Chapter 1
The epistle to the Romans is the story of adjustment to the justice of God in all of its facets and aspects.[1] The subject of chapter one is, maladjustment to the justice of God.
The outline of the chapter
Verses 1-13, Introduction to the epistle.
Verses 14-17, mental attitude toward maladjustment.
Verses 18-23, the history of maladjustment.
Verses 24-31, the three judgments of maladjustment, or divine adjustment of the justice of God to our maladjustment.
Definition: The Greek word dikaiosunh means justice as a characteristic of a judge. The judge is God. Dikaosunh qeou—the justice of God. We will see that adjustment to the justice of God is the true meaning of justification.
Verse 1 – the human author. “Paul,” Pauloj, which means “little.” A perfect name for a person who understands the justice of God and the fact that the believer has no rights before God. The only privilege he has is to adjust to the justice of God, and if he does not adjust to the justice of God then the justice of God will adjust to him in discipline. If we adjust to the justice of God there is blessing, and the difference between cursing and blessing for the believer is attitude toward Bible doctrine. The principle is that under the justice of God, God has all the rights. With the justice of God we do not need rights for blessing.
“servant” – Paul describes himself in terms of total orientation to grace and maximum adjustment to the justice of God, at this time. “Servant” is incorrect, it is the nominative of apposition from the noun douloj which means a slave. By using this term he recognises that as a mature believer he has no rights. God has all the rights, Paul only has the privilege of adjusting to the justice of God, and at the time of writing he has done so. The rights belong to God, the believer under grace has no rights, only privileges and blessings in adjusting to the justice of God, and only discipline for maladjustment to the justice of God. Paul is a slave, and being a slave it is the responsibility of God to provide everything he needs for logistical grace.
“of Jesus Christ” – genitive of possession, Xritsoj I)hsouj. This genitive of possession indicates the fact that Paul possesses a master, and anyone who possesses a master is a slave. “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus.”
“called” – nominative singular from the adjective klhtoj. This is a nominative of exclamation. When it is desired to stress a thought with great distinctness the nominative is used without a verb. The designation stands alone and therefore receives the greater emphasis. It is like a child pointing to candy and shouting, “Candy!” The nominative is a pointing case, and its point or capacity is strengthened when it is unencumbered by a verb, as here. The adjective klhtoj connotes both privilege and function as a part of being the royal family of God. It represents the authority of Paul, the nominative points out that he is the highest and greatest in authority.
“an apostle” – a)postoloj. The word means the highest-ranked, the highest authority that anyone could possess. It does not mean “one sent,” it does not refer to a missionary.[2]
“separated” – perfect passive participle from the compound verb a)forizw, a combination of the preposition a)po—from, or away from—and o)rizw which means to decree, to appoint, to set boundaries. So to appoint also means to separate, to sever, to mark off for service. This can be translated “marked off” or “separated.” This is a dramatic perfect which emphasises the completed action and the results of that action. The passive voice: Paul receives the action of the verb , having been marked out for service by God. The participle is an instrumental participle indicating the means by which apostleship is accomplished in divine appointment. This is translated literally, “through having been appointed,” rather than “separated.” This indicates that it was a judgment call on the part of God which resulted in Paul becoming the twelfth apostle.
“unto the Gospel” – incorrect, and misleading as it stands in the KJV. This is a prepositional phrase, e)ij plus the accusative of e)uaggelion, “because of the Gospel.”
“of God” is the ablative of source from qeoj meaning “from God.”
Translation: “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called an apostle, through having been appointed because of the Gospel from God.”
The word “gospel” needs amplification because e)uaggelion does not mean gospel in the sense of evangelism in every passage where it is found. It is technical and it does mean good news, and generally the good news is dealing with the gospel; but sometimes it has another meaning which is compatible with the phrase “good news.”[3]
Verse 2 – introducing the gospel in the Old Testament. The gospel was taught in the Old Testament as it is in the New, obviously with some differences because the cross had not occurred historically during the time of the writing of the Old Testament.
“Which” – nominative neuter relative pronoun o(j. The antecedent is the gospel.
“he hath promised afore” – aorist middle indicative of proepaggellomai [pro = before; e)paggellomai = undertake or promise]. It means to previously promise or to announce ahead of time. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it takes the writing of the Old Testament canon and gathers it up into a single entirety, from when Moses wrote Genesis all the way to the last book, 2 Chronicles. [Malachi is in the middle section in the Jewish canon]. The word “which” refers to the gospel as found in every book of the Old Testament. So it represents the Old Testament canon, says the aorist tense. The middle voice emphasises the agent while the active voice emphasises the action. The middle voice is the subject or agent acting with a view toward participating in the results—a direct middle which refers the results of the action directly to the agent with reflexive force. It says that every man who wrote an Old Testament book was saved and knew the gospel very well. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the viewpoint of historical reality—“which [gospel] he had previously promised.”
“by his prophets” – dia plus the genitive of profhthj. It should be “through the prophets.”
“in the holy scriptures” – e)n plus the locative of grafh and a(gioj, “in the holy scriptures [or, writings].”
Verse 3 – “Concerning his Son.” This is a prepositional phrase, the preposition peri plus the object u(ioj. Peri takes the genitive case in the object, and the genitive of relationship also of an intensive pronoun, a)utoj, is included. Peri with the genitive means “concerning.” The word u(ioj is used here as a noun to designate the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The intensive pronoun a)utoj is used for a personal pronoun and emphasises the identity of Christ before the virgin birth/incarnation. It indicates Jesus Christ as God. So the phrase “Concerning his Son” in the Greek refers only to the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not found in the text is “Jesus Christ our Lord.”[4]
Next we find that God had to become something else to fulfil the Father’s plan. The second person of the Trinity “was made” – aorist active participle of the verb ginomai which means to become, also to come to be. In its connotation of coming to be it also means to be born, and that is the way it should be translated here—“who was born.” The aorist tense is a constative aorist which contemplates the action of the virgin birth in its entirety—from conception to the moment when God gave the spark of life. The active voice: Christ produces the action of the verb. The participle is circumstantial for the virgin birth and is translated like a relative clause.[5]
“of the seed of David” – the word for “seed” is sperma. If He is going to become humanity He must be related to someone. David is royalty. Jesus Christ in His humanity was born into a royal family, the Jewish royal family. As eternal God Jesus Christ is royalty—equal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit who are His royal family. As humanity He is the Son of David, and therefore all of the family of David which preceded Him and all the family of David that followed Him are His royal family. The dynasty of David will continue forever. As the resurrected Christ seated at the right hand of the Father He will be called King of kings and Lord of lords, and this is the unique royalty, the royalty which came as the result of the victory in the angelic conflict. But He is minus a royal family, He has no royal family in His angelic victory. That royal family must be born, therefore the Age of Israel came to a halt and the Church Age began. Now the Church is the body of Christ or the royal family. Sperma Douid is a genetive of relationship. This brings us to the Davidic covenant in which God promised David that he would have a son who would reign forever. That son came form the virgin birth. Mary was descended from David and it is therefore, “Jesus Christ from the seed of David.”
“according to the flesh” – kata plus the accusative singular of sarc, which means humanity. As humanity it includes the fact that Jesus Christ not only had a body but that body was the residence for His soul and therefore His human spirit. So Jesus Christ became the God-Man.
Translation: “Concerning his Son who was born from the seed of David according to the flesh.”
Verse 4 – “And declared.” There is no word for “and” in the original, there is simply a definite article with the aorist passive participle of o(rizw. This is an articular participle, it is the definite article which though not translated should be. The word o(rizw means to mark out, to define, to determine, to explain. It is derived from a noun, o(roj, which means “boundary.” Here it means “appointed” or “marked out” by divine decree. The constative aorist tense takes the action of the verb and gathers it up into one entirety. It takes something in eternity, the decree, take the virgin birth, the hypostatic union, and everything related to the first advent, and gathers it up into one entirety when it was actually decreed in eternity past. The reality of these things is in eternity past. The passive voice: Christ receives the action of the verb in the decrees of eternity past. The participle is circumstantial and is translated with the definite article as a relative clause. It should be translated, “Who was marked [specified] out by the decrees.”
“the Son of God” – the objective genitive of u(ioj, referring to the fact that Jesus Christ accepted the authority of God the Father in eternity past when it was decreed that He would come in the flesh. Then the descriptive genitive of qeoj—“Son of God.” This is the title for the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in the hypostatic union. The deity of Christ apart from the hypostatic union has the title from the Tetragrammaton in the Hebrew—Jehovah. The noun u(ioj indicates that Christ in the first advent subordinated Himself to the authority of God the Father in providing for us the so great salvation we enjoy. The noun qeoj indicates that Christ is God, co-equal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.[6]
“with power” – the preposition e)n plus the instrumental of dunamij. The instrumental means miracles or manifestations of power—“by means of [supernatural] power.” This is not the power of the direct work of Jesus Christ in His deity, it is the power of the Holy Spirit. All through the period of the incarnation it was ordained in eternity past that God the Holy Spirit would sustain the humanity of Christ and set up a pattern for the royal family in the Church Age.
“according to the spirit of Holiness” – the preposition kata plus the accusative of pneuma, a reference to God the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity who in the divine decrees of eternity past was ordained to sustain the Lord Jesus Christ. With this is a descriptive genitive, a(giosunh, which refers to a quality rather than a state, showing that the quality of pneuma is God. So “spirit of holiness” is really “Holy Spirit.” But since this is God the word “holy” as an adjective [with sunh] indicates that this is not an ordinary sanctified holy spirit, this is a title of God. In other words, the third person of the Trinity is defined by the suffix sunh. Translation: “according to the Holy Spirit.” It is literally, “according to the spirit of holiness” or “the spirit of sanctification,” and it is a reference to the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in sustaining the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, the dunamij, the power of Jesus Christ, mentioned in the previous phrase was from the indwelling Holy Spirit. The prophecy of this is given in several passages in Isaiah: 11:1-3; 42:1; 61:1.
“by the resurrection” – the preposition e)k plus the ablative of a)nastasij. This is the ablative of means. While the ablative is not the usual case for expressing means it is used when accompanied by the implication of origin or source. So the means by which Christ becomes a new type of royalty is resurrection. Christ on the cross was divine royalty and Jewish royalty, but after the resurrection He is a new type of royalty related to the angelic conflict. The resurrection is the transition—“by means of resurrection.”
“from the dead” – incorrect. This is e)k plus the ablative of source plural from nekroj—“from deaths.” That means two deaths on the cross.
Translation: “Who was marked out [specified by the decrees] the Son of God by means of power, according to the Holy Spirit, by means of resurrection from deaths.”
a) In the divine decrees of eternity past the second person of the Trinity was marked out as the Son of God because of His ministry of the first advent.
b) It was Christ on the cross bearing our sins who was judged by the justice of God. The judgment of sin on the cross freed the justice of God to provide eternal salvation for anyone who would instantly adjust to the justice of God.
c) That instantaneous adjustment is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—Acts 16:31.
d) Faith is no-meritorious and compatible with grace—Ephesians 2:8,9.
e) The Father judged the Son of the cross when He was bearing our sins—2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.
f) Consequently, salvation was completed during the first death when Christ was bearing our sins—John19:30.
g) The resurrection not only demonstrated the efficacy of Christ’s work on the cross but was the means of Christ’s victory in the angelic conflict.
h) For the person who does not adjust to the justice of God at salvation the justice of God will adjust to him in eternity. That means eternal punishment of the lake of fire—Revelation 20:12-15.
Verse 5 – “By whom” is a prepositional phrase, dia plus the genitive of the relative pronoun o(j. It should be “through whom.”
“we have received” is the aorist active indicative of the verb lambanw. It means to
take or receive something into one’s possession. This is a culminative aorist tense, it contemplates all adjustments to the justice of God in their entirety but regards them from the viewpoint of existing results. The two existing results here: “grace and apostleship.” The active voice: the human author is Paul and the Roman believers are the recipients. Together they produce the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative expressing unqualified assertion, a simple statement of fact. “We” refers to anyone who adjusts to the justice of God.
“grace” – accusative singular direct object of the noun xarij. Grace is a description of the entire plan of God. Sometimes grace refers to something specific, like logistical grace or saving grace. Here the emphasis will be on salvation, at the point of which every believer receives a plan and a spiritual gift.
“apostleship” – accusative singular direct object from the noun a)postoloj.[7] Spiritual gifts are distributed to the royal family of the Church Age at the point of salvation. They are given only in this dispensation, and the reason they are given is because when one believes in Christ he becomes royalty. These spiritual gifts are a part of the recognition of the strategic victory of the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father.[8] They are also the Father’s organised witness to the plan of grace, says Hebrews 2:4. Spiritual gifts demand royalty function under grace, and it demands that each one of us fulfil our gift by advancing to spiritual maturity.
“for obedience” – the preposition e)ij plus the accusative singular of the noun u(pakoh [u(po = under authority; a)kouw = listen or hear]. Speaking is exercising authority, listening is obedience to authority. E)ij here introduces the concept of purpose and it should be translated “for the purpose of obedience.”
“to the faith” – objective genitive singular from the noun pistij, which does not mean “faith” here. It means what is believed, the body of doctrine. It is used for the orthodox doctrine handed down in the local church and it should be translated “for the purpose of obedience to doctrine.” This is a reference to the mature adjustment to the justice of God through the daily function of GAP.[9]
Job 32:1-9 – Verse 1, “he was righteous in his own eyes.” That means he was unteachable, full of arrogance. When there is arrogance in the soul a person is unteachable.
Verse 2 – his anger burned against Job because Job justified himself. You cannot teach people in a congregation when they are constantly trying to vindicate themselves. All conspiracies are formed by people trying to prove something, trying to vindicate themselves, trying to justify their course of action or rejection of authority, or some bad attitude which they have.
Verse 3 – his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet they condemned Job. Job was unteachable but they didn’t have any answers.
Verse 4 – Elihu had to wait his turn to speak to Job. Good manners, poise, thoughtfulness, because they were years older than he. Elihu was not only mature but he was a gentleman, and he followed the protocol of good manners. He deferred to age.
Verse 5 – When he found there was no answer from the three men he was angry.
Verse 6 – “I was young, and you very old. Therefore I was reticent and shy of telling you my knowledge of doctrine.”
Verse 7 – “I thought to myself, Age should speak first, and a multitude of years should communicate [doctrinal] wisdom.”
Verse 8 – “But there is a spirit in man; and the inhale from the Almighty gives understanding [of doctrine].”
Verse 9 – “The abundance in years [believers who have been saved a long time] may not be wise; nor the elders understand adjustment to the justice of God.”
This is the principle of the function of the function of GAP. While he was young in years he had the answers because he had the doctrine. These people were arguing with Job, and they were philosophical but they were minus doctrine. There are five men in this passage. First, there is Job who in his arrogant self-righteousness in trying to vindicate himself is unteachable. There are his three friends who tried to teach him but they were minus doctrine. Elihu had doctrine—but he also had good manners and he waited. When the others ran out of gas and he communicated to Job, he got Job squared away.
“among all nations” – e)n plus the locative plural of paj and e)qnh, “among all Gentiles,” indicating that local churches exist throughout the Roman empire.
“for his name” – the preposition u(per plus the genitive of o)noma which means not only “name,” but personality, person, reputation, or fame. This should be translated, “for the sake of his person [reputation].” In other words, the believer’s mature adjustment to the justice of God through the maximum assimilation of Bible doctrine results in glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the advance to spiritual maturity which glorifies God; not works, not production.
Translation: “Through whom [the resurrected Christ] we have received grace and apostleship, for the purpose of obedience to doctrine among all nations, for the sake of his person.”
1. Apostleship is a communication gift. It has no counterpart today in the extension of its authority over all the churches.
2. Paster-teacher is the comparable gift, but with authority extended over one congregation only.
3. The communication gift is necessary for every believer to make the maturity adjustment to the justice of God.
4. Believers cannot advance spiritually except under the teaching ministry of their right pastor, whoever he is.
5. Believers must hear the Word taught for spiritual advance. This involves the concept of academic discipline, respect of authority, all of the principles which give orientation to life as well as capacity for life. No one has capacity for life who rejects any system of legitimate authority in life.
6. Hearing the Word includes the principle of academic discipline, respect for authority, good manners, and thoughtfulness for others.
7. The sacrifice of Christ is the means of both salvation and rebound adjustment to the justice of God.
8. The sacrificial life of constant study and persistent teaching is the means of maturity adjustment to the justice of God.
9. In this sense the pastor does not live a normal life because continuous study and teaching of the Word makes normal living impossible.
Verse 6 – “Among whom,” e)n plus the locative of the relative pronoun o(j. Paul did
not start the Roman church, however the Roman believers were included in the concept of the totality of nations to which thew apostle was sent. Paul has a message of adjustment to the justice of God for all of the Romans.
“are ye also” – the adjunctive use of kai, used here in the sense of also, plus the present active indicative of e)imi, the verb to be, translated “you are.” This is a retroactive progressive present, it denotes what was begun in the past and continues into the present time. It denotes the fact that the Romans are recognised as a people and have been now for almost seven or eight hundred years. The active voice: Roman believers produce the action of the verb. These are Roman people living in their capital of what at this time was a great empire. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality.
“the called” – this is not because they were Romans but because they had made the initial adjustment to the justice of God. This is the nominative masculine plural from the adjective klhtoj. This word “called” means also “invited.” There are three words which are synonymous: klhtoj, e)keltoj, and pistoj. Cf. Revelation 17:14. They each emphasise something different about the doctrine of election.[10] Klhtoj describes the concept of privilege—we are a privileged people as of the moment we are born again. This is a synonym with our royalty. Our privilege is based on relationship.
“of Jesus Christ” – genitive of relationship of I)hsouj and Xristoj.
Translation: “Among whom also you are the privileged royalty of Jesus Christ.”
Verse 7 – “To all” is the dative of indirect object, the plural of paj. The dative of indirect object indicates the ones for whom an act is performed. In this case, the action of Christ in bearing our sins and being judged by God for our sins; “that be” – dative plural of advantage from the definite article which is used here as a demonstrative pronoun. With it is the present active indicative of the verb e)imi. This is a historical present tense which means a past event is viewed with the vividness of a present occurrence. The active voice: the Roman believers produce the action of the verb. This is the historical indicative mood.
