Bible Commentaries
Romans 1

Verse 1

Romans 1:1

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,—A true translation of the original, without the necessity of supplying the words, would be: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle, called, sepa­rated unto the gospel of God.”

Paul,—It was the custom of the ancients to place the name of the writer at the beginning of the letter instead of at the end, and Paul follows this style. “Paul” is the name by which the apostle was known throughout the most active part of his life. It was his proper name as an apostle. [It was not un­common for the Jews in that age, especially such as associated much with foreigners, to be known among their own country­men by their Hebrew name, and among the foreigners by a different name; and the fact that the apostle was born in a for­eign city and inherited the rights of a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28) makes it probable that both names belonged to him from early youth.]

a servant of Jesus Christ,—Paul sought no higher office or dignity than to be a servant of Christ, set apart to the preach­ing of the gospel. [The word “servant” properly means one bound, tied, or fettered. Anciently it was applied to persons to denote that they were slaves, or had not control over their own acts, but were continually subject to the will of others. Paul here evidently refers to a service which stands specially connected with the great responsibility resting upon him as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Had he been a mere follower of Christ without this apostolic power and authority, he could not have written this and other Epistles. He would have been wholly unauthorized to lay the lofty and imperative instruc­tions contained therein upon the hearts and consciences of his readers. It is, therefore, as an official servant, and of the highest rank, that he writes to the different churches and individuals.]

an apostle,—Literally, one sent forth or away with orders. The term is generally used in the New Testament as the de­scriptive appellation of a comparatively small class of men to whom Jesus Christ intrusted the organization of his church and the dissemination of his teaching among men.

[The fol­lowing qualifications were absolutely essential:

(1) That they should have seen the Lord after his resurrec­tion, and been ear and eyewitnesses of what they testified. (Acts 1:21-22; John 15:27). Paul is no exception in this respect, for, speaking of those who saw Christ after he rose from the dead, he adds: “And last of all,...he appeared to me also.” (1 Corinthians 15:8). And in one of his apostolic qualifi­cations he especially mentions this: “Am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1). This was necessary to his being a witness of what he saw and heard. (Acts 22:15).

(2) They must have been immediately called and chosen to that office by Christ himself. (Luke 6:13; Galatians 1:1).

(3) They must necessarily have been inspired to qualify them for their work. (John 14:26; John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-15; Galatians 1:11-12). They had not only to explain the true sense and spirit of the Old Testament (Luke 24:47-49; Acts 17:1-3; Acts 26:22-23; Acts 28:23), which we hid from the most learned among the Jews, but also to give the revelation through Jesus Christ, which was to be the unalterable standard of faith and practice to the end of time (1 Peter 1:25; 1 John 4:6). It was, there­fore, absolutely necessary that they should be secured against all error and mistake by the unerring guidance of the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, Christ promised and actually bestowed on them the Holy Spirit to teach them all things, to bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever he had said to them (John 14:26), to guide them into all the truth, and to show them things to come (John 16:13). Their word, therefore, must be received “not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13), and that whereby we are to “know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6).

(4) They must have had the power of miracles (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:43), such as speaking with divers tongues, making the lame walk, healing the sick, raising the dead, discerning of spirits, and conferring these gifts upon others (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). These were the credentials of their divine mission. Paul says: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.” (2 Corinthians 12:12). Miracles were necessary to confirm their teaching at its first publication and to gain credit to it in the world as a revelation from God, and by these God bore them witness. (Hebrews 2:4).

(5) Their mission must be universal. Their charge was not confined to any particular church, but, being the oracles of God to men, they had the care of all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:28). They had the power to settle their faith and order as a model to all future ages, to determine all controversies (Acts 15:1-29; Acts 16:4), and to exercise the rod of discipline upon all offenders (1 Corinthians 5:3-6; 2 Corinthians 10:8; 2 Corinthians 13:10).

These qualifications made them apostles in a sense which left them without predecessors or successors. Their qualifi­cations were supernatural, and their work, once performed, remains the infallible record of the New Testament for the conversion of the world and the edification of the church to the end of time. They are the only authorized teachers of God’s will to man through Christ.]

called,—Paul was called to the apostleship in the full and proper sense, like the twelve whom Christ so called and named. (John 15:16; John 15:19; Matthew 10:1; Luke 6:13). He did not arrive at it by his own choice or through accidental circumstances. [No human instrumentality intervened to throw the slightest doubt upon the reality of the communication between Christ himself and Paul.] The words spoken before Agrippa are a condensed statement of all that was revealed to him, both in his vision on the way to Damascus and afterwards by Ananias in the city: “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:15-18).

separated—He was called, and he obeyed, and the act of obedience- separated him from the world and its pursuits. Even when working as a tent-maker, he did so in order thus the more effectually to preach the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:12).

unto the gospel of God, —[It was called “the gospel of God” because it is his appointment; it was originated by him and has his authority.]

