Romans 1:18

The necessity for the Gospel: Divine wrath; human (especially heathen) sin

18. For the wrath of God, &c. The "for" marks the connexion as follows: "The Gospel is the secret of salvation, of justification before the eternal Judge; and as such it is a thing of supreme importance; forthe Judge has proclaimed the doom of human sin. The question is not of mere theory, but of life or death."

the wrath of God A phrase frequent in the N. T. All attempts to explain it away involve violence to the sense of Scripture: it would be as legitimate, in point of language, to explain away the Divine Love. Strong and even vehement accessory language is sometimes used with the word wrath: see Romans 2:8; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 19:15. On the subject generally, see especially John 3:36; Ephesians 2:3; Revelation 6:16.

It must, of course, always be remembered that the "wrath of God" is the wrath of a Judge. In its inmost secret it is the very opposite of an arbitrary outburst, being the eternal repulsion of evil by good.

is revealed A present tense in the Gr. See on Romans 1:17. This "revelation" is a standingone, for all places and all times, and ever repeated to individual consciences.

from heaven A pregnant phrase. The wrath is "revealed" as about to be inflicted from heaven;by Him "who sitteth in heaven," and who "shall descend from heaven" in "the day of wrath and righteous judgment."

against Or, upon; i.e. "to descend upon."

ungodliness and unrighteousness Sin, in its aspect as offence (1) against God, (2) against man; the awful opposite to the Two Great Commandments. "Unrighteousness," however, is obviously a wider word than "ungodliness," including the idea of injustice to God as well as to man; spiritual rebellion.

of men i.e. mankind; not a class, but the race. This is plain from the sequel, though the Gr. leaves it possible (grammatically) to render "of those men who hold, &c."

who hold Lit. who hold down. The verb has several shades of meaning, and frequently = "to hold fast." So e.g. 1 Corinthians 11:2; (E. V., "keep;") 1 Thessalonians 5:21. But the context here decides for the meaning "hold down, hold back, suppress." The verb occurs once again in this Epistle, Romans 7:6: "wherein we were held," i.e. "held down as captives." Here the phrase is pregnant: "who suppress the truth, living in unrighteousness the while." "The Truth" (of the awful Majesty of God) is, as it were, buriedunder sinful acts, though still alive, still needing to be "held down," if sin is to rule.