“in Rome” – e)n plus the locative. Usually Paul uses the word e)kklhsia, but he did not use it here simply because he did not start this church. The origin of the church at Rome is unknown. Neither Peter nor Paul founded the Roman church. The Roman church at this time was meeting in the home of Prascilla and Aquila—Romasn 16:3-5. There were no church buildings until 300 years after this epistle was written.
“beloved of God” – dative plural indirect object from a)gaphtoj. This is a verbal adjective and it means “dearly beloved” or “beloved,” and it indicates motivation. They are loved by God. But being loved by God is not going to make them a good church, a great church, or even a church. The fact that God loves them doesn’t mean a thing in itself because that merely reflects motivation but not action, security, protection, supply, blessing. These all come from the grace of God, and they come from His justice rather than His love. Love is the motivator; grace is the provider. The function of all blessing to every born again believer has come through justice. God’s love cannot provide blessing. Only God’s justice can provide blessing. We have an ablative of means, emphasising the origin of this love as being from the essence of God, and it should be translated “dearly loved by God.”
“called” – the verbal adjective of privilege, klhtoj. This is the aristocracy principle, the concept of an aristocratic people. We could translate this word “privileged.”
“saints” – a(gioj. This is the key. What is a saint? A saint is an aristocrat in his thinking—not by birth, not title[11]. Bible doctrine in the soul makes the believer a saint in the experiential sense; he is an aristocrat in his thinking. The concept is aristocracy of thinking.
“Grace to you” – the nominative singular of the noun xarij. This is one of the descriptive words for the plan of God. It includes saving grace, logistical grace, super-grace, ultra-super-grace, dying grace, and eventually surpassing grace. All of these are various phases or stages of the plan of God; “to you” is the dative plural indirect object from the personal pronoun su, referring to us today just as much as to the Roman believers at the time that Paul wrote. The dative of indirect object means that the person who is mentioned in indirect object is specially blessed of God. Again, it has the concept of privilege of aristocracy.
“and peace” – the nominative singular of e)irhnh. The word means “prosperity.” The conjunction kai introduces the result which comes from what precedes, and is translated “and so.” This is the key to everything: prosperity. This is the purpose for God putting the believer into His plan. His purpose is to bless the believer, to give him e)irhnh.
The
source of all of these things: “from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.” The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in this salutation. He is not
mentioned in compatibility consistent with His function during this
dispensation. During the Church Age the entire objective of God the Holy Spirit
is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
“from God our Father” – the preposition a)po plus the ablative of source of qeoj, and pathr for “Father,” a descriptive genitive, and a possessive genitive plural pronoun e)gw. The first person of the Trinity becomes the Father of all believers.
“and the Lord Jesus Christ” – a continuation of the prepositional phrase. Kurioj is used in a special way. The Romans recognised this word to represent ultimate authority. The ablative of source is a reminder that all authority is vested in the Lord Jesus Christ. He controls history and is the source of our blessing.
Translation: “To all who are in Rome, dearly loved by God, privileged royalty: Grace to you and so prosperity from God our Father, and from the source of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Verses 8-10, a prayer for these Romans.
Verse 8 – thanksgiving. “First,” the adverb prwtoj used in the sense of an adverbial accusative, the limited function of the accusative not directly complementing the verb. In other words, it limits by indicating a fact indirectly related to the action rather than having the usual accusative concept of the object of the verb. The object of the verb directly affects the action of the verb. This is indirect, and so an adverb is used in what is called the adverbial accusative. Paul uses the word “First,” not in the sense of the greeting previously given, but now he is coming to the content of his message to the Roman church, and before he does so he says first there is prayer. He is going to express some thanksgiving for some people he has never seen.
“I thank” – present active indicative of e)uxaristew, an unusual word for thanksgiving which means to be thankful or to feel an obligation to thank. The latter is the meaning here. Paul is saying he has an obligation to the believers at Rome. The pictorial present tense here is used for something that is now going on, i.e. is his expression of what might be classified as doctrinal and historical thanksgiving. The active voice: Paul produces the action of the verb. Also there is the declarative indicative indicating that this is a genuine gratitude based on Bible doctrine, rather than merely perfunctory thanksgiving.
“my God” – the object of thanksgiving, the dative of indirect object qeoj, dative of advantage but with a possessive genitive from an intensive pronoun a)utoj it emphasises the identity of God as the only one toward whom the believer should direct thanksgiving. All thanksgiving must be related to God. Thanksgiving must be based on knowing God through doctrine resident in the soul. Cf. Psalm 100:3, 5—“to know that Jehovah himself is God.” To “know” means Bible doctrine.
“through Jesus Christ” is the way in which we approach God in prayer. All prayer goes through Jesus Christ—dia plus the genitive of I)hsouj Xristoj. All effective prayer goes through the High Priest.
“for you all” – peri plus the genitive of paj and su, “for all of you.” The plural pronoun refers to the Roman believers, and where thanksgiving exists there must be a reason and now Paul states that reason.
“that” – the causal conjunction o(ti, should be translated “because.” We are going to have an explanation for this thanksgiving.
“your faith” – the nominative singular from the noun pistij, which refers to several things here. It is correctly translated “faith,” but it has meanings other than our understanding of the English word. It refers not only to the function of the faith-rest technique but it refers specifically to that portion of the function of the F/R technique—positive volition toward doctrine assimilated into the left lobe and then transferred finally to the right lobe. It means faith in relationship to the function of GAP. In other words, the Romans were learning doctrine.
“is spoken of” – present passive indicative of kataggellw which means to celebrate or to proclaim. It means a fact that is well-known and recognised as commendable. It had become well-known throughout the empire that there were believers in Rome who were positive toward doctrine and were taking it in on a daily basis. The present tense is a historical present viewing a past event with the vividness of a present occurrence. The passive voice: doctrinal perception and the faith function in GAP of the Roman believers receives the action of the verb “celebration.” There is something to celebrate about when people are positive toward doctrine. That is the principle. The indicative mood is declarative, it represents the verbal idea from the viewpoint of reality and unqualified assertion of fact—“because your faith is celebrated/proclaimed.”
“throughout the whole world” – the preposition e)n plus the locative of o(loj plus kosmoj. The Roman world was the entire world.
Translation: “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you [Romans], because your faith [doctrine] is celebrated throughout the entire world.”
Verse 9 – “For God is my witness.” The conjunctive particle gar is used for a continuation and a transition from thanksgiving as one part of prayer to intercession as the next part of prayer. The subject o( qeoj is in the nominative, referring to God. Then the present active indicative of the verb e)imi, the verb to be. This is the present tense of duration, it denotes what has begun in the past and continues into the present time. God was always the witness with regard to any statement that Paul made that became a part of the canon. The active voice: God produced the action of the verb in observing Paul and all believers, and verifying certain facts herein stated. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the viewpoint of reality, and it connotes the alertness of the justice of God. In the predicate nominative we have the noun martuj, it means a witness in a legal sense. So we have the perfect witness, for God the Father who sits in the supreme court of heaven is the witness to the operation of every believer, whether he adjusts to the justice of God or not.
“my” – genitive singular from the pronoun e)gw. This indicates that God belongs to Paul as his witness, indicating the fact that God is the only one who can vindicate or justify. Only God has the right of vindication, only God is the true witness, and only God has all the facts. Principle: What people think of you doesn’t mean a thing. It is what God thinks of you that counts. What God thinks depends upon doctrine resident in your soul.
“whom I serve” is the dative masculine singular of the relative pronoun o(j, whose antecedent is God the Father. This is the dative of possession. This is a Greek idiom for which there is no exact English equivalent. It is a personal interest particularised to the point of ownership. By our initial adjustment to the justice of God at the cross God the Father owns each one of us. We are in effect His slaves. Paul points out that he is in the service of the Lord, as are all members of the royal family—the present active indicative of the verb latreuw, the word for service here. It is derived from a noun, latroj, which means wages or rewards. From this came another word into existence, latrij, which is a person who works for wages, a servant. Then came the verb latreuw which was used by the Greeks for service to the gods. But in the New Testament it refers to the priestly ministry of every believer. The basic function of full-time Christian service is to take in Bible doctrine. Latreuw refers primarily to the believer’s attitude toward Bible doctrine, his absorption and perception of doctrine, and the relationship of that to the Lord. In Philippians 3:3 is the verb latreuw used for maturity adjustment to the justice of God. The verb is in the present tense of duration denotes what was begun in the past, continuing into the present time. Throughout the Church Age this principle remains true. The moment the believer is born again is the moment of entering into full-time Christian service. The active voice: Paul is producing the action here as a mature believer, but all of us produce the action regardless of our status. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic, unqualified assertion of fact.
“with my spirit” – remembering that the service here is primarily the perception of doctrine, it is accomplished with the spirit. This is the preposition e)n plus the instrumental of pneuma. This is the human spirit where doctrine is stored, where doctrine is converted from gnwij to e)pignwsij. The function of GAP is the means of making maturity adjustment to the justice of God, and the storage of doctrine and the processing of doctrine occurs in the human spirit.
“in the gospel of his Son” refers to the function of Paul as a specific. Everyone must find their niche, and Paul found his in this sense. This is the preposition e)n plus the instrumental of e)uaggelion—“by means of the gospel.” There is also the genitive of reference u(ioj, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the word for a mature son, plus the genitive of relationship of the intensive pronoun a)utoj used to identify the Lord Jesus Christ and relate Him to God the Father who sent Him.
“that without ceasing” – a conjunction of comparison w(j, generally translated in this kind of condition “how.” Plus an adverb of unvarying practice, a)dialeiptwj, which means “constantly”—“how constantly.”
“I make mention” – present middle indicative of the verb poiew, which means to make, to do, produce; and with it the object, the accusative singular direct object mneia which means to mention. The present tense is a historical present, it views the past event of Paul’s intercessory prayers for the Romans with the vividness of a present occurrence. He remembers them even though he doesn’t know them. Their fame has gone before them, their attitude toward doctrine has become well known, they are in one of the most difficult places to live as unto the Lord, and Paul remembers them whenever he starts to pray. He is forced to remember them because of their dynamic attitude toward doctrine. The middle voice is an indirect middle which emphasises Paul as a mature believer producing the action of the verb, rather than participating in the results. The declarative mood views the action of the verb from the viewpoint of reality.
“of you” – he prays for them because they are on the right track. It is easy to get off the track. This is the objective genitive plural from the personal pronoun su, referring to all of these believers living in Rome. The historical present is always translated as a past tense in compatibility with Greek usage. Note that Paul makes intercession for believers whom he has never seen.
The words “in prayer” could be added because that is what is coming up next. This is where the verse actually stops, the next verse starting, “always in my prayers.”
Verse 10 – “Always in my prayers.” The adverb pantote which means “always,” it indicates something about all, and about prayer. First of all he uses prayer for what it is, one of the greatest weapons that God ever put in our hands, which when used properly has fantastic power. Used improperly it has no power at all. It all depends on whether the believer knows the weapon or not. Then this verse tells us that Paul is consistent and stable. He prayed for them once and kept on praying for them. Stability comes through maximum doctrine resident in the soul, maximum adjustment to the justice through the daily function of GAP. With this is a preposition, e)pi, plus the genitive of proseuxh for “prayer.”[12]
“making request” – present middle participle from the verb deomai. The original significance of this word is to lack, to be in need of. In other words, to be short of something, to be aware of the fact that you had a need and to seek implementation. In the Koine Greek of the New Testament, however, deomai finally change a little and advanced to mean to ask, to seek; not only recognising the need but looking for the solution. When used for requests to God it refers to petition. The present tense is a tendencial present for a petition which is purposed, though it has not yet taken place. The middle voice is the direct middle describing the agent as participating in the results of the action. Therefore the subject acts with a view toward participating in the outcome. Paul is very definitely related to the Romans in this prayer. The participle is a temporal participle and it should be translated “Always in my prayers when offering a petition.”
“if by any means” – we have a conditional particle, e)i, which introduces a first class condition. Also an enclitic particle, pwj, which means “somehow”—“if somehow.”
“now at length” – an adverb of time, h(dh, plus an enclitic particle of time, pote, “at last.” Paul is looking forward to an event with anticipation of great blessing.
“I might have a prosperous journey” – future passive indicative from the compound verb, e)uodow [e)u = good or prosperous; o(doj = road], and it means to get along well, to prosper, to succeed. The verb is derived from an adjective, e)uodoj, which means easy to travel. The passive voice plus the infinitive suggests the translation “I will succeed.” This is a gnomic future tense, a statement of fact or performance which may be rightfully expected under normal conditions—divine guidance.
“by the will of God” – he wants the Romans to know that when he gets to Rome it is because God wants him to be there, and he is there to give them doctrine. [Paul’s reversionism began right here.[13] Here is the statement that it was the will of God for him to come to Rome, but he turned around and went the other way] This is e)n plus the instrumental of qelhma, “by the will.” Then comes a possessive genitive from qeoj—“of the God.” Note that the absence of the definite article in the Greek calls special attention to the noun—anartharous construction. But we have a definite article here—tou qeou in the genitive case. The definite article plus the proper noun indicates someone well-known to the readers. The implication is that when you get into the book of Romans you know something about God.
Principle: When God becomes familiar to you personally then you become familiar with His plan. You read yourself into His plan and therefore there is nothing in history that can disturb you. And there should be nothing in your life that can disturb you because you know God personally.
This is a first class condition indicating Paul’s awareness of God’s will to go to Rome. Instead, Paul in emotional revolt will go in the opposite direction.
“to come unto you” – aorist active infinitive of the verb e)rxomai, the verb to come. The aorist tense is a gnomic aorist which is for a generally accepted fact regarded as the will of God. The aorist is used as though it were an actual occurrence. The Greek idiom calls for an English present in a correct translation. The active voice: Paul produces the action of the verb. The infinitive is intended result, not actual, in which the result indicated is fulfilling a deliberate aim or purpose, a part of the will of God. Hence, we have a blending of purpose and result; “unto you” – proj plus the accusative plural of the personal pronoun su—“face to face with all of you.”
Translation: “Always in my prayers when offering a petition, that if somehow now at last I will succeed by the will of God in coming face to face with all of you.”
Verse 11 – “For” is the explanatory conjunctive particle gar which provides an additional explanation for Paul’s desire to come to Rome.
“I long” – present active indicative from the verb e)pipoqew [e)pi = beside; poqew = to desire], to desire beside or to have a yearning or extremely strong desire. A desire which includes stimulation of the right lobe and the response of the emotion. The present tense is a descriptive present, it indicates what is now going on at the time that Paul writes. The active voice: Paul produces the action of the verb through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. The indicative mood is declarative for historical reality. With this is an aorist active infinitive of the verb o(raw, meaning to see. This is a constative aorist, it gathers into one entirety Paul’s enthusiasm. The active voice: Paul produces the enthusiasm because he has great capacity for life. This is also the infinitive of purpose: Paul hasn’t done this yet; he wants to see Rome. Then we have the accusative plural direct object from the personal pronoun su, referring to the Romans.
“that” – the conjunction i(na indicates the purpose clause; the aorist active subjunctive of the verb metadidomi [meta = with; didomi = give] which means to share with. However, it doesn’t mean to share his experiences, it means to communicate Bible doctrine. This is not “sharing” which emphasises the dominance of emotion in the spiritual life, and we know that is not correct. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it contemplates Paul’s teaching of doctrine in its entirety but emphasises it in the direction now of the Roman believers. The active voice: Paul produces the action of the verb. The subjunctive mood is both potential and indicates a purpose clause. There is a future reference here also and it is qualified by the element of contingency. He knows that it is God’s will for him to come but the exact time is unknown.
There is also a verbal noun, xarisma, the word for spiritual gifts. It means something which is freely and graciously given, and it is a reference to the gift of communication, the gift of teaching, which Paul possessed as an apostle. It was graciously bestowed by the Holy Spirit at the point of Paul’s salvation on the Damascus road. (It is absolutely no good without training and preparation) We do not need more pastors today, we need simply prepared pastors who have had the training and the discipline academically and in every other way so that the gift can be properly utilised. No one ever exploited the teaching gift as did the apostle Paul. His exploitation included his constant intake of doctrine, his refusal to be detracted from doctrine and therefore his perpetuation of grace orientation in his life. Paul says, “That I may impart you some spiritual gift.” But that isn’t quite what he said. He is not imparting a spiritual gift (only the Holy Spirit can do that), he is sharing his spiritual gift with them, which means a teaching ministry.
Along with xarisma is also an accusative neuter singular from the adjective pneumatikoj which means “pertaining to the spirit.” This is where we get the word “spiritual.” Both the adjective pneumatikoj and the noun xarisma are called the adverbial accusative of manner. Sometimes, as here, the accusative does not directly complement the verb but it qualifies it in an indirect way. The verb is metadidomi which means to share with. Paul will share something important by means of his spiritual gift. The dative plural indirect object from su—“you,” which means the Romans are going to be the object of it. What Paul has to share relates to adjustment to the justice of God, the true concept of justification.
“to the end ye may be established” – the preposition e)ij plus the accusative of the definite article with an aorist passive articular infinitive. The verb in the infinitive is sthrizw. The aorist passive infinitive means to strengthen or to stabilise. Sthrizw was first used by Homer, so it is a very old verb going back to the ninth century BC. Homer used this verb in the aorist and in the pluperfect meaning to make fast. Finally, after Homer’s time it came to mean to support or to fix something so that it stands upright and is immovable. The passive voice: means to be established or stabilised. The aorist tense is culminative, it views the daily function of GAP in its entirety but it emphasises the existing results of mature adjustment to the justice of God, cracking the maturity barrier. The passive voice: the believer receives maturity adjustment to the justice of God through his consistent positive volition toward the teaching of Bible doctrine. The infinitive is an intended result in which the result is indicated as fulfilling an objective in the soul of Paul. His objective is to communicate doctrine. The infinitive of intended result blends purpose and result.
The accusative plural from the pronoun su has the Romans in view. In writing it down it has all generations of believers in view, since it is a part of the Word of God. This is an accusative of general reference in which the accusative acts as the subject of the infinitive. Actually it is not a subject but it describes the persons connected with the infinitive, and therefore it is simplified by saying the accusative becomes the subject of the infinitive.
