Romans 1
Revealed Wrath
God’s wrath is revealed from the very first Book of the Bible to the last
Paul starts his letter to the Romans with
“The wrath of God is being revealed”
God has promised Wrath upon the godless and wicked who suppress the Truth
It is hard to image greater wickedness and perversion than that of 1st century Rome
Paul understood God’s wrath in the past, present and future
Although the truth was suppressed Paul continued to preach the Truth
He hoped some might be saved
With warning, Paul also preached hope
Paul preached and revealed the message of Wrath and Righteousness
Remember Peter’s words
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV
Revealed Wrath
God’s wrath has been revealed
in the very first Book of the Bible.
The great flood of wrath,
Genesis 6.
Fire and brimstone upon Sodom,
Genesis 18:16-19:29.
Later in the Bible, the Ten Plagues
in the Book of Exodus.
There are other times, we see God’s anger
revealed in the Old Testament.
In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of
God’s wrath like in John 3:36…
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God's wrath remains on him.
Paul in the very first chapter of Romans says…
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven
against all the godlessness and wickedness of men
who suppress the truth by their wickedness
Romans 1:18
If you read through the Book of Romans,
you will see everything he says is
built on this foundation of God’s wrath...
Paul lays out why The truth is suppressed.
When Truth is suppressed godlessness and
wickedness are the evidence or fruit.
Paul will talk about God’s wrath on the world,
the Jews and Gentiles, and believers who suppress the Truth.
Paul starts with justifying God’s anger…
Since what may be known about God is plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities
— his eternal power and divine nature
— have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:19-20
God’s wrath is revealed past, present and future.
Past in the Old Testament is clear.
In the future, there is an eternal judgment coming.
But what about the present?
At the time Paul was writing to the Roman believers’,
Roman leaders had ruled the land in great perversion.
Augustus (31 bce–14 ce)
Tiberius (14–37 ce)
Caligula (37–41 ce)
Claudius (41–54 ce)
Nero (54–68 ce)
These Roman Emperors, according to history,
are guilty of all the evils Paul writes of
in Romans 1 verses 18 through 32.
The stories of these leaders tell us of incest,
men with men and women with women,
child sexual abuse, even a case where Nero
castrated a boy, Sporus, had him don the
bridal veil and provide a dowry, and married him
as his husband, giving rise to a popular joke:
it would have been better for us all had
Nero’s father taken a similar wife.
Murder, greed and Rome made their
emperors gods, and so much more.
Paul was writing to the Romans at the time of Nero and said…
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven”
Paul does not tell us what the wrath of God
looked like in 55ce when he wrote the letter.
But we do see Tiberius died of possible poisoning,
Gaius was murdered by sword or dagger,
Claudius was poisoned by Agrippina,
Nero committed suicide by dagger.
Some of us, looking at Paul’s time,
or looking at the condition of the world today,
might think God is slow at anger and wrath…
He is slow at rewarding the righteous.
Peter speaks to us when we get impatience…
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
2 Peter 3:8-10
Paul in the midst of a very perverted world
seemed to stay focused on two things…
One, he warned of God’s wrath.
Two, he preached the Gospel,
so all might repent and be saved.
The darkness did not keep Paul from getting the Word out.
Although many perversions were accepted or legalized,
Paul continued to preach the Truth.
Could it be, God is pouring out His wrath today
as a wake-up call for what is to come?
If so, let us be like Paul and preach the gospel,
the Truth that gives hope even to the worst of sinners.
So what will you do as the wrath of God is revealed?
Will you be longsuffering
not willing that any should perish?
Yes, God is not slow concerning
His promises of wrath and blessing.
Scripture Reading
Romans 1:18-20 NIV
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
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