Romans 1:1-32

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter (epistle) in accordance with the information that God and the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to him.

Romans 1:1 and 2:

^1:1Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called, an apostle, having been separated² into God's good-message, ^.2which He promised-beforehand by means of His prophets in holy writings,

Paul begins this letter by first identifying himself by name (Paul) to those to whom he is writing. Then he identifies himself by 'job-title' or 'work-function' relative-to his working/service relationship with Christ Jesus. When Paul writes "Christ Jesus" he is emphasizing the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrected, anointed-one of God.

Paul was a slave, bound to serve Christ Jesus, his Master as regards his work being a holy-person. This service as a slave meant that his whole being was at the service of, in service to – Christ Jesus. Paul carried-out his service by his own freedom of will. Wherever Paul was and whatever he was doing he was to behave as a slave of Christ Jesus, not a slave serving anybody or anything else, even though at times during his life he was physically-bound with physical-chains to soldiers in prison! Even so, Christ Jesus was his Lord, the one whom Paul believed and obeyed and from-whom Paul took his instructions. During Biblical times, a master was obligated to take-care of his slave (bond-servant) and the slave was obligated to do all his master would ask of him. It was a mutually-beneficial relationship between the master and his slave. [Some Greek texts read "slave of Jesus Christ."]

Paul’s standing was that he was “called.” The word "called" could also be translated as "invited" – he was an invited person. He had been issued an invitation by Christ Jesus and he had accepted it. As we read on we will find out what the call (invitation) was and how Paul responded to that invitation.

Paul’s service was to do the work of an apostle. An "apostle" is a person sent-forth or sent-away by someone on a specific mission or assignment to someone else. In the context here, we read that Paul was an apostle of Christ Jesus.

It is clear that Paul had not decided this all by himself, nor was there some "unknown force" driving him to do the things that he was doing, nor was he deluded into thinking that he was somebody else, nor did he decide that he had reached the level of being "good enough" to be an apostle to his neighbors or to the whole world (he was not self-appointed), nor was there a committee involved in this decision, nor had he "forced" God or Jesus Christ into making him an apostle!

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called, an apostle…

• having been separated and still separated (set off by bounds, limited off, set apart/away for a specific purpose, the limited-off area of my assignment, the limits within which I am to stay is)  
  • into God's good-message (with a view to, for the gospel, the evangel from God),
  • which He promised-beforehand (God previously proclaimed or declared the message of His intentions regarding this in advance of it actually happening)
    • by means of His prophets (through the people who spoke-forth God's words being revealed to them concerning the past, present and/or future to, before, in front of a person or people)
    • in holy writings (scrolls, scriptures, God's Word; these writings are sanctified, set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God; these holy writings correspond to the essence of God)….

Here, Paul is referring to the books of the prophets already written in what is part of the old covenant writings (often referred to as 'old testament'). Much of what these old covenant prophets spoke was recorded in written form, and it concerned the subject matter of the good-message regarding which Paul was an apostle.

[Reference: Acts 9:1-20, 13:2, 22:1-21, and 26:1-23; Romans 8:28, 15:4; I Corinthians 1:1 and 24; Galatians 1:15 and 16, 3:8; Ephesians 4:11-13; I Peter 1:10-12.]

Reading from verse 1:

Verses 1-3(a):

^1:1Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called, an apostle, having been separated² into God's good-message, ^.2which He promised-beforehand by means of His prophets in holy writings, ^.3concerning His son…

Now we know the subject matter of the good-message regarding which Paul was an apostle – concerning God's son. The prophets of the old covenant had previously spoken and written by revelation from God concerning His son.

Verses 3 and 4:

^.3concerning His son – the (son) having come-into-being out-from (the) seed of David according to (the) flesh, ^.4the (son) having been marked-out-definitely (as being) God's son in ability according to (the) spirit of holiness out-from (the) resurrection of dead-people – Jesus Christ our Lord,

God’s good-message is about His son who is Jesus Christ our Lord; he is the Lord (Master) of all holy-people (Christians). In these two verses we have a short summary to let us know exactly who God's son is by name and title (position, qualification).

Jesus Christ our Lord is:

1. the (son) having come-into-being

• out-from (the) seed of David

• according to (the) flesh, and

2. the (son) having been marked-out-definitely (as being) God's son in ability

• according to (the) spirit of holiness

• out-from (the) resurrection of dead-people.

A):

Jesus Christ came into being (he became, came to pass to be, he was born)…

• originating from King David’s seed (his offspring, posterity)
• in accordance (conformity, proportion) to/with the flesh.

Chapter one of the Book of Matthew provides information about Jesus Christ's earthly "family tree." It shows the regal (royal, kingly) lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ being heir to the throne of King David via Solomon. Therefore he is heir to David’s throne, and king having dominion over the earth and those who live on it.

There is another "family tree" regarding the Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the Book of Luke chapter 3. Here we have the legal and human (manly) genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ. This ancestry goes back to a different son of King David, named Nathan who did not become a king. The scriptures show us that Jesus Christ's genealogy goes back to the first man, Adam, whom God originally created, made and formed (refer my study of Appendix to Romans).