Translation: “For I am longing to see you, that I may share with you something of importance from my spiritual gift, with the result that you might be stabilised.”
Principle: God raises up pastors and teachers wherever there is positive volition in the land.
Verse 12 – “That is.” Touto de e)stin is an idiom which begins this verse. The nominative neuter singular from the demonstrative pronoun o(utoj [touto]. This is called an immediate demonstrative. There is another word, e)keinoj, which is a distant demonstrative. We have the near demonstrative here. Whenever the near demonstrative occurs it always refers to something that is extremely important and separates it off into a category. Here is something near at hand, like Paul teaching doctrine to the Romans. With this is the adversative particle de, it emphasises the contrast between Paul’s spiritual gift and the gift of the Roman believers unexploited because of lack of doctrine. Principle: No spiritual gift can be exploited without doctrine.
The Romans have spiritual gifts, and once these gifts are useable and begin to function Paul will be comforted. A pastor can only find comfort where there is exploitation of the spiritual gifts in the congregation. In other words, a pastor’s comfort comes from the positive and continual response to the teaching of the Word.
The words “That is” does not mean “that is.” It is literally, “But this is.” But that isn’t what is means, it is an idiom. The verb to be is the present active indicative of e)imi, e)stin. The idiom is used to add an additional objective, not to back off. To translate it literally it means that Paul is backing off and diluting his previous statement—he has something to give them, they have nothing to give him. He is not backing off, he is adding to his previous statement. The dogmatism of the previous statement stands. This idiom should be translated, “But this must be added.”
The aorist passive infinitive from the compound verb sumparakalew [sum is the preposition sun = together with; parakalew = to call for] means to invite, to persuade, to comfort. In the passive voice it means to receive encouragement. Paul is going to be encouraged by having a positive congregation. The aorist is a constative aorist, it contemplates Paul’s ministry of teaching doctrine in its entirety. Paul is mutually encouraged as the Romans begin to gain spiritual momentum from his teaching and advance to spiritual maturity. This advance is maximum adjustment to the justice of God. The passive voice: Paul who is constantly teaching receives encouragement to continue teaching by the advance of the Roman believers. The infinitive has not occurred yet, so it is an infinitive of intended result, it fulfils a deliberate objective of doctrinal teaching which results in maximum adjustment to the justice of God.
With this is a prepositional phrase, e)n plus the instrumental plural of su. We are in the introduction of this epistle. It is a very personal type of introduction from which comes personal principles. Here is a principle of relationship between a pastor and his congregation. The pastor must be faithful in studying and in teaching. The congregation must be faithful in listening. As the congregation begins to listen and to put it together it becomes an encouragement to the pastor to do an even more detailed job, and to get deeper and deeper into a passage. “But this must be added to the purpose, to receive encouragement together with you.”
By the way, there is no teaching of the Word of God for any function outside of the local church. There is no authorisation for anything outside the local church. When local churches become apostate other local churches are formed. God doesn’t give any spiritual gift for anything outside of the local church. Everything that functions outside of the local church is dead.
“by mutual faith both of you” – the preposition dia plus the genitive of pistij; “of you” – possessive genitive plural from the pronoun su, referring to the Romans; the possessive genitive singular from the pronoun e)gw, referring to Paul; e)n plus the locative plural of the reciprocal pronoun a)llhlon.
Translation: “But added to this, to receive encouragement together with you through [the] doctrine [pistij = doctrine here. The definite article specifies the means of advance] in each other, yours and mine.”
Verse 13 – “Now I would not have you ignorant.” This begins with the negative o)uk expresses a strong negative desire on the part of the apostle; plus the present active indicative qelw which means to be ready, to be inclined; in fact qelw connotes both agreement and compulsion. Paul used qelw to emphasise an important doctrine. Hence, qelw is the Pauline formula used in personal statements in relationship to his congregation. Anyone to whom Paul spoke became his congregation immediately. So it refers to Paul’s apostolic volition in teaching doctrine to the royal family of God, just as he is teaching us through this passage. It denotes Paul’s authoritative function as a teacher of Bible doctrine. The present tense of qelw is really a perfective present which denotes continuation of existing results. It refers to a fact which has come to be in the past but is emphasised as a present reality. The active voice: Paul as a doctrinal teacher produces the action. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality. The transitional particle de, without any contrast intended here, comes to mean “I do not wish, however.” Plus the accusative plural direct object from the personal pronoun su, and the present active infinitive of the verb a)gnoew, used for all nuances of the Greek concept of knowledge connoting not to know. It denotes both being mistaken and being in error or erroneous ignorance. The active voice: the Roman believer produces the action, or represents the state expressed by the verbal idea. The infinitive is an actual result which follows the nature of the case. While the Romans had demonstrated a great interest in doctrine and their faith has been famous, they had very definite gaps.
Ignorance inevitably results in being in error in thinking. Ignorance is no excuse, says a)gnoew. When a person is ignorant his thinking is erroneous, mistaken. The Bible makes it very clear that ignorance is lack of virtue where doctrine is concerned. The greatest issue isn’t morality, the greatest issue is virtue versus non-virtue. The virtue is cognisance of doctrine and lack of virtue is ignorance of doctrine. As far as God is concerned there is no virtue in ignorance, and furthermore there is no excuse for ignorance.
1. Ignorance of transitional doctrines is the primary problem of the Roman church.
2. Transitional doctrine is the link between basic and advanced doctrine.
3. The Roman believers have instantly adjusted to the justice of God at salvation but they have failed to understand the grace mechanics behind salvation. (One of the great blackouts of believers today is to be saved and not understand the mechanics) This is something that comes later.
4. Therefore the Roman believers are ignorant of everything from reversionism to justification, from the baptism of the Spirit to the dispensation of Israel.
5. Ignorance of transitional doctrine results in lack of spiritual common sense and failure to function under the principles of grace in the daily life of phase two.
6. Furthermore the Roman believers had misjudged Paul and had misconstrued his travelling motivation.
Furthermore the Roman believers are hypersensitive about Paul’s lack of attention, and apparently have been critical of his no-visit policy to Rome.
“that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you” – the conjunction o(ti, which is used for verbs of statement of policy. Sometimes this is a causal conjunction. Here, however, it is used for a statement of policy or a transmission of motivation. It is time they understood Paul’s policy as an apostle. The adverb of the frequency of time pollakij is used here to indicate it is Paul’s desire, and has been for a long time, to visit them. The aorist middle indicative of the verb protiqhmi, which means to plan, to purpose, or to intend. The aorist tense is a constative aorist referring to a momentary action. There were moments when Paul could hardly keep from going to Rome, and then something would come up. The middle voice describes the subject as participating in the results of the action. This is a direct middle which refers the results of the action directly to the apostle Paul with reflexive force. It should be translated, “that frequently I intended.” Then the aorist active infinitive of e)rxomai to state his policy. The aorist tense is a dramatic aorist, it states a present reality with the certitude of a past event. It is an idiom in the Greek and is a device for emphasis. It states something on the point of being accomplished. He is about to come, and the only thing that hindered him was his reversionism but he wound up there after much suffering. The active voice: Paul intends to produce the action of the verb. The infinitive is intended result, when the result is indicated as fulfilling a deliberate objective. It blends purpose and result. And then the prepositional phrase, proj plus the accusative of su—“to come face to face with you.” This phrase expresses Paul’s purpose to provide face to face teaching of Bible doctrine, and this objective was frustrated by his own emotional distraction by which he went in the direction of Jerusalem, entered into the stages of reversionism, suffered terrible divine discipline, eventually recovered, and came to Rome after all.
“but was let hitherto” – the adversative kai which sets up a contrast between his desire and what happened. It is followed by the aorist passive indicative of kwluw, which means to hinder, prevent, forbid. This is a dramatic aorist tense with the passive voice—Paul receiving the action. The declarative mood is indicative for the historical reality of the situation—“but was forbidden.” Then an improper preposition from the Attic Greek which is used as a conjunction—a)rxi, and with it the adverb of time deurw, translated “until now.” The improper preposition takes the genitive case which accounts for the definite article in the genitive as a part of the idiom, and all of this together is translated, “but was forbidden until now.”
“that I might have some fruit among you also” – the conjunction i(na introducing a final clause denoting purpose, objective, goal. With it is the aorist active subjunctive of e)xw—“I might have.” The aorist is ingressive, it contemplates the action at the beginning. We might say, “that I might begin to have.” The active voice: Paul produces the action through the teaching of doctrine. The subjunctive mood is a part of the purpose clause, and it is also potential. It is the subjunctive of obligation. It implies a future reference and is qualified by the element of contingency which we recognise historically today as being reversionism which was inserted before Paul would get there. In the meantime the book of Romans takes up the slack fully where Paul’s absence had been noted. The accusative masculine singular of the indefinite pronoun tij represents a category, and an accusative masculine singular from karpoj means production to us, production which comes from teaching doctrine. Without the teaching of doctrine there is no production, no spiritual acceleration, spiritual momentum; “among you” – e)n plus su.
1. God’s timing is perfect. Until now the Roman believers were not even ready for Paul’s ministry, though they didn’t know it.
2. Rome is now open to Paul’s teaching. Up until now it had not been.
3. This Roman epistle was to be an introduction to Paul’s teaching in Rome, and was to be the transition doctrine and experiential application necessary for
acceleration past the maturity barrier.
4. While Rome is now open Jerusalem is closed.
5. Shortly after writing this letter Paul must decide between Rome and Jerusalem, between doctrine and emotion.
6. It was Paul’s erroneous decision to go to Jerusalem which resulted in his reversionism.
7. When you have a choice to make between doctrine and how you feel, never go by how you feel.
“even as among other Gentiles” – the adverb of comparison kaqwj means “just as”; the adjunctive use of kai is translated “also”; the preposition e)n with the locative plural of the definite article and the adjective loipoj—“among other Gentiles also.” The locative plural for Gentiles is e)qnoj.
Translation: “Moreover I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as frequently I intended to come face to face with you, (but was forbidden until now), that I might have some production among you, as also among other Gentiles.”
1. Only God knows the open and the closed doors. Therefore the greatest issue in our lives is divine guidance.[14] What appears to be an open door may be a
closed one. What appears to be a closed door may be an open on. The only way we can be rational about it is to have enough doctrine to be led by the Lord.
2. The basis for dissemination of doctrine must be a priest nation. Only God knows the priest nation.
3. God must always operate through and always have a priest nation.
4. Israel was God’s priest nation from the time of Moses until the crucifixion of Christ.
5. The fact of the priest nation is verified in Exodus 19:6. The exception is stated in Hosea 1:9.
6. Loss of priest nation status comes from reversion—Romans 1:18-32.
7. The United States as a priest nation seems to be following the pattern of maladjustment to the justice of God as expressed in Romans 1:18-32.
8. Production is necessary to maintain a priest nation—the teaching of Bible doctrine by pastors and the positive response to the teaching by the royal family of
God broken down into congregations.
Verses 14-17, the alertness and the attitude of the apostle. He has a mental attitude of responsibility, and he has this because of Bible doctrine. Because of the doctrine he teaches the Roman people will receive that same mental attitude, and the great golden age of Rome is yet to come. It will follow the death of the apostle Paul and it will be a result of his great doctrinal impact, along with the other apostles.
Verse 14 – the mental attitude of responsibility. “I am debtor” is a present active indicative of e)imi, the verb to be, “I am.” This is a retroactive progressive present, it denotes what has begun in the past and continues into the present time. In other words, it is an extremely strong linear aktionsart. It is a linear aktionsart that indicates that Paul has a way of life based on what is in his soul. The active voice: Paul produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the standpoint of reality. With this is a predicate nominative from the noun o)feilethj, which means an obligation based upon a sense of honour. From that sense of honour comes a sense of duty or responsibility toward others. Remember that the sense of honour is directed toward God, the sense of duty is directed toward people. This is one of the dynamics about doctrine that changes history.
“both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians” – these are both dative plurals indirect objects. The first is the word E(llhn. It designates Greek pride, Greek cities, Greek states bound by common custom, culture, religion, race, and so on. The dative of indirect object indicates the ones in whose interest the act of duty in performed, and these are unbelievers. This then becomes also a dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of the unbeliever to have a man with a sense of responsibility toward these people. A second category is mentioned, and this noun became the antithesis, the barbaroj. These are antithetical concepts but both refer to unbelievers.
The Greeks became the name of the designated Gentiles who accepted Hellenistic culture. It originally meant Greeks, but eventually after Alexander the Great conquered the world it became related to the culture which was spread through the Greek conquests. So this word E(llhn became not simply someone who was a Greek, it referred to those who had adopted a certain type of culture.
“Barbarian” is simply a coined word. To the Greek the language of the Barbarians sounded strange and vulgar, so they called these people by this name, i.e. they uttered unintelligible sound, they stuttered, they didn’t have the advantages of the Hellenic languages. So we will translate these “the civilised and the uncivilised.”
“both to the wise, and to the unwise” – the dative of indirect object masculine plural from sofoj, referring to the believer who has made the maximum adjustment to the justice of God through the daily function of GAP. It is a technical word for the born again believer who has advanced all of the way from the point of salvation to all the way through the maturity barrier. It is used to describe the mature believer. The dative of indirect object indicates the one in whose interest the communication is made. In this case it is also dative of advantage, it is to the advantage of every believer to crack the maturity barrier and it is to his advantage to keep on having doctrine. Next he use the dative plural indirect object for the word a)nohtoj which refers to the ignorant believer, the reversionistic believer. This is a dative of disadvantage since it refers to maladjustment to the justice of God—maladjustment to the justice of God for the reversionist and lack of spiritual progress for the ignorant. The noun means foolish or unintelligent. It is used of a person who both intellectually and ethically does not understand doctrine and the whole concept of God’s plan.
Translation: “I am debtor [under obligation] both to the civilised and the uncivilised [unbeliever]; both to the wise [mature believer] and the ignorant [reversionistic believer].”
Both categories of believers need teaching of Bible doctrine. The wise or mature believer needs doctrine to advance in maturity. The ignorant or reversionistic believer needs doctrine to recover from reversionism.
1. The spiritual gifts of communication, either evangelism or pastor-teacher, has an obligation to the human race.
2. The gift of evangelism is obligated to all categories of unbelievers in the human race.
3. The gift of pastor-teacher is obligated to both the positive and the negative believers in the royal family of God. It is often the teaching of the negative
believer that brings about his discipline and his judgment. He knows exactly what is happening to him when it happens.
4. This obligation, then, includes both proper preparation and the spiritual momentum of mature adjustment to the justice of God. This spiritual gift demands all
three adjustments to the justice of God: a) salvation adjustment; b) rebound adjustment, when necessary; c) maturity adjustment.
Verse 15 – the fulfilment of the obligation in Rome. “So, as much as in me is” – the
adverb o(utoj refers to what immediately precedes, and is translated “Thus.” Then follows kata plus e)gw—“with reference to me.” Altogether it its idiom which says, “So, for my part.” This is as close as we can come with an English idiom. It is the translation of a Greek idiom into an English idiom. Literally, in the Greek idiom it says, “Thus, the thing with reference to me”—o(utwj to kat e)me. Literally it doesn’t tell us anything because it is an idiom. Paul is speaking for himself, expressing his mental attitude, his sense of responsibility. Principle: If you put doctrine first and crack the maturity barrier you will develop a sense of honour and integrity. This will cause you to fulfil obligations properly toward fellow man.
“I am ready to preach the gospel” – the accusative singular from the adjective proqumoj, meaning to be eager, to be willing, to be ready. With the prior idiom it should be translated “my eagerness.” Then comes an aorist middle infinitive, e)uaggelizomai, which means to proclaim good news. Good news means that the justice of God must be free to bless, and all blessing comes through the justice of God. Unless the justice of God can be satisfied there is no way to be blessed. Some has satisfied the justice of God, and that is Jesus Christ. That is where blessing begins and where everything in life becomes meaningful and has purpose. The verb does not connote just gospel preaching, as so often is said. It indicates the communication of all the good news related to relationship with God. Obviously the gospel or salvation is a part of it, but that isn’t all of it. There are other adjustments to be made where you can have the most fantastic happiness and blessing in time, and something even greater in eternity. To proclaim the happy and the good, which is what this verb connotes, means the dissemination of doctrine—some deals with evangelism, some with spiritual growth—and to make a proclamation regarding all of the systems of adjustment to the justice of God. “Thus, my eagerness to proclaim the good news doctrine.” The infinitive is important. The aorist tense is a constative aorist in the infinitive, it takes the occurrence of doctrinal teaching from Paul and others and gathers them up into one entirety. And it tells us that history is changed by doctrinal teaching when such doctrine is accepted on a positive basis consistently by the royal family of God. The middle voice is the indirect middle, it emphasises Paul as the agent producing the action rather than participating in the result. Paul himself is teaching the doctrine. The infinitive is intended result when the result is indicated as fulfilling a deliberate objective, therefore blending of purpose and result.
This is followed by the ascensive use of kai, “even,” plus the dative plural indirect object of the personal pronoun su, “you.” The dative of indirect object indicates that it is in the interest of the Roman believers to have Paul’s ministry, both written as in the epistle, and at a future time a spoken ministry. It is a dative of advantage to the Roman believers. The dative plural of the definite article is used as a relative pronoun, emphasising the identity of the Romans. It is not translated into English but it is understood, and the verse is concluded with a prepositional phrase, e)n plus the locative of R(wmh.
Translation: “Thus, my eagerness to proclaim the good doctrine, even to you who are in Rome.”
Verse 16 – the principle of adjustment to the justice of God at salvation.[15] “For I am not ashamed” – this begins with a strong particle used as an explanatory conjunction for the mental attitude of the apostle throughout his entire life, gar. The purpose of this participle is to show us that whenever a man is well motivated in life, has capacity for life to meet any situation in life, there has to be a great explanation. This explanation is only partially given, part of it is on the surface and part is under the surface. When a person is ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ, is afraid of being ridiculed, of being considered a little strange, he obviously doesn’t have enough Bible doctrine to know what it is all about. The verb with its negative: the present middle indicative of e)paisxunomai [e)pi = over and above; a)isxunw = to be ashamed], which means to be above being ashamed, literally. In other words, the whole mental attitude in life is totally free from ever being ashamed of anyone or anything with whom you are associated, or with what you are associated. Lack of ashamedness means lack of subjectivity. So this means being above being ashamed and it is a reference to maturity adjustment to the justice of God on the part of the writer, Paul. The present tense is a descriptive present for what is now going on. The indirect middle voice is one in which the agent, Paul, is producing the action rather than participating in the results. The results are only anticipated but not here. The indicative mood is declarative for unqualified assertion of a person who is a mature believer, a person who has been consistent in the intake of doctrine.
