are perishing all the time they refuse the gospel, whereas believers are not ashamed by it, for they not only knew initial salvation from sin and judgment when they initially received the gospel by faith, but are constantly saved from the pitfalls along the way by that same gospel. Note the three personal statements, which we would do well to affirm also, “I am debtor…I am ready…I am not ashamed”, verses 14,15,16.
As he thought of the city of Rome, Paul knew there were various theories held there regarding salvation. The pagan priests said salvation was in their religion. The politicians, through reforms. The army generals, through the regiment. The economists, through redistribution. The philosophers, through reason. The Gnostics, through re-incarnation. The lower classes through revolution. The slaves would say that salvation was through release. The apostle is assured that God’s salvation was only through the gospel, for that was where the power lay.
To everyone that believeth- this is the principle on which God acts in His dealings with men. To believe and to have faith mean the same, namely a firm persuasion based on hearing the word of God. See later passages in this epistle such as 4:1-8 and 10:8-13.
To the Jew first- in the rich grace of God, the very nation which cast out the Son of God and crucified Him is given the first opportunity to believe in Him. The Lord Jesus had instructed His apostles that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”, Luke 24:47.
The apostle Paul invariably went into the synagogue when he first arrived at a place, even though he was the apostle to the uncircumcision, another term for the Gentiles, Galatians 2:7. This was because the gospel is to be preached to those who have an interest in God, however weak, and these were most likely to be in the Jewish synagogue. It is also to be preached in circumstances and conditions conducive to serious thought. This is why, when he was rejected by the synagogue at Corinth, Paul went and preached in the house next door, Acts 18:6,7. Later, when a similar thing happened at Ephesus, he went into a private schoolroom to teach and preach, Acts 19:8,9. On both these occasions many believed, so the apostle had not, by going into a private place, surrendered to the forces of evil that opposed the gospel.
And also to the Greek- by Greek the apostle here means non-Jew. Since the common language throughout the Roman Empire was Greek, the Gentiles were known as Greeks, even if they were not natives of Greece.

1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed- the expression “the righteousness of God” is used in two senses in this epistle. Here, the phrase means that Divine righteousness which is reckoned, or imputed, to those who believe, see 3:21,22; 4:3-5. Elsewhere, it means God’s attribute, that which He possesses intrinsically and eternally, as in 3:25,26. Instead of God demanding that man become righteous by his own efforts, (a thing the apostle will show in this epistle he cannot do), God is prepared, in grace, to reckon to be righteous those who receive the gospel.
From faith to faith- the righteousness of God is offered only on the principle of reception by faith. And this offer of righteousness is with the view to men responding in faith. God is prepared to reckon righteousness to a person, provided they come to Him on His terms. The sinner must abandon any idea that he can earn God’s favour, and rely totally on the person and work of the Lord Jesus, who died at Calvary so that his sins might be forgiven, and he might be declared right in the sight of God.
As it is written, The just shall live by faith- the truly just or righteous man is he who has spiritual life within on the principle of his faith in God, as is shown by the fact that he lives out that life by the same principle. The apostle had claimed at the beginning of this section that the gospel was promised through the prophets, and now he proves his point by quoting Habakkuk 2:4 as he brings the section to a close. He thus disposes of any idea that he is teaching a new doctrine of his own devising.
The prophet had written, “The just shall live by his faith”, thus emphasizing the personal nature of faith, and also the fact that it is ongoing, and not just initial. Paul exercises his right as an inspired penman to omit the word “his”, in order to lay the stress on faith as a principle.
Incidentally, this text shows that the notion that one person can act for another in the matter of salvation is completely contrary to God’s word. Those who believe they may effect salvation by praying for the dead, or being baptized for them, are in serious error.

Section 2   Romans 1:18-32
God’s wrath against men as their Creator

Subject of Section 2
The apostle now shows that the righteousness which is available through believing the gospel of Christ is greatly needed, since the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truths He has revealed to them through creation, and disregard the principles He has instituted for the regulation of their lives on the earth. Because they flout His laws, God ordains that they see the consequences in their lives even now.

