The Catalogue of Iniquity; They Who Do Such Things Are Worthy of Death (Romans 1:29–32)

Rom. 3:21-22: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ to all them that believe: for there is no difference.”

Filled. The connection of speech is thus: He delivered them—filled. And the thought is: He delivered them, and they became filled with all unrighteousness. Their unrighteousness knew no measure, no limit, no restraint. And what could restrain it? God is forgotten, conscience is stifled, the mind is perverted, and without—the environment presents temptations everywhere. “Unrighteousness”—here can mean either unrighteousness in general—“that which is directly opposed to righteousness” (the Blessed Theodoret), or a particular kind of wrongdoing—injustice, violation of the rights of one’s neighbor and the proper relations toward him. All our expositors point to the first meaning. Holy Chrysostom says: “Notice how he intensifies the language; he calls them ‘filled’, and moreover: ‘with all unrighteousness’. First he used a general term for vice, then he enumerates its kinds, and concerning those subject to them he also speaks with intensity, calling them ‘filled’”—that is, we may complete from the Blessed Theophylact, “having reached the extreme degree of every vice.” But the second can also be accepted, because the general thought is already expressed in the words: “He delivered them to do things unfitting.”

“The righteousness of God without the law.” This is the shocking announcement: God offers righteousness apart from the Law, apart from works, apart from human achievement. This righteousness is not earned; it is manifested—revealed, made apparent, given as a gift. It comes from God, not from human effort πορνεία.

“Being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” This righteousness is not new or alien to the Old Testament. It is witnessed, confirmed, anticipated by the Law and the prophets. Abraham, the great father of the Jewish people, was justified by faith, not by works. The righteous shall live by faith. The Old Testament itself testifies to this way of justification πονηρία.

“The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ.” The specific means of receiving this righteousness is faith in Jesus Christ. This is not a general faith in God, but a specific faith in the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. It is faith that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died for sins, that He was raised, that He is the source of salvation and righteousness πλεονεξία.

“To all them that believe.” This righteousness is offered to all without exception. It is not limited to Jews or to the naturally moral or to the religious. It is for all—all who believe. There is no prerequisite except faith. The universal offer of salvation is now explicitly stated κακία.

“For there is no difference.” This is the revolutionary conclusion: there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, between the religious and the irreligious, between the morally upright and the depraved, when it comes to the offer of salvation. All need this righteousness; all can receive it through faith. The distinction between Jew and Gentile, so prominent in the Old Testament, is superseded by this universal salvation φθόνος.

Rom. 3:23-25: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” φόνος

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” The universal sinfulness of humanity is stated again, now explicitly. All—without exception—have sinned. And the consequence of sin is coming short of the glory of God. This is the fundamental rupture: humans were created for communion with God, for participation in His glory, but sin has cut them off from this. This is the desperate situation that makes the offer of righteousness through faith so crucial ερις.

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Here is the solution: justification—the declaration of righteousness, the removal of condemnation—is offered freely, as a gift, by grace. It is not earned but given. It is through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished a redemption, a buying back of humanity from sin and death δόλος πονηρία κακία δόλος.

“Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.” Christ is set forth as a propitiation—a mercy seat, a place of expiation, a satisfaction of divine justice. Through faith in His blood—His death, His self-sacrifice—believers receive the benefit of this propitiation. God is just, and therefore He cannot ignore sin. But through the death of Christ, God’s justice is satisfied, and God is able to justify those who believe κακοήθεια.

“To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” The cross of Christ demonstrates God’s righteousness: His justice in punishing sin, His love in providing salvation, His grace in offering it freely. The sins of the past—all the sins of the Old Testament saints and of all believers—are remitted through the forbearance (patience) of God, which is now satisfied by the cross Rom.1:30-31.

Rom. 3:26-31: “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

“That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus.” The mystery of redemption is expressed in these phrases: God is just—He upholds the moral law, He condemns sin. But God is also the justifier—He offers salvation to sinners. How can God be both? The answer is in Christ: through the cross, God’s justice is satisfied and He can justify believers without compromising His righteousness ψιθυρισταί.

