Romans 1:18–25, 28–32; 3:9–10

Bible Studies for Life
Assistant Professor of Religion, Department of Religion, Samford University

EVERYONE IS LOST IN SIN
Romans 1:18–25, 28–32; 3:9–10
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is addressed to a Christian community composed of Jewish and Gentile believers. The content of Romans points to tensions between these two groups. Each group thought it had reason to boast against the other. Paul confronted such self-righteousness by explaining all individuals and groups are equally guilty before God. Yet God has moved to redeem humanity through Jesus Christ. This is the gospel for the Jew first and also for the Gentile (Rom. 1:16).

People Exchange the True God for Their Own Gods (1:18–25, 28–32)
Paul declared God’s wrath is revealed against the wickedness of those who suppress the truth. This truth is the reality of God and the reverence required by that reality. Though this reality is invisible, God has revealed it through the visible in creation. Thus human beings cannot claim ignorance in the face of this revelation. They are without excuse before their Creator. Despite creation’s evidence, however, humans fail to acknowledge God.

This denial corrupts the human mind. Instead of using their minds for God’s glory, humans become foolish in their reasoning, exchanging the glory of the invisible God for the futile worship of created images. This exchange leads to an even more sinister trade off. Rather than using their bodies as God-given gifts, humans degrade themselves.
They give up living as the image of the invisible God. In a tragic irony, they have become images of the idols they have created.

This corruption of the human mind only leads to more and more chaos. Humans who do not acknowledge God lose the ability to discern what is right. The denial of God consistently leads to greater debasement, to a dehumanizing devolution. Sin and its rationalizations increase in a never-ending cycle of destruction and death. Indeed Paul said such people are “filled with every kind of wickedness.” What is worse is that not only do evil actions abound but the doers of such deeds also “applaud others who practice them.”

Even Religious People Are Lost (3:9–10)
When Paul’s words in Romans 1:18–32 were read to the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome, the Jewish listeners probably gladly said “Amen.” Paul’s words are a clear condemnation of Gentile pagan practices. If Paul was going to show all are under sin, however, then he also had to show those who are religious are as guilty as the pagans. Paul asked his religious listeners, “Do you imagine … that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape God’s judgment?” (Rom. 2:3). Paul’s point is those who are religious engage in the same actions as those who are not. Religiosity does not lead to righteousness. This is why Paul can say those who have sinned apart from the law will perish apart from the law but those who sin under the law will be judged by the law. In fact, sometimes those who do not have the word of God in the law do better than those who do. These people have the law written on their hearts (Rom. 2:12–16).

Paul’s message here is similar to the Prophets in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 7) and Jesus’ message to the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 23). Just as those who deny God are judged as wicked sinners (Rom. 1:18–32), so too are those who believe in God but engage in the same ungodliness (Rom. 2:17–29). Thus the acknowledgment of God does not produce more righteousness than the denial of God. As James said, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble” (James 2:19). Theism is no more a guarantee of righteousness than atheism. All are lost in sin.

For those who believe their religiosity is better than the wickedness of the pagan, Paul has the following answers: “What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, as it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one’” (Rom. 3:9–12).