Chapter Two
Chapter Two
When God Gives Up
Hear ye! Hear ye! Court is now in session!” Paul could have used those awesome words at this point in his letter, because Romans 1:18 is the door that leads us into God’s courtroom. The theme of Romans is the righteousness of God, but Paul had to begin with the unrighteousness of humankind. Until a person knows he is a sinner, he cannot appreciate the gracious salvation God offers in Jesus Christ. Paul followed the basic Bible pattern: first law and condemnation, then grace and salvation.
In this section, God makes three declarations that together prove that all people are sinners and need Jesus Christ.
The picture Paul paints here is an ugly one. I confess that there are some neighborhoods that I dislike driving through, and I avoid them if I can. My avoiding them does not change them or eliminate them. God’s description of sinners is not a pretty one, but we cannot avoid it. This section does not teach evolution (that humans started low and climbed high), but devolution: He started high and, because of sin, sank lower than the beasts. Four stages mark humankind’s tragic devolution.
(1) Intelligence (vv. 18–20). Human history began with people knowing God. Human history is not the story of a beast that worshipped idols, and then evolved into a person worshipping one God. Human history is just the opposite: People began knowing God but turned from the truth and rejected God. God revealed Himself to humankind through creation, the things that He made. From the world around them, humans knew that there was a God who had the wisdom to plan and the power to create. Humans realized too that this Creator was eternal … “His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:20), since God could not be created if He is the Creator. These facts about God are not hidden in creation; they are “clearly seen” (v. 20). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1).
The word translated “hold” in Rom. 1:18 can also be translated “hold down, suppress.” Men knew the truth about God, but they did not allow this truth to work in their lives. They suppressed it in order that they might live their own lives and not be convicted by God’s truth. The result, of course, was refusing the truth (Rom. 1:21–22), and then turning the truth into a lie (Rom. 1:25). Finally, humankind so abandoned the truth that they became like beasts in their thinking and in their living.
(2) Ignorance (vv. 21–23). Humans knew God; this is clear. But they did not want to know God or honor Him as God. Instead of being thankful for all that God had given them, humans refused to thank God or give Him the glory He deserves. They were willing to use God’s gifts, but they were not willing to worship and praise God for His gifts. The result was an empty mind and a darkened heart. Man the worshipper became man the philosopher, but his empty wisdom only revealed his foolishness. Paul summarized all of Greek history in one dramatic statement: “the times of this ignorance” (Acts 17:30). First Corinthians 1:18–31 is worth reading at this point.
Having held down God’s truth and refusing to acknowledge God’s glory, humankind was left without a god, and humankind is so constituted that they must worship something. If they will not worship the true God, they will worship a false god, even if they have to manufacture it themselves. This fact about humankind accounts for their propensity to idolatry. They exchanged the glory of the true God for substitute gods that they themselves made. They exchanged glory for shame, incorruption for corruption, truth for lies.
Note that first on the list of false gods is ourselves. This fulfilled Satan’s purpose when he told Eve, “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5 NASB). “Glory to man in the highest!” Satan encouraged humans to say. Instead of man being made in God’s image, man made gods in his own image—and then descended so low as to worship birds, beasts, and bugs.
(3) Indulgence (vv. 24–27). From idolatry to immorality is just one short step. If man is his own god, then he can do whatever he pleases and fulfill his desires without fear of judgment. We reach the climax of man’s battle with God’s truth when man exchanges the truth of God for “the lie” and abandons truth completely. “The lie” is that man is his own god, and he should worship and serve himself and not the Creator. It was “the lie” Satan used in the garden to lead Eve into sin: “Ye shall be as gods.” Satan has always wanted the worship that belongs only to God (Isa. 14:12–15; Matt. 4:8–10), and in idolatry, he receives that worship (1 Cor. 10:19–21).
The result of this self-deification was self-indulgence, and here Paul mentions a vile sin that was rampant in that day and has become increasingly prevalent in our own day: homosexuality. This sin is repeatedly condemned in Scripture (Gen. 18:20ff.; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Jude 7). Paul characterizes it as “vile” and “unnatural,” as well as “against nature.” Not only were the men guilty, but “even the women.”