“of Christ” – these words are not found here in the original; “the gospel” – this is found, it is the accusative singular direct object from the noun e)uaggelion, which is misunderstood. The word means “good news.” The salvation message of the work of Christ on the cross is a part of the gospel but it is not all. Technically this is good news of victory, good news of good fortune, it refers to something of intrinsic value, and it always refers to the whole realm of doctrine. Only one part of that doctrine is applicable to the unbeliever, therefore we have come to associate this noun with only that which is given to the unbeliever. But it actually refers to the entire realm of doctrine which is good news for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Literally, “For I am not ashamed of the good news.” This statement reflects the attitude of the believer who has just made the maturity adjustment to the justice of God and has therefore known something of what it means to be blessed by God as a mature believer. Principle: The mature believer is never ashamed of the doctrine in his right lobe whether it is soteriology or some other facet of the Word of God. Residence of doctrine in the soul through the function of GAP removes both shame and all other negative mental attitudes. Poise is maximum doctrine resident in the soul.
Now for the message which refers to doctrine which is necessary for adjustment to the justice of God. Specifically it is that doctrine here which is related to the salvation adjustment to the justice of God. The gospel is used in that sense because we are dealing here with unbelievers.
“for it is the power of God unto salvation” – referring to that portion of the good news or the gospel by which a person makes salvation adjustment to the justice of God. Again, the illative particle gar used to introduce a reason for not being ashamed of good news. Then the verb to be, the present active indicative of e)imi. The present tense is a static present, it represents a condition which is perpetually existing or to be taken for granted as a fact. The active voice: it is gospel doctrine which produces the action. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic fact: “For if the gospel is [keeps on being].” This is a dogmatic and unqualified assertion of fact, that there is a certain portion of doctrine which when properly communicated results in eternal salvation for those who hear it. Next is a predicate nominative from the noun dunamij—“power.” The original meaning of this word was ability or capacity. It is derived from the Greek stem duna which has the basic meaning of ability. All spiritual an intellectual life was traced back to dunamij, to the IQ of the individual. The noun means power in the sense of competence or capacity. With this noun is the possessive genitive of qeoj—“God.” It is the power or the capacity or the ability, and this should be translated, “For if the gospel is the ability of God.” When you communicate good news you communicate God’s ability to save, God’s ability to bless, God’s ability to provide. And it all goes back to His character, His justice. All blessing, all cursing, all relationship with man comes through God’s justice. Justice is the dunamij or the ability of God. A prepositional phrase follows through on the principle: the preposition e)ij plus the accusative singular of swthria is translated “with reference to” or “for the purpose of salvation.”
“to everyone that believeth” – dative singular masculine indirect object from the adjective paj, which means “anyone.” It can be translated “anyone” or “all,” but preferably “anyone.” The dative of indirect object indicates the human race in whose interest the work of Christ on the cross was performed. It is equivalent to a dative of advantage, it is to the advantage of the human race to have Jesus Christ being judged for our sins. Sin is never an issue in the gospel because sin was eliminated as an issue by the work of Christ on the cross. Sin is not an issue now; sin is not an issue at the last judgment. All sins have been judged on the cross, there is no exception to it. As a result of that anyone who believes in Christ can be saved. The present active participle of the verb pisteuw is the mechanics of salvation and instant adjustment to the justice of God. The present tense is a static present representing the only way to adjust to the justice of God in salvation. The static present always indicates something that dogmatically exists, without equivocation, without change from the beginning of time to the end of time. From Adam until the last believers on the Millennium everyone who is saved will be saved by believing in Jesus Christ. The only difference is that Christ is revealed in a different manner in each dispensation. The active voice: the person performing the instant adjustment to the justice of God by faith in Christ produces the action of the verb. The participle is circumstantial, so it should be translated “to all who believe” or “to anyone who believes.” The word “all” is comparable to “whosoever.”
“to the Jew first” – the word “Jew” I)oudaioj, is a dative singular indirect object. It refers to the racial Jew and the national Jew, the custodian of doctrine when the priest nation of Israel was formed. The uniqueness of the Jewish race demands that they have the first opportunity to adjust to the justice of God at the point of salvation. This is after the pattern of Abraham in Genesis 15:6. So the dative of indirect object indicates that the Jews are the ones in whose interest Christ was judged, as well as the Gentiles.
The word “first” is wrong. The superlative prwtoj indicates first in time, first in number, first in sequence, first in rank or degree. This is in the accusative singular, so it means first of rank or degree, therefore foremost—“to the Jew foremost.” It means first in privilege. There are enclitic particles here for “both, and”—te and kai—“both to the Jew foremost, and also to the Greek [Gentile].”
Translation: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the capacity and ability of God for providing salvation to anyone who believes in Christ; both to the Jew foremost, and likewise to the Gentile.”
Verse 17 – “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” Again, we have postpositive conjunction gar used in the inferential sense. It is correctly translated “For.” With this is a subject in the nominative case, dikaiosunh, one of the most important words in the book of Romans. It is a word which comes from two more ancient Greek words: dikh and the adjective dikaioj. The difference between the noun and the adjective from Homer’s time right up to the 5th century B.C., and coming into Koine Greek, and the word we have in the context, is in the suffix, sunh. That is a special Attic Greek suffix used for abstract concepts. Dikaiosunh refers to the thinking of a judge allotting to each what is due. That is what the word actually means. It is the judicial righteousness of a judge. So this is not the righteousness of God here, it is the justice of God. It is a reference to the justice of God which is free to vindicate mankind under three categories: salvation, rebound, maturity.[16]
“is revealed” – present passive indicative from the compound verb a)pokaluptw [a)po = away from; kaluptw = to hide or to veil], it means to be away from being hidden, therefore to reveal, to uncover, to bring to light. This is a perfective present tense which denotes the continuation of existing results. The fact that the justice of God is revealed in the past but now in the Roman era it is to become a present reality. This is an idiom and is comparable to something in the English: we say when we have learned something, “I have learned it.” We put it in the past tense. But we use the words “I learn,” present tense, for information which has come to us in the past but we now use it. The Greeks had a comparable idiom. They used a present tense when it was a perfective present. They learned it in the past, as it were, and now they are going to use it. The passive voice: the justice of God receives the action. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality and dogmatic assertion.
“from faith to faith” – the perpetuation of the justice of God: e)k pistewj e)ij pistin, two prepositional phrases. Each preposition has as its object pistij. The first phrase is e)k plus the ablative of pistij. Pistij is used here in the active sense, it refers to faith in Christ as the initial adjustment to the justice of God. The second prepositional phrase is e)ij plus the accusative of pistij. Here pisitj has a slightly different meaning. Rather than the active sense it is used here in the passive sense. It means that which causes faith or trust, hence faithfulness, reliability, proof, pledge; but in the passive sense it means what is believed, the body of faith which is doctrine. Therefore it refers to maturity adjustment to the justice of God—“from faith to doctrine.” That is the story of our life from salvation to the time we depart from this life.
1. Initial adjustment to the justice of God at salvation demands perpetuation of that adjustment to the justice of God through the daily function of GAP. In other words, persistence in perception.
2. The reason for continued life on earth after salvation is to perpetuate adjustment to the justice of God through the inculcation of Bible doctrine.
3. Doctrine resident in the soul is the means of spiritual growth to spiritual maturity.
4. Spiritual momentum from doctrinal perception results in mature status.
5. Such adjustment frees the justice of God to provide maximum blessing for the believer.
We now have documentation for adjustment to the justice of God, found in Habakkuk 2:4. From the Hebrew it is translated, “Behold, regarding the arrogant his soul is not right within him; but the mature [tsadiq] believer will live by his faithfulness to doctrine [be, the preposition; amunah = firmness, security, faithfulness, truth or doctrine].” This is the key to the pivot, to the survival of a nation. In this second half of the verse we have a basis for Romans chapter one. When a nation starts to go down only the believer’s attitude to doctrine can save that nation.
Verse 17 – “as it is written” is a perfect passive indicative of the verb grafw which means to write. The perfect tense is the rhetorical application which is called the dramatic perfect, it emphasises the results of the action of the verb. Hence, it exercises the existing state which is the canon of the New Testament. Paul says, “In writing this new epistle which will be the canon of Scripture I am going to document from the Old Testament Scriptures.” Interestingly enough he is writing to a church which is predominately Gentile, for just before Nero came to the throne his step-father Claudius had banned all Jews from Rome, and only recently had Jews been coming back to Rome at all. It is primarily a Gentile church. But the principle is obvious: The Jews as a race and as mature believers have been the source of blessing historically to every generation of history, and so we have a quotation from the Old Testament. The dramatic perfect means that this passage in Habakkuk has been written in the past, it is a part of the Old Testament canon, and it is just as much for us Gentiles as believers as it was for Jewish believers in the days of Habakkuk. The passive voice: the Old Testament Scripture receives the action of the verb, being written with the result that the canon of Scripture continues to exist forever and continues to have application in every generation. This also says that the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic and unqualified statement of Bible doctrine. So we translate: “As it stands written.”
“The just shall live by faith” is not quite correct. The adversative use of the conjunctive particle de sets up a contrast—“but.” This is equivalent to the adversative waw in Habakkuk 2:4. The reversionist may be failing but that does not give the believer any excuse to fail. You do not have to fail because other believers fail; you do not have to neglect doctrine because other believers do. The word for “just” is the nominative adjective dikaioj. It is often translated “righteous.” It does mean “upright” or “righteous” but here it is referring to adjustment to the justice of God. We need to understand that the words commonly translated “righteous” often mean much more than that. We learn this from Josephus who used this adjective extensively, and he used it for vindication of his judgment. This is not unreasonable in view of the fact dikaioj not only connotes righteousness as a concept of virtue but also how man is to stand before the justice of God. So dikaioj means to fulfil one’s duty to God. This is compatible with the mature adjustment to the justice of God. Therefore it is concluded that dikaosunh and dikaioj are often interrelated. They have the same meaning except that one is a noun, sunh being the abstract suffix, and the other is an adjective. There is also a future middle indicative from the verb zaw, translated “to live.” It connotes the function of life. The future tense is a gnomic future, a statement of fact or performance rightly expected when the believer is consistent in the function of GAP. The middle voice of zaw is the indirect middle, it emphasises the agent. The believer who has made the maturity adjustment to the justice of God is the agent producing the action of the verb. It can also be construed as an intensive middle, it corresponds to the Hebrew piel stem used in Habakkuk chapter 2. It also is called the dynamic middle which emphasises the part taken by the subject in the action of the verb, which is the daily function of GAP. The indicative mood is declarative for the fact that your personal life and your national life are related in your attitude toward doctrine. Apart from adjustment to the justice of God on a daily basis there is no blessing from God for you personally, or for those associated with you, and in this case we are dealing with the nation. The words “by faith” is e)k plus the ablative of means of pistij. The ablative is not used for means except under certain circumstances. The instrumental is the case in the Greek for means. However, if there is any implication as to the origin or the source involved then the ablative is used instead of the instrumental. So since the source of blessing, and the source of adjustment to the justice of God, and the source of glorifying God, and the source of pleasing God, are all bound up in this prepositional phrase we have e)k plus the ablative rather than e)n plus the instrumental—“by means of doctrine.” “For the vindicated one lives by means of doctrine.” Bible doctrine resident in the soul is the means of attaining maturity or maximum adjustment to the justice of God. So in reaching spiritual maturity there is no substitute for Bible doctrine.
Translation: “For by the same gospel the justice of [belonging to] God is revealed from faith [adjustment at salvation] to doctrine [maturity adjustment after salvation]: as it stands written, But the vindicated ones [believer making mature adjustment] shall lives by means of doctrine.”
The judgment of maladjustment at salvation, verses 18-23.
Verse 18 – the judgment of heathenism. “For” is the postpositive conjunctive particle gar, used in an illative sense to introduce a reason for judgment of salvation maladjustment to the justice of God in time, not in eternity (the lake of fire is eternity). This is why the reversionistic believer is the worst person in the world today, not the unbeliever, because he gets all of his judgment from the justice of God in time. In eternity there is no judgment for the reversionistic believer. He has loss of reward as he enters it but he has no judgment. But the unbeliever has judgment now and judgment in eternity as well. For the unbeliever who does not adjust to the justice of God the alternative is temporal and eternal judgment.
“the wrath of God” – nominative singular subject from the noun o)rgh, an Attic Greek word. From the Attic Greek onward this always connoted moral anger which protects from evil. Demosthenes, for example, used what he called dikaia o)rgh—“just anger.” This justice is an indignation, a judgment anger. The “wrath of God” is wrong, it is the “just anger of God” or the “justice anger of God.” God’s anger is a just anger, an expression of His perfect righteousness and His justice. It is the expression of God’s justice toward those who are maladjusted to His justice. Then we have an ablative of source, qeoj—“God,” indicating that the source for judgment of the reversionistic unbelievers is the justice of God. The justice of God is about to lower the boom on heathenism. There is the absence of the definite article with o)rgh which indicates the high quality of divine anger, the high quality being the justice of God. “For anger from God.”
“is revealed” – present passive indicative from the compound verb a)pokaluptw [a)po = away from; kaluptw = to veil or to hide] which means to be away from being hidden or to be uncovered, to bring to light, to reveal—“is being revealed.” The static present tense represents a condition which perpetually exists. God’s anger is always revealed toward maladjustment. Here it is the unbeliever’s maladjustment. The passive voice: the wrath or anger from God receives the action of the verb in every case of salvation maladjustment. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the standpoint of a dogmatic unqualified statement. “For anger from God is being revealed.”
“from heaven” – the source of the supreme court. The preposition a)po plus the ablative of o)uranoj, indicating that the supreme court sits in heaven. Jesis Christ is the presiding judge.
“against all ungodliness” – the preposition e)pi plus the accusative feminine singular from the adjective paj, and with it the noun a)sebeia [a = negative; sebomai, the verb on which this is formed means to worship or have awe or respect]. Godlessness is an act or thought, and that is what is meant here by a)sebeia. It is an act or thought of someone who is maladjusted to the justice of God. It is a technical term for the unbeliever in reversionism or salvation maladjustment to the justice of God. So it is a reference to heathenism, and we translate it “against all heathenism” or “non-Godliness.”
“and unrighteousness of men” – e)pi plus the accusative of a)dikia [a = negative; dikia = reference to the justice of God]: “against all anti-justice of mankind.” The possessive genitive plural from the noun a)nqrwpoj—“of mankind.” Anti-justice of mankind is salvation maladjustment to the justice of God.
“who hold the truth” – genitive plural of description from the definite article, used as an intensive pronoun. The antecedent is a)nqrwpoj, the word “mankind.” We translate the definite article “those who.” The present active participle from the verb katexw which means to hold back, to hold down, to imprison, to check, to restrain, to suppress. It is used here for the unbeliever rejecting Christ as saviour. This is salvation maladjustment to the justice of God. The present tense is a customary present, it denotes what habitually occurs when those who are negative at either God-consciousness or gospel hearing are involved. The active voice: the heathen (the unbeliever who has definitely said no) are those maladjusted to the justice of God at salvation, and they produce the action. The participle is circumstantial for salvation maladjustment to the justice of God, i.e. the status quo of heathenism.[17] Also, there is an accusative singular direct object from both the definite article and the noun a)lhqeia which can refer to either God-consciousness or gospel hearing. With the intensive pronoun from the definite article it describes a category of life. It describes what we call heathenism, it describes those who are maladjusted to the justice of God at salvation. We translate this, “of those who suppress the truth.” The truth here is the gospel/salvation part of doctrine.
“in unrighteousness” – e)n plus the instrumental of a)dikia.
Translation: “For anger from God is being revealed from heaven against all non-Godliness [heathenism] and anti-justice [salvation maladjustment to the justice of God] of those who suppress the truth [salvation doctrine] through anti-justice [salvation maladjustment to the justice of God].”
Verses 19-20, the issue of God-consciousness.
Verse 19 – “Because that” is a causal compound conjunction, dioti. It is compounded from the preposition dia, “because,” and the conjunction o(ti, “that.” It is translated simply “Because.” It means, Here is a reason, a reason for God’s wrath for those who are maladjusted to the justice of God at salvation. Wrath is an anthropopathism, it demonstrates the execution of divine justice toward those who are maladjusted to the justice of God. It indicates punitive action. The reason for God’s wrath is negative volition at the point of God-consciousness. This means negative volition at the point of gospel hearing. Negative volition at the point of gospel hearing means maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation. Maladjustment to the justice of God at gospel hearing means unbeliever reversionism in time and divine judgment in eternity in the lake of fire.
“that which may be known” – nominative singular neuter, predicate nominative, from verbal adjective gnostoj which means “known.” “Because what is known” is the corrected translation. There is a nominative neuter definite article to which is used as a relative pronoun. The verbal adjective gnostoj refers to knowledge about God at God-consciousness.
“of God” – objective genitive of the definite article plus the objective genitive of the noun qeoj; “is”— present active indicative of e)imi. This is a static present, it takes for granted as a fact the doctrine of God-consciousness. So this verb assumes that when you read this and look at this passage that you already understand God-consciousness. The active voice: God-consciousness produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the viewpoint of reality, and it makes an unqualified assertion of fact that all normal minds reach God-consciousness. The only exceptions: to die before reaching God-consciousness, i.e. before accountability; or to be a moron. Better to be a moron and be saved than to be a genius and be unsaved.
“manifest” – predicate nominative neuter singular from faneroj. It means conspicuous, clear, well-known, manifest. It refers to what is visible to the sensory perception. When linked with the verb to be it means to be perceived by the sense in such a way that perception is perspicuous, outstanding, everything is understood. This verbal adjective says that if you have a normal mind you would have already reached God-consciousness long before now, and at some point in your life you did reach God-consciousness whether you can remember it or not, or whether you are aware of it or not. Faneroj emphasises that this was hidden before; God was hidden, and it takes on the nuance of revealed because what is known about God is revealed.