Structure of Section 2

2(a)	1:18-20	The revelation of God through creation
2(b)	1:21-23	The rejection of the God of creation
2(c)	1:24-32	The recompense from the God of creation

2(a)   1:18-20
The revelation of God through creation

1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven- there is a great need for the righteousness of God to be revealed in the gospel, since God is angry with sin and sinners, a fact which He has plainly shown in history. The flood of Noah’s time, the confusion of tongues because of the tower of Babel, the overthrow of Sodom, and the sending of Israel into captivity, are events by which God clearly demonstrated His hot displeasure against the sins of men.
The apostle is going to describe the state of the world up to the time of Christ’s coming, in order to show how needful the gospel was, and is. That the world is in a like condition now is testimony to the wholesale rejection of the gospel by men.
Against all ungodliness- every example of a lack of reverence for God’s glory merits His wrath.
And unrighteousness of men- every evidence of disregard of God’s laws will meet with His righteous judgment.
Who hold the truth in unrighteousness- truths concerning God as Creator are known by men as the next verses show, but they choose to suppress them, (such is the force of the word “hold”), and thereby incur God’s wrath.

1:19
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them- by His works of creation God has revealed truths as to His greatness and power. That truth is in their hearts, deep down, although they are reluctant to admit it, because recognising a Creator involves accountability to Him. A well-known evolutionist said that his generation was eager to accept the theory of evolution because men wanted to be rid of the moral restraints of religion.

1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made- this verse is best considered as a parenthesis, so verse 21 follows the argument of verses 18 and 19.
From God’s creative act of making the world His invisible attributes of eternal power and Godhood are clearly seen. These include:
His power and understanding, Psalm 147:4,5; Hebrews 1:3.
His greatness, honour, majesty, and wisdom, Psalm 104:1,24.
His gift of life, breath and all things, Acts 17:25.
His providential care, Psalm 104:10-23; Acts 14:17.
His impartiality, Matthew 5:45.

Even his eternal power- God’s power is eternal power, for He is not Himself the product of a superior force, but is the great Originating Cause of all effects. He has eternally possessed the power to create the universe, but did so at the point of His choosing.
And Godhead- by this particular word for Godhead is meant those attributes of God which, in this context, are manifest through creation. However, that manifestation of God through creation is not complete. The fullest possible revelation of God is in Jesus Christ, for “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”, Colossians 2:9. In this latter verse the word Godhead describes God in the totality of His being, essence and attributes, as manifest in the person of His Son.
So that they are without excuse- this is the conclusion the apostle draws from the revelation God has given of Himself as Creator, as verse 19 explains. There is no real reason why men should not know that there is a Creator-God, for as the apostle said, “he left not himself without witness”, Acts 14:17.

For special notes on creation and evolution, please see the end of this chapter.

2(b)   1:21-23
Rejection of the God of creation

1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Because that, when they knew God- this is not a saving knowledge, but the knowledge of Him as Creator. Both verse 19 and this verse begin with “because that”, and are the double reason why the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, as verse 18 says it is. The theory of evolution is nothing other than an attempt to escape accountability to God.
They glorified him not as God- the glory that men should have given Him as His attributes were displayed in creation was withheld.
Neither were thankful- the benefits they received from Him were taken for granted, and men thought of them as the fruits of their own efforts, and not God’s provision. This is still true today, with good crops being attributed to man’s cleverness, and bad crops blamed on God.
But became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened- their reasonings were empty of truth and reality, so their hearts became taken up with things of no account, and darkened as to further light from God.

1:22
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools- thinking themselves to be self-sufficient as to the true nature of things, (for to be wise is to have “insight into the true nature of things”), they in fact sank deeper into folly and ignorance. As the prophet said of those who make idols, “They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand”, Isaiah 44:18. Men used to label themselves as “Homo Sapiens”, meaning “Wise man”. This has been updated to “Homo Sapiens Sapiens”, “Very wise man”! Such is the folly of man. As Isaiah went on to say in verse 20, “He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

1:23
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God- whatever men might do or say, God is not corruptible, for He is not affected by the changing views about Him which men adopt. They may change His glory in their own imaginations, but not in reality. God said through the prophet, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images”, Isaiah 42:8.
Into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things- by degenerating into idolatry man shows himself to be the corruptible one. For examples of these various forms of idolatry see Daniel 3:1; Isaiah 44:13; Ezekiel 8:5-16; Exodus 32:4. How dark the mind must be that thinks the universe came into being through an idol, the work of a man’s hands!

