Romans Chapter One Lesson 17
Review:
b. The object of God's wrath
v.18b "against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness,"
The
first term, ungodliness, focuses on man's attitude towards God.
- avse,beia = lack of reverence toward God,
impiety, irreligious
This is sin at its root, its core;
Asebeia
simply means to live as though there was no God.
The
2nd term unrighteousness, focuses on man's attitude and actions towards
themselves and others, conduct that results from a failure to recognize and
accept man's proper relationship to God.
- avdiki,a
unrighteousness/wickedness/lawlessness; speaks of moral perversity
The
distinction between ungodliness and unrighteousness is maintained through out
the rest of chapter one;
1:19-27
expands on the details of how man sins against God, how man is ungodly,
impious; and its consequences.
In
1:28-32 expands on how man sins against others.
- How does mankind get to the point of being ungodly and
pursuing unrighteousness??
"by suppressing the truth in unrighteousness."
- The truth referred to here is clearly defined by the
context;
This
truth does not lead to salvation, but to a knowledge of God, condemnation if rejected.
Paul
clearly does not attribute humanity's present condition to passive ignorance.
Instead he says it results from actively choosing to suppress the truth of
God's existence.
2. How man suppresses the truth about God! 1:19-23
a.
Paul notes that "truth" is revealed v.19
because that which is known about God
- This word speaks of knowledge that is known not what might
come to be known; not talking about potential knowledge but what is reality in
their thinking.
- This knowledge is evident within them; for God made it
evident to them
This
body of knowledge is what I would call, knowledge that leads to God
consciousness; that point where one
comes to a conclusion that God exists and that He is creator.
- What is interesting in the context here is that part of
the indictment against man is that he starts with a knowledge of God and
through a progression of choices ultimately ends up in vs:23 worshiping images of 4 footed and crawling
creatures.
How
does God reveal this body of truth so that man is without excuse?
Best
passage that speaks to this is Psalm 19.
-
19:1-6 David speaks to the issue of natural or general revelation.
- 19:1 The witness
[light] of creation is specific in that it is the work of God, He created it!
-
19:2 The witness of creation is
incessant;
-
19:3 The witness is non-verbal;
-
19:4-6 The witness is universal and dramatic.
- Point is that man, no matter where he may be on planet
earth he has light; and he can and will come to the point of God consciousness
at some point in his life.
- Point is that man, no matter where he may be on planet
earth he has light; and he can and will come to the point of God consciousness
at some point in his life.
- What verse 19 does is to destroy all the arguments that
man can come up with, that he doesn't know, or that somehow he was deprived of
that knowledge, he's a victim;
With vs:19 we also have the 1st of 7 steps that man takes
downward.
- What we have here in the context is devolution; opposite of
evolution;
??
Did man begin with polytheism and move to monotheism??
Or did
man start with monotheism and fall towards polytheism??
Overview of the Steps of the degeneration of humanity
#1.
1:19a Revelation of light; "that
which is known of God"
#2.
1:19b-20a Illumination of the light;
gives understanding of light;
#3.
1:20b Obligation: "so that they are
with out excuse."
#4.
1:21a Man responded with rejection: did not honor God or give thanks.
#5. 1:21b From that
rejection man sinks into human speculations;
"became futile in their speculations"
#6.
#7.
Now step #2:
Illumination of the light, the truth in view. 1:19b-20a
- How
can things that are invisible be clearly seen??
[oxymoron]
Unseen Creation Clearly Seen
Who God is What God created What Creation reveals about attributes
attributes