“in them” – preposition e)n plus the locative of the intensive pronoun a)utoj. It means here “inside of them”—in the soul, in the brain. It emphasises the identity of mankind upon reaching God-consciousness. An intensive pronoun sets up a category of those who now understand something that makes them accountable for what they understand. When you reach God-consciousness you are accountable for what you understand. When you hear the gospel you are accountable for what you understand. Negative volition at the point of God-consciousness is immediate maladjustment to the justice of God.
“for God” – the postpositive conjunctive particle gar used as an explanatory conjunction. This is used to explain the phenomenon of God-consciousness. The nominative subject of a definite article plus the proper noun for God, qeoj—“the God.”
“hath shewed it” – aorist active indicative from the verb fanerow which means to reveal one’s self—“for the God has revealed himself.” This is an aorist active indicative and the voice does not indicate the reflexive connotation, it is built into the verb. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist, it views God-consciousness in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results, namely a relationship with the justice of God. The active voice: God Himself reveals Himself the functions of the systems of perception—faith, rationalism, or empiricism. The indicative mood is declarative for the dogmatic assertion of a point of doctrine.
“unto them” – dative plural indirect object from the intensive pronoun a)utoj, emphasising the identity of the human race as the beneficiary of God-consciousness. The dative of indirect object emphasises the one in whose interest God-consciousness occurs, hence the dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of every thinking person in the human race to reach the point of God-consciousness. This is translated “to them.”
Translation: “Because what is known about God is revealed in them [God-consciousness]; for the God has revealed himself to them.”
1. No person with normal processes of mentality has an excuse before the justice of God.
2. God-consciousness applies to all normal people.
3. Volition at God-consciousness determines adjustment or maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation.
4. Exceptions should be noted: those children who die before reaching God-consciousness or accountability are automatically saved; those who are morons and
therefore never reach God-consciousness. They do not have normal mental capabilities.
5. The justice of God automatically makes provision of salvation for those who cannot or do not reach the point of God-consciousness and/or accountability.
Verse 20 – “For the invisible things of him.” The postpositive conjunction gar, the explanatory use of it as a conjunction, plus the nominative neuter plural of the definite article ta, plus the nominative neuter subject a)oratoj, means “invisible things.” With this is the possessive genitive singular from the intensive pronoun a)utoj, used as a personal pronoun. There is something that belongs to God: multitudinous invisible things. Here it refers to His attributes, and it should be so translated: “for his invisible attributes.” In other words, the essence of God is real and invisible.
“from the creation of the world” – the preposition of ultimate source, a)po, plus the ablative, and the ablative of ktisij plus the descriptive genitive from kosmoj comes to mean “since the creation of the world.” A)po can denote a point from which something began and it can also be used as a preposition of time, which is the way it is used here. “For his invisible attributes [essence of God] since the creation of the world.” Or, in better English, “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes.”
“are clearly seen” – present passive indicative from the compound verb kaqoraw [kata = down; o(raw = to see] which means to look down, to view, to perceive, to clearly perceive, to be perspicuous. Perspicacity means plain to the understanding. It is not obscure or ambiguous. The present tense of kaqoraw is a customary present, it denotes what habitually occurs at the point of God-consciousness. The passive voice: the divine attributes of God receive the action of the verb at God-consciousness—you become aware of His justice, of His righteousness, of His sovereignty. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of God-consciousness in the life of every normal thinking person.
“being understood” – present passive participle of noew, meaning simple perception. The present tense, again, is a customary present denoting what habitually occurs at God-consciousness. The passive voice: perception of certain divine attributes receive the action of the verb at the point of God-consciousness. The participle denotes simultaneous action with the main verb, the main verb being “are perspicuous.”
“through the things that are made” – literally, through the things that he has created. The instrumental plural from poihma means “creation.”
“even his eternal power” – the omnipotence of God. We have a disjunctive particle h( used to express related and similar terms where one supplements or takes the place of the other. It is translated “namely.” A combination of particles follows: th and kai. This indicates things related, plus an adjective, a)idioj, a Homeric word for always existing. Plus the possessive genitive of the intensive pronoun a)uotoj, emphasising the essence of God, plus the noun dunamij for His omnipotence.
“and Godhead” – incorrect. The word is qeiothj, it means the quality of God or divine essence, or deity.
“so that they are without excuse” – the entire human race, without exception, are without excuse before the justice of God. The preposition e)ij plus the present active infinitive of e)imi. This is used to express purpose. There is also a definite article in the accusative neuter which is used to indicate the preposition taking the accusative and therefore the infinitive will have the meaning assigned to the accusative. When we have a prepositional phrase it always the case in which you find the object that determines the meaning of the preposition. So we have to translate “for the purpose of being.” The infinitive expresses the aim or the action denoted by the finite verb. The attributes of deity are clearly perceived so that all members of the human race have no excuse in their defense before the justice of God. “For the purpose of being” is an idiom meaning “so that they are.” Plus the accusative plural from the noun a)napologhtoj, which means without excuse in a courtroom, without excuse or defense before a justice.
Translation: “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes [essence] are clearly perceived, being perspicuous through the things which he has created, namely both his omnipotence [eternal power] and his divine nature [essence of deity]: so that they [the human race] are without excuse before the justice of God.”
Verse 21 – the issue of gospel hearing. “Because that” is simply because. It is the causal conjunction dioti expressing the reason for God’s wrath to those who are maladjusted to the justice of God at salvation. Rejection of Christ at the point of hearing the gospel results in unbeliever reversionism, which we commonly call heathenism. By heathenism we are not merely describing pristine conditions which have existed historically almost since the beginning of time, but we refer to conditions that exist in the highest point of western civilisation and that have existed throughout the highest civilisations of history. So whether we are talking about the most high levels of civilisation or the most pristine conditions of the aborigines it makes no difference. Heathenism applies to all kinds of people in the human race.
“when they knew God” – the aorist active participle of the verb ginwskw. The aorist tense is a Greek idiom. Whenever the aorist tense occurs it is an idiomatic tense since it has absolutely no relationship to time. Whereas in the English language all tenses are related to time, we have no equivalent to the aorist tense. The Greek word itself, a)oristoj, is an adjective. It means unlimited or indefinite. Only in the indicative mood occasionally there is a relationship to the past tense. That is why we have an aoristic present and why we have a future tense with an aorist concept, because the only way the aorist is related to time is occasionally in the past. So the aorist views the action of the verb as a single whole. The culminative aorist views the convincing ministry God the Holy Spirit in making gospel hearing a reality in its entirety, but it regards it from the viewpoint of existing results, i.e. e)pignwsij of the gospel. So the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in making the gospel clear, the convincing ministry of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of common grace, it gathers it up into one entirety but the emphasis of the culminative aorist is on the results which are taken in view. The result is that the person clearly understands the gospel and definitely says no to what he understands. In other words, he says no to e)pignwsij of the gospel. This is how reversionism is formed among unbelievers. Just as reversionism is formed among believers by saying no to doctrine, in effect the same thing is true for the unbeliever. He says no to a specific portion of doctrine dealing with salvation, often called the gospel, though there are passages where the word “gospel” or good news refers to the entire realm of Bible doctrine. The active voice: the unbeliever produces the action of the verb through gospel hearing, and the Holy Spirit makes it clear. This is the inhale of the gospel. The unbeliever cannot understand the gospel and the Holy Spirit acts as a stand-in for the human spirit and makes the gospel a reality. Where there is negative volition at the point of e)pignwsij gospel then the unbeliever goes into unbeliever reversionism, and for use of a better term, heathenism. The participle is a temporal participle used for a temporal clause, plus the antecedent action—the action of the participle precedes the action of the main verb. We also have the accusative singular direct object plus the definite article plus the proper noun qeoj, and it should be translated “because when they knew God.” This is a reference to having e)pignwsij understanding so that a yes or a no is demanded, either faith or unbelief is the result. We see negative volition in this case.
“they glorified him not as God” – this includes that main verb. There is an aorist active indicative of docazw plus the negative o)uk. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist and it views the gospel hearing in its entirety, it regards it from the viewpoint of its existing results, negative volition toward e)pignwsij gospel. The word docazw means to honour: “they did not honour.” The active voice: this is the unbeliever who has a clear understanding, e)pignwsij regarding the gospel and he has said no. He produces the action: negativity, unbelief. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the viewpoint of reality. The declarative indicative is also the sign of the main verb. Again, the action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb, “because when they knew God they did not honour him.” Therefore he is maladjusted to the justice of God. While the KJV adds the pronoun “him” there is no personal pronoun, it is just a matter of using something to clarify the translation. Instead of “him” we insert the word “Christ”—“they did not honour Christ.” The reason for inserting this is because next comes a relative adverb, w(j, used to introduce the characteristic quality of Jesus Christ in the context. The relative adverb is translated “as.” Then the accusative singular direct object of the verb, qeoj—“God.” There is a definite article used with the noun emphasising the identity of Jesus Christ. Usually the anarthrous construction emphasises quality and the definite article used with the noun emphasises identity. This time we do not have the definite article so we put it in sometimes to show the antithesis—“the God” is emphasising quality. The phrase is the way that negative volition is described at the point of gospel hearing.
“neither were thankful” – a second way of describing negative volition, starting with a disjunctive particle h) which connects negative functions and relates them. We can translate this “nor.” Then the aorist active indicative of e)uxaristew which means to be obligated, to feel obligated, or to be thankful, or to give thanks. Translation: “nor did they feel obligated to thank him.” This is a culminative aorist, it contemplates negative volition at gospel hearing in its entirety but views it from the existing results of total ingratitude. The active voice: the unbeliever produces ingratitude at the point of negative volition to the gospel. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the viewpoint of reality. The declarative, again, is also the main verb for the antecedent action of the aorist participle. Literally we have, “Because when they knew the God they did not honour Christ as God, nor did they feel obligated to thank him.” No obligation, no appreciation, no capacity for life. When the unbeliever rejects e)pignwsij gospel he loses any possibility of a true capacity for life. He must always accepts substitutes, a vacuum opens up in his soul and into it go the Satanic policies of evil. This results in blackout of the soul, hardness of the heart, and reverse process reversionism in unbelievers.
“but” is an adversative conjunction, a)lla, it sets up a contrast with what precedes. Here is the emphatic use of the adversative conjunction, which indicates that the preceding clause is a definite fact and this is a result of that settled fact of negative volition at gospel hearing. It is not the ordinary adversative and therefore “but” will not work as a translation. When you have, as here, the emphatic use of the adversative it should be translated “in fact.” “As a result of negative volition” can be added so that you understand the intensive use and the emphatic use of the adversative conjunction.
“they became vain in their imaginations” – the aorist passive indicative from the verb mataiow. The cognate to this is mataiothj which is the vacuum that opens up into the left lobe of the soul and sucks in evil thinking so that evil becomes the attitude and the concepts registered in the soul. This comes from negative volition: on the part of the unbeliever, toward e)pignwsij gospel; on the part of the believer, toward Bible doctrine. The words “vain in their imaginations” is not correct, it is literally, “they received worthless [or, evil] thoughts.” The aorist tense of the verb is a gnomic aorist for a fact or a doctrine so fixed in its certainty or axiomatic in its character that it is described in the aorist just as though it were an actual occurrence. This is a double Greek idiom and it is translated by the present tense. The passive voice: negative volition of the unbeliever at the point of gospel hearing opens the vacuum to the soul through which worthless or evil thought enter the soul. In other words, the negative unbeliever receives the action of the verb. The declarative indicative is for a dogmatic statement of doctrine regarding unbeliever reversionism. This dogmatic statement is necessary to understand what follows. The phrase “in their imaginations” is literally, “in their evil deliberations” or “in their evil rationalisations.” We have a prepositional phrase here referring to the doctrine of evil.[18] It is e)n plus the locative plural of dialogismoj for rationalisations. Polibius and Demosthenes first used this word for deliberation in thought and for concepts of thinking. But by the second century BC it was used for judicial investigations and decisions. Eventually in the New Testament it came to be used primarily for evil thinking or evil thoughts. It is so used in Matthew 7:21; 15:19; Luke 2:35; 5:22; 9:47. One of the great linguists of the 19th century, Gotlieb Shrank of Zurich, Switzerland, said that dialogismoj is used in the New Testament only for evil or anxious thoughts. So regardless of usage before the Koine Greek dialognismoj is used for evil thoughts or for panic thoughts. With this we have a possessive genitive plural from the intensive pronoun a)utoj, identifying the category of unbeliever reversionist. He is the one who has a vacuum which sucks into the mentality of his soul evil thinking, anxious thinking, evil deliberation.
“and their foolish heart” – foolishness doesn’t come first, it is a result of rationalisations of evil or the thinking of evil. The phrase includes the nominative singular subject of the adjective a)sunetoj [a = negative’ sunatoj = understanding] which means not understanding. It means more than that, it means ignorance, often deliberate ignorance. With this is the possessive genitive plural from the intensive pronoun a)utoj, and the noun that goes with the adjective, kardia, correctly translated “heart” but it must be understood that the heart is the right lobe of the frontal lobes. This is translated, “and their ignorant right lobe.”
“was darkened” – aorist passive indicative of the verb skotizw. It means to receive darkness. This is a gnomic aorist tense for the fact that doctrine is so fixed in its certainty, so axiomatic in its character, that it is ascribed in the aorist just as though it were an actual occurrence at the moment. The passive voice: maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation, and therefore the reversionistic believer so maladjusted receives the action of the verb—blackout of the soul. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of doctrine regarding heathenism or reversionism. When an unbeliever has e)pignwsij gospel in his soul and says no, then blackout of the soul after his soul is filled with evil is the result.
Translation: “Because, when they knew the God, they did not honour Christ as God, nor did they feel obligated to thank him; in fact, as a result of their negative volition they received worthless thoughts in their evil cerebrations, and their ignorant right lobe received darkness.”
Verse 22 – the delusion of heathenism [unbeliever reversionism]. This is negative volition at God-consciousness plus negative volition at gospel hearing. A delusion occurs which has quite a negative impact on history.
“Professing” – present active participle from the verb faskw. The word means to assert, to affirm, to allege, to claim. The present tense is a pictorial present, it depicts the delusion of reversionism in the process of occurrence, a delusion which occurs in every generation and in some generations in saturation because of negative volition at God-consciousness and gospel hearing. A vacuum is created into thousands and millions of souls and the result is blackout and hardness of heart, and eventually a saturation of heathenism which has destroyed certain areas in the past—Soddom and Gomorah, Assyria, Chaldea, Persia, the Hellenistic monarchies, Rome, Hitler’s Germany, etc. The active voice: unbeliever reversionists produce the action of the verb. The participle is concessive, it is translated “Although they claimed.”
“themselves” is not found in the original MSS.
“to be wise” – present active infinitive from e)imi, strong linear aktionsart, they are absolutely confident of their wisdom; “wise” is the predicate nominative plural from sofoj. “Although they claimed to be wise” is the delusion of maladjustment.
1. Delusion of maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation is the result of unbeliever reversionism.
2. The application of darkness to life is the erroneous assumption of wisdom—a delusion. People are led to believe they are wise, and this is a delusion.
3. This affirmation of non-existent wisdom is the status of heathenism in the last three stages of reversionism—blackout of the soul, scar-tissue of the soul,
reverse process reversionism.
4. The reversionist sets up false norms for wisdom, then uses these false norms to allege and conclude possession of wisdom.
5. This explains the blindness of the sincere libera, the do-gooder, the person who is a walking guilt complex trying to distort legislation, trying to use political
power to solve man’s problems.
6. Such problems as man possesses can only be solved by Bible doctrine, adjustment to the justice of God in all three categories—salvation, rebound, maturity.
7. Negative volition at gospel hearing triggered this unbeliever reversionism.
“they became fools” – aorist passive indicative from the verb mwrainw. It means to become a fool, to become insipid, to become saltless, to become tasteless. It is used for people and food. The aorist tense is ingressive, it gathers the foolishness of heathenism into one entirety. It shows a state and a condition and denotes entrance into that state and condition with the ingressive aorist. Here the emphasis is placed on the entrance to the status of foolishness or the last three categories of unbelievers reversionism. The passive voice: heathen or reversionists received the action of the verb—saltlessness, insipidness, fools. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of Bible doctrine related to history.
Translation: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”
1.To be the kind of fool described in verse 22 there must be arrogance and pride of reversionism.
2.In verse 23 we note what the arrogance of reversionism can create. Self-righteousness and arrogance in reversionism is creative, but it is creative in the
sphere of evil, creative to the point of coming into contact with demonism. Evil creates its own gods.
3.Arrogance sets itself above the essence of God and distorts the perfect attributes of God into ridiculous images of human and animal power.
4.Following the lack of common sense which accompanies such maladjustment to the justice of God the arrogant man declares that the images which he has
constructed are God.
5.False doctrine which man can manufacture from the evil in his soul has an application: Evil, in turn, becomes creative and manufactures idols by which people
make contact with demons. The fact that man can manufacture a god is the epitome of arrogance, the quintessence of human folly, total blasphemy.
Verse 23 – the pattern of heathenism for unbeliever reversionism. “And changed” – the connective use of the conjunction kai plus the aorist active indicative of a)llassw which means to exchange, to transform, to alter. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist, it views idolatry of heathenism or reversionism in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results. First of all you have to “profess yourself to be wise,” have arrogance in the soul. This “exchange” is trading their common sense for the most awful type of evil. The culminative aorist tales all of their creative expression and gathers it up into one entirety—the making of an idol and calling it a god. They made the god; that’s arrogance. But it views it from the standpoint of its existing results, the type of reversionism in which they find themselves: total maladjustment to the justice of God leading to total blackout of the soul. The active voice: the unbeliever produces the action by saying no at God-consciousness and no at gospel hearing. The indicative mood is declarative for the historical pattern of reversionism and heathenism, or unbeliever reversionism.
