Romans 1:18-32

Context

The Condemnation of the Unrighteous

1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people¹ who suppress the truth by their² unrighteousness,³ 1:19 because what can be known about God is plain to them,⁴ 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 people⁵ 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 hearts⁶ were darkened. 1:22 Although they claimed⁷ to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings⁸ or birds or four-footed animals⁹ or reptiles.

1:24 Therefore God gave them over¹⁰ in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor¹¹ their bodies among themselves.¹² 1:25 They¹³ exchanged the truth of God for a lie¹⁴ and worshiped and served the creation¹⁵ 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,¹⁶ 1:27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women¹⁷ and were inflamed in their passions¹⁸ for one another. Men¹⁹ 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,²⁰ God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.²¹ 1:29 They are filled²² with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with²³ envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, 1:31 senseless, covenant-breakers,²⁴ heartless, ruthless. 1:32 Although they fully know²⁵ God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,²⁶ they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.²⁷

[1:18] ¹tn 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).

[1:18] ²tn “Their” is implied in the Greek, but is supplied because of English style.

[1:18] ³tn Or “by means of unrighteousness.” Grk “in (by) unrighteousness.”

[1:19] ⁴tn Grk “is manifest to/in them.”

[1:20] ⁵tn Grk “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:21] ⁶tn Grk “heart.”

[1:22] ⁷tn The participle φάσκοντες (faskonte") is used concessively here.

[1:23] ⁸tn 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”).

[1:23] ⁹sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.

[1:24] ¹⁰sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.

[1:24] ¹¹tn 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.

[1:24] ¹²tn Grk “among them.”

[1:25] ¹³tn 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.

[1:25] ¹⁴tn Grk “the lie.”

[1:25] ¹⁵tn Or “creature, created things.”

[1:26] ¹⁶tn 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).

[1:27] ¹⁷tn Grk “likewise so also the males abandoning the natural function of the female.”

[1:27] ¹⁸tn Grk “burned with intense desire” (L&N 25.16).

[1:27] ¹⁹tn 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.

[1:28] ²⁰tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”

[1:28] ²¹tn Grk “the things that are improper.”

[1:29] ²²tn 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.

[1:29] ²³tn 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.

[1:31] ²⁴tn Or “promise-breakers.”

[1:32] ²⁵tn Grk “who, knowing…, not only do them but also approve…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:32] ²⁶tn Grk “are worthy of death.”

[1:32] ²⁷sn “Vice lists” like vv. 28-32 can be found elsewhere in the NT in Matt 15:19; Gal 5:19-21; 1 Tim 1:9-10; and 1 Pet 4:3. An example from the intertestamental period can be found in Wis 14:25-26.