Verse 2

Romans 1:2

Romans 1:2

which he promised afore—[The promise of the great De­liverer, running through the Old Testament, is one of the most wonderful of the phenomena of history. It was such that be­yond all question it had brought the hope of Israel to an in­tense pitch just before and at the time of the birth and life of Jesus of Nazareth.]

through his prophets in the holy scriptures,—The gospel of Christ had been promised by his prophets in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. [They foretold the publication of the gospel: “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 4:3; see also Isaiah 40:1-10). “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isaiah 52:7). In one sense God proclaimed the good news to Abraham (Galatians 3:8), but only as something far off and indistinct. To him and the prophets it was only a promise of good things in a far future.] Paul presents the close connection of the two cove­nants. One grows out of the other. The great central truth of the prophecies was a coming prophet and deliverer. The central truth of the New Testament is that the prophet has come. They are different parts of one whole, and the two stand together. Faith in Moses requires faith in Christ.

Verse 3

Romans 1:3

Romans 1:3

concerning his Son,—It had been promised that a Prince would be raised up to rule over the people of God forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7). Jesus is that Prince. He came in fulfillment of that promise.

who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,—[He was of the family of David in the direct line, as God had promised he should be, and it is evident that “according to the flesh” denotes the human nature in him as including all that connected him with David through his mother.]

Verse 4

Romans 1:4

Romans 1:4

who was declared to be the Son of God with power,—[That Christ is as to his spirit the Son of God could not be known by intuition, nor perhaps in any other way, save the one employed; and this was determined by power—the resur­rection of the dead.]

according to the spirit of holiness,—[This is put in contrast with “according to the flesh,” and denotes the divine element that was in Jesus, by which he is connected with the Father, and is thus called "the Son of God." The contrast is between his humanity and his divinity. The passage confirms the claim of Jesus to be more than the son of David, as set forth in his conversation with the Pharisees: “Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet? If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:41-46).]

by the resurrection from the dead;—God declared this truth with power by raising him from the dead. He had declared him in other ways and on other occasions to be his Son, but the truth was settled by the power that raised him from the dead. This was the sign of all signs to which Jesus pointed the Jews who asked for a sign (Matthew 12:38-40). [Faith in Jesus as the Son of God was not a fixed, immovable prin­ciple till after he was raised from the dead. The strong and abiding faith of the apostles that was to constitute the lead­ing and foundation principle of membership in the church of God rested on his resurrection. Peter says: “Who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3). They had no living and abiding hope of the incorruptible in­heritance until he was raised from the dead; indeed the apostles did not understand the spiritual nature of his kingdom on the day of his ascension, but looked for the restoration of the fleshly kingdom of Judaism. (See Acts 1:6-8). While the reference is to Christ’s own resurrection, this can be rightly considered as assuring the general resurrection of all the dead, since the identity of the two is presupposed in 1 Corinthians 15:12­-22. Christ’s divine relation to the Father shines forth in the virtual accomplishment of the resurrection of all mankind through his own victory over death. Hence his sublime declaration to Martha: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26).]

even Jesus Christ our Lord:—[The son of David and the Son of God is thus finally described by these well-known titles. “Jesus” was his personal name and identifies him as the crucified Savior, “Christ” as the promised Messiah, and “Lord” as the exalted King to whom all authority is given in heaven and on earth.]

Verse 5

Romans 1:5

Romans 1:5

through whom we received grace—[The meaning of “grace” as here used is to be learned from its use in the fol­lowing: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10). “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:7-8). “When they saw that I had been intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel of the circumcision (for he that wrought for Peter unto the apostleship of the circumcision wrought for me also unto the Gentiles); and when they per­ceived the grace that was given unto me, . . . gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision.” (Galatians 2:7-9). From these passages it is evident that Paul had in mind a special impartation of grace to individual men, for the purpose of fitting them for various offices and duties. In his own case it had been given in such measure and manner as to qualify him to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and to address and admonish Gentile churches.]

and apostleship,—Paul was called to the apostleship by Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus. (Acts 9:15). It is probable that Paul laid emphasis on his call by Jesus Christ, because some called in question his authority as an apostle and claimed that he was inferior to the apostles because he had never seen the Lord.

unto obedience of faith—Obedience of faith as its moving cause. No act of obedience is acceptable to God which is not prompted by faith in him who performs it. This shows that there is something in faith to be obeyed. This obedience is rendered not simply by believing; for that is to exercise the faith, not to obey it. But faith in Jesus the Christ as the Son of the living God demands a course of life in accordance with that which is believed, and to follow this course is to obey the faith by yielding to its demands.

among all the nations.—He was called to preach among all the nations, in contrast with the other apostles, whose mission was to the people of Israel. His mission was to preach so that all would be brought to the obedience which is in God through Christ.

for his name’s sake;—His work was one in which he was seeking to honor and to glorify Jesus. [To this end he toiled, encountered dangers, daily laid down his life, that his name might be on every lip and in every heart.]

Verse 6

Romans 1:6

Romans 1:6

among whom are ye also, called to be Jesus Christ’s:— These brethren at Rome were among those who had become obedient to the faith, or through the gospel had been called of Jesus Christ, and were his servants.