In Luke 3:23 it says regarding Jesus: "(as was supposed) the son of Joseph," but this would more-properly be translated "as was considered-lawful" or "as used to be regarded-as-customary" to be the son of Joseph. From further study regarding the birth of Jesus Christ, we learn that the actual conception of Jesus was between God and Mary, and Joseph was not involved in it at all. However, Joseph married Mary and Jesus legally became his son (refer to Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35).

Both of these lists provide full proof that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed from the seed of King David according to the flesh. Scholars differ as to which list of genealogy refers to Joseph and which refers to Mary (both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David). These records are regarding the birth of Jesus and show us that what Paul writes in Romans 1:3 is correct.

Jesus, the Christ, was therefore heir to the throne of King David plus heir to all that the first man, Adam, was to have, which included dominion over the earth, etc. We will learn more about this later-on in this study.

As well as Jesus Christ having come-into-being out-from the seed of David according to the flesh…

B):

Jesus Christ was marked-out-definitely (he was separated as the boundary, the limited-area, the horizon, the boundary set by God) that he is the son of God within the sphere of action of ability (able-power, capability)…

• in accordance (conformity, proportion) to/with the spirit of holiness
• out-from resurrection of dead-people (originating from the standing-up of dead-people).

Jesus Christ was dead but now he is alive. The spirit of holiness is the spiritual essence of the resurrected Christ Jesus. He has his spiritual body (refer to Acts 26:23; I Corinthians chapter 15; Colossians 1:18). God his Father caused him to rise up alive out from the rest of the dead people who remain dead until their resurrection. The risen Christ is still alive.

Jesus Christ was definitely marked out as THE SON OF GOD in ability. How? By the spirit of (consisting of) holiness. God gave the spirit of holiness to Jesus Christ when He raised him out-from the dead-people.

The resurrected Christ, the Lord Jesus, is the boundary (border) which God has set by definitely marking him out as THE SON OF GOD by raising him up from among the dead-people. That is the reason why Jesus is the Christ and he is the Lord, and nobody can truly and honestly disclaim that. God gave His stamp of approval to everything Jesus Christ our Lord was and is today being the resurrected Christ with his spiritual body, having the spirit of holiness (the spirit of sanctity, the condition or state of being holy, sanctified, set-apart from that-which is common; the spirit which is/has holiness being evidenced and demonstrated).

[Reference: Genesis 3:15, Psalm 2:7; Matthew 1:1 and 18-25, and chapter 28; Luke 1:26-35, 24:1-8; John 7:42; Acts 8:30-35, 10:42, 13:22, 23 and 33, 17:31, 26:23; I Corinthians 1:24 and chapter 15; II Corinthians 7:1, 13:4; Philippians 3:10; Colossians chapter 1; I Thessalonians 3:13; II Timothy 2:8; I Peter 3:18; Revelation 22:16; and the "Appendix to Romans".]

Verses 5 and 6:

^.5by means of whom we received grace and apostleship on behalf of his name with-a-view-to obedience of belief among all the Gentiles, ^.6among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ –  

It was by means of (through) the Lord Jesus Christ that we received (I and those with me took what was given to us to use, which were)…

• grace
  • [Grace is what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part; it includes reference to the attitude and quality of the one giving something favorable to another. Grace is not bestowed because somebody deserves a wage that is owed for something they said or did, nor because they begged so hard, nor because they forced the giver to give! Grace is bestowed because the giver wants to give by his own freedom of will to the recipient - it is completely unmerited favor from the giver to the recipient.]
• and
• apostleship
  • [The word "apostleship" is based on the same word translated "apostle" in verse 1. It means a sending-forth, a sending-away, an assignment, a mission, and so it is the office (assigned function) of an apostle. Paul and those with him had received a specific mission to carry-out. They were sent-forth (apostled) by means of the Lord Jesus Christ.]
• on behalf of his name (in the interests of the name of Jesus Christ)….

The grace and apostleship which Paul and those with him had received were intertwined. It is a figure of speech where two words are put for one whole thing – we may say "grace according-to or pertaining-to apostleship" or "apostleship according-to or pertaining-to grace". The only way that Paul and those with him could have this kind of gracious apostleship was because God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ bestowed unmerited favor to them, the recipients, in order to be apostles of their Lord Jesus Christ.

Regarding the name of the "Lord Jesus Christ," it would include all that:

1. the name of "Lord" and
2. the name of "Jesus" and
3. the name of "Christ" …

…represent and stand for.

1) The word "Lord" refers to a master or an owner, one who has the authority or authoritative-power, the one from whom the directions and instructions are given and who is to be obeyed, the one who has the dominion over and exercises his lordship in relation to that-which his title of "Lord" or "Master" is being associated. In Romans 1:1 and 5, Paul is making it clear that Jesus Christ is his Lord, and the Lord of those who were with him at that time (refer to Acts 2:36).

2) The word "Jesus" is explained in Matthew 1:21 by the Angel Gabriel when he spoke to Joseph.

