The condemnation of all men needs Mercy Seat -Christ as the propitiation place (Romans 3:21-31)By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The condemnation of all men needs Mercy Seat -Christ as the propitiation place (Romans 3:21-31)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Righteousness imputed, Justification, Salvation 3:21-5:21

The description of Righteousness 3:21-31

         ²¹But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²²Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ²⁷Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. ²⁸Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. ²⁹Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: ³⁰Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. ³¹Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. 

 

3:21 apart from the law - God’s righteousness, which is revealed in the gospel (1:17), is the basis and foundation of His dispensing Himself into man in His New Testament economy. This righteousness has nothing to do with the law in His Old Testament economy (Phil.3:9).

Righteousness used in various ways in the Bible, righteousness refers: 1) to God’s character (John17:25);2) to the gift that is given to everyone who receives Christ (3:21;5:17) and 3) to standards of right living (6:18;2Tim.2:22)

Manifested  The Jews sought the righteousness of God by keeping the law. However, they did not attain to it, for out of the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before God (v.20).But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been manifested to us through faith in Christ (1:17).

3:22 through the faith of Jesus Christ or, faith in Jesus Christ. This faith refers to the faith of Jesus Christ in us, which has become the faith by which we believe in Him, as in v.26; Gal.2:16,20; 3:22; Eph.3:12; and Phil.3:9.  Faith has an object, and it issues from its object. This object is Jesus, who is God incarnate. When man hears Him, knows Him, appreciates Him, and treasures Him, He causes faith to be generated in man, enabling man to believe in Him. Thus, He becomes the faith in man by which man believes in Him. Hence, this faith becomes the faith in Him, and it is also the faith that belongs to Him.

In God’s New Testament economy, God desires that man believe in Jesus, who is God incarnate. If man does not believe in Him, he commits the unique sin before God (John16:9). However, if man believes in Him, he is righteous to the uttermost before God, and God reckons this faith as his righteousness. At the same time, this faith brings its object, that is, this One who is God incarnate, into those who believe in Him. He is God’s righteousness, and God has given Him as righteousness to those who are indwelt by Him (Jer.23:6). All this is out of, and depends on, the faith that is in Him and of Him (Heb.12:2).

3:23 glory of God  God’s glory is God expressed. Whenever God is expressed, His glory is seen. Man was made by God in His image that man might express Him for His glory. But man has sinned and has contradicted the holiness and righteousness of God. Instead of expressing God, man expresses sin and his sinful self. Hence, man falls short of God’s glory and expression is sin. Sinners are not only under the requirements of God’s holiness and righteousness but also under the demand of God’s glory. All have offended God’s holy being and have broken God’s righteous law, and all are short of God’s glory. Therefore, all are under God’s condemnation.

3:24 justified freely Justification is God’s action whereby He approves people according to His standard of righteousness. God can do this on the basis of the redemption of Christ. Freely Since Christ has paid the price for our sins and in His redemption has fulfilled all God’s requirements on us, God, because He is just, must justify us freely. Such justification is by the grace of God, not by our works. Redemption To redeem is to purchase back at a cost. We originally belonged to God but became lost through sin. The requirements of God’s holiness, righteousness, and glory were so great upon us that it was impossible for us to fulfill them. However, God paid the price for us through Christ, repossessing us at a tremendous cost. Christ died on the cross to redeem us (Gal.3:13; Titus2:14;1Pet.2:24; 3:18); His blood obtained eternal redemption for us. (1Pet.1:18-19).

Verse 25 set forth to be a propitiation  - In the Old Testament , the expiation cover, the lid of the Ark, as a type, was hidden in the Holy of Holies; in the New Testament, Christ as the propitiation place, the reality of the expatiation place, the  reality of the expiation cover, is open set for the before all men.

The propitiation place is typified in Exo.25:17 by the sin-covering lid on the Ark. The Ark was the place where God met with people. In The Ark was the law of the Ten Commandments, which by its holy and righteous requirement exposed and condemned the sins of the people who came to contact God. However, by the lid of the Ark, with the expiating blood sprinkled on it on the Day of Expiation, the entire situation on the sinner’s side was fully covered.