Verse 7

Romans 1:7

Romans 1:7

to all that are in Rome, beloved of God,—This salutation is addressed to all the Christians in Rome, whether Romans, Jews, or Greeks, whom he calls “beloved of God.” God’s people are often, both in the Old Testament and the New, distinguished by the honorable appellation, “beloved of God.” (Deuteronomy 33:12; Colossians 3:12).

called to be saints:—Those who are sanctified or set apart to the service of God. The term is applied to all who claim to be Christians, regardless of their degree of consecration or perfection of character. There are degrees of sanctifica­tion, just as there are degrees of Christian knowledge and fidelity to Christ. The growth in sanctification and holiness is attained by the study of and obedience to the word of God. An increase in knowledge and fidelity is to be gained by a constant and persistent study of God’s will and a daily effort to bring oneself into obedience to that will.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.—[“Grace” denotes all they had received in be­coming Christians. In the true significance of the term, kind­ness is always present, with the special thought of entire and marked absence of obligation in the exercise of it. It is essen­tially unmerited and free. Peace is the state of mind result­ing from the sense of that favor.]

Verse 8

Romans 1:8

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God—Paul’s thought here, as in nearly all his Epistles, is gratitude. [The expression of thanks to God for his mercy to them was fitted to conciliate their feel­ings, and to prepare them for the truths which he was about to communicate to them. It showed the deep interest which he had in their welfare, and the happiness it gave him to do them good.]

through Jesus Christ for you all,—Since Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant, which was inaugurated on the first Pentecost after his resurrection from the dead, all prayers and thanksgivings are to be offered to God through him; hence, Paul says: “Whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17). “Giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” (Ephesians 5:20).

that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.— Rome was the capital of the then known world. From it the government sent ambassadors and rulers to all parts of the world. There was constant communication between Rome and all parts of the empire, which brought all classes from all countries to the city. The activity and zeal of the church reached and converted many of these, and they in turn car­ried the gospel to their homes; and so their faith, perfected, came to be spoken of throughout the whole world. This good report was augmented by Christians who visited Rome and witnessed their great devotion to God. [For this the apostle thanked God, because the conversion of the Romans encour­aged the inhabitants of other cities to forsake idolatry, and from that center the light of Divine truth could radiate to the remotest parts of the Roman Empire; just as “all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10), as a result of Paul’s protracted stay in Ephesus, the metropolis of the province. Paul -understood that the quickest way to evangelize the world was to establish Christianity in the centers of influence.]

Verse 9

Romans 1:9

Romans 1:9

For God is my witness,—He appeals to God as to his great interest in them [for there could be no other witness to his practice in his secret prayers].

whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son,— [The Savior said: “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24). These spiritual states and emotions originate in the inner man and find expression through the appointments of the gospel, in obedience to which the spirit proclaims its fealty to God. Only when men serve God thus can their service be true and acceptable.]

how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers—The prominent position occupied by this church and its opportunities to spread an influence for good or evil com­mended itself especially to the apostle as worthy and needful of mention in his prayers, that the influence that went out to all parts of the world might be a good and true one. It shows, too, what weight he attached to prayer.

Verse 10

Romans 1:10

Romans 1:10

making request,—He desired to visit them, but that de­sire was, in all things, subject to the will of God. He rec­ognized that God directed his way, and continually sought his guidance.

if by any means now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you.—[This shows the inward conflict of his feelings. The remembrance of his past hindrances is combined with the foresight of future difficulties, and the eagerness of the desire is tempered by his resignation to the will of God, who will bring all to a prosperous issue in his own way and at his own time.] God granted the journey, but from the account given in Acts 27:7-44 it could from no human viewpoint be called a prosperous journey. Yet Paul gladly accepted it as it came, and made the journey as a prisoner through the storm that threatened the lives of all on board the ship. It was doubtless accomplished in the way that would do the most good, and this was Paul’s highest wish.

Verse 11

Romans 1:11

Romans 1:11

For I long to see you,— [He did not merely desire or wish to see them, but he longed for that privilege. He uses the word by which he describes the longing of Epaphroditus to be back at Philippi (Philippians 2:26), and, again, of his own longing to see Timothy, his faithful son in the gospel (2 Timothy 1:4). Such is the influence of the gospel that its family affec­tions throw the light of love upon those who are faithful in Christ. In the case before us the longing has a purpose most practical.] With many of those then dwelling there he had labored at different points. Priscilla and Aquila, with whom he had dwelled and worked at tent-making, and whom he called “my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life laid down their own necks” (Romans 16:3), were there. The list saluted in chapter 16 shows that there were many at this time in Rome with whom he had been associated at other places in labors and sufferings.

that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift,—Such gifts as would naturally flow to one Christian from personal pres­ence and warm sympathy of another; in Paul’s case height­ened in proportion to the wealth and elevation of his own spiritual consciousness and life. His heart was full to over­flowing, and longed to impart some of these rich blessings to his Roman brethren. Inasmuch as he regarded all his own spiritual advancement and experience as the result of the Spirit working in him, he calls the fruit of his advancement and experience “some spiritual gift.” All apostolic gifts were the gift of the Spirit.

to the end ye may be established;—The object of bestowing spiritual gifts was that they might be taught more thoroughly the will of God, might be strengthened in the faith and be firm and steadfast; and it was to this end that he desired to impart unto them some spiritual gifts that they might be more con­firmed in the truth of God. [Paul had in his mind the kind of gifts—partly what we should call natural and partly transcend­ing the ordinary workings of nature—described in 1 Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12:6-8. Some, probably most, of these gifts he pos­sessed in an eminent degree himself (1 Corinthians 14:18-19) ; and he was assured that when he came to Rome he would be able to give the Christians there the fullest benefit of them, for he says: “And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ” (Romans 15:29). His was conspicuously a case which came under the description of Jesus, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38)—that is, the believer in Christ should himself become a center and abounding source of spiritual influence and bless­ings to others.]