Matthew 1:21:

^.21She [Mary] will bring-forth a son and you [Joseph] will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

"Jesus" means "God saves / Jehovah (Yahweh) the Savior," and the Lord Jesus Christ was given that name "Jesus" because he is the one who carried-out God's will to make it available for people to be saved, to be made-safe. It is by means of Jesus, the Christ, that people are able to be saved and thereby have a true and vital spiritual relationship with the only true God. Jesus Christ is God's son – he is alive today! He is now at God's right-hand side, second-in-command to God his Father.

3) The word "Christ" means the "anointed-one" or "Messiah." In the lands and during the time-period of the writing of the Bible, holy oil was poured on the high priest of God to begin his ministry for God, and it was also used to anoint kings. Many people and things were anointed with holy oil to signify their making holy (sanctified) for a specific purpose, etc, which can be read about in many scriptures in the Bible (refer to Exodus 30:22-33; Acts 2:32-36, 4:27, and 10:38-41). The resurrected Christ continues doing God's will today.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ means: within the sphere of action of all the authoritative-power, ability, workings, etc, that God gave to Jesus when He raised him up out-from the dead-people, and gave him the name that is above every other name, designating the resurrected Jesus being Lord and Christ (refer to Acts 2:21 and 38; 3:6 and 16; 4:7-12, and 30; Romans 1:3 and 4; Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 2:9 and 10; II Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 1:1-4).

Paul and those with him received grace and apostleship by means of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of his name with-a-view-to (directed to, for the purpose of)…

• obedience relative-to and proceeding-from belief (hearing, listening attentively to the belief, and then the action carried out in accordance with and resulting from the belief is the obedience of belief)
• among all the Gentiles (all the people of nations or ethnic-groups other-than Israel/Judah),

…among whom emphatically you also are called (invited people) of Jesus Christ.  

The people to whom Paul wrote this letter were living among Gentiles and they were Gentile in background, but even-so Paul specifically points-out that now they were called of Jesus Christ. These people were called (invited people). They were issued an invitation by Jesus Christ just as Paul and those with him were issued the same invitation. These people had also initially accepted the invitation. They believed what God has given to be believed and therefore they had received the gift of holy spirit, which God made available on the day of Pentecost by means of the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Acts chapter 2 and Romans 10:8-10). Throughout this letter Paul will explain what the full magnitude of this call (invitation) involves.

As we read on, we should understand that the word “belief” is a noun (not a verb). Belief is the information that God makes known to people to have confidence-in, to believe, to have faith-in, to trust with assured certainty and surety. It is the Greek word pistis which can be translated as “belief” or “faith”. God gives people His belief when He tells people what they should believe. We can rely on what God tells us concerning a specific situation or circumstance. Once God communicates His belief to us, then we are given the opportunity to have the same belief regarding that specific situation or circumstance – by believing (having confidence-in, having faith-in, trusting) the contents of what God says, His words to us. We should accept His belief being true to and for ourselves. God’s belief is not dependant upon whether a person believes it or not.

God communicates His belief to people in many different ways, for example: audibly for people to hear His voice speaking words, or God writes it down as He did for Moses in stone so people could read what He wrote, or via one of His angels speaking God's words, or via the spirit that God gives to His people which communicates the information to their minds, or via His previously revealed Word passed along from generation to generation by word of mouth or by people writing it down, etc. Once God reveals His belief to a person, then that person might tell others this belief so that they can hear it also.

[Reference: Romans 8:28-30, 10:14-17; 12:3, 15:15-19, 16:26; I Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 3:8 and 9.]

Romans 1:7:

^.7to all the (people) being in Rome (who are) loved¹ of God, called, holy; grace to you and peace from God our Father and (our) Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul addresses this letter to all the people living in the location of Rome who are…

• loved¹ of God (the word "loved¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love - God’s loved people, God extended His love towards them)
• called (invited people; refer to verses 1 and 6 above),
• holy (sanctified people, saints, Christians; they were set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God; they had come into the state of corresponding to the essence of God)….

They didn't have to wait to be made holy (become saints) at some future unknown date. They already were set-apart from the Gentile-people who were living around them because they had previously believed God's Word. They had already accepted the invitation and thus had received God's gift of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s greeting to them is: grace to you (bestowed unmerited favor to all of you) and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace is tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement. We may think of peace as the opposite of war, the opposite of conflict, the opposite of being at odds with the other party. All of God's children are at peace with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ because it is given to us from God and the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore all Christians should behave peaceably with one-another too.

This was not some 'nice-phrase' that Paul made-up in his own mind thinking that it sounds good or it might "bless them" - no! Paul was writing because he was receiving the information of what to write from God or from the Lord Jesus Christ via his holy spirit. Grace plus peace were being bestowed upon them from the only true God Who was also their Father, and from their Lord Jesus Christ. And, Paul uses the word "our" to remind them that God was the Father of all of them including Paul and those with him. Therefore they were all brothers from God's point of view because they all had previously received holy spirit-life. They were all children of God.