2(c)   1:24-31
Recompense from the God of creation

1:24
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Wherefore God also gave them up- men gave God up, and heaped disgrace upon Him, and His response was to give them up by allowing them to heap disgrace upon themselves.
To uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves- the capacity to sin in the way specified in verses 26,27, is within the human heart through the fall of man in Genesis 3. It is not that God planted the evil there. In response to their ungodliness in turning to idolatry, God gave men up to vile affections, which would mean they would receive recompense for their sin in their own lives even on earth. Idolatry and immorality go together, for as soon as a man makes an idol he signals that he has rejected the rule of God, and thereafter follows his own rules of conduct.

1:25
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator- man refused to acknowledge God’s true character as Creator, (the truth of God), rebelling against the principles He has set up for the maintenance of His rule in creation, and began to think of different creatures as his gods, which is a lie. As a consequence, objects God has created for His glory were turned into objects of worship, as verse 23 has said, and idolatry dominated men’s lives.
Who is blessed for ever. Amen- in the midst of his exposure of the gross wickedness of men in refusing God, the apostle feels compelled to break off, and show his profound disagreement with their behaviour by blessing God.

1:26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature- this resumes the theme of verse 24, after the apostle has been overwhelmed by the enormity of their sin, and has personally distanced himself from it in verse 25. God has revealed His anger against homosexuality and lesbianism, not only by condemning it in His law, Leviticus 18:22-30; 20:13, but also by dramatically destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 19:4,5,24; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7. So the wrath of God against such evils is already revealed, as verse 18 has said.
The apostle says “even their women”, expressing surprise that those who are normally thought of as gentle and loving, should violently rebel against God in this way. The “also” of the next verse tells us that like the men, the women burned in their lust one toward another, and instead of bearing children to love, they rejected child-bearing in lust.

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 that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman- the proper and natural use of the woman is as the vehicle for the bringing of children into the world.
Burned in their lust one toward another- it is surely significant that the word Sodom means burning. Those who burned in their depraved lust, now burn in everlasting fire, Jude 7. The apostle does not use the normal word for man and woman in this passage, but rather the words for male and female, which are more fitting for the animal kingdom; those who practice the perversions mentioned here, are little better than the beasts. This is one of the results of the theory of evolution. It is no surprise that if men are constantly taught that they are descended from the beasts, then they start to act like beasts.
Receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet- not only does eternal wrath await these sins, but even now the recompense is known mentally and physically if men break through the barriers that God has set up to regulate human conduct and relationships.
The apostle is describing the world before Christ came, but sadly, the features he points out are with us today. Such is the rich grace of God in this age, however, that even those who are homosexuals or lesbians may be saved, as is clear from 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, where we read, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”.

1:28
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge- recognition of God as Creator and therefore Moral Governor of the universe has a restraining effect on the wickedness of men. Note a reference to the arrogance of men, “they did not like”, so what pleased them was the governing factor. If they choose to deny He has rights over them, God allows men to work out their wickedness and reap the consequences. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”, Galatians 6:7. But in wrath God remembers mercy, Habakkuk 3:2, so He demonstrates to men the folly of their sin before they enter eternity, giving them opportunity to repent.
God gave them over to a reprobate mind- God allowed men to express in action what was in their mind, so that they would find out the result of doing their own will. A reprobate mind is a way of thinking of which God does not approve.
To do those things which are not convenient- that which is not suitable conduct for those who are under obligation to God.
If we include the phrase in verse 32, “have pleasure in them that do them”, which is the sin of complicity, we have in the verses that follow a list of twenty-four sins. The apostle gives us a clue as to how we should divide them by his words “being filled…full”. He would not say “full of…whisperers”, so first there is a group of five sins, beginning with the words “being filled with”, that display a sinful reaction to the nature of God. Then, beginning with “full of”, a group of five sins that display a sinful attitude to men which results from their attitude to God. Then follows the third group consisting of seven sins which emphasise sinful character. Finally, beginning with “disobedient to parents”, a group of a further seven sins which show sinful shortcomings.
There is a progression in these sins. First, reactions to God, which manifest themselves in reactions to men, which in turn form character. Then the emptiness of man is exposed.

1:29
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Being filled with all unrighteousness- which rejects God’s attribute of righteousness.
Fornication- which rejects Divine holiness.
Wickedness- which rejects Divine goodness, and acts contrary to it.
Covetousness- which rejects Divine providence, seeking for more than a fair share.
Maliciousness- which rejects Divine kindness, and manifests evil designs on others.