Therefore, upon this sin-covering lid God could meet with the people who broke His righteous law, and He could do this without, governmentally any contradiction to His righteousness, even under the observing of the cherubim that bore His glory and overshadowed the lid of the Ark. Thus, the problem between man dn God was appeased, enabling God to forgive and be merciful to man and thereby to give His grace to man. This is a prefigure of Christ as the Lamb of God taking away the sin that caused man to have a problem with God (John1:29), thus satisfying all the requirements of God’s holiness, righteousness, and glory and appeasing  the relationship between man and God. Hence, God could pass over the people’s sin that had previously occurred. And, in order to show forth His righteousness, He had to do this. This is what this verse refers to.

The Hebrew word for the lid of the Ark is kapporeth, from a root meaning to cover. In the Septuagint this word is translated hilasterion, which means the place of propitiation (implying to forgive and to give mercy –the word rendered propitious in Heb.8:12 is the root of hilasterion, and the word rendered propitiated in Luke 18:12 is the derived from this root0.  The King James Version adopts the rendering “Mercy seat,” referring to the place where God grants mercy to man. In Heb.9:5 Paul also used hilasterion for the lid of the Ark. Here, in Rom.3:25, the same word, hilasterion, is used to show that the lid of the Arks signifies Christ as the propitiation place set forth by God.

In Addition to hilasterion, two other words derived from the same Greek word as hilasterion are used in the New Testament to show how Christ took away man’s sin to appease the relationship between man and God. One is hilaskomai (Heb.2:17), which means to propitiate, that is, to appease, to reconcile one by satisfying the other’s demand; the other is hilasmos (1John2:2;4:10), which means that which propitiates, that is, a propitiatory sacrifice. Christ made propitiation for out sins (Heb.2:17); hence, He has become that which propitiates, the propitiatory sacrifice, between us and God (1John2:2;4:10), and He ahs also become the place as typified by the lid of the Ark (Heb.9:5), where we enjoy propitiation before God and where God gives grace to us.

During the Old Testament time, the sins of the people were not taken away but were only covered with the blood of the animal sacrifices, which were types of Christ. God passed over these covered sins until Christ came. He was the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). By His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood for redemption, He carried away all the sins that had been previously covered and passed over. In passing over their sins, God demonstrated His righteousness to the Old Testament saints.

Verse 26 God’s justifying the believers is with a view to the demonstrating of His righteousness to those in the New Testament time who are of the faith of Jesus.

Verse 30 Faith is the source out of which the circumcision, who already have the position as God’s people, may be justified by God; hence, their justification is out of faith. But as to the uncircumcision, who are positionally far away and are not God’s people; faith is the way for them to reach the position where they can be justified by God; hence, their justification is through faith.

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

  

The function of the law is to give knowledge of sin not to save from sin (Romans 3:1-20 KJV) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The function of the law is to give knowledge of sin not to save from sin (Romans 3:1-20 KJV)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce  

Christian Arts Ministries:Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

 

Scriptures reading Romans 3:1-20 kjv

                 ¹What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? ²Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. ³For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? ⁴God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. ⁵ But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) ⁶God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?⁷For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ⁸And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.  ⁹What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.¹²They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: ¹⁴Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood: ¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways: ¹⁷And the way of peace have they not known:¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.¹⁹Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

 

 

3:1 What advantage. A Jew had the advantage of special revelation of God’s law. Yet that could not save him, for he was not able to keep it. The law increased his responsibility, but demonstrated his inability to live up to God’s tandards.

3: 2 the very word of God. The promises of God to the Jews, found in the Scriptures.

3:4 every man a liar. Men should believe that they all have broken their word rather than that God has broken His. Declared righteous God must first convince us of His righteousness before we can repent and believe into Him. Thus, He is decalred righteous by us before we are declared righteous by Him..

3:7 truthfulness of God in Greek the same word as for truth (reality). The word here and in 15:8 denotes genuineness, sincerity, honesty, faithfulness, and trustworthiness as one of God’s virtues.

3:8 judgment –the eternal judgment.  

3:9 Are we any better? Possibly this should be translated, “Are we Jews disadvantaged?” i.e., in a worse position than Gentiles.

3:10-18 In these verses Paul quotes and paraphrases a number of O.T. passages, Pss.5:9; 10:7;14:1-3;36:1;140:3; Isa.59:7-8. His indictment of the Jews has the authority of Scripture behind it.