[Reference: Romans 8:28-30; I Corinthians 1:2 and 3; II Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2, II Thessalonians 1:2; Philemon 1:3.]

Verse 8-12:

^.8Firstly indeed I thank my God by means of Jesus Christ concerning all of you because your belief is messaged in the whole world, ^.9for God is witness of me, to Whom I render-service in my spirit in the good-message of His son, as-that unceasingly I make remembrance to-myself of you ^.10always on my prayers supplicating if by-some-manner at-some-time I will be prospered already in the intention of God to go towards you, ^.11for I earnestly-long to see you in order that I may sharingly-give to you some spiritual gracious-gift with-a-view-for you to be set-fast, ^.12and this is: to be encouraged-together among you by means of the belief among one-another both yours and mine.

The verb "to thank" in the Greek comes from the same root word as the word "grace" plus the word "well" or "well-off." Therefore to thank somebody is done by the freedom of will of the recipient expressing well his gratitude to the giver of the grace (the bestowed unmerited or undeserved favor) given to and received by the recipient. It is not a forced or obligated "thank you"!

Paul writes: First in place indeed (first in order in the body of this letter with emphasis)…

• I thank my God
  • by means of (through) Jesus Christ
    • about all of you (the holy-people in Rome)
• because your belief is presently caused to be messaged (the message of your faith, your trust relative to God and the things of God, is being brought down or home to other people) in the whole world (all parts of the ordered arrangement, the entirety of God's creation).

In truth, God is witness of/regarding me (a witness is one who has information or knowledge of that-which he is attesting to, and can therefore confirm it on the strength of his-own authority). Here Paul writes: God is my witness (and His authority is supreme)…

• to Whom I render-service (it is to/for God that I presently and actively perform, carry-out service as a hired servant)
  • within the sphere of action of my spirit (the holy spirit-life in me)
    • in the good-message of His son (the gospel, evangel pertaining to God’s son who is our Lord Jesus Christ),

…as to how unceasingly (without ceasing, assiduously) I make remembrance to-myself of you (I bring to my own mind, my memory, and so I make mention of you) constantly on the occasion of my prayers (during my communications to/with God, the general speaking towards/with God)…

• supplicating (expressing my lack of something specific and my need of help, communicating my needful-request, which is)
  • if by any means (somehow) at some future time I will be prospered already (be led having a good journey, a way that is well) within the intention of God (His active volition and desire) to go towards you,
• for I earnestly-long (have a real longing, desire on-top of what I already had) to see you (not just the mere act of seeing but to see to the end of perceiving and knowing you in my mind)
  • for the purpose and result that I would sharingly-give to you (impart, freely give something in company and association with you who have a need; this verb indicates that the person giving a share of something must have received it first, and when he gives to another he does not lose it entirely but he gives-to and shares-with the other person; this giving is to benefit both parties involved) – share what? –   
    • some spiritual gracious-gift (this gracious-gift was to be spiritual – it was to emanate from the holy spirit-life within Paul, and therefore what Paul wanted to sharingly-give to them was to be in the holy spirit category, not originating from the fleshy/physical category)
      • [A gracious-gift is something freely-given with/by the grace of God and/or of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the result, product, or effect of the action of graciously giving to another so that the recipient may utilize it appropriately. Every holy-person/Christian has already received the free-gift of holy spirit, and any added information, assignment, etc, given to any holy-person is given by grace (refer to I Corinthians 12:4). It is a gracious-gift to the recipient. It is unmerited or undeserved on the recipient's part because it is not given as a wage or a corresponding-reward for something he/she had or had-not done.]
    • with-a-view-for you to be set-fast (for the purposed objective of firmly fixing you),
  • and this is:
    • to be encouraged together among you (to be exhorted in conjunction with you during that time, all of us being exhorted by one another, as a father and mother calls/invites their children near them to help them to do that-which is right; a two-way benefit, not one-sided)
    • by means of the belief among one-another both yours and mine (through the faith, the trust that each one of us has relative to God and the things of God).

[Reference: Acts 19:21; Romans 10:8-17, 12:6-8, 15:23 and 32, 16:25; I Corinthians 12:1 and 4; II Corinthians 1:23; Ephesians 4:18; Philippians 1:8, 3:3; I Thessalonians 2:5 and 8, 3:2 and 13; James 4:15; I Peter 4:10.]

Verses 13-15:

^.13But I do not intend you to not-know, brothers, that I often purposed to go towards you, and I was hindered continuously-until this-time, in order that I may also have some fruit among you according as also among the remaining Gentiles; ^.14both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise-people and to unmindful-people I am a debtor, ^.15thus (is) the eagerness according to me to good-message to you also, the (brothers) in Rome;

In verse 13, Paul addresses the holy-people as "brothers" – why? Paul is not referring to the biological/natural state of having the same mother and/or father, nor because of their race, skin-color, or political-affiliation, nor is he referring to the fact that everyone has the same blood flowing through their veins passed-down from Adam and Eve – but he is referring to their spiritual relationship. Paul and all holy-people, no matter what location they may be living in, had received the same gift of holy spirit from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, when they first believed what God has given mankind to believe regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul and all those holy-people were brothers in the holy spirit category; they were all children of God.

