1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people 5 who suppress the truth by their 6 unrighteousness, 7 1:19 because what can be known about God is plain to them, 8 because God has made it plain to them. 1:20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people 9 are without excuse. 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts 10 were darkened. 1:22 Although they claimed 11 to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings 12 or birds or four-footed animals 13 or reptiles.
1:24 Therefore God gave them over 14 in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor 15 their bodies among themselves. 16 1:25 They 17 exchanged the truth of God for a lie 18 and worshiped and served the creation 19 rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
1:26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, 20 1:27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women 21 and were inflamed in their passions 22 for one another. Men 23 committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, 24 God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. 25 1:29 They are filled 26 with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with 27 envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips,
1 tn The nature of the “righteousness” described here and the force of the genitive θεοῦ (“of God”) which follows have been much debated. (1) Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:98) understand “righteousness” to refer to the righteous status given to believers as a result of God’s justifying activity, and see the genitive “of God” as a genitive of source (= “from God”). (2) Others see the “righteousness” as God’s act or declaration that makes righteous (i.e., justifies) those who turn to him in faith, taking the genitive “of God” as a subjective genitive (see E. Käsemann, Romans, 25-30). (3) Still others see the “righteousness of God” mentioned here as the attribute of God himself, understanding the genitive “of God” as a possessive genitive (“God’s righteousness”).
2 tn Grk “in it”; the referent (the gospel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “by faith for faith,” or “by faith to faith.” There are many interpretations of the phrase ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν (ek pistew" ei" pistin). It may have the idea that this righteousness is obtained by faith (ἐκ πίστεως) because it was designed for faith (εἰς πίστιν). For a summary see J. Murray, Romans (NICNT), 1:363-74.
4 sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.
5 tn The genitive ἀνθρώπων could be taken as an attributed genitive, in which case the phase should be translated “against all ungodly and unrighteous people” (cf. “the truth of God” in v. 25 which is also probably an attributed genitive). C. E. B. Cranfield takes the section 1:18-32 to refer to all people (not just Gentiles), while 2:1-3:20 points out that the Jew is no exception (Romans [ICC], 1:104-6; 1:137-38).
6 tn “Their” is implied in the Greek, but is supplied because of English style.
7 tn Or “by means of unrighteousness.” Grk “in (by) unrighteousness.”
8 tn Grk “is manifest to/in them.”
9 tn Grk “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Grk “heart.”
11 tn The participle φάσκοντες (faskonte") is used concessively here.
12 tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (afqarto", “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (fqarto", “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).
13 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.
14 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.
15 tn The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι (tou atimazesqai, “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.
16 tn Grk “among them.”
17 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
18 tn Grk “the lie.”
19 tn Or “creature, created things.”
20 tn Grk “for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is contrary to nature.” The term χρῆσις (crhsi") has the force of “sexual relations” here (L&N 23.65).
21 tn Grk “likewise so also the males abandoning the natural function of the female.”
22 tn Grk “burned with intense desire” (L&N 25.16).
23 tn Grk “another, men committing…and receiving,” continuing the description of their deeds. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
24 tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”
25 tn Grk “the things that are improper.”
26 tn Grk “being filled” or “having been filled,” referring to those described in v. 28. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
27 tn Grk “malice, full of,” continuing the description. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.