“the glory of the uncorruptible God” – the accusative singular direct object from doca, “glory”, referring here to the sum total of the divine attributes of God; the possessive genitive from the adjective a)fqartoj, which means imperishable, incorruptible, immortal; plus the descriptive genitive of qeoj, “God.” Arrogance of reversionism always seeks to corrupt the incorruptible, and the creative work of evil is to destroy the incorruptible in the minds of others. You cannot destroy the incorruptible God but you can create the wrong impression of Him. Arrogance always finds a human being setting himself up above the very power and greatness of infinite God. So the arrogance of reversionism seeks to corrupt the incorruptible by exchanging the perfect attributes of God for images of people or animals associated with what people admire in people, or what people admire in animals—generally some form of power or some ability to kill, and so on. Principle: Creature power, no matter how it tries, can never supersede creator power.
“into an image” – e)n plus the locative of o(moiwma, which means a copy, a form, an appearance, an image. With the locative o)moiwma with e)n means into or in, but with the verb a)llassw, to exchange, it means for. So we translate “for an image.” This is idolatry of heathenism or reversionism.
“made like” – there is no verb here at all in he original. There is an appositional genitive singular from e)ikon. It means not only an image but also a form or appearance. We translate it, “in the form of.”
“corruptible man” – descriptive genitive of the adjective fqartoj which means corruptible, mortal, or perishable. Man is corruptible because of his old sin nature; man is mortal because of death; man is perishable because of the human body. Then the objective genitive singular of a)nqrwpoj, used for mankind in the generic sense. Images of men who exercise great power and authority in life are set up and worshipped. This was being done in the Roman empire.
“and to birds” – objective genitive plural of peteinon. These birds are admired for their ability to soar—the hawk, the eagle, the birds that seem to have power. Many countries had some form of bird worship.
“and four-footed beasts” – objective genitive plural from tetrapouj, which means a quadruped, an animal with four legs. The animal was worshipped for his power. For example, the bull was worshipped in Egypt and in Crete.
“and creeping things” – e(rpetwn, referring primarily to snakes, though crocodiles were also worshipped.
Translation: “And they exchanged the glory [essence] of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, and birds, and quadrupeds, and reptiles.”
This is the story of how far evil will go, and how evil becomes creative and makes its own gods.
Verses 24-28, three deliveries of divine justice. There are three approaches of divine justice to people who become so involved. The verb paradidomi means to deliver, and in this case it means to deliver over to justice and to deliver over to the justice of the supreme court of heaven. In the context there are three deliveries to divine justice. The first is the delivery to reversionism, verses 24 & 25. The second is the delivery to perversion, verses 26 & 27. The third delivery is to the function of evil, verse 28.
Verse 24 – the first delivery: divine justice delivering a maladjusted people to reversionism. “Wherefore God also”— the inferential conjunction dio should be translated “Therefore,” in view of what has just been noted with regard to God-consciousness, gospel hearing, negative volition at these points, the accumulation of negative volition or maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation. As a result of that maladjustment God is fair and just, and if divine justice cannot bless it must curse; and that is what we are about to observe—the cursing which comes from the justice of God where the human race in any given nation or empire is maladjusted to the justice of God.
“God” – o( qeoj, “the God.” The definite article is not used to show the quality of God, though the quality of essence is there, it is to demonstrate the fact that this phrase, this person, is well known to those who are the hearers or the readers of this epistle. So the definite article with the proper noun indicates you know who is meant by “the God.” It refers specifically to the Lord Jesus Christ who is a presiding judge of the supreme court of heaven. There are three judges on the supreme court: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But all judgment is committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. So the inferential conjunction dio gives a reason for judgment from the justice of God, in this case against the unbeliever in reversionism. Negative volition at either God-consciousness or gospel hearing is the cause of the problem and results in heathenism. The justice of God must adjust to maladjustment, and it does so always with cursing. The nominative singular of qeoj with the definite article emphasises the justice of God from the essence of God.
“gave them up” – aorist active indicative of the verb paradidomi which means to hand over, to deliver, to entrust, to give over, to commend, or to commit. It also means to hand down, to pass on, to transmit, to reach, to allow, and to permit. Obviously all of these meanings go with various combinations of other Greek words. Here we have a combination of delivering over or handing over to judgment. The verb is used here for God’s judgment of unbeliever reversionism or the evil of heathenism. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it contemplates the action of the verb in its entirety. It takes the judgment of heathenism in any nation, at any time, and gathers it up into one entirety. The active voice: the justice of God produces the action of the verb: the judgment of unbeliever reversionism. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality. We also have an accusative plural direct object of the verb paradidomi, and an intensive pronoun a)utoj. And so we translate literally, “Therefore [because of reversionism] the God delivered them over [to judgment].” This is the concept of these words. The indicative mood is historical reality. This has happened historically in the past.
“to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts” – the Greek word order is quite different from what it is in the English. The prepositional phrase, e)n plus the locative plural of e)piqumia, means lusts, is used for the lust pattern of the old sin nature—power lust, approbation lust, materialism lust, wander lust, any kind of lust—is literally “in the lusts.” Then the ablative of source from kardia, referring to the part of the mentality of the soul where thinking is done and anything else which is done by way of mental action. In the lusts of the right lobe, when there is no category of doctrine, eventually evil comes from the left lobe over to the right lobe. In the left lobe evil is called the blackout of the soul, and it moves over to the right lobe. As it comes into the right lobe it begins to take over various functions, and as evil takes over there is no vocabulary, no integrity, there are no principles. The standards are destroyed, there is no conscience. It is replaced by lusts from the old sin nature. So we have, “in lusts from their right lobes.” The possessive genitive plural of the intensive pronoun a)utoj is used as a possessive pronoun showing that this category of people possess a right lobe with a potential; the potential is destroyed by maladjustment. There is also the preposition e)ij plus the accusative of a)kaqarsia which means impurity, refuse, immorality, viciousness, all kinds of things. The noun is used for ceremonial as well as moral impurity, it means moral uncleanness, it implies also sexual profligacy and uncleanness of the soul. There is also a connotation of impurity in the sense of content of graves, the decomposition of the corpse in the grave. Paul, however, uses the word in the broader sense of its use in Judaism—absolute alienation from God on the part of the unbeliever reversionist and/or the heathen. We translate this “to an unclean status” or “to an immoral status” if we understand immoral, not in the sense of violating some standard of law but total alienation from God, maladjustment to the justice of God.
“to dishonour” – the articular present passive infinitive from the verb a)timazw. This infinitive introduces a result clause. We have e)ij plus to plus the infinitive. When God starts to judge the reversionism of the unbeliever He judges them by permitting them to enter into a system of dishonour. There are causes and results in history, there are causes and results in scientific phenomena, there are causes and results in the function of divine justice. Here the cause is divine justice and the result is to “dishonour”, to insult, to treat shamefully. In the passive voice it means to be degraded: “that their bodies might be degraded” is a better translation than to dishonour their own bodies. In the infinitive we have the historical present tense. This occurs historically whenever the conditions are right. The passive voice: the bodies of those involved in the national entity receive the action of the verb. The infinitive is the infinitive of actual result.
“their own bodies” – accusative plural of reference, swma. One of the great protections of divine establishment is the protection of your body. Your body is the house for your soul. Any time you body is protected your soul is also protected, and it is for this purpose that we have the true concept of freedom. The true concept of freedom protects your body and soul from the encroachment from others. It also protects things related to your body—your property, your privacy. “That their bodies might be degraded” has to do with the destruction of freedom in a very special sense. The justice of God begins to degrade the human body. Once the human body is degraded there are certain manifestations of this. When the human body is not degraded people in a nation always have excellent grooming. They are clean, well dressed, compatible, of course, with their own financial status in life and availability of clothing, and so on. The degradation of the body is a sign of a loss of freedom.
“between themselves” indicates the course that is going to be explained in this passage. This is e)n plus the locative plural from the intensive pronoun a)utoj, used here in the reflexive sense—“among themselves.” This is the predicate use of the intensive pronoun, translated by the word “self.” The Greek prepositional phrase e)n a)utoij has a reciprocal significance, and this reciprocity is going to refer to perverted sex in verse 26. This is the degradation among themselves. This is not fornication, not legitimate sex, but perverted sex which is going to be the sign of degradation, or the illustration of it.
Translation: “Therefore the God [justice of God] delivered them over in the lusts of their right lobes to immoral status, that their bodies might be degraded among themselves.”
This verse emphasises divine justice handing over the reversionist to judgement, and the unbeliever reversionist is judged by the justice of God in time as well as in eternity. The verse indicates that reversionism is self-destructive. Wherever homosexuality thrives there is a degenerate society awaiting a very, very terrible and disastrous historical judgment. Reversionism is self-destructive and the cancer of society which grows and grows is homosexuality. This destroyed the famous 5th century BC society of Greece. This is typical of the degeneracy which comes from divine justice. When there is rejection of divine truth there is the inevitable vacuum, the infiltration of evil into the soul, and the degradation which comes as a part of divine justice. Therefore, perverted sex such as homosexuality and lesbianism is a reversionistic attack on human freedom. The security of human freedom is the divine institutions.
Principle of doctrine: The old sin nature has no capacity for thought, no power of thought. And since the old sin nature does not think it borrows the right lobe for its thinking. That is why the heart is often connect with the old sin nature. It is why Jesus said: “From the heart proceeds …” and then He gave a list of sins. The source of homosexuality, bestiality, lesbianism and incest is said to be the heart. But it is simply that the old sin nature must use the heart to do its thinking. Neither the emotion nor the OSN has any ability for thought.
Verse 25 – “Who changed” is the nominative masculine plural of the qualitative relative pronoun o(stij, indicating persons who belong to a certain category. We are talking about category degeneracy, about the perverted abnormalities of sex which are a cancer, indicating that reversionism has reached a saturation point and must be judged by the justice of God. The relative pronoun o(stij introduces a sentence of general reference. The aorist active indicative of metallassw is the verb, it means to exchange something for something. It is used in verse 26 for exchanging normal sex, natural sex relationships between a man and a woman for those which are contrary to nature and abnormal. When people reject doctrine, the gospel—in this case, people refers to the unbeliever—and there is the entrance into reversionism, eventually the thinking which accompanies reversionism leads to perversion. There is perversion in thinking and there is perversion in action. Perversion is that which is the antithesis of establishment principles. What happens is that the doctrine of God is exchanged for the lie of Satan, i.e. evil. The word “exchanged” here is a constative aorist, it gathers into one entirety the reversionistic process which leads into sexual perversion. The active voice: the unbeliever in this case produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative for the dogmatic statement of fact regarding trading doctrine for the lie and perversionism.
“the truth of God” is the good part of the exchange—the accusative singular direct object from the noun a)lhqeia which means truth in the sense of doctrine. In this context it connotes that portion of doctrine which the unbeliever can understand when he gets e)pignwsij gospel; plus the possessive genitive from qeoj—“the doctrine of the God.” Reversionism is always exposed to truth first. The unbeliever has heard the gospel, has understood the gospel through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
“into a lie” – the presposition e)n plus the definite article plus the locative singular of yeudoj refers to Satanic doctrines which are false. Yeudoj connotes error, false assertions, and therefore this refers to the whole propaganda of evil that changes a person from normal to abnormal. Evil becomes the thinking and perversion becomes the action from that thinking.
The result: “and worshipped” – aorist passive indicative of sebazomai, a deponent verb—passive in form, active in meaning—and it means to show reverence, respect. It originally had the connotation of a scale of values, and what is high on your scale of values you respect or worship. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it gathers up into one entirety the worship of Satan on the part of the reversionist. Whether he knows it or not he worships either Satan or something Satan provides, like perversion. The passive voice: in the deponent verb it is active in meaning and the reversionistic unbeliever produces the action. The indicative mood is declarative, the verbal idea is expressed in the viewpoint of actual historical reality.
“and served” – aorist active indicative from latreuw is an advance. Latreuw comes to be the ritual of worship. It includes everything from human sacrifice to the phallic cult where Satan is concerned. The original connotation of the word was to serve happily in response to respect in the soul, but it finally comes to mean Satanism, demonism, the whole works. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it gathers into one entirety every act related to demonism, human sacrifice, the Satanic mass, any other ritual related to the cultic worship of Satan. In other words, latreuw is used here for the worship of Satan. Idolatry was one of the places where they always started homosexuality, bestiality, incest, child sacrifice.
“the creature” – dative of indirect object, dative of disadvantage of ktisij and it refers to the worship of Satan. He is the creature referred to here, the original creature from God. It is to the disadvantage of anyone to worship the creature.
“more than the creator” – the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not quite correctly translated, the reason being that para plus the accusative plus the definite article with the aorist active participle is not quite what it appears to be. Para plus the accusative has one meaning whereas para plus other cases has a different meaning. Para is denoting a comparison. It is used here as a preposition of comparison and it should be translated “rather than.” There is a mutually exclusive concept which is not brought out by the translation “more than.” The articular aorist active participle refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. The articular participle when not accompanied by a noun often functions as a substantive, and therefore instead of giving it a participial verbal concept we will give it the noun concept and simply call it “rather than the creator.” One person of the Trinity is specifically said to be the creator of the universe. The Lord Jesus Christ is said to be the creator of all things in John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:10. Rather than use His title as Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ is given another title here. The articular participle used as the substantive includes a title which the unbeliever can understand. God-consciousness gives the unbeliever that much understanding. So the articular participle used as a substantive includes that category of unbeliever reversionist who is negative at God-consciousness and negative at gospel hearing. Rejection or negative volition at either God-consciousness or gospel hearing opens the vacuum of the soul, called mataiothj, resulting in the entrance of the lie which is a synonym here for evil. The lie, evil, and strong delusion (2 Thess. 2) are synonymous terms. We have the participle of ktizw. There is a cognate noun ktisij. This is what ktizw does, it produces creatures. We have our source from the Lord Jesus Christ who created each category. Jesus Christ is God and infinitely greater than the greatest of creatures. Christ created Satan; Satan revolted against his creator. The negative volition of Lucifer created a vacuum in his own arrogant being—we might call it a soul by way of anthropopathism—and therefore the delusion of evil entered and possessed Satan. Demon possession never occurs before delusion possession, the function of evil in the soul of the reversionist. So the delusion comes first, and as the ruler of this world Satan’s policy of evil is strong delusion.
“who” – the relative pronoun o(j has as its antecedent the Lord Jesus Christ; “is – present active indicative of e)imi. The present tense is a static present, it represents a condition assumed as permanently existing. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic and unqualified statement of fact.
“blessed” – a predicate nominative from e)uloghtoj, an adjective which means praise, or blessed. The adjective is equivalent, however, to the Hebrew baruk, a qal passive participle from the verb barak, meaning to bless. The adjective is called doxological. In other words, God is not blessed by anyone else; God is blessed by His own being. The adjective, being doxological, is never used for men in the New Testament. This sometimes means the object of praise but it means that in His own being there is nothing but blessing. God is perfect happiness within His own being. So the adjective e)uloghtoj means much more than mere praise from mankind. The adjective takes on the special sense of connoting the attributes of God, and indicating that every attribute of God being immutable and unchangeable only produces and contributes happiness to the whole essence of God. God is perfect happiness and perfect blessing, and as perfect blessing He is the source of blessing—provided, of course, there is adjustment to His justice. So “blessed” means that the integrity of divine attributes of Christ are inviolable forever and ever.
“forever” is a prepositional phrase, e)ij plus the accusative plural of a)iwn, “for the ages” or “forever.” It is a Greek idiom of duration of time.
“Amen” – a)mhn. The Hebrew equivalent, amen, means to believe, to be stabilised, to be sure. It is used to attest the praise of God in response to a doxology. It acknowledges the validity of doctrine as binding, therefore it connotes what is sure and valid. So the Greek a)mhn is used in liturgy of worship for acclamation in christian worship. It is used to terminate both prayers and doxologies, meaning “I believe it,” or better, “I am sure of it.”
Translation: “They [reversionists] who exchanged the doctrine of the God for a lie [gospel for false doctrine or evil], both worshipped and served the creature [Satan] rather than the Creator [Jesus Christ], who is blessed forever. Amen.”
1. Jesus Christ is not blessed forever by man. The final phrase means that the justice of God is inviolable.
2. The justice of God is neither corrupted nor compromised by blessing man who adjusts to His justice.
3. For the unbeliever who adjust to the justice of God at salvation by faith in Christ the justice of God is free to bless that person with eternal salvation.
4. Giving salvation to sinful man when he believes in Christ does not destroy or corrupt the justice of God.
5. The Creator, or Jesus Christ, retains His justice inviolable, immutable, unchangeable, even after saving the person who believes in Christ.
6. However, rejection of Christ as saviour in maladjustment to the justice of God, therefore the justice of God is not free to give salvation to the ones who do not
adjust by believing in Christ. There is only the alternative.
7. Negative volition at either God-consciousness or gospel hearing is maladjustment to the justice of God.
8. Either you adjust to the justice of God or the justice of God will adjust to you.
9. Maladjustment means exchanging the truth or doctrine of God for the devil’s lie, the false doctrine of evil.
10. While the unbeliever changes in reversionism the attributes of God remain immutable, incorruptible, inviolable.
11. Therefore God is blessed forever in the sense that His attributes remain uncompromised in either blessing or cursing you through His divine justice.
12. The justice of God can bless the person who believes in Christ with eternal salvation. That same justice of God can only judge and curse the person who is
negative at God-consciousness or gospel hearing, or both. The first delivery, then, is mental and it results in the second delivery to judgment.
Verses 26 & 27, the second delivery to sexual perversion. Note: a) Legitimate sex (marriage); b) Illegitimate but normal sex (fornication). In both of these types of sex anything goes to which both agree. There is no such thing as an abnormality between two normal people, male and female, in sex; c) Abnormal sex (everything from incest, homosexuality/lesbianism, bestiality, etc. These need to be kept in mind. Points b & c are sins and subject to rebound; point a is not a sin.
Verse 26 – the principle involved. “For this cause” – the preposition dia plus the accusative neuter singular from the demonstrative pronoun o(utoj. Literally, “Because of this.” The demonstrative pronoun emphasises the negative volition or maladjustment of the reversionist who in the previous paragraph has exchanged a certain portion of doctrine (the gospel) for evil. Rejection of Jesus Christ as saviour, negative volition at the point of gospel hearing, maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation, means you exchange the truth for the lie, the doctrine of the gospel for Satan’s policy of evil.