Paul continues to explain to them what was going on in his life: But I do not intend (will) you to be ignorant (to be un-knowing, unaware), brothers…

• that many times I purposed (put before myself, proposed) to go towards you,
  • and I was hindered (prevented, cut-short, blocked) for the duration to this time (until this place or point-in-time came here),
• for the purpose and result that I would also have some fruit (produce) among you
• according as also among the remaining Gentiles (the rest of the people with a Gentile background);
  • both to Greeks (Hellenists, Greek-speaking people of the Gentile background)
    • and to barbarians (barbarous-people, meaning the non-Greeks, because the Greeks referred to people who did not speak their language as barbarians),
  • both to wise-people (skillful or expert in the application of personal knowledge)
    • and to unmindful-people (lacking the application of their minds and therefore were unlearned or unintelligent)
• I am a debtor (one who owes something to someone else, I am indebted, under obligation on some account, obliged to perform a certain duty),
• in this manner (as a debtor) is the eagerness according to me (my readiness, my willing enthusiasm) – to do what? –
  • to good-message (evangelize, preach the gospel) to you also, the brothers in Rome.

[Reference: Romans 15:22 and 23; I Corinthians 9:16 and 17.]

Verses 16 and 17:

^.16for I am not ashamed-of the good-message, for it is (the) ability of God into salvation to every-person believing, both to (the) Judean firstly and to (the) Greek, ^.17for (the) righteousness of God in it is revealed from belief into belief, according as it was written², "But the righteous-person from belief will live."

In truth, I am not ashamed of/at the good-message (I do not cause myself to feel shame, to have the feeling or emotion of disgrace and guilt being sorry of/upon the gospel/evangel, as though it were improper, ignominious or dishonorable). By using the word "ashamed," which normally is associated with the performance of some dishonorable conduct, Paul emphasizes with this figure that he felt extremely honored and privileged regarding the good-message.

Paul was not ashamed-of the good-message – why not? The two-fold reason is:

1(a) – verses 16 and 17:

The good-message concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is the ability of God (His able-power, capability)…

• into salvation (with a view to, directed to and resulting in safety, the standing and state of being saved, made-safe to God from sins and their consequences, from destruction)
• to every-person believing (all/every one of the people who has faith, who is trusting the good message),
  • both to the Judean firstly (a person who is of the Judean/Israeli background firstly; Judeans got the opportunity to receive God's gift of holy spirit at the very beginning on the day of Pentecost in the temple in Jerusalem)
  • and to the Greek (a person who is of the Gentile background)….

Whatever type of background (including language, country, race, skin-color, ‘religion’, etc) a person may have had before he/she believes the good-message does not matter. All that is required is that that person believes what God has given mankind to believe regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then he/she is saved; he/she receives the gift of holy spirit becoming righteous before God.

Paul goes on to explain further regarding the first-part of his reason for not being ashamed of the good-message:

• God's righteousness (His justness, justice, the attributes of justification, the quality of being and doing what is just/right from God's point of view) which is included and detailed within the good-message
  • is revealed (uncovered, as removing a veil and exposing what was previously hidden from view)
    • from belief (out-from or originating-from the information that God makes known to people to have confidence-in, to believe, to have faith-in, to trust with assured certainty and surety, which is concerning His son, the Lord Jesus Christ)
    • into belief (with a view to, directed to, resulting in faith, belief on the part of the hearers or readers of God’s words),
• this is according as it was written and is still written (in the old covenant in the Book of Habakkuk 2:4, also referenced in Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38),
  • "But the righteous-person from belief will live."

God reveals Himself, His thinking, etc, in His words and actions. Paul references this scripture showing his readers that this information was not kept a secret but that it was there to be read and heard by people. It had previously been revealed by God. The righteous man's belief is God's belief because he believes what God says, and thus the fullness of the righteous man's life includes his future resurrection-life when he will be raised from the dead and will be given a new spiritual body.

Paul is emphasizing that it is the righteous person who lives now both physically and spiritually having received the gift of holy spirit and he will live in the future when Christ will give him a new spiritual body. This is available by reason of the belief that God is able to give us during our time-period (Romans 10:8-10) because the Lord Jesus Christ has already accomplished what God asked him to do regarding redemption.

[Reference: Genesis 15:4-6; Habakkuk 2:3 and 4; Matthew 3:17; Acts 1:8, 2:1-39, 3:25 and 26, chapter 10, 13:5, 14 and 46, 14:1, 17:2, 10 and 17, 18:4, 6 and 19, 19:8, 28:25-28; Romans 2:9 and 10, 3:21-26, 5:1, 9:30-32, 10:6-17; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16 and 20, 3:8-14, 24 and 26-29; Philippians 3:9; I Thessalonians 5:9; II Timothy 1:10-12; Hebrews 10:36-39. For further information regarding resurrection and still-future events, you may read my studies of I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, chapter 15 of I Corinthians, and Revelation chapters 19-22.]