3:19 that every mouth- God’s purpose in giving the law was to expose man, to subdue man, and to guard or keep God’s chosen ones for Christ that they may be led to Christ (Gal.3:23-24).

3:20 The function of the law, Paul says, is to give knowledge of or about sin, not to save from sin (Acts13:39;1Tim.1:9-10).

Bibliography,

           Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

           Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter (Romans 3:17-29)By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter (Romans 3:17-29)  

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music                      6/10/2026

 

Scriptures reading Romans 3:17-29

 The condemnation of the Jew

 ¹²For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; ¹³(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. ¹⁴For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:¹⁵ Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) ¹⁶ In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (v.16)

¹⁷Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, ¹⁸And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; ¹⁹And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, ²⁰An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. ²¹Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?  ²²Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? ²³Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? ²⁴For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. ²⁵For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

²⁶Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? ²⁷And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? ²⁸For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: ²⁹But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

 

Verse 14 The nature of man, as created by God, was originally good and corresponded with God and with His law. Although it was poisoned by the fall, this good nature remains within man. Hence, if anyone lives according to his nature and does by his nature the things of the law, the evil in him will be restricted. Do by nature The interaction of conscience and innate morality may result in a good life. To such persons God sends the gospel (Acts 4:12;Rom.10:4).

Verse 15 Man’s conscience corresponds with the God- created human nature and enables man to know what God justifies and what He condemns.

Verse 17 You call yourself a Jew. The failure of the Jew makes him blamable because of privileges he had in the law and the promises of God. He could and should have become a guide and light to those in darkness(v.19). In this section, which specifically deals with God’s condemnation on the religious, Paul first points out the pitful condition of the Jews, who represent the religious people. They have one the vanity of their religious riturals, letters, and knowledge; they do not have God as their reality. In the Jewish religion God is known only outwardly and objectively, not inwardly and subjectively.This shows the vanity of humanre ligion.

Verse 21 That the religious people practice the same evils as the unreligious exposes the vanity of their religion.

Verse 25 you have become as though you had not been circumcised. I.e., a Jewish lawbreaker stands before God in the same place as a pagan.Paul emphasizes that the Jewish law was impossible to keep perfectly. 

Verse 28 Lit., For the Jew in what is manifest is not a Jew; neither is the circumcision in what is manifest in the flesh circumcision. Outwardly any religious practice, such as circumcision, that is merely an outward form is not real.

Verse 29 But he is a Jew Lit., But the Jew in what is hidden is a Jew. In spirit Whatever we are, whatever we do, an dwhatever we have must be in spirit. This will keep us from the vanity of religion. The reality of all spiritual things depends on the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is in our Spirit. Hence, the reality of all spiritual matters depends on our spirit, not on anything apart from our spirit. Whatever is in us is vanity unless it is in our spirit. Everything that God is to us is in our spirit. circumcision is circumcision of the heart. Circumcision is used in three senses in this passage: 1) it stands for the Jews (note that not circumcised in v.27 means Gentiles; (Gen.17:10);2) it indicates the physical rite commanded in the law (v.25a  and Lev.12:3);3) it represents a life that is separated from the flesh and unto God (v.17 and Deut.10:16). In Acts 16:3 The Jerusalem council had declared that circumcision was not necessary for salvation or for acceptance into the Christian church (Acts 15:19), but because of Timothy’s part-Jewish background it seemed expedient in his case, in order to enlarge his local usefulness in witnessing. In the case of Gentile Titus, Paul insisted that he not be circumcised (Gal.2:3).

Paul stood up for the absolute truth that it was the faith of Abrabam, not circumcision, that caused God to establish His covenant with him and his seed. The covenant was given to Abraham some 13 years before circumcision. Through Isaac, Abraham’s son, circumcision became the sign or the seal of the covenant and it was carried over by Moses into the Law. Later, the children of Israel took circumcision and made it somethings it was not. Instaed of taking it as the sign going back to the faith of Abraham, which brought him into covenant with God; they made it a means in itself, an outward act that bound them together as a race. They were taken into captivity not because they stopped the rite of circumcision, but because they got out of faith and obedience to God and broke His Covenant with them.