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded.” If justification comes through faith in Christ, not through works, then human boasting is excluded. No one can say, “I have earned my salvation through my righteousness,” because salvation is a gift received through faith. This cuts off at the root all self-righteous pride κατάλαλοι.

“By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” There are two laws, two systems: the law of works (do this and live) and the law of faith (trust and receive). The law of works demands and condemns; the law of faith trusts and receives. Justification is by the law of faith, not the law of works θεοστυγεις.

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” This is Paul’s great conclusion, the center of his gospel: justification is by faith, not by works of the Law. Not that works are unimportant—they will be discussed later. But for justification, for the foundation of right standing before God, faith is the decisive factor, the sole foundation ύβρισταί.

“Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.” If justification is by faith in Christ, then Christ is the Saviour of all, not of Jews alone. God is the God of all peoples. All, whether Jew or Gentile, receive justification through faith in the same Christ, by the same grace υπερήφανοι.

1 Cor. 5:2: “Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” The same God justifies both the circumcised (Jews) and the uncircumcised (Gentiles). The means is the same—faith. The foundation is the same—grace. The mediator is the same—Christ. This unity transcends all human divisions αλαζόνες.

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” This is the subtle point that many have misunderstood: the doctrine of justification by faith does not set aside the Law. Rather, it establishes the Law—it shows what the Law truly is, its true purpose. The Law reveals sin; the Law shows the standard of righteousness. Faith in Christ does not deny these functions but fulfills them έφευρεται κακών.

The argument of Romans 3 represents the climax of Paul’s first major movement: the demonstration that justification is not through the Law but through faith in Christ. This is the foundation upon which all the rest of the epistle is built. It is the answer to human sinfulness, the revelation of God’s righteousness, the offer of salvation to all who believe άπενθέϊς.

“Senseless”, ασύνετοι, “because, having stumbled into lawless living, they lost the distinguishing marks of understanding” (the Blessed Theodoret). Or “senseless”, “ασυνείδητοι, unaware, lacking conscience, with no one more senseless than they” (Gennadius).

Sir. 13:19: It is important to understand that Paul has not yet answered all questions. The role of works, the relationship between law and grace, the problem of God’s faithfulness to Israel—these will be addressed in subsequent chapters. But the foundation is now laid: God justifies sinners through faith in Christ, apart from the works of the Law. This is the gospel, the good news that transforms human life and hope άσύνθετοι άσύνθετοι συνθήκαι.

Matt. 24:12: The proclamation of this truth—justification by faith—is not merely theological doctrine. It is the proclamation of salvation, the announcement of God’s victory over sin, the opening of the way of reconciliation between God and fallen humanity. For those who believe this good news, it is indeed the power of God to salvation άστοργοι Στοργή.

“Covenant-breakers”—άσπονδοι. An implacable enemy is called άσπονδος. Therefore, here the same is said as: “implacable and malicious” (Gennadius). But it can also mean the same as άσύνθετοι; for σπονδή also means agreement and covenant. It will be: άσπονδοι—“those who without fear break mutual covenants” (the Blessed Theodoret), that is, faithless. But the first meaning seems to express the force of the word more closely.

“Unmerciful”, άνελεήμονες—unyielding, devoid of compassion, not inclined to mercy (Gennadius). The heart has hardened, does not feel the impulse to alleviate the lot of others, to help, to console. “They imitate beasts in cruelty” (the Blessed Theodoret). “The root of all evils is the cooling of love: from this it follows that one does not reconcile with another, one does not love another, one does not have mercy on another” (the Blessed Theophylact).

Having depicted the evil character of the Gentiles, in the last verse of this chapter the Apostle shows that they are without excuse in this respect as well as in the religious one: for they knew, but did not do. It is evident, therefore, that they also held the truth of God in unrighteousness and are subject to judgment and condemnation.

Rom. 1:32. And they know the judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do they do them, but also approve of those who practice them.

“They”, οϊτινες—as also in verse 25 the same: οϊτινες—means: which ones, or they; refers not to a part, but to all of whom there has been previous mention. “Judgment”, δικαίωμα—the justice of God or the righteousness and justice of God, righteous judgment and condemnation with punishment.