Paul next explains the second-part of his reason for not being ashamed of the good-message:

1(b) – verse 18:

Romans 1:18-23:

^.18For (the) wrath of God is revealed from heaven on all lack-of-reverence and unrighteousness of men, the (people) holding-down the truth in unrighteousness –

^.19for-this-reason-that the known-thing of God is manifest among them for God manifested (it) to them, ^.20for His unseen-things, both His perpetual ability and Godly-quality, are seen-down-on, being mentally-perceived from (the) creation of (the) world by the made-products with-a-view-for them to be without-defense, ^.21for-this-reason-that having known God they did not glorify or thank (Him) as God but they were made-futile in their through-calculations and their without-understanding heart was darkened, ^.22asserting to be wise they were made-dull ^.23and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God in (the) likeness of (the) image of corruptible man and birds and quadrupeds and creeping-things.

Part of the good-message is to let people know what the consequence is presently, and what it will be in the future, for those people who refuse to believe what God has given to be believed. Paul writes: In truth…

• God’s wrath (the lasting angry vengeance of God, like the heat of a burning fire, not a spur-of-the-moment thing on God’s part)
  • is presently revealed (uncovered, as removing a veil and exposing what was previously hidden from view)
    • away from heaven (‘heaven’ literally is anywhere above the earth, and it is used metaphorically referring to God Himself and His spirit realm)
• down on all/every lack-of-reverence (the state of not being reverential towards God, not being respectful in service towards/for Him)
• and unrighteousness (unjustness, injustice, what is not right/just but is wrong)
  • of men (belonging-to, pertaining-to, and emanating-from men, mankind, referring to the natural/physical category),
    • emphatically and specifically the people holding-down (having fast or firm in the sense of suppressing) the truth of the good-message within unrighteousness (putting it on a par with injustice) –
• on account of the reason that what is capable of being personally known (knowable, knowledgeable) from/about God is manifest (evident, brought to light, shown-forth) among them
  • for God manifested it to them (God evidenced the knowledge of Himself to all of mankind including those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness),
  • for His unseen-things (the things that are not perceived with the eyes of mankind so as to understand Him in the mind's thoughts as a result of physical sight, the intangible things pertaining to God), which are
    • both His perpetual ability (His always-existing ability, able-power, capability)
    • and Godly-quality (His attributes, characteristics, property, His make-up),
  • are seen-down-on (are fully seeable by looking down on/at them, not by looking upwards trying to see God Himself),
    • being mentally-perceived (they are being observed with the mind, being seen to the end of being known mentally, intellectually) from the creation of the world (since the ordered-arrangement was brought into being, established, and it is still in progress) – how? –
    • by/with/in/via the made-products (what God has done/made, His productions, which include mankind, the earth and other planets and stars, and His revealed words which He has made known to mankind through the ages)
  • for the purpose of the people who are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness to be without-defense (they are without excuse; there are no words, apology, speech which they could truthfully offer to plead their case in their own defense to get away from a difficult situation before a tribunal, etc),
• on account of the reason that having personally known (obtained a truly active and relative knowing of) God
  • they did not glorify or thank Him as God (they did not give God the importance, splendor, renown, nor did they express their gratitude towards God for all He had done for them)
  • but on the contrary, they were made futile (they became useless, meaningless, empty as to results) in their through-calculations (reckonings through-and-through, thorough reasonings, disputes, logical computations)
  • and their without-understanding heart was darkened (the word "heart" literally means: the organ which keeps the fleshy body alive by circulating the blood; but figuratively it means: the center or core of a person's being, the seat of his whole personal self and life – here referred to as one group or body of people having one heart; their heart is described as lacking insight, void of apprehension, they did not put what God has said and done together in their minds to the end of understanding, and so they deprived their own heart of light because they refused God Who is light),
  • asserting (affirming, saying repeatedly) that they were wise (skillful or expert in the application of personal knowledge, doing the most appropriate action concerning a specific situation or circumstance even when complete knowledge of it may not be available, but in this case knowledge was available) – asserting that they were using wisdom in their minds
    • but instead they were made dull (they were caused to become not acute, absurd, foolish in their minds)
  • and they changed the glory (they altered the importance, splendor, renown)
    • of the incorruptible God (the God Who is not capable of decaying, not corrupt, in the state of incorruption)
  • for the glory that is in the likeness (the similarity, similitude of the resulting product and effect) of the image (the icon, resemblance, representation)
    • of corruptible man (mankind who is capable of decay, corrupt, in the state of corruption)
    • and birds (creatures which are able to fly with wings such as birds)
    • and quadrupeds (four-footed creatures such as bulls)
    • and creeping-things (crawling animals, reptiles such as snakes).

[Reference: Deuteronomy 4:15-19, 29:29; Psalm 19:1-6; Isaiah 44:6-20; John 3:36, 4:24; Acts 14:15-17, 17:24-31; Romans 2:5 and 6, 10:18; I Corinthians 15:50; Ephesians 2:10, 5:6, 11 and 12; Colossians 1:15 and 16, 3:6; II Thessalonians 2:12; I Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3; Hebrews 11:27; I John 1:5.]