Verse 12

Romans 1:12

Romans 1:12

that is, that I with you may be comforted in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.—Their faith and zeal would be a source of comfort to him, and his spiritual power would be a help and strength to them. Paul was care­ful to acknowledge whatever good was among his brethren and his obligations for any favors received, temporal or spirit­ual. This shows that inspiration did not raise the inspired above the depressing or discouraging influences around them.

Verse 13

Romans 1:13

Romans 1:13

And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that often­times I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hith­erto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.—He assures them that he had long and often desired to come to them that he might have some fruit among them as among other Gentiles. Inasmuch as Paul was the especial apostle to the Gentiles, he had a laudable desire to teach and instruct them and to have some fruit of his labors in converts made and training given at Rome. The apostolic and spiritual gifts were given to instruct and guide the Chris­tians until the will of God should be given and collected for their guidance. It is hardly possible that any apostle had been to Rome at this time. Their instruction must have been by the teachers gifted with the less degree of spiritual power than the apostles had. Paul naturally desired to give them the full benefit of his knowledge and to bestow all helpful spiritual gifts, but had hitherto been hindered in carryin out his carrying out his purposes.

Verse 14

Romans 1:14

Romans 1:14

I am debtor—God had redeemed and saved Paul that he might preach to the Gentiles. He was, therefore, under obligation, both to God who entrusted it and to those to whom it was entrusted, to proclaim it to all within his reach. He was a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1); therefore, his efforts to do them good are but the discharge of a duty to God and to them. He sees in his commission a debt that must be paid, for he says: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel. For ... I have a stewardship intrusted to me.” (1 Corinthians 9:16-17).

both to Greeks and to Barbarians,—The Greeks were edu­cated and called all who did not speak their language “Bar­barians.” The Romans afterwards did the same to those who did not speak the Latin.

both to the wise and to the foolish.—Paul was ready to preach to the philosophers of Greece, to the simple-minded among the Jews, and to those speaking the languages of the Barbarians.

Verse 15

Romans 1:15

Romans 1:15

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome.—In accordance with the duty he owed to all nations, he was ready to preach to all classes among the Romans. His not having done so before was not due to any lack of interest on his part, but God had hindered him, and might do so again; but he gave them to understand that there was no lack of willingness or zeal on his part.

Verse 16

Romans 1:16

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel:—Although the gospel brought opprobrium, disgrace persecution, and suffer­ing upon him in this world, Paul was not ashamed of it; he gloried in it, and was ready to preach it even in Rome before the emperor, rulers, and all the wisdom and power of the empire. The gospel of Christ was that he gave up the glories of heaven, came to earth, suffered for man’s sins, rose from the dead for his justification ascended to his Father’s throne, and is “able to save to the uttermost them that draw near to God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25). Paul believed this, and, moved by the love of God thus manifested to man, had denied himself the comforts and blessings of life, had suffered hunger and want, had been buffeted and imprisoned, had borne stripes and bonds, and had made life a living death for the gospel’s sake. Yet he was not ashamed of it, since it opened to him the highest honors and richer spiritual and eternal treasures at the right hand of God. Paul adheres to the right. His suffer­ing all things for the sake of the truth seemed to deprive him of a name and a place among men. Yet his name has lived through nineteen centuries, and now lives as no other name of a human being lives. It will still go down the stream of time, gathering new luster as the centuries pass. It ought to teach all that fidelity to truth and suffering for right is the only way to lasting honor and true renown on earth and eternal glory in heaven.

for it is the power of God unto salvation—God in his wis­dom saw no way to save man from sin as this mission of Christ to the earth. Through the provisions of the gospel he reaches the heart and turns man from sin, forgives, blots out, washes away his sins, brings him into Christ, accepts him as his child, and transforms him into fitness to live with him forever. The angel said concerning Mary : "She shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). To save from sin is to save from the love and prac­tice of sin. Then they are saved and purged from the guilt of sin—from all the results, effects, and penalties of sin. God has revealed no other provisions for the salvation of the world than through the gospel. Whoever turns from and rejects the gospel of Jesus Christ turns from God and his provisions for salvation.

to every one that believeth;—Salvation through the gospel comes only to those who believe it. To those who do not be­lieve it, it brings condemnation, for “he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16). He who would be saved by the gospel must not trust to faith only, for the divine order is, “obedience of faith.” (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26). Faith is the principle from which obedience springs. God’s arrangement is: first faith, then obedience. From this there must be no departure. One of the greatest errors into which many fall is to separate faith and obedience, and make so much depend on faith and so little on obedience. God has indissolubly bound the two together, and so they must stand as the insep­arable conditions of salvation. To contend for their unity is to maintain the truth; to separate them is to make it void [In order to salvation, everyone must believe with his whole heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The facts which underlie this great truth as proof and on which it rests are “that Christ died for our sins according to the scrip­tures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). No one can reject these facts and be saved.]

to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.—The gospel came first to the Jews, afterwards to the Gentiles. Whenever Paul went into a city in which the gospel had not been preached, he first preached to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. [At Anti­och in Pisidia when the Jews were filled with jealousy and contradicted the things spoken by Paul, he said: “It was nec­essary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46). The Jew was first in order by divine appointment and first in claim by divine promise, but with no other precedence or pre­eminence.]