The great prophets, like Ezekiel, began to prophesy of a new kind of circumcision, a New Covenant which would crate in them a “new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). Not the circumcision of the flesh but of the heart. God would replace physical circumcision with a New Heart. The old heart of outward circumcision could not save God’s people, only a new heart would save them. Not a transplant, but a totally new heart created by Jesus as He cut the New Covenant by His shed blood on the cross. We can say, “Thank you, God, for taking away my old heart of sin and making me a new creature in Jesus Christ” (2Corinthians5:17). Paul says he is not a Jew who is one outwardly through circumcision, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, which is a new heart; in the spirit and not in the letter of the Law, whose praise is not of men but of God. Christ who now lives in us has brought us into a personal relationship with God. To have the new heart brought by faith through the New Covenant is the greatest thing in the world.

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.  

The Condemnation of the Moralist (Romans 2:1-11) (KJV) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The Condemnation of the Moralist (Romans 2:1-11) (KJV)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts &Gospel Music

Scriptures reading Romans 2:1-11 (KJV)

 ¹Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.²But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.³And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life;  ⁸But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.

⁹Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;¹⁰But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: ¹¹For there is no respect of persons with God.

 

Romans chapter 2 Paul shows subtly (vv.1-16), then openly, that the Jews are without defense. God’s wrath results when grace is rejected. Good works do not save (Eph.2:8-9) but are evidence of a changed life. Much of Romans is devoted to this extremely important thesis. The Jews’ Priority of privilege was also one of responsibility, and the principles of God’s judgments are the same for all (v.11). do by nature (v.14). The interaction of conscience and innate morality may result in a good life. To such persons God sends the gospel (Acts4:12; Rom.10:4).

Verse 2 judgement –referring to God’s eternal judgment, which will be carried out mainly at the great white throne, as revealed in Rev.20:11-5. Truth here and in vv.8,20 denotes the reality revealed through the creation and through the Bible concerning God, the universe, man, the relationship between man and God, the relationships among men, and man’s obligation to God. It also refers to the actual situation and condition of man, and it may be the terms of God’s judgment upon man, as indicated in vv.6-15. According to these terms God will execute His judgment righteously.  Verses 7-10 give the basic terms of God’s eternal judgment.

 The Old Covenant, through the Law of Moses, showed the terrible swift justice of God, a God who had to deal with men as they were…to teach them respect for order, for righteousness, for the Living God, to gradually lead them to see His goodness so they could love Him. Paul, by family and education, grew up by the teaching of the prophets, who called God’s wrath down just as quickly as they brought miracles to save His people. As a product of that teaching, as Saul of Tarsus, Paul had leaned the wrong view of God’s justice and even pursued the Christians to far cities to imprison or kill them. Here, under the New Covenant, he discovers God’s continuing revelation of himself, a revelation that again meets men where they are –this time ready to see the goodness of God. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” was his message. Paul remembered that Jesus could have applied justice instead of mercy that day on the road to Damascus, and Paul would have been found wanting. Instead, Jesus showed him His goodness, His saving and healing power, His desire to fill him with the Holy Spirit, and with love until Paul was the first to preach that it is God’s goodness, not His judgments, that softens men’s heard hearts and lead them to repent and be saved.

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

The consequences of the condemnation - divine abandonment (Romans1:24-32) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The consequences of the condemnation - divine abandonment (Romans1:24-32)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

 The consequences of the condemnation-- God's divine abandonment 

Scriptures reading Romans 1:24-32 (KJV)

 

²⁴Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: ²⁵Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ²⁷And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

             ²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; ²⁹Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: ³²Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

 

Verse 24  Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their heart. the same expression is used also in vv.26 and 28. Because of this, God gave them up over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. The result of man’s giving up God is man’s being given up by Him. Those who give up God force God to give them up. According to this chapter God gives people up to three things :1) uncleanness (v.24), 2) passions of dishonor (v.26), and a disapproved mind (v.28). The consequence of such a giving up is fornication (vv.24,26-27), which violates a governing and controlling principle and brings in confusion. Every kind of evil issues from this fornication (vv.29-32). Note the repetition of this phrase in vv.26 and 28 Paul is attacking the frank idolatry of most of the Gentile world, in which animals were considered gods (v.23), sexual perversion was prevalent (vv.26-27), and sin in general was rampant (vv.29-32)

Verse 25 The truth of God is the reality of God. God is true and real. What He is, is a reality. But the idols are false. Whatever they are is a lie.