Verses 24 and 25:

^.24On-which-account God gave them in the intense-yearnings of their hearts over into uncleanness, their bodies to be dishonored among them, ^.25the-people-who exchanged the truth of God in the lie and reverenced and rendered-service to the creation against the (One) having created – Who is blessed into the ages, with-certainty.

On account of this, God gave over (handed over, delivered alongside or beside another, handed along into the power of another)…

• the people living their lives within the sphere of action of the intense-yearnings of their hearts (the lusts, here used in the bad sense, the strong-desires that attach or fix upon certain objects other-than God and the things of God, which belong-to, pertain-to, issue or proceed from their own hearts)
  • into uncleanness (their direction was into the state of not being free from mixture of that-which is against God, resulting in them being mixed with something else, having impurity from God's viewpoint mixed with them),
    • for the purpose of their bodies being dishonored among them (their physical bodies esteemed as being without honor, of no value or worth while interacting with one-another),
• specifically these are the people who actively exchanged (altered one thing with another, replaced something with what they preferred to take its place, they substituted)
  • the truth of God (God’s essential reality, the inherent verity pertaining-to and issuing-from God)
    • within the lie (in its place they put the lie; instead of God’s truth they put the lie on a par with it as though the lie was truth; they replaced the truth with the lie)  [What lie? The lie emanating from the devil (satan, serpent) which is that he is God, and as such he is the one who gives and maintains life etc to all, and all must reverence, worship and serve him and whom he designates! This lie began in Genesis chapter 3, and continues being repeated throughout the centuries by the devil and those who decide to follow him as their god in the place of the only true God. Refer also to John 8:44; Ephesians 4:25; II Thessalonians 2:11.]
    • and reverenced (on a frequent basis they treated with reverential respect, their respect was demonstrated)
    • and rendered-service (they performed, carried-out service as hired servants)
  • to the creation (towards that-which was created, brought into being, the created-thing, such as themselves, other people, animals, stars, etc, which ultimately ends in worshipping and serving the devil/satan)
• against (beside, beyond, alongside, in the sense of being aside-from, contrary-to, to the exclusion of) the One having created (Who created the creation; God is the One Who created the creation; God is the Creator)
  • – Who is blessed (God is blessed. The adjective "blessed" means: good-worded, well-spoken. The spoken-account of God's inner-thoughts is good/well. The words that come from God are good/well. God is in the continuing and lasting standing and state of blessedness. God - blessed, and this truth does not change. God is the One Who bestows His blessings to others, and of course, we are to speak well of Him also.)
    • into the ages (for/throughout the durations of lifetimes),
    • with-certainty (amen, truly, surely!).

People had/have freedom of will to make their own decisions regarding how they live their lives. The only true God does not control, force, or make a person to behave in a certain manner! Those who refused to do what God says were no-longer under God's protection during this life, which God affords to those who honestly endeavor to do His will. They opened themselves up to the influence of satan (the devil) by their own choice in the walk/behavior category in the fleshy realm. They bring to themselves the consequences of their chosen behavior.

[Reference: Isaiah 14:13 and 14; John 8:44; Acts 7:39-43, 19:27; Romans 9:5; I Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 4:19 and 25; II Thessalonians 2:4 and 9-11; I Timothy 1:20. For further information regarding "the lie" you may read my study of Appendix to Romans, and II Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 8-12.]

Verses 26 and 27:

^.26Because-of-this God gave them over into passions of dishonor, for both their females exchanged the natural use into the (use) against nature ^.27and likewise also the males having left the natural use of the female were burned-out in their reaching-appetite into one-another, males among males rendering the indecorous-thing to work, and receiving in themselves the recompense which used-to-be necessary (for) their wandering;

On account of this (providing further details), God gave them over (as verse 24 above) into...

• passions (pathos, emotional affections, experiences, sufferings, here referring to fleshly affection)
  • consisting of dishonor (lack of honor, without value, not esteemed to have value or holding worth),

…for both…

• their females exchanged the natural use (their physical means of use, using, the female’s natural function) resulting in the use against nature (not physically correct)
• and similarly also the males,
  • who had actively left (sent-away, dismissed, let-go from their own concern) the natural use of the female,
• were burned-out (caused to completely burn) in their reaching-appetite (stretching forth with craving desire) into/for one-another,
  • males causing to effect (effectively bringing down, achieving) the indecorous-thing (indecency, deformity) in/among males,
  • and receiving (taking back/away from another, receiving in-full) in/among themselves the recompense (the corresponding reward, the retribution given in return for their actions) which used to be necessary for their wandering (it was binding, obligated to be repeated on several occasions during the past in return for their error, not-staying in their rightful place, leading themselves astray – like a planet is constantly roaming, moving around when viewed from the earth unlike the stars which retain their position relative-to each other).

This type of behavior is what we today call homosexuality, lesbianism, or being "gay." These people actively received in themselves the recompense necessary for their wandering caused-by and issuing-from the devil (satan) away from the truth of God's Word.