Verse 17

Romans 1:17

Romans 1:17

For therein is revealed—The thought as expressed in the Greek is that in the gospel God’s plan of making men righteous, which is by faith, is revealed to produce faith. The whole plan grows out of faith as the leading principle, and is intended to produce faith in others.

a righteousness of God—This denotes a righteousness of which God is the author, and it is called his to distinguish it from the righteousness of the law. Paul describes the latter in these words: “For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.” (Romans 10:5). By this he means that he who has obeyed the whole law without any omission shall live by his deeds.

from faith unto faith:—The fact that God will justify the believer is stated in order to induce men to believe. The same is expressed in the following: ‘’Knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law.” (Galatians 2:16). Since God has revealed to us that all who believe in Jesus Christ shall be justified, it becomes a strong motive to all who hear this gracious promise to believe. Thus the gospel righteousness, which is of God as its divine source, comes to us by faith as a condition and is revealed in order to faith.

as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith. —This is given to prove that the gospel of God’s grace had been pre­dicted in the Old Testament, and consequently is no new thing. Since the righteous shall live by faith without faith none shall live. Truth does not mold the character of a man unless it is practiced. To see a truth, to believe a truth, does not mold the character unless it changes the purpose and the life. Hence, “faith apart from works is barren.” (James 2:20). And faith fits for the blessings of God by leading us to follow God in his ways, and so makes our character like God’s character. Thus faith leads from one stage or degree of faith to another and higher one.

Verse 18

Romans 1:18

Romans 1:18

For the wrath of God—The impossibility of God’s justi­fying unrighteousness and tolerating it is manifested in his giving his only begotten Son to take away sin. Sin is the violation of the laws and principles that grow out of his own being that must pervade and control the whole universe. His will must prevail, and every being and all spirits and all matter in the universe must conform to his will and be imbued with his spirit. He forbears with those who are led into sin long and patiently that they may repent and conform to his will; but he must reign, and sooner or later all must conform to his will or be crushed into eternal ruin by the almighty power and rule of God.

is revealed from heaven—These sinners against God and against nature are described as realizing in their experience the terrific results of their gross infraction of the divine law. Paul is beginning, in their case, to show the universal need, on the part of mankind, to seek the remedy for sin which he has said was revealed in the gospel as “the righteousness of God by faith.”

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,—The impossibility of God’s justifying unrighteousness and tolerat­ing sin is manifested in his giving his only begotten Son to take away sin. He cannot tolerate sin. Sin is the violation of the laws and principles that grow out of his own being that must pervade and control the whole universe. His wrath is against every form of irreligiousness and immorality. The two words distinguishing sin with respect to God and the law of right he has established. God will reign throughout the universe. His will must prevail, and every being and all spirit and all matter in the universe must conform to his will and be imbued with his spirit. He forbears patiently that they may repent and conform to his will; but he must reign, and sooner or later all must render obedience to him or be crushed into eternal ruin by his almighty power.

who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;—To hinder or hold down the truth in unrighteousness is to know the truth, but live in unrighteousness. [All who do not live up to the knowledge they possess, who do worse than they know, hin­der the truth in unrighteousness. They obstruct the truth rather than let it have free scope.]

Verses 19-20

Romans 1:19-20

Romans 1:19-20

because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without ex­cuse :—The interpretation almost universally given to this pas­sage is as follows: “Because that which may be known of God, is known among them; for God hath manifested it to them, by his works of creation. For his invisible attributes, even his eternal power and Godhead, though not discernible by the eye of the body, ever since the creation of the world, are clearly seen by the eye of men’s mind, being understood by the things which he hath made; so that they are inexcusable.” This is out of harmony with the scope and context of the passage. Paul is speaking of the gospel, its power to save, and what has been through and manifested in it, and the way the Gentiles had been left without the knowledge of God’s will. This interpretation seems to say that they had had sufficient light concerning God to enable them to know and do his will and be saved. If so, why a revelation to them? Paul says these Gentiles did not have the revealed will of God, and were “at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the com­monwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12). Again: “For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21). This plainly says that it was God’s wisdom that man by his own wisdom should not know God, but that he should depend on the preaching of the gospel to believe and be saved. This does not harmonize with the idea that man could from the works of nature learn of the wisdom of God and his divinity and power so as to be without excuse in sin. Then Paul says: “So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17). It does not seem possible that he could say that what might be known of God was manifested through the works of nature to those who had not heard of Jesus Christ without the preaching which God ordained as essential to save men. Then the reason why he gave them over seems improbable with this construction.

He says these Gentiles once knew God, but they did not like to retain the knowledge of him, so worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator. “Professing themselves to be wise [in walking by their own wisdom], they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the like­ness of an image of corruptible man.” Therefore, God gave them up to uncleanness and degradation—that is, claiming wisdom to know God without the revealed will was the cause that led them to the sin that made God give them over to degradation and ruin. Certainly Paul was not teaching them that the means which he said wrought their ruin could make them wise unto salvation. On the other hand, it is in har­mony with the various passages to say that the things hidden from the foundation of the world are revealed and manifested in Jesus Christ, as the following attest: “Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preach­ing of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” (16 : 25-26).