“Worthy of death”—by death is understood either natural death, in the sense: those doing such things are not worthy to live, or figuratively—the most severe punishment, or the second death after the last judgment and condemnation—hell. The Apostle affirms: the Gentiles knew that those who did such things could not escape righteous recompense. This removes all excuse from them; they cannot cover themselves with the excuse that they did not know. Belief in judgment and recompense after death is common to all peoples of the earth.

Knowing all this, they not only themselves acted lawlessly, but also encouraged others to do so.

“Approve”, συνευδοκοϋσιν, does not merely mean that they look indulgently upon the sin of others, but look upon it favorably, protectingly, approvingly, with the desire that they sin and continue to sin. And in this one cannot help but see a greater degree of depravity than in the case when one merely sins oneself without contributing anything to the sinful deeds of others. One who falls into sin can still say in mitigation of his guilt: passion carried me away; but, being conscious of his guilt, he should at least say to another: you, however, be careful. If he, having fallen into the mire, leads another into it as well, he is doubly guilty, both for himself and for the other.

Holy Chrysostom says: “Having proposed two objections to himself, the Apostle here resolved both beforehand. Can you say, he says, that you did not know how you should act? Even if you did not know, you yourself are primarily guilty; because you abandoned God, who gives knowledge. But now much has been presented to you showing that you knew and sinned willingly. Will you say that you were carried away by passion? Why then do you carry others away and praise them? ‘Not only do they themselves do them,’ says the Apostle, ‘but also approve of those who practice them.’ Thus, to condemn the Gentile, he first of all points to the gravest sin; for to approve of sin is far worse than to sin oneself.” The Blessed Theodoret expresses this last thought thus: “nature itself teaches to choose the good and avoid the opposite; but they consider it insufficient merely not to do the latter, but moreover they weave praise for those who do similar things. And this is the ultimate limit of depravity”.

Some thought that to approve of others was weaker than to do it oneself; therefore they held that it should have been said: not only do they do it themselves, but also approve of others. Some even found such a reading of the text. Holy Isidore (of Pelusium), rebuking them that one should not so distort the text of the common reading, because it would give a wrong meaning, adds then: “to praise those who sin is worthy of greater punishment than to sin only oneself. Therefore it is rightly said: ‘not only do they themselves do them, but also approve of those who practice them.’ One who, sinning, knows that it is not good to sin and condemns his deed, may in time arise from his fall, having a strong incentive and aid to repentance in this knowledge and condemnation of sin. But one who praises evil life deprives himself of the aid to repentance (the awakener of repentance). Therefore, since such judgment (praising of sin) is a sign of the utmost depravity of heart and mind, it is right to consider one who praises the sin of a sinner as more lawless” (from Oecumenius).

Some commentators hold that the holy Apostle, from the 1st verse of the 2nd chapter, turns his discourse to the Jews. But our ancient expositors do not do this. Holy Chrysostom says that these words refer to the rulers of nations; for Rome then held power over all the world in its hands. But, having said this, he then passes to the thought that the Apostle speaks here generally about all who judge: anyone, whoever you are. Following him, all our other expositors understood it thus. The Blessed Augustine mentions Jews only because they also are included in the word: “anyone.” Ambrosiaster sees here the Apostle’s answer to a supposed objection: no, I do not approve, but condemn others, although I myself sin. Therefore, so that no lawless person could excuse himself or lighten his guilt by saying: well, I myself sin, but I do not approve of other sinners and I condemn them, the Apostle speaks as if to such a one: and you are not lighter; in judging another, you condemn yourself. And so both this understanding of the ancients and the very structure of the discourse compels us to recognize that here the holy Apostle continues to explain the guilt of those who know and condemn but do not do, with the intention of arousing a sense of fear of judgment, so that they will more willingly receive his good news of how to escape from this judgment. The discourse is addressed to the Jews properly from the 17th verse; but here there is a general reasoning or general exhortation to fear judgment. This resembles that part of our discourses which is called the application.