Full of envy- displeasure at the prosperity of others.
Murder- it is significant that this sin should be found in between envy and debate, showing that these are serious sins. Of course, murder is very serious too, being the destruction of the image of God in man, Genesis 9:6.
Debate- there is a sinister tone to this word, for it does not relate to a discussion about a question, but active strife.
Deceit- this sin disregards truth for one’s own advantage.
Malignity- the tendency to put the worst construction on a matter.
Whisperers- secret plotting against another.

1:30
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Backbiters- open opposition to another by way of slander.
Haters of God- a heart-attitude to God.
Despiteful- rudeness to man.
Proud- an inward attitude of self-importance.
Boasters- the outward display of that self-importance.
Inventors of evil things- the invention of new ways of sinning.
Disobedient to parents- lack of respect for parents.

1:31
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Without understanding- the lack of the ability to grasp simple and basic truth.
Covenantbreakers- lack of loyalty.
Without natural affection- lack of ability to sustain normal relations.
Implacable- lack of reasonableness.
Unmerciful- lack of mercy. At the end of the next verse they show mercy to themselves by excusing themselves.
This is a sad catalogue of the sins which are the product of a mind that is occupied with self and not God, and rejects the laws of our Creator. He allows men to sin in this way so that some, at least, may see the end result of rejecting God, and turn to Him for mercy.

1:32
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Who knowing the judgment of God- they know what God’s righteous assessment of their conduct is through the voice of conscience, which they stifle. The apostle will explain this in the next chapter.
That they which commit such things are worthy of death- those who commit sin deserve to be removed from the earth in death. See, for instance, 2 Samuel 12:13, where David recognised that his sin of adultery merited death. It is only through the mercy of God that sinners are allowed to continue living, and so have opportunity to repent.
Not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them- these men know that if they were to condemn others, they would condemn themselves, since they practise the same things. To try to avoid this, they condone the sins of others. The apostle turns in the next chapter to those who feel they can criticize others without condemning themselves.

Special note on creation
Whilst the Bible does not set out to be a science textbook, nothing within its pages is unscientific, and it is certainly not anti-scientific. The word “science” comes from the Latin verb “to know”. True knowledge is based on evidence. It cannot be based on mere theories. After all, men might speculate about origins, and propose their theories, but as God said to Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding”, Job 38:4. Since no-one except God was there when the events took place, is it not sensible to take note of the record He has given us in His word?
Of course, because man is a sinner, and his mind has been affected badly by his sin, he does not like the implications of creation. The reason for this being that if God introduces Himself as the creator of all men, then He has a claim upon them. The natural heart of man is not comfortable with the idea of being responsible to God, especially because when we come to chapter two of the book of Genesis we find that God issues laws, and warns of judgment if those laws are not obeyed. And then when we move to chapter three we find that those laws, when disobeyed, really do meet with the judgment of which God warned.
There are those who suggest that “religious” people have no right to speak of scientific things, for science deals with facts, and religion deals with beliefs. It should be remembered, however, that views about the universe contrary to those set out in the Bible are also beliefs. The difference between the two systems being that in the matter of origins, scientists can only rely on theories, whereas the believer in God has solid evidence in the form of the written testimony of the Bible.
But the scientist may protest that he has his Big Bang Theory. Precisely. He has his theory. So does the heathen savage have his theory when he believes everything came from a lotus flower. He has no evidence. The evolutionist should face up to the fact that he has none either. He has possible explanations, but no solid basis on which to proceed. He should also face up to the fact that very many scientists, competent in their field, and not necessarily Christians, are opposed to the Big Bang theory, and do not think it should be promoted as the only possibility.
George Ellis, co-worker with the late Stephen Hawking said,

“People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations. For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with earth at its centre, and you cannot disprove it based on observations. You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmologists try to hide that”.

In other words, there is no scientific reason why the Biblical account of creation should be rejected.
When he has formulated all his theories, and indulged in his speculations, man is still left with the idea in the back of his mind that there is a God, and that God is the one who gave us the Bible. The reason for this is found in the fact that God made man in His own image and after His own likeness. Now God is self-aware. But since man is made after the likeness of God, just as God is God-aware, so is man God-aware, however much he may try to hide it and run from it. This is why in Romans 1:19-21 the apostle uses words that indicate the idea of knowledge. The only explanation for this God-consciousness on the part of man is the Biblical one.