Verse 32 Also approve of those who practice them. Not only did the people themselves sin but they encouraged and vicariously enjoyed the sins of others. Verse 32 Righteous or righteous requirement, as in 8:4 " That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit; that is, the requirement of God’s righteous will. Hence, this phrase also refers to the judgment that is out of God’s will (Rev.15:4), or to statutes with judgments, that is, ordinance (2:26; Luke 1:6) or to the righteous acts that meets God’s requirement (5:18).

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The cause of the condemnation- willful ignorance (Romans 1:18-32) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The cause of the condemnation- willful ignorance (Romans 1:18-32)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce 

Christian Arts Ministries:Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Scriptrues reading Romans 1:18-32

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; ²⁰ for God hath shewed it unto them.For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

 

 From Romans 1:18 to 3:20 is God’s indictment of the world, showing why man needs the righteousness of God. Man is condemned because truth was given to him (vv.19-20) and because he by his actions rejected it (vv.21-32). The things that are made (creation) reveal to all men the eternal power and divine nature of the true God, so that the rejection of this truth make a man without excuse before God.

 The book of Romans begins with man’s fall (in contrast to Ephesians, which begins with God’s selection and predestination in eternity past); continues through Christ’s redemption God’s justification, sanctification, transformation, conformation, and glorification; and finally, touches the mystery of God in eternity past (16:35).

Verse 18 The wrath of God is revealed – in the preceding verse the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel to faith; here, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrigheousness of men. This show a contrast between the revelation of God’s righteousness and the revelation of God’s wrath. Originally, the wrath of God was revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. However, since the gospel of God has come, the scene has changed. Now the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel to our faith.

Unrighteousness of men who hold down the truth, to hold down means to suppress. From the beginning mankind did not respect the truth of God but suppressed it unrighteously. The truth here refers to the first true thing, the first reality, concerning man and God in the universe. This reality is the sure fact that God and His existence are proved by the creation. This great reality, and great truth, should cause men to know God and thereby to glorify Him and thank Him (v.21).

However, instead of dealing properly with this reality, this truth, according to righteousness, in which God delights, men held down the truth in unrighteousness, which God hates, and did not approve of knowing God (v.28). Therefore, they despised and rejected God, changing the glory of God into idols(vv.21-23) and casting off self-restraint to fall they were given up, abandoned by God(vv.24,26,28).

            Verse 20 divine  Greek. Theiotes. Indicating God’s attributes, which are the special features, the characteristics, as the outward manifestations of God’s natures, or substance. It is different from theotes in Col.2:9 which denotes God’s Godhead and person. The characteristics of God’s nature can be verified through the created things; however, the created things cannot manifest God’s Godhead and person. Only the living person of Jesus Christ, the Word who is God and who declares God (John1:1,18), can express God’s Godhead and person, that is, the very God, God Himself. Here in this chapter, the apostle Paul speaks of the created things verifying God’s existence, but what is verified are only the attributes and characteristics of God. In Col.2:9 he speaks of Christ as the embodiment of God, and what is expressed is the Godhead and God’s person, that is, God Himself.

Being perceived - Man can perceive the invisible things of God by observing the visible things created by Him. Both the eternal power of God and the divine characteristics that express God’s creation. For example, the abundance of light in the universe shows that light is a divine characteristic, a divine attribute of the divine nature (James 1:17). The same is true of beauty and life.

Verse 21 The book of Romans chapter 1 Paul’s presentation of God’s creation  and man’s step-by step fall in undoubtedly based on the historical facts as recorded in Gen.1-19 and in subsequent books of the Old Testament. First, vv.19-20 speak concerning God’s creation; then vv.21-25 cover the fall of Adam and progress through the age of the flood to the worshipping of idols at Babel. Verses 26-27 progress further, from Babel to the shameful lust of Sodom, and vv.28-32 go on from Sodom to every kind of wickedness in the Old Testament time.Vain reasonings are the basic element in the daily life of fallen mankind. They change the glory of God into anything else is to forsake Him and to make an idol.

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.