After introducing the book in the first half of chapter 1, Paul begins his explanation of the gospel which always starts with bad news. He is setting every human being on an even playing field before God, that is that every one of us under God’s wrath. All people have a knowledge of God and all people reject it in order to rule their own lives. Sin, as Paul describes it here, isn’t a matter of mere ignorance, but instead it is a willful pursuit of power and pleasure apart from God. This rebellion never leads to where we expect it. Instead it results in all manners of wickedness, pain, and foolishness. This is the landscape which our sin creates and which deserves God’s wrath. Yet, it is into this landscape that Christ will come to save us.
Romans 1:18–32
[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19] For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
[24] Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, [25] because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
[26] For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; [27] and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
[28] And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. [29] They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [31] foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. [32] Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (ESV)
Q: God’s wrath can be a difficult topic for many people. Do you think God’s wrath is in contrast to his love or is it consistent with it? How so?
Q: Verse 20 says that God’s qualities have been shown from the very beginning in creation. When have you most clearly seen the greatness of God or had the strongest sense of there being something divine outside of you?
Q: In verse 23, it talks about the people exchanging the glory of God for images of created things. This is a reference to idolatry. Are there parallels to this happening today in our culture? Are there any ways that Christians tend to put created things in the place of God?
Q: The reason the people described in this passage get involved in all kinds of wickedness is because “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (vs. 25). What is the truth about God and what is the lie? Why would someone choose to believe a lie? How does the lie creep into our own thinking?
Q: This chapter specifically highlights homosexuality and litany of other sins. When you read passages like this is it easy for you to think it’s about “those people” and not yourself? Do you see yourself in these verses or does your heart drift towards self-righteousness and thinking you’re above this passage?
Q: In the closing verse, verse 32, Paul states that the wicked are aware that their sin deserves death. Do you think all people have a sense that sin deserves death? Do they believe all sin deserves death? Is all sin equal in God’s eyes?
If your’e interested in learning more about how God’s anger is consistent with his love watch this video from the Bible Project.