Again: “How that by revelation was made known unto me the mys­tery, as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel; . . . and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things.” (Ephesians 3:3-9). “The mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested,” is certainly the same as “things” in the passage under consideration. So, then, to make this passage harmonize perfectly with the scope of the context of the whole passage, and with the other Scriptures just quoted, is to translate the word “poiema” by “done" instead of “made.” All know that the word “poieo” means “make” or “do,” according to the context. It would then read: “For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are done.”

Verse 21

Romans 1:21

Romans 1:21

because that, knowing God,—The reason they were with­out excuse in their ignorance of the knowledge of God is. God once revealed himself to Gentile and Jewish fathers alike. [But whence came the knowledge? From God to Adam, and through angels and inspired men in subsequent ages. Some had it, therefore, in the form of original revelation and others as tradition. But in whatever form, it was the only knowl­edge of God that the world possessed prior to the gospel. On it, and on traditions formed from it, and the many corruptions of it, the conscience of the Gentile was formed.]

they glorified him not as God,—When the Gentiles knew God, they did not glorify or honor him as God. [This is the true source of their abomination. To glorify him as God is to regard with proper reverence his perfections and laws, to venerate his name, his power, his holiness, and his presence by words and acts, and to worship him as the Maker and Governor of the universe. As they were not inclined to do this, they were given over to their vain and wicked desires. A willingness to honor God as God—reverence, love, and obey him—would effectually restrain men from sin.]

neither gave thanks; —They were not thankful for the bless­ings bestowed upon them. [We thank God for benefits and blessings received, and the feeling which prompts it is grati­tude.]

but became vain in their reasonings,—They were puffed up with a conceit of their own wisdom.

and their senseless heart was darkened.—The heart is the most comprehensive term for human faculties. The differ­ent powers of thinking, reasoning, perceiving, loving, hating, purposing, desiring, rejoicing, sorrowing, believing, are at­tributed to the heart. It is used to represent the whole spir­itual, or inner, man, and all the faculties and powers of the inner man are attributed to the heart. [The foolish reason­ings and the guilty misuse of the understanding gradually usurped possession of the minds of the Gentiles, the truth faded from them, and the light went out.]

Verse 22

Romans 1:22

Romans 1:22

Professing themselves to be wise,—They imagined themselves wise enough to live without God. In speaking of the success of Nimrod in persuading the people of his genera­tion to form a government of their own, Josephus says: "God also commanded them to send colonies abroad, for the thor­ough peopling of the earth—that they might not raise sedi­tions among themselves, but might cultivate a great part of the earth, and enjoy its fruits after a plentiful manner; but they were so ill instructed that they did not obey God; for which reason they fell into calamities, and were made sensi­ble by experience, of what sin they had been guilty; for when they flourished with a numerous youth, God admonished them again to send out colonies; but they, imagining the prosperity they enjoyed was not derived from the favor of God, but sup­posing that their own power was the proper cause of the plentiful condition they were in, did not obey him. Nay, they added to this their disobedience to the divine will, the suspi­cion that they were therefore ordered to send out separate colonies, that, being divided asunder, they might the more easily be oppressed. Now, it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grand­son of Ham, the son of Noah—a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his power.” (“Antiquities,” Book I, Chapter IV). While this may be but tradition, it shows the spirit that disregards God.

they became fools,—Inspiration says that whenever men think they are able to live without the instruction of God, they are fools. [Their folly is in proportion to their boast of wisdom—intelligence is no safeguard against folly. “Knowl­edge puffeth up.’" (1 Corinthians 8:1). It often engenders pride, and pride is punished by spiritual blindness, which is the mother of idolatry.]

Verse 23

Romans 1:23

Romans 1:23

and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four­footed beasts, and creeping things.—In following the sugges­tions of their own wisdom they changed from the worship of the true and living God to the worshiping of the image of man, of beasts, and of creeping things. They likely started out with the idea of worshiping God through these images, think­ing that the image would help the mind to rise from the mate­rial before it to the invisible God whom it represented. But man, whose heart had been darkened, would not long draw these nice distinctions, and consequently he soon came to view it as God instead of an aid to devotion. [When man under­takes to invent aids, the result is that the divine appointment is supplanted and the human invention takes its place.]

Verse 24

Romans 1:24

Romans 1:24

Wherefore God gave them up—Because they refused to worship God, but worshiped idols, God gave them up to the vile and unclean practices into which their own unrestrained lusts led them.

in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness.—God did not cause their impurity, but he abandoned them to the natural consequences of the lusts already working in them. Unre­strained by reverence for and a sense of accountability to God, they had nothing to control them but their fleshly lusts. Unrestrained, they led to gross degradation and depravity; hence, the worship of idols leads to degrading lusts and vices.

that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:—[By engaging in base and degrading lusts, by unlawful and impure connections with one another.]

Verse 25

Romans 1:25

Romans 1:25

for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,— They gave up the truth of God and followed the deceptive reasonings of their own hearts, which Paul calls a “lie,” and worshiped and served the creature—man and beast created by God.

and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.—[It is evident that they worshiped the creature only and the Creator not at all. But Paul, by using the milder words “rather than,” makes their folly the more evident by comparing the objects chosen and refused.]

who is blessed for ever. Amen.—[A natural outburst of piety, called forth by the detestable contrast of the heathen abomination. However much they may dishonor him, his glory is not impaired.]