“God” – incorrect. The nominative singular subject o( qeoj, “the God.” This is a proper noun referring to God and the purpose of the definite article is to indicate someone with whom you are familiar. This is what the definite article means when used with the proper noun qeoj. It identifies the identity of God as someone well known to you. Here is the justice of God emphasised.
“gave them up” – aorist active indicative of the verb paradidomi, which means to deliver over, or to hand over for judgment. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it gathers into one entirety the judgment function of the justice of God toward the unbeliever reversionist. The active voice: the justice of God produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the standpoint of reality. Then the accusative plural direct object from the intensive pronoun a)utoj which emphasises the identity of a category—unbeliever reversionism or maladjustment to the justice of God at the point of salvation. The category therefore is heathenism. Heathenism can occur at two points: negative volition at God-consciousness, negative volition at gospel hearing.
“unto vile affections” – e)ij plus the accusative plural of paqoj which means passions: “to passions.” These passions are defined by a descriptive genitive singular from the adjective a)timia, which means “dishonourable, disgraceful,” even “perverted.” Literally, “to passions of dishonour.” This refers to sexual perversion.
The last half of this verse deals with lesbianism. “For” – postpositive conjunctive particle gar used as an explanatory conjunction. The conjunction explains the passions of dishonour in terms of the females. Note: Sex was intended by God as an expression of love in category #2, between a man and a woman, never between a woman and a woman. Therefore God designed sex as an honourable passion between one man and one woman, a relationship in which both the body and the mind are coordinated honourably toward another. While sexual relationship between right man and right woman is honourable, sex between two women is totally dishonourable, depraved, degenerate, abnormal. But curable. It is a sign of reversionism. Not only is it a sin but it manifests reversionism. It is an application of the Satanic doctrine of evil to life.
“even” – a connective enclitic particle te, used to connect lesbianism with homosexuality in males. The translation should be, “For not only.”
“their women” – the word “their” is the nominative feminine plural of the definite article a(i. It is used as a possessive pronoun and therefore correctly translated. Then, we do not have the word for “women,” gunh, which means “ladies,” we have the nominative feminine plural subject qhlij, which means female. Qhlij is used for degenerate women in contrast to gunh, ladies.
“did change” – aorist active indicative of the verb metallassw which means to exchange something natural for something abnormal—to exchange the natural use of sex with a man for abnormal sexual perversion, sex with a woman. The constative aorist gathers into one entirety the expression of evil in lesbianism. The active voice: reversionistic females (unbelievers in this context) under the influence of evil produce the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative, it views reversion from the standpoint of the degeneracy and abnormality of lesbianism. “For not only their females exchanged.”
“the natural use” – accusative singular direct object from the adjective fusikoj, which means natural or normal. With that is the accusative singular direct object from the noun xrhsij, meaning use or employment, manner of using.
“into that which is against nature” – two prepositional phrases. The first: e)ij plus the accusative feminine singular of the definite article used as a demonstrative pronoun, translated “into that” or “for that.” The second: para plus the accusative of fusij, “natural order” or “natural function.”
Translation: “Because of this [exchange of doctrine for evil] the God delivered them over to passions of dishonour [sexual perversions of degeneracy]: for not only their females exchanged the normal function [of sex] for that which is contrary to normal function.”
Verse 27 – “And likewise also the men.” The adverb of comparison o(moioj, “In the same way,” plus the second enclitic particle used to connect, te. Te is repeated, and the repetition means “but also.” There is also the ascensive use of the conjunction kai, and so instead of “And likewise also” it should be translated “But also in the same manner even.” The term “lesbian” is derived from the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. We use in contrast to that now, “homosexuality” for male sexual perversion. “Also in the same manner even the men” – the nominative masculine plural subject from a)rshn which means males and has a very strong emphasis on perversion. With this is the generic use of the definite article used to represent a class of males. The males here are homosexuals.
“leaving the natural use of the woman” – the aorist active participle of a)fihmi means to let go, to send away, to give up or to abandon. This is a temporal participle so we translate it in a temporal clause, “after they abandoned.” The ingressive aorist tense contemplates the action of the verb at its beginning. It uses this verb to signify the state or condition of homosexuality and denoting an entrance into that state. There is no such thing as being born with some handicap that makes a person a homosexual. The entry into that state is by the exercise of one’s own volition related to the old sin nature and evil in the soul. This is emphasised because it is curable, like any sin. (This is contrary to what psychology teaches) The active voice: homosexual males produce the action of the verb. The participle is temporal. Note that the homosexual rejection of normal sex with a woman is an act of deliberate volition as a part of reversionism under the influence of evil. Evil distorts the thinking of the soul, otherwise no man could sexually arouse another man and no woman could ever sexually arouse another woman. The accusative singular direct object from the adjective fusikoj indicating the normal order—“natural”; and xrhsij, “use” or “function [of sex]”; plus the genitive of relationship of qhlij--“of the female.”
“burn” – aorist passive indicative of e)kkaiomai. It means to become inflamed with sexual desire. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist, it views homosexuality in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of its existing results, In other words, you enter into it at some point because of evil. Then evil controls the soul, and from that comes anti-woman and pro-male, and at this point is the culminative aorist, man arouses man. The passive voice means that the homosexual receives the action of the verb in the state of reversionism. The indicative mood is declarative, viewing the verbal action from the standpoint of reality.
“in their lust” – e)n plus the locative of o)recij which means sexual desire or sex lust; “one toward another” – the preposition e)ij plus the accusative of a)llhlwn, referring to another of the same category.
“men with men working that which is unseemly” – the masculine plural subject a)rshn, and e)n plus the locative of a)rshn, “males with males”; plus the present active participle of the verb katergazomai, which means to work out what is on the inside: sexual lust, which is both abnormal and perverted. It means to accomplish something, therefore. The present tense is a progressive present denoting an action which began in the past and is going on at the present time. This can also be a perfective present denoting the continuation of existing results of homosexuality. The active voice: the homosexual produces the action of the verb by relating abnormal lust to sexual relationship. The participle is circumstantial for perverted fornication and homosexuality. We translate it “accomplishing.” With it is an accusative singular direct object from a)sxhmosunh, a perverted act or a shameless deed.
“and receiving in themselves” – a)polambanw means to receive back what is due or to duly receive. This is a perfective present tense denoting a continuation of the pay-off of homosexuality. The active voice: homosexuals receive back judgment from the justice of God. The participle is circumstantial for an abnormal, perverted homosexuality receiving just payment from the justice of God. Then e)n plus the locative plural of the reflexive pronoun e(autou. The reflexive pronoun refers the action of the verb back on the subject—“receiving back in themselves.
“that recompence of their error” – the accusative singular of the definite article used as a demonstrative pronoun, plus the accusative singular direct object of a)ntimisqia [a)nti = against; mistoj = reward], so against reward means penalty, retribution, or judgment.
“of their error” – genitive singular of possession from planh, “of their perversion.”
“which was meet” – accusative feminine singular of the relative pronoun o(j plus the imperfect active indicative of deo, meaning here to be inevitable. This is the customary imperfect denoting what regularly occurs in past time when homosexuality is practiced.
Translation: “But also in the same manner even the males [homosexuals], after they abandoned the normal sexual function of the female, became inflamed with sexual desire in their lust toward each other [of the same category]; accomplishing the perverted act, and receiving back payment in themselves that judgment of their perversion which was inevitable.”
1. It is inevitable that the justice of God will judge all maladjustment, both homosexual and lesbian.
2. Those who do not adjust to the justice of God the justice of God will adjust to them in cursing and judgment.
3. Homosexuality is a sin, not a sickness; but in addition to that it is evil and reversionism.
4. Therefore the Bible is very definite in its prohibition against homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22.
5. The Romans had copied perversions of the Greeks.
6. The recovery of Roman art indicate homosexual activities became prominent among Romans.
1. The homosexual, then, is not only sinful but he is reversionistic, and he has a deviant attitude.
2. Homosexuality receives payment from the justice of God through irrationality, neurosis, fear, abnormal or distorted affection or love, anti-establishment
function, psychosis.
3. Psychologist Alfred Adler admits that “homosexuals have a deep-seated revolt against adjustment to the normal sex role”, plus “a tendency to depreciate
females, plus a display of increased over-sensitivity, ambition, defiance, distrust of others, and a desire to dominate.”
4. The Freudian school of psychology talks about latent homosexuality in terms of those who consciously believe that they are heterosexual but who are
unconsciously attracted to members of their own sex. There is no such thing as latent homosexuality.
5. The Freudian school, then, ignores both the function of volition and the classification of homosexuality as a sin.
6. It does, however, recognise the existence of the old sin nature with its lust patter when it uses such words as concupiscence.
7. The Krafft-Ebing school of psychology concludes that homosexuality is constitutionally-rooted, i.e. that homosexuals are born and not conditioned, and that
they have hormone or some kind of genetic imbalance causing sexual deviation.
8. While the Krafft-Ebing school ignores homosexuality as a personal sin, and a perverted one at that, it does emphasise the source of such sin and comes very
close to describing the old sin nature.
9. Modern schools of psychology, most psychiatrists, social workers and sociologists, seem to agree that homosexuality is neither constitutional nor genetic. They contend that homosexuality is the result of environmental influences of a psychological
nature. This ignores the concept of volition and the old sin nature as well as ignoring the whole doctrinal system of evil.
1. Homosexuality results from the old sin nature activity in the field of abnormal or perverted concupiscence. It is a sin related to reversionism and evil.
2. Homosexuals do not have different kinds of hormones, enzymes, or a different kind of structure from the standpoint of anatomy.
3. Studies of human hermaphrodites [half-male and half-female] demonstrate that no matter how physically mixed up these individuals may be they are
heterosexual in relationship to the sex role with which they are reared. If homosexuality were innate this would not be true.
4. Homosexuality, then, is not congenital and is not inherent.
5. Fixed homosexuals may become neurotic or psychotic, not because society harasses them but because they are maladjusted to the justice of God.
6. Therefore they receive in themselves payment, including neurosis and psychosis.
7. Therefore, not the attitude of society but the justice of God produces neurosis in fixed deviants.
8. Society may excoriate the behaviour of homosexuals but reversionism or maladjustment to the justice of God produces punitive action for abnormal sinfulness
and evil.
9. There is form of homosexuality which comes from the edifice complex, i.e. boys become so guilty about lusting over their mothers that they become afraid of
being castrated by their jealous fathers, so that thereafter they cannot face any other woman sexually, and consequently they turn to and become fixated on men. But not without the cooperation of their old sin nature nor without the cooperation of the function of evil.
10. Sexual abnormalities include:
a) Transvestism: cross-dressing. A male sexually stimulated by wearing the clothes of a female, and visa versa.
b) Sadism: Sexually aroused through brutality.
c) Masochism: Arousal through the infliction of pain.
d) Necrophilia: Sexual relationship with a corpse.
e) Necrosadism: Sexual arousal through mutilation of a corpse.
f) Sexual murder: Sexual arousal by killing another person of the opposite sex. This is not the same as rape.
g) Narcism: Sexual arousal from contemplating, admiring, or caressing one’s own body.
h) Paedophilia: Called pederasty in which an adult, usually a male, is sexually attracted to younger boys.
i) Bestiality: Sex with animals.
Homosexuality is curable through Bible doctrine resident in the soul. Whenever
homosexuality and lesbianism is permitted by society it acts as a cancer and becomes one of the first manifestations of national degeneracy and catastrophe, and the inevitable 5th cycle of discipline. There is an excellent reason for not tolerating these perversions: it is destructive to a nation.
The Creature
Lucifer the son of the morning is the highest of all angelic creatures, the most beautiful creature that ever came from the hand of God, the smartest creature. He is the ruler of all fallen angels—Matthew 8:28; 9:34; 12:26; Luke 11:18,19. Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19 describes in detail the beauty of this creature. He is the super genius of all time. Never has such a creature existed in all of time. He said, “I will be the most high God.” Pride. He had three falls: Isaiah 14 gives the first fall. Ezekiel 28 gives a description of three falls. Revelation 12 & 20 round it all out. There are also two advents of the super creature related to human history: Satan coming to the garden, and his return at the end of the Millennium. His advents come after perfect environment on the earth. So the creature is the central antagonist of the angelic conflict—Hebrews 1 & 2; Genesis 6; 1 Peter 3:18-22. He has an organization and administrative genius—Ephesians 6. He is a murderer from the beginning—John 8:44; he is antagonist to doctrine throughout all history—Matthew 13:9, 39. He is the enemy of the royal family of God—Revelation 2:9, 13, 24. The creature is also the ruler of this world—Luke 4:5-7; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2. But being the ruler of this world does not mean that he controls history. He can only control those in history who are in a status of reversionism, and it is the reversionism in the nation which makes it possible for the policies of the super creature, the policies of evil, to be rampant.
Jesus Christ controls history and therefore the creature has to have a strategy in order to get into history at all, and he has a strategy regarding the nations of the world. His strategy is one of conceit, deceit, and conspiracy—Revelation 12:9; 20:3, 8. So the creature is the chief opponent to the laws of divine establishment. He is antagonistic toward human freedom and he is anti-doctrine to the core.
He has a strategy regarding the unbelievers of this world, it runs the gamut of blindness of the soul, scar tissue of the soul, reverse process reversionism. And all of this is possible because of negative volition at God-consciousness and negative volition at gospel hearing on the part of the unbeliever. The unbeliever who is maladjusted to the justice of God through the status of reversionism is completely under the control of Satan. In addition to that, every born again believer who is negative toward doctrine is in a state of reversionism and under the same control of Satan, the ruler of this world. The only difference is that the believer in reversionism cannot be demon possessed, he is only under demon influence. So the creature has strategy as far as the unbeliever is concerned—Luke 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; the strong delusion passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10.
Satan also has strategy regarding the royal family of God. His basic strategy: the doctrine of reversionism and the doctrine of evil. But he also has other factors in his antagonism. There are believers who are positive to doctrine and advancing in the spiritual life. What can they expect from the creature? Most of the world today is worshipping and serving the creature rather than worshipping and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. If the believer does not serve the creature then he can expect accusation, slander, maligning, judging. The more innocent the believer is the more it will be piled upon him—Zechariah 3:1,2; Revelation 12:9,10. He can also expect a lot of his distractions with regard to doctrine to come from Satan since he sponsors anyone going negative toward doctrine. He sponsors reversionism in the believer—1 Corinthians 10:19-21; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 13-15. He can expect distraction and frustration regarding the will of God: the mental will of God—Ephesians 4:14; the geographical will of God—1 Thessalonians 2:18; the operational will of God—James 4:7,8.
Verse 28 – the third delivery to the function of evil. “And even as” – the connective kai and the causal conjunction kaqwj means “And since.”
“they did not like” – the negative o)uk plus the aorist active indicative from the verb dokimazw which means to put something to the test, to examine, to test for the purpose of approving. With the negative it means to reject after testing. “And since they rejected after testing/examining.” This is a reference to the unbeliever reversionist who had e)pignwsij gospel. He looked it over, considered it, and said no. This is a constative aorist tense, it gathers into one entirety negative volition at God-consciousness and gospel hearing. The active voice: the self-righteous unbeliever in reversionism maladjusts to the justice of God and rejects after testing. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the viewpoint of reality.
“to retain God” – ton qeon e)xein. The accusative singular of the definite article ton is used as a proper noun to indicate a person whose identity is well known to the readers. The accusative singular of qeon is used here as the object of the infinitive. Plus the present active infinitive of e)xw which means to possess—“having the God.” The present tense is a historic present viewing the past event with the vividness of a present occurrence. The unbeliever after hearing the gospel of Christ produces the action. The infinitive is an actual result at gospel hearing. He actually had God right there by having e)pignwsij gospel in his soul. All he had to do was exhale faith in Christ and he was saved, but instead he went negative.
“in their knowledge” – e)n plus the locative of e)pignwsij. This refers to the unbeliever’s full understanding of the gospel, examining it carefully, and saying no. Literally, “And since in full knowledge they rejected after examination having the God.” Or, better English: “And since in full knowledge they rejected having the God after careful examination.”
“God gave them over” – the nominative singular subject o( qeoj. The definite article is used for someone well known to you—the Lord Jesus Christ. Then the verb to hand over to judgment, paradidomi. The aorist tense is a constative aorist, it gathers the judgment function of the justice of God toward the unbeliever into one entirety. Handing over to judgment occurs in both time and eternity: in time, the 5th cycle of discipline; in eternity, the lake of fire. The active voice: the justice of God produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the action of the verb as historical reality. Then an accusative plural direct object from the intensive pronoun a)utoj, emphasising the identity of the category of reversionism or maladjustment to the justice of God.
“to a reprobate mind” – the preposition e)ij plus the accusative singular of a)dokimoj, an adjective used as a pun or a paronomasia. The noun with the adjective is nouj—“to a worthless mind.” The judgment is the worthless mind or the mind filled with the Satanic doctrine of evil.
“to do those things which are not convenient” – present active infinitive of poiew, and is translated “doing.” The present tense is a customary present, it denotes what habitually occurs when the unbeliever rejects Jesus Christ as the point of gospel hearing. The active voice: the unbeliever produces the action of the verb. The infinitive is actual result. Then literally, “those evil things which are improper” – the articular neuter plural present active participle of the verb kaqhkw with the negative mh. The accusative neuter plural of the definite article is used as a demonstrative pronoun. The demonstrative pronoun calls attention to the function of evil—“those evil things.” The accusative plural direct object from the present participle kaqhkw, it means to be fitting, to be proper, but with the negative it means what is improper. The present tense is the present of duration, it denotes what was begun in the past and continues into the present time, i.e. the pattern of degeneracy. The active voice: the worthless mind filled with evil keeps on doing evil things.
Translation: “And since in full knowledge [e)pignwsij at gospel hearing], they rejected having the God after careful examination, the God delivered them over to a worthless mind, doing those evil things which are improper.”
Verses 29-32, the evil manifestations of heathenism, or what reversionism does to a nation.
