The Gentiles Held the Truth of God in Unrighteousness (Romans 1:21–24)

Rom. 1:21. Although they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

The Apostle has stated that God’s judgment and wrath are appointed upon those who hold the truth in unrighteousness; then he explained that the Gentiles knew the truth; now he points out how they held this truth in unrighteousness. In a few words (Rom. 1:21-23) he delineates the entire course of humanity’s descent from true knowledge and worship of God to idolatry not from an external (historical) perspective but from an internal (psychological) one. By all this he establishes the thought that idolatry is not an original religion, as some suppose, but is the fruit of a descent from the height of true religion, through the corruption of hearts and minds.

“Although”—since—is grammatically connected to the immediately preceding “without excuse,” and in thought with all that has been said above, and especially with the holding of truth in unrighteousness, for there follows the indication of how precisely this came about.

“Although they knew God.” What did they know? Not only that God exists, but that He is, that He is the Creator, who sustains all and cares for all, that He must be worshipped and pleased in all things, with the consciousness of responsibility before Him, and finally that after death there will be judgment and recompense to all for their works, good and evil. These truths are imprinted in the heart, and there is no people that does not profess them. The Blessed Theodoret, explaining what the Gentiles knew about God, says: “they, as they themselves testify, knew that God exists, because always on their lips is that all-venerable name.” Saint Chrysostom sees evidence that the Gentiles knew God in their very recognition of many gods. “The sign that the Gentiles knew God, the Apostle places in the very fact that they acknowledged many gods.” And Photius in Oecumenius asserts that they knew not only that God exists, but also “that He is, what is to be understood by Him, namely—that He is the Creator and all-good Providence, that He is the Master of all things and that He must be honored.”

Having knowledge of God thus, the Gentiles, however, “glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” “They did not make use of this knowledge as they ought” (Saint Chrysostom). “They would not entertain thoughts about Him worthy of Him” (the Blessed Theodoret).

“To glorify God”—means: to acknowledge His boundless perfections and His wondrous works and to entertain feelings corresponding to them of reverence, love, worship, abasement before Him and devotion to Him. “To be thankful to God”—means: acknowledging that both our being and all that is in us, and all the good sent to us, as well as all visible things in creation, are the direct gift of God’s many-concerned love for us and for creatures, a love that embraces not only our present but also our future for endless ages—to entertain toward Him feelings of gratitude, with readiness to devote one’s whole life to Him, striving in every way to please Him by the strict fulfillment of His holy will. Both together express the religion of the heart, as it ought to be, whose chief characteristic is fear of God, directing everything toward pleasing God and having that as its main and sovereign goal.

The first degree of descent from this state is forgetfulness of God, when the bright and wondrous countenance of Godhead falls out of consciousness; God is forgotten—and thoughts of Him only occasionally cross the mind. Together with this, the religious feelings toward God grow cold, and the fear of God evaporates. God becomes something mere, and ceases to govern all the inner movements of man. The heart no longer glorifies and thanks God, though the tongue reads praises and thanksgivings. Pleasing God ceases to be the main goal of life; in its place other goals appear and occupy the whole man. God still exists, but is no longer glorified and thanked as God. This is precisely what the Blessed Theodoret expressed by saying: “they would not entertain thoughts about Him worthy of Him”—or guard the due feelings and dispositions of the heart toward Him.

“But became vain in their imaginations.” This is the second degree of descent, forming together with the first, sometimes as a result, sometimes as a cause of it. They mutually produce and mutually support each other. The becoming vain in thoughts must be understood as Solomon presents it in Ecclesiastes—as giving oneself to concerns about earthly goods, which do not give real well-being, but only beckon toward themselves, always deceiving all hopes. Having turned from God, they turn to creatures and in them wish to find what God alone can give; they wish to arrange their well-being without God, by their own powers and by means at their disposal. With this all care is occupied, here all thoughts are, all plans and all purposes of life—that is, how to arrange earthly happiness, gratifying themselves with sensual goods. Relation to God is maintained only outwardly; deeds of piety are performed by custom, without the participation not only of the heart but of the mind. All has become earth, earth, earth. And even constant deception does not instruct them. Vanity continues without ceasing in vain hope: perhaps we shall still obtain what we seek. How excuse such a manner of action?! And God through Jeremiah condemning them said: “My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).

“And their foolish heart was darkened.” The third degree of descent—the fruit of the first two—is the darkening of the inner man. “Heart” is the innermost man, or spirit, where self-consciousness, conscience, the idea of God with the feeling of dependence on Him in all respects, all the spiritual life of eternal value. Together with the becoming vain in thoughts comes also the darkening of this man. Rules of life are established that are contrary to conscience—and conscience is stifled, the fear of God departs, and thoughts of God no longer occupy; together with this the sound truths about God are forgotten and grow dark, likewise true understandings both about man himself, about his significance and his purposes are hidden. Complete darkness is established within. The vain man does not even look there: there is no time, and it is unpleasant. He is wholly outward.