Because of their sin “God gave them up” (Rom. 1:24, 26), which means that He permitted them to go on in their sins and reap the sad consequences. They received “in their own persons the due penalty of their error” (Rom. 1:27 NASB). This is the meaning of Romans 1:18: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven” (literal translation). God revealed His wrath, not by sending fire from heaven, but by abandoning sinful men to their lustful ways. But there was one more stage.
(4) Impenitence (vv. 28–32). When man began to feel the tragic consequences of his sins, you would think he would repent and seek God, but just the opposite was true. Because he was abandoned by God, he could only become worse. Man did not even want to retain God in his knowledge! So, “God gave them over” this time to a “depraved mind” (Rom. 1:28 NASB), which means a mind that cannot form right judgments. They now abandoned themselves to sin. Paul names twenty-four specific sins, all of which are with us today. (For other lists, see Mark 7:20–23; Gal. 5:19–21; 1 Tim. 1:9–10; 2 Tim. 3:2–5.)
But the worst is yet to come. Men not only committed these sins in open defiance of God, but encouraged others and applauded them when they sinned. How far man fell! He began glorifying God but ended exchanging that glory for idols. He began knowing God but ended refusing to keep the knowledge of God in his mind and heart. He began as the highest of God’s creatures, made in the image of God, but he ended lower than the beasts and insects, because he worshipped them as his gods. The verdict? “They are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).
This portion of Scripture gives ample proof that the heathen are lost. Dan Crawford, British missionary to Africa, said: “The heathen are sinning against a flood of light.” There is a desperate need for us to carry the gospel to all men, for this is the only way they can be saved.
Bible scholars do not agree on whom Paul was addressing in Romans 2:1–16. Some think he was dealing with the moral pagan who did not commit the sins named in Romans 1:18–32, but who sought to live a moral life. But it seems to me that Paul was addressing his Jewish readers in this section. To begin with, his discussion of the law in Romans 2:12–16 would have been more meaningful to a Jew than to a Gentile. And in Romans 2:17, he openly addressed his reader as “a Jew.” This would be a strange form of address if in the first half of the chapter he were addressing Gentiles.
It would not be an easy task to find the Jews guilty, since disobedience to God was one sin they did not want to confess. The Old Testament prophets were persecuted for indicting Israel for her sins, and Jesus was crucified for the same reason. Paul summoned four “witnesses” to prove the guilt of the Jewish nation.
(1) The Gentiles (2:1–3). Certainly the Jews would applaud Paul’s condemnation of the Gentiles in Romans 1:18–32. In fact, Jewish national and religious pride encouraged them to despise the “Gentile dogs” and have nothing to do with them. Paul used this judgmental attitude to prove the guilt of the Jews, for the very things they condemned in the Gentiles, they themselves were practicing! They thought that they were free from judgment because they were God’s chosen people. But Paul affirmed that God’s election of the Jews made their responsibility and accountability even greater.
God’s judgment is according to truth. He does not have one standard for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. One who reads the list of sins in Romans 1:29–32 cannot escape the fact that each person is guilty of at least one of them. There are “sins of the flesh and of the spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1); there are “prodigal sons” and “elder brothers” (Luke 15:11–32). When they condemned the Gentiles for their sins, the Jews were really condemning themselves. As the old saying puts it, “When you point your finger at somebody else, the other three are pointing at you.”
(2) God’s blessing (2:4–11). Instead of giving the Jews special treatment from God, the blessings they received from Him gave them greater responsibility to obey Him and glorify Him. In His goodness, God had given Israel great material and spiritual riches: a wonderful land, a righteous law, a temple and priesthood, God’s providential care, and many more blessings. God had patiently endured Israel’s many sins and rebellions, and had even sent them His Son to be their Messiah. Even after Israel crucified Christ, God gave the nation nearly forty more years of grace and withheld His judgment. It is not the judgment of God that leads men to repentance, but the goodness of God—but Israel did not repent.
In Romans 2:6–11, Paul was not teaching salvation by character or good deeds. He was explaining another basic principle of God’s judgment: God judges according to deeds, just as He judges according to truth. Paul was dealing here with the consistent actions of a person’s life, the total impact of his character and conduct. For example, David committed some terrible sins, but the total emphasis of his life was obedience to God. Judas confessed his sin and supplied the money for buying a cemetery for strangers, yet the total emphasis of his life was disobedience and unbelief.
