Verse by Verse

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Because of idolatry, God gave man up to sin — after He worked with them for a prolonged period. Our moral nature is governed by God. To reject God leads to moral disease. God did not give man up because of sin but gave them up to sin because they rejected Him.

Uncleanness = sexual aberration – not illicit sex but perversion

Change = exchange. Man gave up one thing (truth) for another (lie) which meant giving up natural affections for vile perversion

Truth = glory of God, the true God (not just truth about God)

Lie = idolatry

Worship and serve — These words always appear in this order. Acknowledgment always proceeds service.

More than — abandonment. Man abandoned the Creator to worship and serve the creation.

Blessed = praise and adoration of the Creator by creation.

Amen = “it is and shall be so”

Sexual perversion results from idolatry. Breaking natural laws brings natural consequences. Perversion is the natural and inevitable result of turning from God.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Man broke the first Commandment when he invented his own divinity and placed it above God.

Man broke the second Commandment when he fashioned God as an animal.

Foolishness is a departure from knowledge of God, not a stage in the development of knowledge. In other words, fools are on the way down, not on the way up.

Change — Man cannot change God, but they exchanged His glory for another.

Glory = everlasting power and divinity (verse 20) that was revealed through creation.

Made like = likeness. Man exchanged the real thing for an image.

In the Old Testament, Israel (which knew God) was ridiculed for turning to idols. In the New Testament, Gentiles who grew up with idols are taught but not ridiculed.

Corruptible = subject to rust and decay.

Man > birds > beasts > reptiles — a progression of degradation

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Man knew God was God but willfully determined not to glorify Him. Humanity began with a knowledge of God. They accepted God’s creation but weren’t thankful for it.

Vain = useless. Men became futile for the purpose for which they were created.

Imaginations = self-willed, evil reasonings in opposition to facts revealed by God about God. Since man rejected God, he had to invent man-made philosophies to replace Him. This plunged them deeper into darkness.

Darkened — spiritual darkness. Ephesians 4:17-18 — This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

What this verse is saying is that man has sufficient knowledge of God from nature (creation) to be responsible to God. Man has the wisdom to draw conclusions from cause to effect.

From creation, we can grasp God’s power, His position above creation and His personality (that He is a person as opposed to an abstract principle). Psalm 19:1 — The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handywork.

Manifest in them — Man is capable of knowing, so ignorance is sin.

Hath showed — the tense used refers to a completed act with continuing results.

Things that are made = literally “a poem”

Eternal power — unchangeable and omnipotent

Godhead — divinity. Man can know facts about God but can’t know God through creation alone. Knowing God comes only through Jesus Christ.

Without excuse — Man is guilty for not knowing God. An instinctive knowledge of God is built into mans’ nature so the natural man, even apart from the Law, is guilty of moral wrong.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Revealed — present tense. The revelation of wrath is ongoing. The expression of that wrath is yet to come (at the end of the Tribulation and at the end of the Millennium). The wrath of God is revealed by the gospel. It is against all and any sin.

Ungodliness = our sin against God, disregard of God’s existence

Unrighteousness = our sin against each other (immorality), not being right with God.

The ungodly live as if there is no God. The unrighteous live as if the will of God doesn’t matter.

Hold = keep back, suppress. Men have had the truth revealed to them but deliberately suppress it.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For therein — refers back to the gospel mentioned in verse 16, the revelation of the righteousness of God. Righteousness is God’s holiness toward us. Jesus Christ is God’s righteousness. He is how God treats us.

Revealed — continuous, is being revealed

The phrase the faith of Christ is used seven times in Paul’s epistles. In these seven passages faith is spoken of, not objectively, but subjectively.

Objectively, faith is simply trust in another, or in what another has said or done. But subjectively faith is the character which constitutes one worthy of trust. Objectively faith is associated with what one does; subjectively it concerns what he is. One might say, “If I have faith in you, you had better keep faith with me.” Any English dictionary will give these two definitions of the word “faith,” and the same is true of the Greek equivalent, pistis.

In Romans 3:22, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:22 and Philippians 3:9 we find “the faith of Christ” and the believer’s faith in Christ mentioned in the same verses, showing the one as complementary to the other.

His trustworthiness is revealed as an appeal to our trust. This interpretation does fit logically with the words that precede and follow. Paul’s gospel reveals the righteousness of God “from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith,” i.e. on the principle of faith, faith in the One who always keeps faith with us. — Stam.

I’ve heard this phrase explained as believers passing on the truth to others, and of faith being exercised from dispensation to dispensation. Of all the explanations I read, Stam’s (above) is the one that makes the most sense to me in context.

As it is written, the just shall live by faith — from Habakkuk 2:4 — Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous [just, justified] will live by his faith.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Not ashamed — negative tense used for emphasis

Gospel — Paul is again using the general term as in Romans 1:1-2. Here he is not referring to the mystery.

Power of God — In Romans 1:4, the power of God referred to the resurrection. In this verse, it refers to the gospel (as the outcome of the resurrection). In Romans 1:20, the power of God refers to creation. The word for “power” is dunamis, the word from which we get “dynamite.”

Salvation — from punishment, from bondage, to redemption

To the Jew first — the historical fact — the gospel had already gone to Israel (who rejected it as a nation although individual Jews were saved.)

Also to the Greek (Gentiles) — This was were Paul’s emphasis was.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Debtor — Paul was obligated because (1) He had to “pay back” in service what Christ’s love had done for him; (2) It was his assignment.

Greeks (civilized nations, including Rome) and barbarians (all uncivilized nations) — those Paul had to pay his debt to

Wise and unwise — cultured and uncultured, people of all degrees

Ready to preach — Paul’s preparation was complete. The word translated “ready” indicates readiness and inclination.

Preach the gospel — Paul was a herald giving a proclamation.

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Prosperous (v.10)  = material prosperity

Will of God (v.10) = gracious design

impart (v.11) = sharing, as in handing on what God gave Paul

spiritual gift (v.11) = again, the grace God gave Paul

establish (v.11) = to lean on a support = faith, to stand fast, rooted, grounded

mutual faith (v.12) — faith in another brings comfort

I would not have you ignorant (v. 13) — that Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles

fruit (v.13) — conversion of sinners, edification of saints

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.

Through Jesus Christ (v.8) — the only way to God in prayer as in anything else. Here Paul is emphasizing His incarnation, death and resurrection as the basis for our thanksgiving.

The whole world (v.8) — everywhere that Paul went, he met people who were talking about the Romans’ faith.

God is my witness (v.9) — Paul was often perceived as cold, but his love was sincere.

Serve (v.9) = voluntary work, different from and in addition to the slavery of Romans 1:1.

My spirit (v.9) — Paul is referring here to his new life in Christ, not the Holy Spirit.

Mention (v.9) = recurring remembrance

Always in my prayers — should be connected to verse 10 — Always in my prayers making requests …