Verse 29 – “Being filled” is the perfect passive participle of plhrow which means to load, to fill, to fully possess, to be filled with something, or to fully influence. The perfect tense is an intensive perfect emphasising existing results. The perfect is the tense of completed action, and when special attention is directed to the results of the action stress on the existing fact is intensified. This is a strong way of saying a thing is, and it keeps on having repercussions. There is no exact equivalent, by the way, to this idiom in the English. Consequently there is no way to give it an exact translation. The closest to the English is actually the English present, and so we say “Being fully possessed” or “Being fully influenced.” The passive voice: the reversionist receives the action of the verb. The participle is circumstantial. This occurs historically and when it does there is historical catastrophe. It is occurring right now historically.
“with all unrighteousness” – the instrumental singular of means from the adjective paj and the instrumental of means from the noun a)dikia. A)dikia means an unrighteous act, but it also means anti-justice. It is a technical use that we have here, it is actually referring not to unrighteous acts but to maladjustment to the justice of God. In this context the unbeliever in verse 18 is maladjusted to the justice of God at the point of salvation. So we use the translation, “anti-justice”—“with all anti-justice.” That is, salvation maladjustment to the justice of God. Note the influence that comes when a person says no to divine truth. Divine truth in context is the gospel. Many times divine truth is some form of Bible doctrine—“Being influenced by all anti-justice” is another way of describing evil infiltrating the soul.
Next there are some categories, but the word “fornication” is not found in the original. The next three words describe the categories of a)dikia: wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness. All three words are meaningless to people at the present time. So it is best to give them a little more modern translation and at the same time to note the categories being described. This is not one continuous list, it is broken down. First of all we get categories and then items after the categories.
Category #1 is evil. The word “wickedness” is the instrumental singular of association from ponhria. This can mean wickedness if it is understood that wickedness is “evilness.” Ponhria is an abstract noun from ponhroj. In the Attic Greek ponhria meant defectiveness. To the Greeks to be defective was to be evil. If you were missing an arm you were evil. If you weren’t bright you were evil. If you were defective in thought you were evil. The Greeks did not have any concept of morality that is related to the Word of God, and especially the Old Testament Mosaic law. Therefore, if you were defective in any way you were evil. That is the Attic Greek, and obviously not the Koine Greek. Ponhria in the Koine Greek means the intentional practice of evil, and that comes from blackout of the soul. So we change “wickedness” to “a state of evil,” and the instrumental of association means “by a state of evil.” The instrumental of association is not always personal, it is often related to a principle, either good or bad. Here the unbeliever maladjusted to the justice of God at salvation becomes associated with evil as a part of his unbeliever reversionism. His association with evil is blackout of the soul and scar tissue of the soul.
Category #2 is inordinate desire—“covetousness,” the instrumental singular of association from pleonecia. It means greediness, a desire to have more beyond what is advisable. It means insatiability, avariciousness. And this second category finds the justice of God abandoning the reversionistic unbeliever to his own devices. This is simply a case of the justice of God taking off any restraints when the person wants more and more and more. This noun denotes the inner impulse which leads to the evil deed. It is the transition between the evil of reversionism and the evil function of the reversionist. First of all he thinks it, and then he does it. Pleonecia is between the thought and the doing. Greed is the motivator in the frantic search for happiness; pleonecia is often correctly translated “greed,” the desire beyond reason, lust beyond legitimate boundaries. It was used for any form of inordinate desire.
Category #3 is the function of evil—“maliciousness” is the instrumental of association from kakia (related to kakoj). It means depravity, malignity, the function of evil. Kakia is the quality of kakoj which means “evil.” Kakia is the outworking or practice of evil. We translate it, “by the function of evil,” i.e. depravity or degeneracy. The next two and a half verses simply list the function of evil, so it is the 3rd category which is pulled out and extended.
Those are the three categories, not a part of the list, and they are related. There is thought, action, and a motivation between the thought and the action.
Next is the word “full.” This is the function of reversionism under evil but is not one of the three categories. The next two and a half verses list the function of evil. This is where the list actually begins the function of evil. But it should be noted that first there is a thought in the soul—blackout of the soul and scar tissue of the soul. Then there is a motive. Starting with the word “full” we have a list which goes with the action or the function of evil. But there is no way this can be found from the King James version, it is a syntactical principle found with regard to the Greek and there is no way it can be separated in the English.
To reiterate, there are three categories here in the Greek: the first is a thought—evil; the second category is a motive—inordinate desire; the third category is the function, the operation, the action. The rest of the list is simply the function of reversionism under the influence of evil. We now change from three instrumental cases in the Greek to an accusative, which means we are now on a list.
“full” is the accusative plural from the adjective mestoj. It is used with the genitive to list the functions of evil. Mestoj is an accusative indicating that now category #3 is being listed, but the actual list is in the genitive. This is an accusative of general reference and it goes with the present active infinitive poiew. The accusative of general reference is the subject of the infinitive. It is not the object of anything which has gone before. We have “full of.”
The first word we have is “envy”—a descriptive genitive singular of fqonoj, the beginning of the list of functions of evil. Many of these are sins, but they are emphasised here not in their category of hamartiology but in their function of evil. Fqonoj—“jealousy,” which represents the mental attitude sin in the function of evil resulting eventually in depravity.[19]
“murder” – the descriptive genitive singular from fonoj which means homicide. Murder represents overt sin in relationship to evil. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being, having motivation. Malice of forethought is expressed or implied.[20]
“debate” – the descriptive genitive singular from the e)rij, and it means strife, discord, contentiousness, dissension. When translating, because of the genitive we are allowed to repeat the word “full”—“full of jealousy, full of murder, full of dissention, strife, discord.”
“deceit” – the descriptive genitive singular from doloj meaning deceit, cunning, or treachery. This is that which accompanies a trouble-maker. A trouble-maker is always cunning, deceitful and treacherous. This word means a treacherous person. A cunning person is generally a stupid person who has the instincts of deceit. A deceitful person is a smart person who deliberately has the ability for deceit.
“malignity” – the descriptive genitive singular from kakohqeia. It means malice, malignity, and when you put them together it comes to mean evil craftiness.
“whisperers” – a change to the accusative plural, and it indicates a new category or grouping which has to do with the fact that in everything up to this point you have a trouble-maker, described in terms of a trouble-maker—his characteristics, his essence, the things that cause him to be that. Now this is what a trouble-maker does, so we change to the accusative plural indicating the new category or grouping. It is the Greek noun yiquristhj. This is the accusative of general reference with the present active infinitive of poiew which is found in verse 28. While this is not really the subject of the infinitive it indicates the one who is producing the action of the infinitive and therefore is tantamount of the subject of the infinitive. So we translate, “they have become slanderers,” for that is the meaning of the word—slanderers or gossips. Actually, this word “slanderer” belongs with verse 30.
Translation: “Being fully influenced by all categories of anti-justice, by a state of evil, by inordinate desire, by function of evil; full of jealousy, full of murder, full of dissention [strife or discord], full of treachery, full of evil craftiness; they have become gossips [slanderers].”
Cf. sins of the tongue, Psalm 12:1-4.[21]
Verse 30 – the implacability of the maladjusted. Whenever you find reversionism, whether it is a believer or an unbeliever, you find an implacable person. Implacability is described first by the term “Backbiters”—the accusative plural of reference from the compound adjective katalaloj [kata = down or against; lalew = the speak] which means to speak against, and it comes to mean maligners, detractors, hostile speakers, spreaders of gossip and false reports. Obviously, then, it comes to mean slanderers.
“haters of God” is a compound adjective, qeostugej [qeoj = God; stugew = to hate], God-haters. In other words, once you start attacking authority, any authority constituted by God (in the spiritual realm, the pastor-teacher; outside the spiritual realm, establishment), you have become in effect a God-hater. Attacking the police is the same concept exactly, as is anything designed for your protection, your freedom, like military. Crime is an attack upon freedom and privacy. Divine authority rejected is hatred.
“despiteful” – the accusative plural of u(bristhj. It means a violent insolent person. In other words, rejection of authority leads to rejection of human authority, and insolence is the concept here under the connotation of rejection of human authority. Insolence connotes not only lack of respect for authority but the basis of it as well, which is haughtiness, arrogance, a contentious, overbearing, disrespectful attitude.
“proud” – u(perhfanoj, which means arrogant ones. All of these, it should be noted, reject authority.
“boasters” – a)lazon, which means boastful presumption, the one who makes more of himself than reality justifies. He ascribes to himself more and better things than he actually has. He is one who promises what he cannot perform.
“inventors of evil things” – if you don’t have it, then you have to invent it. There are two words here, e)feuretaj kakwn. Kakwn is a descriptive genitive plural meaning evil things; the accusative plural e)feuretaj means contrivers or fabricators, so “fabricators of evil things.” The presence of evil in the soul of a reversionist means the implacability line, and such a soul with implacability always has to fabricate evil and perpetuate it into human life.
“disobedient to parents” – dative plural of reference goneuj, “parents” and with it the accusative plural of a)peiqhj, “disobedient ones”—“with reference to parents, disobedient ones.” Parents represent divine institution #3 which is the basic organization in life to learn discipline, respect for authority, as well as orientation to life in general. To reject the authority of parents results in disorientation to life in general. Those who rejected the authority of their parents always are handicapped in life.
Translation: “Slanderers, God-haters, insolent [haughty, overbearing, disrespectful], arrogant ones, boastful presumption, fabricators of evil things with reference to parents disobedient ones.”
Verse 31 – the perfidiousness of heathenism. Perfidy means an act of violating faith, faithlessness, lack of integrity; and heathenism lacks integrity. “Without understanding” – accusative plural of the compound adjective a)sunetoj [a = negative; sunihmi = to know the underlying laws or meaning of an object], means to be stupid, non-sensitive, senseless or foolish. It means not to understand what is behind a command, not to understand the underlying laws of life, not to understand the meaning of any object in relationship to establishment or in relationship to its spiritual connotation. This explains the folly of rulers and those in authority where reversionism prevails in a national entity. “Ignorant one” refers to blackout of the soul. Perfidy in history is only exceeded by evil in history. The human race pays a high price for maladjustment to the justice of God.
“covenant breakers” – accusative plural from the adjective a)sunqetoj, which means contract breakers, faithless, or perfidious. Again, this is the lack of honour and integrity which is characteristic of the reversionist. It also mean undutiful, lack of sense of duty, or lack of a sense of responsibility which is necessary even for human maturity.
“without natural affection” – accusative plural from the compound adjective a)storgoj [a = negative; storgew = natural affection, like the love of parents for children] which comes to mean unloving or lack of capacity for love, devoid of the instincts of love. Man is at his noblest when he treats people with justice rather than love because the highest form of love that mankind can have includes a total sense of justice. In leadership it is better to treat people with justice than loving and sweet. Human love is emotional; justice is rational. Capacity for love is based upon honour and integrity. Man’s honour and integrity is related to his justice, not to his love. The command to obey the command “Love the brethren” does not require human sentimentality, but it does require justice.
“unmerciful” – a)nelehmon [a = negative; elehmon = to be merciful, sympathetic or compassionate] means implacable, non-merciful, not compassionate. It also means inexorable, i.e. one who is never pacified or appeased or reconciled to any form of authority. The final word “unmerciful” is not in the original.
Translation: “Ignorant ones, contract-breakers, unloving, implacable.”
Verse 32 – the maladjustment principle of heathenism. “Who” is a nominative masculine plural from the qualitative relative pronoun o(stij. It is a categorical reference to reversionists who have been described in the previous verses. It should be, “Such are those who.” We now see the first of several inconsistencies.
“knowing” – there is one thing the reversionist knows. This is the aorist active participle from e)pignwskw which means a complete and full knowledge, it means definite, exact perception, to understand something completely. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist, it views perception of the unbeliever in his reversionism in its entirety but it emphasises the existing results of that total cognisance in reversionism or heathenism. In other words, it gathers up the total perception but it emphasises the results. Here is a full cognisance, then, of the justice of God and negative volition or total rejection of the work of Christ. They had e)pignwij gospel, that’s why e)pignwskw is used. That means they understood the alternative of maladjustment to the justice of God. They understood that their sins or the sins of the entire world were poured out upon Jesus Christ on the cross and the justice of God judged those sins, so that divine justice is free to give salvation to anyone who is positive, i.e. anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. The active voice: the unbeliever reversionist, or heathen, produces the action of the verb resulting in maladjustment to the justice of God at salvation. This is a concessive participle and we often have the word “though” to translate it—not necessary but sometimes it helps. “Such are those who though they have total cognisance.”
“the judgment of God” – dikaiwma means the justice producing the judgment. First is the accusative neuter singular of the definite article, then the accusative neuter singular from dikaiwma, and with it tou qeou, the possessive genitive. The accusative of dikaiwma means an act of justice. It was even used in the Greek for a legal document, a legal act corresponding to the ordinance or requirement, and therefore the actualisation of justice. So while it is the justice of God it is the actualisation of justice and therefore the best way to translate this is, “the legal requirement of the justice of God.” The legal requirement of the justice of God is to believe in Jesus Christ in order to make instant adjustment to the justice of God at salvation.
“that they which commit such things” – the conjunction introduces an objective clause after verbs of cognisance. The conjunction here is o(ti. With it is the accusative neuter plural and the direct object of the participle toioutoj, referring to the activities of heathenism listed in verses 29-31, plus a nominative masculine plural from the definite article used as a relative pronoun with the participle, forming a relative clause. Then the present active participle of prassw. The word prassw actually means to get beyond, to press on through, to execute. It is generally used for man’s negative actions, and that is the way it is used in Romans. So we translate this clause, “that those who practice such things.” It means to practice evil things, the practice of reversionism. This is a retroactive progressive present, it denotes what has begun in the past and continues into the present time. The active voice: the unbeliever maladjusted to the justice of God forming into a reversionistic person practices these things. This is a circumstantial participle.
“are” – present active indicative of e)imi. The present tense is a static present representing a condition which perpetually exists, i.e. salvation maladjustment. The active voice: the unbeliever reversionist produces the action of the verb as an expression of heathenism and the influence of evil in his life. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality.
“worthy of” – predicate nominative masculine plural from the adjective a)cioj, meaning deserving of as well as worthy of; “death” – a descriptive genitive singular from qanatoj. The person involved has cognisance of his own status quo, spiritual death, but this refers to physical death or the sin unto death which is maximum justice from the justice of God in time directed toward any category of reversionism, believer or unbeliever. Here the unbeliever’s sin unto death is in view. Translation: “are deserving of death.”
“not only do the same” – the strong negative o)uk, plus an adjective in the neuter from monoj used as an adverb limiting the action or state to that designated by the verb. Plus the present active indicative of poiew. This is a customary present, it denotes what habitually occurs as a result of maladjustment to the justice of God. The active voice: those who have total cognisance of the gospel and reject the same produce the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of historical and doctrinal reality—“not only are doing.”
“the same” – accusative plural direct object from the intensive pronoun a)utoj. It emphasises the identity of the unbeliever reversionist who in rejecting Christ as saviour has entered into heathenism or unbeliever reversionism. It means “the same things” here.
“but have pleasure in them that do them” – begins with an adversative conjunction of contrast, a)lla. With the adjunctive use of kai—“but also.” Then the present active indicative from the compound verb suneudokew [sun = together with; eudokew = to think well, to approve] which connotes hearty approval, and hence to approve with another is to be in accord with a principle, to agree with. We translate it, “but also give their approval.” The present tense is a perfective present, it denotes the continuation of existing results. It refers to hearty approval given to those practicing the same things, hearty approval demonstrated in past history but emphasised as a present reality for this type of historical phenomena. The active voice: reversionistic unbelievers maladjusted to the justice of God add their opinion as an encouragement to others to do likewise. Principle: How closely are you influenced by public opinion? God’s opinion is Bible doctrine.
“do them” – articular present active participle of prassw again. It means “to those who practice” the evil of heathenism, and we have the present tense as a retroactive progressive present. The active voice: people are approving what other reversionists are doing.
Translation: “Such are those who though they have total perception of the legal requirements of the justice of God, (that those who practise such things are deserving of death) not only are doing the same things, but also give their approval to those who practice the same evil of heathenism.”
1. While religion is without doctrine, the unbeliever is without excuse.
2. There is no excuse for the heathen, the reversionistic unbeliever.
3. He has rejected that of which he has total cognisance—the justice of God at gospel hearing.
4. The reversionistic unbeliever is totally cognisant of the justice of God and the propitiatory work of Christ on the cross.
5. The justice of God has judged our sins on the cross—2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24.
6. Instant adjustment to the justice of God at salvation is as simple as Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 16:31.
7. Rejection of Christ as saviour is instant maladjustment to the justice of God.
1. One of the blessings of instant adjustment to the justice of God at salvation is to have a permanent relationship with God.
2. On the other hand, to abandon the justice of God is the most awful thing which can happen in the human race to any human being.
3. The justice of God may bless or may curse the believer but the justice of God never abandons any believer.
4. Whereas with the unbeliever heathenism is a state where the justice of God has abandoned the unbeliever, leaving him without any ray of hope except
repentance toward Christ.
5. Therefore, there is a sign at the entrance into heathenism for unbeliever reversionism: Abandon all hope, he who enters therein.
6. This sign is based on the principle of abandon the justice of God all who enter here, the one thing that no person in the human race can ever abandon—the
only source of blessing, the only source of help, man’s only ray of hope—the justice of God.
[1] See the Doctrine of Adjustment to the Justice of God
[2] See the Doctrine of Apostleship
[3] See the Doctrine of the Gospel.
[4] See the Doctrine of the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[5] See the Doctrine of the Virgin Birth.
[6] See the Doctrine of Divine Essence.
[7] See the Doctrine of Apostleship.
[8] See the Doctrine of Spiritual Gifts.
[9] See the Doctrine of GAP.
[10] See the Doctrine of Election.
[11] See the Doctrine of Sanctification.
[12] See the Doctrine of Prayer.
[13] See the Doctrine of Paul’s Reversionism.
[14] See the Doctrine of Divine Guidance.
[15] See the Doctrine of Witnessing.
[16] See the Doctrine of the Adjustment to the Justice of God.
[17] See the Doctrine of Heathenism.
[18] See the Doctrine of Evil.
[19] See the Doctrine of Jealousy.
[20] See the Doctrine of Murder.
[21] See the Doctrine of the Sins of the Tongue.