True saving faith results in obedience and godly living, even though there may be occasional falls. When God measured the deeds of the Jews, He found them to be as wicked as those of the Gentiles. The fact that the Jews occasionally celebrated a feast or even regularly honored the Sabbath day did not change the fact that their consistent daily life was one of disobedience to God. God’s blessings did not lead them to repentance.
(3) God’s law (1:12–24). Paul’s statement in Romans 2:11, “For there is no respect of persons with God,” would shock the Jews, for they considered themselves deserving of special treatment because they were chosen by God. But Paul explained that the Jewish law only made the guilt of Israel that much greater. God did not give the law to the Gentiles, so they would not be judged by the law. Actually, the Gentiles had “the work of the law written in their hearts” (Rom. 2:15). Wherever you go, you find people with an inner sense of right and wrong, and this inner judge, the Bible calls “conscience.” You find among all cultures a sense of sin, a fear of judgment, and an attempt to atone for sins and appease whatever gods are feared.
The Jew boasted in the law. He was different from his pagan neighbors who worshipped idols. But Paul made it clear that it was not the possession of the law that counted, but the practice of the law. The Jews looked on the Gentiles as blind, in the dark, foolish, immature, and ignorant. But if God found the “deprived” Gentiles guilty, how much more guilty were the “privileged” Jews. God not only judges according to truth (Rom. 2:2), and according to men’s deeds (Rom. 2:6), but He also judges “the secrets of men” (Rom. 2:16). He sees what is in the heart.
The Jewish people had a religion of outward action, not inward attitude. They may have been moral on the outside, but what about the heart? Our Lord’s indictment of the Pharisees in Matthew 23 illustrates the principle perfectly. God not only sees the deeds but He also sees the “thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). It is possible for a Jew to be guilty of theft, adultery, and idolatry (Rom. 2:21–22) even if no one saw him commit these sins outwardly. In the Sermon on the Mount we are told that such sins can be committed in the heart.
Instead of glorifying God among the Gentiles, the Jews were dishonoring God, and Paul quoted Isaiah 52:5 to prove his point. The pagan Gentiles had daily contact with the Jews in business and other activities, and they were not fooled by the Jews’ devotion to the law. The very law that the Jews claimed to obey only indicted them!
(4) Circumcision (2:25–29). This was the great mark of the covenant, and it had its beginning with Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation (Gen. 17). To the Jews, the Gentiles were “uncircumcised dogs.” The tragedy is that the Jews depended on this physical mark instead of the spiritual reality it represented (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 9:26; Ezek. 44:9). A true Jew is one who has had an inward spiritual experience in the heart, and not merely an outward physical operation. People today make this same mistake with reference to baptism or the Lord’s Supper, or even church membership.
God judges according to “the secrets of men” (Rom. 2:16), so that He is not impressed with mere outward formalities. An obedient Gentile with no circumcision would be more acceptable than a disobedient Jew with circumcision. In fact, a disobedient Jew turns his circumcision into uncircumcision in God’s sight, for God looks at the heart. The Jews praised each other for their obedience to the law, but the important thing is the “praise of God” and not the praise of men (Rom. 2:29). When you recall that the name “Jew” comes from “Judah,” which means “praise,” this statement takes on new meaning (Gen. 29:35; 49:8).
Paul’s summation (3:1–8). All of Paul’s four witnesses agreed: The Jews were guilty before God. In Romans 3:1–8, Paul summed up the argument and refuted those Jews who tried to debate with him. They raised three questions: (1) “What advantage is it to be a Jew?” Reply: Every advantage, especially possessing the Word of God; (2) “Will Jewish unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness?” Reply: Absolutely not—it establishes it; (3) “If our sin commends His righteousness, how can He judge us?” Reply: We do not do evil that good may come of it. God judges the world righteously.
The third declaration was obvious, for Paul had already proved (charged) both Jews and Gentiles to be guilty before God. Next he declared that all people were sinners, and proved it with several quotations from the Old Testament. Note the repetition of the words none and all, which in themselves assert the universality of human guilt.
His first quotation was from Psalm 14:1–3. This psalm begins with “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The words “there is” are in italics, meaning they were added by the translators; so you can read the sentence, “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘No, God!’” This parallels the description of man’s devolution given in Romans 1:18–32, for it all started with man saying no to God.
