Bad News - Good News

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (Rom 1:18).

I've long seen this verse as foundational to the problem of sin. God's wrath is in view. It is against men. The specific problem is ungodliness and unrighteousness that is caused by the suppression of truth. Recently some new insights struck me.

First, some clarification on "the wrath of God". It's not a subject we like to examine. But it is biblical, repeated, serious, and necessary, for without bad news, good news is not good. So what does Paul say here about the wrath of God?

Paul commands elsewhere, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice" (Eph 4:31). Two words that we might see as synonyms: "wrath and anger". What's the difference? Well, the first is thumos. The imagery of thumos is that of heat boiling to a peak and then subsiding, a fiery burst that then trails off and ends. Typically translated "wrath" (among other things). The second is orgē. This version of wrath refers to "long passions", to a stretched out anger. It is a lingering indignation, a disposition to anger. It is typically translated as "anger", but might be "indignation" or "wrath"¹. It is this latter that is in Romans 1:18. It refers to a disposition, a character trait, a long-term underlying hatred for sin, a permanent indignation against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

Then there are these two words. How alike are "ungodliness" and "unrighteousness"? I mean, aren't they basically the same thing? Almost. Not quite. There is a distinction. "Ungodliness" refers to a breech of God's commands as they relate to Him. In 10 Commandments terms, it would be "no other gods" and "no idols" and "no taking the name of the Lord in vain" and the like. "Unrighteousness" would be the rest. It would be the violations of God's commands on how we should treat each other. Or in terms that Jesus used, "ungodliness" would refer to our failure to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." "Unrighteousness" would refer our refusal to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:36-40). Now, as a matter of natural consequence, one follows the other. That is, when we fail to consider God in our lives, our thinking, our choices ("ungodliness"), we will necessarily fail to act righteously in the rest of our behavior ("unrighteousness"). But perhaps you can see the distinction. The bad news, then, is that God's long-term, settled, righteous indignation and hatred is revealed from heaven against our refusal to honor God and our refusal to live righteous lives. That's a problem.

The other new item I just noticed (although now I think it's so obvious that I should have seen it long ago ... and many of you likely did) is this phrase, "suppress the truth." I've always thought of it as "covering up", "ignoring", "not paying attention to", that sort of thing. That's not what's in view here. The word is "suppress". It is a word that means literally "to hold down". It might be to retain something or to hold it back or even to restrain something (like sin, perhaps), but it is not passive. It is active. It is not merely ignoring or hiding the truth. It is holding it down. Truth keeps popping up and we keep pushing it back down. Truth rears its ugly head and we deny it and hide it and cover it up and say, "No, you didn't see that!" "So," they say, "does your Bible actually say that homosexual behavior is a sin?" (as an example)². "Yes!" you will assure them. But others will say, "No! It doesn't say that at all! It isn't talking about homosexual behavior! It's ... umm ... talking about idolatry and ritual behavior! It's talking about those who act sexually contrary to their nature! It doesn't say what you think it says!" "But," we will reply, "it is unavoidable that every reference to homosexual behavior lists it as a sin and that the Church has always understood those texts to mean that it is a sin and that the language is plainly understood to speak of that behavior as sin." "No, it isn't!" Not merely ignoring -- suppressing. Or perhaps we should use the first example. "Did God say ...?" followed by "You shall not surely die ..." (Gen 3:1-3). Suppression of truth about God that led to all kinds of unrighteousness.

Of course, if you read on, you find that the truth that is first suppressed is the truth that God implants in all human beings regarding His nature (Rom 1:19-20). "So they are without excuse." That's our first problem. And if you read further, this leads to all sorts of problems, the first of which is "they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Rom 1:21) and it all spirals down from there³.

The points to remember, then. God is actually wrathful. This anger is a permanent hatred for sin, an indignation against ungodliness and unrighteousness. By these we mean the violation of God's character and a consequent failure to live correctly with those around us. This problem of God's wrath toward ungodliness and unrighteousness is not due to ignorance, but an active suppression of the truth that God has made plain about Himself. Now, perhaps, you can see why we need a Gospel, some good news. Without it we are rightly in deep trouble.

But, oh, how sweet is that Good News when you realize how bad the bad news is! To recognize yourself as rightly deserving of this divine wrath and then, justified by faith (Rom 1:16-17) ... it seems like it couldn't get much better than that. But it does!
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¹ It should be somewhat chilling, then, to read Revelation 14:9-10, where the angel warns that anyone who worships the beast "will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger". Both are in view and both are simultaneously present. It is when both are at work that "he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb" (Rev 14:9-10). Scary stuff.

² I know. Almost everyone, pro-homosexual behavior and con, understand that the Bible does indeed hold the position that it is sin. Most who favor the behavior do so be simply rejecting the Bible's view. I'm referencing here those who choose instead to subvert it.

³ Sin rots the mind.