Special note on evolution
Before we think a little about evolution, we need to define it, for the word is often used in the wrong sense, even in textbooks. Evolution is that process by which organisms change, so as to become another organism. So, for instance, an ape-like creature becomes a human. This must be clearly distinguished from change that is brought about by adaptation to altering conditions. The latter takes place purely as a result of in-built abilities taking over from one another. The gene pool of that organism will contain scope for variation should the need arise. So the finches on the Galapagos Islands are able to adapt to changing climatic conditions, which vary from decade to decade. They have acquired no new information, but have used the information already coded into them. Sometimes this process will be accelerated by breeding, when particular characteristics are emphasized. All that happens is that latent characteristics are being accentuated; the creature remains the same kind. Creationists believe in this adaptation too, but they deny that it is appropriate to call it evolution.
In the interests of intellectual honesty, adaptation and evolution should not be used interchangeably. The only way it can be claimed that “evolution is a scientifically proven fact”, is by using the word evolution wrongly and dishonestly. Adaptation is, however, a scientifically proven fact, and Christians are happy to acknowledge that. If evolution of species had occurred, the world would be full of transitional fossils, which is not the case. As Stephen Gould, late Professor of Geology at Harvard University, and an evolutionist, wrote,

“The extreme rarity of transitional fossils in the fossil record persists as the trade secret of palaeontology”.

Charles Darwin himself admitted that every stratum of rock, and every geological formation should be full of intermediate forms. He said,

“This is the most obvious and grave objection which could be urged against my theory”.

Over a century has gone by, and the situation is just as dire for the evolutionist.

Those who are creationists believe the following:

1. That God is the creator of all things.

2. That He created the universe approximately 6000 years ago.

3. That He did the creating during six days of 24 hour’s duration, and then rested the seventh day.

4. That God maintains and preserves that which He has created.

5. That God created the various kinds of creature with possibilities for variation built into them.

6. That because sin has entered into the world, God has judged creation by subjecting it to corruption and decay, making it less efficient and beautiful than it was at the beginning.

7. That when God’s purpose for this present universe has been achieved, He will cause it to pass away, and make a new heavens and new earth which shall never be spoilt.

It is very clear that there is no common ground between these beliefs and evolution. They are so opposed that they can never be reconciled. When dealing with these opposing views, we must bear in mind that the creationist and the evolutionist are both confronted by the same evidence. The same earth and sun, the same stars, the same variety of life on the earth, the same fossils. The only thing that is different is the way these things are looked at. It is important to remember this, for creationism is often misrepresented as if it is belief in things that have no scientific support. This is not the case. The words of Charles Darwin should be borne in mind, for he wrote,

“I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true science”.

What was true in Darwin’s day, is true today.
The idea that evolution is based on evidence and creationism is based on religion and faith is not true. The evolutionist believes he is right, the creationist believes he is right. They both have a faith-system. The difference lies in the fact that creationists believe what they read in the Bible, and see the universe in that light, whereas the evolutionist believes what he and other men think, in independence of God.
That evolution is a faith-system is shown by the Preface to Darwin’s Origin of Species, which reads as follows,

“The fact of evolution is the backbone of biology, and biology is thus in the peculiar position of being a science founded on an unproved theory- is it then a science or a faith? Belief in the theory of evolution is thus exactly parallel to belief in special creation- both are concepts which believers know to be true, but neither, up to the present, has been capable of proof”.

Since both evolution and creationism are faith-based, the question to be resolved is which view is the most reasonable, and most in accordance with the facts. Reasonable things are those things which are logical.