Verse 26

Romans 1:26

Romans 1:26

For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions:— Because they loved the lie rather than the truth of God and worshiped the idol rather than the Creator, God gave them up to vile and unnatural passions. The great object of the writer is to show the state of the heathen world and its need of the gospel. On this account it was necessary for him to describe its sins in detail. The sins mentioned are the most delicate, vile, and degrading that can be charged to man. To mention them is no fault of the apostle; for if they existed, it was necessary for him to charge them on the idolatrous world. Without doing this, his argument would have been incomplete. The shame is in the fact of their existence and not in specify­ing them. That such a condition existed, the pages of ancient writers afford decisive and sad proof.

for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:—What the special form of this unnatural per­versions of woman’s lusts was, we are not told; but Moses gives a law against perversion of the lusts of the women of Israel into which many of the heathen women had fallen. (See Leviticus 18:22-23).

Verse 27

Romans 1:27

Romans 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 unseemliness,—We have examples of this de­grading perversion of the natural and proper gratification of the desires on the part of men in the case of the men of Sodom. (See Genesis 19:4-8).

and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.—When nations and peoples forget God, lose their sense of responsibility to him, they follow the degrading lusts to depravity that is worse than brutal. Men are created with faculties which, if rightly used, will raise them above the brutes; but if perverted and used to drag them down instead of to lift them up, they will carry them as far below the brute as the right use would lift them above. [The apostle refers to the women first, probably as the most glaring proof of the general depravity, on the principle that the cor­ruption of the best thing is the worst of all corruptions. The degrading vices are still so common among the heathen that modern missionaries have been accused by them of forging this account, and it has sometimes been difficult to convince them that so accurate a picture of their morals was painted so long ago. Hence, we see why the apostle refers so particularly to practices so disgusting—they were very common among the heathen; they were intimately connected with the rites of idolatry, especially with the worship of Venus; and they were particularly illustrative of the depth of degradation into which the human race had plunged.]

Verse 28

Romans 1:28

Romans 1:28

And even as they refused to have God in their knowl­edge,—Men given over to fleshly lusts not only find their fac­ulties all taken up in their gratification but they do not like to retain a knowledge of God. They do not like to think of him, since he condemns and reproves their course. The lan­guage indicates that their rejection was not an unconscious act, but a deliberate and disdainful one. We do not like to think of one superior to us who condemns us.

God gave them up unto a reprobate mind,—This is the third time retributive abandonment by God is mentioned. In verse 24 it was “to uncleanness”; in verse 26, “unto vile passions”; and here, “unto a reprobate mind.” A “reprobate mind” is one lost to virtue, wholly given up to sin, abandoned to error, lost to all sense of duty. When God saw that they did not like to retain the knowledge of him in their mind, he gave them over to sin without further effort to restrain them.

to do those things which are not fitting;—Such behavior as is abhorrent to every dictate of sound reason and inconsistent with all human duties. The sins charged are specified in the following verses.

Verse 29

Romans 1:29

Romans 1:29

being filled—This does not teach that every individual Gentile embodied in himself all the crimes enumerated, but that the state of heart from which they all spring was wide­spread.

with all unrighteousness,—All injustice or iniquity in gen­eral, the particular specifications of which follow.

wickedness,—This comprehends the whole volume of human crimes. It is the unrestrained indulgence in the commission of vice, or that state of mind which strives to produce injury to others. It is oppressive to its possessor and to its victims.

covetousness,—Covetousness is the unlawful desire for what belongs to another, or such an excessive desire for it as to lead to unlawful means to obtain it; an undue desire to own. This vice is common in all the world.

maliciousness;—This is the deep-seated hatred which takes pleasure in doing personal injury to others. When intensified, it seeks the opportunity to vent itself in bloodshed. It is ready for every type of crime and is radically and essentially vicious.

full of envy,—[Envy is selfish ill will toward another be­cause of his excellence, endowments, possessions, or superior success; ill-natured grudging in view of what another has or enjoys. The envious man sickens at the sight of enjoyment; he is only easy at the sight of misery in others. Envy is the vilest affection and the most depraved.]

murder,—This is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice and aforethought: the willful and malicious taking of human life.

strife,—Strife is angry contention, hostile struggling, fight­ing, conflict, the quarrelsome and contentious, the feeling which seeks to irritate. It is not strife for truth and right, but simply for its own sake.

deceit,—An attempt or a disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration, artifice, or practice which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false. Where it prevails, justice in dealing is unknown.

malignity;—The state of mind which leads its possessor to put the construction on every action; ascribing to the best deed the worst motives. The malignity of a design is estimated by the degree of mischief which was intended to be done.

whispers,—Those who secretly and in a sly manner, by hints and innuendoes, blacken the name and character of others, or excite suspicion concerning them.

