In Romans 1.18-23, Paul writes,
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.
In this section of Romans 1, Paul moves from a discussion of the righteousness of God, as revealed in the gospel, to the topic of God’s wrath. Such a transition should come as no surprise, since, from Paul’s perspective at least, God’s wrath is inextricably linked to the righteousness of God. Regardless, Paul is very clear that God’s wrath is being revealed against ‘ALL ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.’ These wicked people are suppressing the truth by not living in light of the knowledge that they have at their disposal.
In other words, it seems as if there are some people who have only a partial understanding of God- who He is, His character, and what He has accomplished. These people do not appear to have the full revelation of Scripture, much less an knowledge of Jesus the Christ. Rather, the knowledge that they have is largely rooted in what is observable with one’s senses and discernible by one’s mind. The knowledge that these people have, unlike those of us who live in the information age, is partial and limited.
Yet, they have not lived in light of the knowledge that they do have. At the very least, based upon what has been revealed to them naturally, they should have worshiped God, honoring Him and giving Him thanks. But they did not do this. Instead, they constructed gods that they could control and manipulate. They worshiped thin
gs that they had created with their own hands.
A discussion, such as the one set forth by Paul in Romans 1.18-23, is uncomfortable for those of us with ‘modern sensibilities.’ We live in a day and age when information and a wealth of knowledge are at the constant ready. We can connect to the internet and find articles, blogs, and Wikipedia entries dedicated to any number of minutia. So it is rather difficult for us to imagine that a group of people might have limited knowledge- much less, a limited knowledge about Jesus and the Christian faith.
What is more, we live in a society where truth is up for grabs, where truth is considered to be relative (i.e. What is true for you may not necessarily be true for me). Our society believes that it is arrogant to assert that there is any truth which is universal, much less, a standard of truth by which we all will be judged.
Yet, Paul is rather firm in his assertion that those who have the truth, but do not live in light of it will find the wrath of God being revealed against themselves.
As I read Paul’s words a few really BIG questions come to mind:
- Are we only accountable for what we do with the knowledge that we have access to?
- How much, about God and His character, can we discern apart from ‘special revelation’?
- Is belief enough? Is it enough to know who Jesus is and what He has done?
- If belief is not enough- How do we more faithfully wed orthodoxy and orthopraxy in our lives and in our churches?
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