The evolutionist exalts reason, and yet his system of thought deprives him of reason. For if there is no God, there is no source of logic or reason. No coherent thought is possible; no rational conclusions can be arrived at; no certainty about anything can be achieved.
The evolutionist has nothing to offer by way of viable answer to the problem of the origin of reason. He believes his mind to be nothing more than a random collection of atoms. He will forgive us then for not believing what comes out of such a mind. The honest seeker for truth needs that which is definite and exact, not that which is vague. He seeks certainty, not possibility. Even probability will not satisfy him. And this the atheist cannot give him. For all his bravado and bluster, all the atheist can say is summed up by the language his organisation used for its advertising campaign on the London bus network, “There is probably no God”. This is the language of those who are unsure of themselves. And this is no surprise, for they have cut themselves off from the source of true wisdom and knowledge.
The Christian has the solution to this problem, for he believes the Bible, which teaches that man is made in the image of God. This means, amongst other things, that man has rationality. He is able to think, reason, and come to logical conclusions, because God has given him the capacity to do these things. Even though man has fallen into a state of sin, his mind is still capable of rational thought. God graciously enables the sincere and earnest seeker after the truth to find Him. He has promised “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”, Jeremiah 29:13.
To know God as Creator is only the first step. It is God’s desire that we should discover Him to be a Saviour-God. This is why He sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might be saved from sin and its consequences. By the sacrifice of Himself at Calvary He brought salvation within the reach of all who are prepared to accept the testimony that God gives in His word about His Son. Accepting that testimony not only involves belief that Jesus Christ is equal with God, and that this qualifies Him to deal with the sin-question, but it also involves believing that we cannot save ourselves from sin, and that we have no strength to deal with that deep problem.
Those who do find salvation from sin’s power and consequences through faith in a crucified Saviour, find also that they are now able to understand that which the natural man cannot grasp. As a result, they will gladly acknowledge God to be the Creator of all things at the beginning, and will give Him the glory for it. The first chapter of the Bible will no longer be dismissed as myth and fable, but will be seen as the record of what God Himself did. This is not to say that only Christians can understand that all things were created by God. We learn from Romans 1:19 that unbelievers are held responsible by God for their response to the things they see around them.
The origin of matter also needs to be considered. There are those who reject the idea of creation altogether, because they say matter is eternal. If matter is eternal then it had no beginning. But if it exists and yet had no beginning it is an effect without a cause. This is self-evidently not the case. It was David Hume, celebrated atheist and philosopher, who said,

“I never asserted so absurd a proposition that anything might arise without a cause.”

The origin of life is also a matter of great difficulty to the evolutionist. But biology is the study of “bios”, the word the Greeks used for life, and zoology is the study of “zooim”, the word they used for living creatures. No-one who claims to be able to tell us about our origin should be allowed to evade this question. To plead ignorance, or even to rejoice in not knowing, is no help to us. There needs to be certainty. And this the atheist cannot give us, for the simple reason that he denies the existence of God.
God is the only wise God, and as such is the source of mind and reason. He is the Creator God, the source of all matter. And He is also the Living God, the source of every form of life. We must be clear that existence and life are not the same thing. Life is a condition of existence, as is death. For man, when life ends, death begins, but the person still exists. The state of existence has changed from life to death, but the existence itself is unchanging. The Bible makes it clear that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”, Hebrews 9:27, so the person continues, even though his earthly life has come to an end. In what state the person continues depends on his response during his lifetime to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, for He was “once offered to bear the sins of many”, Hebrews 9:28, and those who rely on His finished work in genuine faith are assured that death is the gateway to heaven.
Now and again in the media there is great excitement because of some laboratory experiment which is supposed to have produced life. The excitement soon goes away, however, as it is realised that nothing of the sort has taken place. All that has happened is that lifeless sludge has been produced on the side of a test-tube. The tragedy is that the so-called triumph is widely reported in the media, but the eventual rejection of the so-called “scientific finding” is not mentioned.
Life as man has it may be defined as “That which enables us to act in response to our will”. Our will is that part of our being which prompts us to do a particular thing. The difference between animals and man is that an animal may change its behaviour as a result of stimulus or instinct, whereas man has a will which can be independent of stimuli. So, for instance, his senses tell him that to touch fire is harmful, yet he may rush into a burning building to save his children. He does not have to do that to survive, but he does it because he is more than a collection of cells reacting to stimuli. Man makes a multitude of responses which have nothing to do with survival, but he wills to make them. Where does that will come from? The atheist has no answer. The Christian believes the will of man comes from God, who made man in His own image so that he might represent and reflect Him.
We have now confronted three major questions, the existence of reason; the existence of matter; the existence of life. We have noted that the evolutionist has no viable answer to any of the three, and we have also noted the Christian answer, namely that God is the source of reason, matter, and life. Because He is the God of the universe, we are accountable to Him. Instead of evading this truth by hiding behind an unproven theory, it is the best policy to come to terms with things as they really are, and seek the relationship with God that He desires men to have.