These verses indicate that the whole of man’s inner being is controlled by sin: his mind (“none that understandeth”), his heart (“none that seeketh after God”), and his will (“none that doeth good”). Measured by God’s perfect righteousness, no human being is sinless. No sinner seeks after God. Therefore, God must seek the sinner (Gen. 3:8–10; Luke 19:10). Man has gone astray and has become unprofitable both to himself and to God. Our Lord’s parables in Luke 15 illustrate this perfectly.
In Romans 3:13–18, Paul gave us an X-ray study of the lost sinner, from head to foot. His quotations are as follows: verse 13a—Psalm 5:9; verse 13b—Psalm 140:3; verse 14—Psalm 10:7; verses 15–17—Isaiah 59:7–8; verse 18—Psalm 36:1. These verses need to be read in their contexts for the full impact.
Romans 3:13–14 emphasize human speech—the throat, tongue, lips, and mouth. The connection between words and character is seen in Matthew 12:34: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” The sinner is spiritually dead by nature (Eph. 2:1–3), therefore only death can come out of his mouth. The condemned mouth can become a converted mouth and acknowledge that “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9–10 NIV). “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt. 12:37).
In Romans 3:15–16, Paul pictured the sinner’s feet. Just as his words are deceitful, so his ways are destructive. The Christians’ feet are shod with the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), but the lost sinner brings death, destruction, and misery wherever he goes. These tragedies may not occur immediately, but they will come inevitably. The lost sinner is on the broad road that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13–14); he needs to repent, trust Jesus Christ, and get on the narrow road that leads to life.
Romans 3:17 deals with the sinner’s mind: He does not know the way of God’s peace. This is what caused Jesus to weep over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41–44). The sinner does not want to know God’s truth (Rom. 1:21, 25, 28); he prefers to believe Satan’s lie. God’s way of peace is through Jesus Christ: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
In Romans 3:18, which cites Psalm 36:1, the sinner’s arrogant pride is prescribed: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” The entire psalm should be read to get the full picture. The ignorance mentioned in Romans 3:17 is caused by the pride of verse 18, for it is “the fear of the LORD” that is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7).
These quotations from God’s law, the Old Testament Scriptures, lead to one conclusion: The whole world is guilty before God. There may be those who want to argue, but every mouth is stopped. There is no debate or defense. The whole world is guilty, Jews and Gentiles. The Jews stand condemned by the law of which they boast, and the Gentiles stand condemned on the basis of creation and conscience.
The word therefore in Romans 3:20 carries the meaning of “because,” and gives the reason why the whole world is guilty. No flesh can obey God’s law and be justified (declared righteous) in His sight. It is true that “the doers of the law shall be justified” (Rom. 2:13), but nobody can do what the law demands. This inability is one way that people know they are sinners. When they try to obey the law, they fail miserably and need to cry out for God’s mercy. Neither Jew nor Gentile can obey God’s law; therefore God must save sinners by some other means. The explanation of that means by which people can be saved occupied Paul for the rest of his letter.
The best way to close this section would be to ask a simple question: Has your mouth ever been stopped? Are you boasting of your own self-righteousness and defending yourself before God? If so, then perhaps you have never been saved by God’s grace. It is only when we stand silent before Him as sinners that He can save us. As long as we defend ourselves and commend ourselves, we cannot be saved by God’s grace. The whole world is guilty before God—and that includes you and me.
QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
OR GROUP DISCUSSION
1. How do you feel when you see or hear the words “you are guilty”? Why?
2. Why do people not want to admit their guilt? How have you experienced this in your own life?
3. What four stages of “devolution” are described? What was the cause?
4. Why do people suppress the truth about God? When have you struggled with this?
5. Why is this just one short step from idolatry to immorality?
6. What does it mean that, because of people’s sin, God “gave them up” or God “gave them over” (1:24, 28)?
7. Who or what are the witnesses that prove the guilt of the Jewish nation?
8. At the time of the writing of Romans, what displeased God the most about the Jews?
9. Instead of special treatment, what did God’s blessings actually give the Jews? How might this be true for God’s blessings to you?
10. What does Romans 3:10 (“There is none who does good,” NASB) mean to you when you see people who seem to be good people doing good deeds? Why would Paul say something like this?