Wrath and Truth

Romans 1:18
“For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven upon all irreverence and unrighteousness of men, the ones holding down the truth in unrighteousness…”

This passage begins a new section in Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is the first official doctrine, although Paul has some heavy stuff in his intro:
Romans 1:3-4 – The doctrine of Jesus Christ
Jesus being completely human
Jesus being completely God
Romans 1:9-17 – The doctrine of the ministry of the gospel

This passage addresses the doctrine of condemnation (Rom. 1:18 – 3:20)
1. God’s indictment of the Gentiles in Romans 1:18-23.
In verses 18 – 20, Paul begins the prosecution against the Gentiles by showing how God reveals Himself to them.
In verses 21 – 23, Paul shows that the response of the Gentiles to God’s revelation of Himself condemns them.
2. God’s indictment of the Jews in Romans 2
3. God’s universal condemnation in Romans 3:1-20.

How many times do we hear people say things like, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” “How could God let all those innocent people die?” “I refuse to believe in a God who is so capricious!”

The truth is, Christendom has deformed God. People are ready and willing to accept a God who is good and kind, merciful and benevolent, patient and long-suffering. They say they want a God who is fair, but that is not true. A fair God would give everyone what they deserve. Since every person has sinned, and the payment for sin is death, every person deserves death. Eternal separation from God. God is not fair, and this is good. But we want God to be only a portion of who He is - the kind side of God. But God is immeasureable, and way beyond our limited and finite comprehension. God is merciful and vengeful, kind and jealous, generous and selfish, intimate and beyond our imagination, patient and instantaneous, a hater and a lover, a creator and a destroyer. Most want a palatable, docile God. A tame God. And He is not tame!! We have slowly bought into the erroneous belief that the creature is equal to his creator.

Paul has shown us who Jesus Christ is. What the gospel is. He has carefully pointed out that God has and is revealing Himself to every single person coming into this world. We all know God, the question is, how do we respond to the revealing of God – the Light. Those who have rejected The Light stand in condemnation. Verse 17 talked about the revelation of the righteousness of God, now verse 18 talks about the wrath of God.

The wrath of God. The word for wrath is orgay. This word is used eleven times in Romans. It is a legal term that includes reason and law. It is the wrath of the judge in a courtroom. It is a deep seeded anger, contrasted with the Greek word thumos, translated rage, or a heated passion that flares up quickly and is burned out. Thumos is used a lot in Revelation. It is also the word we get our word thermos from.

Is being revealed. This word is in the present tense, which means it is constantly being revealed right now. Along with the gospel being revealed to all now, the wrath of God is presently being revealed.

The source of the wrath of God is heaven. The direction of God’s wrath is upon all irreverence and unrighteousness.

Irreverence. This word asebeiah comes from the word sebo, meaning devout with an alpha privative making it negative (without, un-). It is to be without devotion, translated ungodliness or irreverence. This is toward God. It defines a person that has no respect for God.

Unrighteousness. This word is also a legal term (Greeks LOVED the legal system). It is the word for "unjustice", "without punishment". This term is toward fellow man. Harm toward men. I love the way that Paul first addresses our relation to God and then our relation to fellow man. But it is also reflective. My relationship with God determines my relationship with my fellow man. 1 John 5 says that how we obey God IS how we love (minister to) our bretheren.

These people, the ones without devotion to God and as a result, without righteousness towards others, are the objects of God’s wrath.

It is the irreverence and unrighteousness of men that is holding down the truth.

Holding down. Katachonton. Is a present active participle. It comes from the preposition kata (which when used in the genitive) means “down” or “against”, and echo means “to have or to hold”. The suppressing of the truth is presently happening right now. In order to hold something down, you have to have it, which further supports the previous discussion that men already have the truth.

The truth. This word truth is interesting. It comes from the word lanthano, meaning “ to be hidden, or to be secret”. It is something that is concealed. The word parade comes from this word. A parade is concealing the truth in regards to what the street was actually made for. The word here has a negative particle attached to the front of it, making it in the negative. This word means "out in the open". Something NOT concealed.

I love the fact that God’s truth comes first! John 3:17 says that God enlightens every man coming into the world. He manifests Himself to everyone who is born. What happens here on earth is the result of what people are doing with The Truth. Life is all about how creatures respond to the Truth, their Creator. At the time of judgment, the question will not be “Why should I let you into my heaven?” Or, “Did you say the sinner’s prayer?” But rather, “How did you respond to The True Light?’

This passage shows us that those who are experiencing, right now, God’s wrath, have and are exposed to the truth, yet they hold it down and push it away, while continuing to live in unrighteousness.