Romans 1:1-32
Paul on the Gospel and the General Revelation of Creation
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Paul talks about the Gospel of Jesus and how God gives us a general revelation of Creation...General Revelation tells us that one way God reveals Himself to us is through the natural world that surrounds us...It's the idea that God's existence and attributes can be discerned through the creation itself...The Psalmist beautifully expresses this in Psalm 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands."...
The intricate design of the universe, the complexity of life, the organization of the universe, and the natural laws that govern the cosmos all point to a Divine One, a Divine Intelligence and that there is a Higher Power in this universe...The order, beauty, and purpose evident in creation cannot be mere chance or accident...Look outside at the grasses, trees and plants, the birds and wildlife...Look up to the sky in the day and the night and be amazed and ponder at how they happened...They are the fingerprints of our Divine Creator...The Great Mystery of God and His Creation...
While general revelation reveals God's existence and some of His attributes, it does not provide a full and complete revelation of His character and plan for salvation...It does not offer specific moral guidelines or the hope of eternal life...For this, we need special revelation, which is found in the Bible...However, general revelation does prepare the human heart to receive special revelation...It creates a sense of wonder and awe, leading us to seek answers to the ultimate questions of life...It also provides a foundation for understanding God's moral law, as it reveals a moral order inherent in the universe...
In essence, general revelation is a preliminary glimpse of God's Glory...It invites us to explore the depths of His LOVE, wisdom, and power...By studying the natural world and pondering its mysteries, we can come to a deeper appreciation of the Creator and His divine purpose...Paul, in this passages from Romans 1, delves into the concept of general revelation...He argues that the existence and attributes of God are clearly evident in our natural world...This is a significant theological concept that highlights the fact that God reveals Himself through creation, making His existence known to all people. ..Paul starts and develops this idea of General Revelation...He tells us that God' has Invisible Qualities:..Then Paul asserts that God's eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen in creation...This means that even without explicit revelation, people can come to know something about God through observation of the world around them...Then he writes about how humanity's suppresses this truth:..Despite this clear revelation, people choose to suppress the truth about God...Instead of acknowledging the Creator, they worship and serve created things...This is a sign of human rebellion and a rejection of God's authority...Then Paul talks about God's Judgment:..As a consequence of humanity's rebellion and not believing in these things we see in nature and the universe, God gives people over to their sinful desires through free will...This leads to moral decay and spiritual darkness...Paul's argument in Romans 1 serves as a powerful reminder that all people are accountable to God...Even those who do not have explicit knowledge of Scripture are responsible for their actions, as they can discern God's existence through the natural world...
Pastor and theologian R. C. Sproul writes about the General Revelation of God with these words: “General revelation provides us with the knowledge that God exists...“The heavens declare the Glory of God,” says the psalmist. God’s glory is displayed in the works of His hands...This display is so clear and manifest that no creature can possibly miss it...It unveils God’s eternal power and deity (Romans 1:18-23)...Revelation in nature does not give a full revelation of God...It does not give us the information about God the Redeemer that we find in the Bible...But the God who is revealed in nature is the same God who is revealed in Scripture.”...