Romans 1:18-32

Mankind is in a ruinous plight: God's Anger, which is His righteousness reacting against wrong, rests upon the race.

Romans 1:18 a. The Divine wrath is being revealed from heaven in action against all impiety and unrighteousness of men. The revelation is apparent in the moral outcome of irreligion described in Romans 1:21 an apocalypse more appalling than earthquake or famine.

Romans 1:18 b - Romans 1:20. Man is responsible for his perdition: in committing unrighteousness men hold down the truth; they ignore the knowledge of God lodged in conscience (cf. Romans 2:14 f.) and shining from the face of nature, so leaving themselves without excuse (Romans 1:21, cf. Romans 1:28). Ingratitude lies at the root of this disregard of God; its fruit is mental impotence and confusion, evidenced by the monstrous follies of idolatry. The nemesis of religious apostasy delineated in Romans 1:24 has two outstanding features: the horrible uncleanness notorious in the Græ co-Roman world, much of it associated with idolatry (Romans 1:24); and the malignity and inhumanity in manifold forms pervading society (Romans 1:28).

Romans 1:32. The climax of depravity is seen in those who, while they sin themselves in defiance of judgment, applaud the sins of others. Thrice (Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28) the expression recurs, God gave them over... to uncleanness, etc.: God's will operates in the inflexible laws by which sin breeds its punishment (James 1:15); men deny their Maker, then degrade themselves. First (Romans 1:19) and last (Romans 1:28), the charge is that men did not think God worth while keeping in mind. This indictment is confirmed by contemporary literature; Corinth, from which Paul wrote the metropolis of Greek vice colours the lurid picture.