Rom. 1:22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

The fourth degree of descent is the submission of all this perverted order of life to the principles of reason and its establishment as the sole proper norm of life, befitting man. This is the height of folly; but in their view, it is the height of wisdom. Such they regard themselves, such title they give their systems and the views formed by them. Self-conceit and overconfidence are the distinguishing mark of this wisdom: it hopes for everything from itself, from its methods and from its cleverness. Oecumenius writes: “they considered themselves wise, thinking that they alone would suffice for everything.” Saint Isaac of Syria depicts such wisdom as “naked knowledge, because it excludes all Divine providence, and all its care is only about this world.” In this false wisdom, man trusts entirely in his own reason and abilities, and attributes all good in his life to his own diligence, denying God’s governance. Yet this “wisdom” cannot exist without perpetual care and fear for the body, and therefore it is seized by: despondency, sorrow, despair, fear of demons, fear of men, anxiety about brigands, reports of deaths, worry about illness, concern in poverty and lack of necessities, fear of sufferings and evil beasts. As much self-reliance as confidence, so much cowardice also: and in this cowardice is the clearest refutation of the folly of worldly wisdom. Saint Chrysostom adds: “dreaming much of themselves and unwilling to walk the path prescribed by God, they became entangled in the imaginations of folly. Whoever on a moonless night sets out on an unknown road or sails on the sea, not only does not reach his goal, but more often destroys himself. So the Gentiles underwent a terrible shipwreck when, having undertaken to walk the path leading to heaven, they deprived themselves of light, seeking the bodiless in bodies and the indescribable in images.” In these words of Saint Chrysostom is the transition to the final degree of descent into idolatry.

Rom. 1:23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Rom. 2:5-11: “But after your hardness and impenitent heart treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But to them that are contentious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that works good, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.”

“After your hardness and impenitent heart treasure up to yourself wrath.” The image is powerful: by refusing to repent, by hardening the heart against God’s goodness and forbearance, the person is accumulating judgment for himself. Like a person storing up goods for future use, the impenitent person is storing up wrath for himself—preparing his own condemnation for the day of judgment Ps. 105:20.

“The day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” This refers to the final judgment, when God’s righteousness will be fully revealed, when every secret will be brought to light, and when every person will receive according to his deeds. This is the eschatological perspective that underlies Paul’s ethical teaching.

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds.” This principle seems to contradict the doctrine of justification by faith, which Paul has already hinted at and will expound fully. How can salvation be by faith alone if judgment is according to works? This apparent contradiction is crucial to understanding Paul’s entire argument, and he will return to it repeatedly.

The answer, briefly put, is this: in terms of final judgment and reward, God will indeed render to each according to his deeds. But the basis for salvation—the foundation on which the believer stands—is faith in Christ, through which one receives imputed righteousness. Works are important as the manifestation and evidence of faith, as the fruit of being in right relationship with God. But works cannot be the foundation of justification.

“To them who by continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.” Those who persevere in good works, who seek true glory (the honor that comes from God), honor (a life of integrity), and immortality (life that transcends death), will receive eternal life. This is the positive side of the judgment—the reward of the righteous.

“But to them that are contentious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.” The contrast is stark. Those who are contentious, who refuse to obey the truth, who instead obey unrighteousness (let themselves be ruled by evil), will experience God’s indignation and wrath. Tribulation and anguish will come upon every soul of man that does evil.

“Of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.” The order is significant. The Jew, who has received greater light—the Law, the prophets, the covenants—bears greater responsibility. Thus judgment falls on the Jew first. But the Gentile, though lacking this special revelation, is also judged, for he too has received the revelation of God through creation and conscience Rom. 1:24-27 Rom. 1:28-31 αα ββ.

“Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that works good, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.” The same order applies to the reward: the righteous Jew receives glory, honor, and peace first; then the righteous Gentile receives the same. This shows that righteousness, not ethnic privilege, is what matters in God’s sight Rom.1:24.

“For there is no respect of persons with God.” This is a fundamental principle. God does not show favoritism based on ethnicity, status, or privilege. The Jew has no advantage before God because of his Jewish birth or his possession of the Law—not in terms of the final judgment. What matters is whether one’s deeds are good or evil, whether one obeys the truth or unrighteousness.

This principle demolishes the Jewish claim to automatic salvation by virtue of covenant membership. The Jew who judges the Gentile for sin while committing the same sins himself stands before God on the same basis as the Gentile: as a sinner in need of salvation. The external advantages—circumcision, the Law, the covenants—do not exempt one from judgment.

For the Gentile reader, this is also a statement of hope: though he lacks the Law and the prophets, though he was born outside the covenant people, God will judge him fairly. If he seeks good and does what is right, he too can receive eternal life. God’s justice is not limited by human categories of privilege and disadvantage Gal. 5:17 Gen. 6:3 Rom. 8:9 Matt. 18:10 Heb. 1:14 Jn. 10:15.

The second chapter of Romans drives home a single point: all humanity—both Jew and Gentile—stands under the judgment of God. The Jew cannot hope to escape judgment by his external advantages; the Gentile is not excused because of his lack of revelation. All will be judged according to their deeds. All stand in need of God’s mercy and grace. This prepares the ground for the next section, where Paul will show that the only hope for any person is the righteousness of God revealed through faith in Christ Rom. 1:26-27.