[Reference: Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; I Corinthians 6:9; Colossians 3:5; I Thessalonians 4:5.]

Verses 28-32:

^.28and according as they did not approve to have God in full-knowledge, God gave them over into an unapproved mind to do the-things not fitting, ^.29having been filled² with all unrighteousness, evilness, covetousness, badness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence; whisperers, ^.30slanderers, God-haters, hurtful-people, arrogant-people, imposters, inventors of bad-things, people-un-persuaded by parents, ^.31people-without-understanding, un-consenting-people, people-without-affection, unmerciful-people; ^.32the-people-who having fully-known the righteous-action of God – that the (people) practicing the things-of-this-kind are worthy of death – not only do them but also consider-it-good-together with the (people) practicing (them).

Also, according as the people, who exchanged the truth of God in the lie and reverenced and rendered-service to the creation against God Who is the One Who created the creation…

• did not approve (they decided to disapprove following their testing, their examination) to hold God within their full, clear and exact personal knowledge,

…God gave them over (as verses 24 and 26 above) into…

• an unapproved mind (mind-set, the organ of mental perception, mentality; the singular word "mind" emphasizes that all of them have the same mind-set – they had a mind that was not approved by God because it did not pass His test or examination and thus it was disapproved)
  • evidenced by the fact that they were doing things that were not fitting (not being fit, not distinguished, not suitable, not coming down to an appropriate level, not convenient, not pertinent)….

Paul now gives a listing of some of the different things, characteristics, and attitudes explaining this. These people were already filled and they continued full (filled) with/by all (every form of)...

• unrighteousness (unjustness, injustice, what is not right/just but is wrong; as verse 18 above),
• evilness (active malignancy, exercised badness),
• covetousness (a constant wanting to have more than what God provides; it is greed, always grasping and reaching out to get something else more than what is right),
• badness (all forms of being bad, that-which is against God, contrary to His will);

…full (satiated, as a person is full to satisfaction with food; they are full) of

• envy (being jealous or resentful of another's considered advantage with the desire to gain the same 'advantage' for oneself),
• murder (the wrongful killing of a man, woman or child according to God’s viewpoint),
• strife (any form of it, such as rivalry, wrongful competitiveness, contention or disputing and quarrelling),
• deceit (guile or bait as used to catch people by stratagem or subterfuge),
• malevolence (the state of wanting to do badness, having a bad disposition, attitude, custom, habit, manner and desire towards others, spitefulness)….

Next, Paul lists some different sorts of people, manifested in their behavior with respect to God and His Word:

• whisperers (people who spend their time whispering to avoid being overheard, gossiping, saying things which they would not dare to speak out-loud, people who spread rumors and are secretly slanderous; this word includes reference to the practice of charming others as snake charmers),
• slanderers (people who openly utter-forth all kinds of statements against another),
• God-haters (people who feel and evidence extreme hatred, who behave in a very hateful and detestable manner towards God and the things of God),
• hurtful-people (people who use wanton violence and insolence resulting in injury to others),
• arrogant-people (people who are haughty, giving the impression of superiority or being-over others which is evidenced by them in an overbearing manner),
• imposters (people who wander-about pretending to be someone or something other-than what they truly are),
• inventors of bad-things (people who think-up different ways to produce and perform things that are bad, who devise things contrary to God's Word),
• people un-persuaded by parents (people who are unwilling to be convinced by the Godly instruction given to them by their fathers and mothers, the children not behaving in a Godly manner towards their parents as God asks children to behave no matter what age they are),
• people without understanding (lacking insight, void of apprehension, they did not put what God has said and done together in their minds to the end of understanding; as verse 21 above),
• un-consenting people (people who refuse to put or set things together with another, who are not in concord of opinion with another and therefore treacherous and breaking agreements),
• people without affection (people without the natural family tender affection normally felt and expressed between parents and their children, which is also the natural instinct of most animals, birds, etc),
• unmerciful people (people who are merciless, who do not withhold merited judgment, who refuse to not-give deserved punishment).

These are the people who already have full, clear and exact personal knowledge of the righteous action of God (of His just action, the effect, product, result of God carrying out His righteousness, His pronounced justice issuing from the process of justification, making things right)…

• which is that the people who are practicing the things of this kind/sort (habitually, repeatedly doing and in the process of accomplishing such things)
  • are worthy of death (they are of equal-value, like-worth to/with a sentence of death, as being correctly weighed on a scales, and thus deserving of death - their right/just ending-state)

…not only do them (not alone do they presently and actively perform these things), but contrary to only doing them themselves, they also consider-it-good (think well of it, approvingly give their consent supposing that this kind of behavior is a good-thing) in conjunction with the people practicing these things (giving their endorsement to other people who are habitually, repeatedly doing and in the process of accomplishing such-things)!

[Reference: Psalm 41:7; Proverbs 28:4; Ecclesiastes 10:11; Matthew 15:16; II Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:21; Colossians 3:5; II Thessalonians 2:12; I Timothy 1:13, 6:4; II Timothy 3:2 and 8; Titus 3:3; James 4:6; I Peter 2:1. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]