Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Truth to Learn
Sinfulness suppresses and hides God’s truth. Our job is to reveal that truth to the sinful world around us.
Behind the Words
The word translated “wrath” is the Greek word orgē, meaning “anger.” However, there is another Greek word often translated as anger. This word is thumos, meaning “indignation” or “wrath.” According to Aristotle, “ogrē, anger, is desire with grief”, so we can say, it is anger directed at those with whom God does not desire to be angry, namely mankind.
“Ungodliness” is from asebia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of sebomai, meaning “to hold in reverence” or “to worship.” Therefore, we could easily translate this word as “irreverence.” It does not imply non-religious, rather the practice of actions which are different than what God demands.
The word “unrighteous” is translated from adikia, made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of dikē which refers to “that which is right.” In other words, this word refers to those actions which are not right in God’s sight.
“Suppress” is from the Greek word katechō, made up of kata, meaning “down” and echō, meaning “to have or to hold.” Hence, it literally means “to hold down.” It is the picture of a bully holding down a weaker child just because he wants to.
Meaning Explained
Paul just talked about how the righteousness of God is revealed to man through the gospel message. He now looks at the other side of the equation, the wrath, or anger, of God. We Christians are often quick to grasp hold of God’s love and claim it as the reason that God has revealed his Son to us. But, we are just as quick to shun the notion that God gets angry.
This grievous anger of God is revealed against “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” This is the very opposite of the godliness and righteousness of God Himself. These are people who don’t give God the reverence He deserves, though they may claim to be Christians. And, Paul says, they aren’t doing the things which God wants them to be doing. Instead, they are holding down, or suppressing, the truth about God by their irreverent and unrighteous ways, and that makes God angry!
Now, before we get too condemning of others, let’s remember that before we were saved we were just like them. We didn’t give God the reverence He deserves, nor did we act in a way that was right in His eyes. And, even now that we have been saved, it’s not our own righteousness that God sees (for we are all unrighteous), but the righteousness of Christ, which He has credited to our account.
Application
Our job as unrighteous sinners, who have been granted the righteousness of Christ, is to shine like beacons to the world around us, displaying the truth about God, not hiding it. But the light we are to project has nothing to do with our own actions or obedience. It has everything to do with the work that God has done through His Son on the cross. And that beacon has nothing to do with what we are doing for Him. It has everything to do with what He is doing through us.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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