Verse 30

Romans 1:30

Romans 1:30

backbiters,—Backbiters are those who openly and avow­edly calumniate or speak ill of those who are absent.

hateful to God,—Because they are so polluted with sin. The detestableness of their character—’“is abhorred of Jehovah” (Proverbs 22:14), and “he put them to a perpetual reproach” (Psalms 78:66).

insolent,—The insolent are contemptuously offensive and grossly disrespected, and do what they like, without consid­ering whether they trample under their feet the rights, the property, or the lives of others.

haughty,—The haughty have an inordinate self-esteem, an unreasonable conceit of the superiority of their own talents, beauty, wealth, and accomplishments. Being thus raised to such an eminence, they look down with contempt upon all beneath them and cannot regard any as on a level with them­selves.

boastful,—The boastful are vainglorious about themselves or that which they possess, and they are not slow about pro­claiming their own merits to those around them. [They do not design, like the haughty, to crush by the force of their greatness, but make a lying show of it.]

inventors of evil things,—The word “evil” must be taken in its widest sense, as including every species of wickedness which could injure themselves or others. So intent were they on practicing evil, so resolved to gratify their passions, that the mind was excited to discover new modes of gratification. In cities of luxury and vice this has always been done. Vices change their form, men become satiated, and they are obliged to resort to some new form. [Those who invent evil things to acquire property, to satisfy ambition, or to gratify lusts are certainly included]

disobedient to parents,—Apostasy from the affections due to parents is a fountain of great corruption. That this sin should be mentioned in this black list shows the light in which Jehovah regards it. This vice was exceedingly common among the heathen. Multitudes of them cast off their old and infirm parents to perish from starvation, cold, or by the violence of wild beasts. No other sin mentioned more clearly indicates the great depth to which they had sunk. [This sin is growing rapidly among the people of this country, and this refusal to yield to this primal, natural authority tends to a reckless resistance to all rightful government, whether human or divine.]

Verse 31

Romans 1:31

Romans 1:31

without understanding.—A dullness in perception of things to all moral and spiritual relations induced by unwill­ingness to retain God’s truth in the mind, a knowledge of which renders the mind active and keen in perception. Thus understood, it has a natural connection with the preceding terms.

covenant-breakers,—Persons who, without scruples, violate the most solemn obligations imposed by covenants and contracts. When such conditions prevail, no confidence can be put in human pledges.

without natural affection,—This undoubtedly refers to the unfeeling custom of parents who leave their infants to die when from any cause they are unwilling to rear them, or of a husband who abandons his wife and helpless children. Such crimes, so abhorrent to all feelings of humanity, were common among the heathen. [It not only refers to the lack of tender feelings in the family circle; it calls to mind the population of the great cities flocking to the circus to behold the fights of gladiators, frantically applauding the effusion of human blood and gloating over the dying agonies of the vanquished combatant.]

unmerciful:—Those who through deep-rooted wickedness were incapable of showing mercy to the poor the infirm, the helpless, or of showing mercy to an enemy when brought under their power. [The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only power that opens the heart to the appeals of want, and noth­ing else has expanded the hearts of men to make provisions for the poor, the sick, the blind, and the insane.] In these verses Paul enumerates the crimes and vices into which they naturally run when they lose sight of God’s law and cut themselves off from a sense of responsibility to him. These sins were not peculiar to any nation or people. Idolatry deifies lusts and leads to degrading vice. Man deifies lust because lust rules his being.

Verse 32

Romans 1:32

Romans 1:32

who,—“Who” here most certainly refers to those just described, who did not choose to retain God in their knowl­edge, and whom God gave over to “a reprobate mind to do those things which are not fitting.”

knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also con­sent with them that practise them.—He represents that they, knowing that God condemns those things as worthy of death, not only do them, but honor those that run into degradation. From verse 18 to the close of this chapter Paul shows how and why God gave up the Gentiles and gave his law to the Jews, and how he was no respecter of persons, but that their own courses brought upon each class its condition.

A darker picture of human corruption would be difficult to conceive, but it is not an overdrawn picture of man without God and his word. As man wandered from God, he degenerated spiritually intellectually, and physically. Man’s degen­eracy—spiritual, moral, and physical-—the world over, in all ages, has been measured by the distance he has wandered from God and by his loss of the knowledge of God. No truth in the world’s history has been established by an induction from so large a number of facts, under so varied circumstances, with so universal and uniform a result, as that man, cut loose from God and his word, gropes in ignorance and grovels in degradation with a continually accelerating descent to still lower depths.

[For six thousand years, in every portion of the globe, among men of every color, tongue, race, and kindred of earth, the results have been the same, without a single exception. This disobedience to God separated man from God, caused him to forget God and to lose a knowledge of his will. This produced spiritual torpor, mental stupor, dried up the moral feelings, destroyed enterprise and energy, and caused phys­ical degeneracy. Lust and passion reigned and ruled within his members, breeding disease, effeminacy, and a continually increasing bodily deformity, so that among the nations that have wandered farthest from God, and have for the longest time and most completely lost the knowledge of him and of his word, it is difficult to determine in the downward descent where the human ends and the brute begins. In this torpor of the soul, stupor of the mind, and feebleness of the body, with the reign of lust, diseases prey upon the body and plagues sweep the human family from the earth.]

In the eleventh chapter, which ought to be studied in con­nection with this, he shows that when the Jews lost faith in God, he broke them off from his favor; and when the Gentiles believed, he grafted them in. Yet he warns that if the Jews should turn and believe, he would accept them; and if the Gentiles should disbelieve, he would again reject them. In no age of the world has God been a respecter of persons, but at all times, as well as “in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.” God had chosen Abraham while in idolatry, because he saw that he would give up idolatry and serve the living God, if separated from the evil associations of his youth, and would command his family after him.