Romans 1:18-32 is NOT about GENERAL REVELATION but Israel's WICKEDNESS by Tuese Ahkiong

Romans 1:18-32 is NOT about GENERAL REVELATION but Israel's WICKEDNESS 

by Tuese Ahkiong

ROMANS 1 

I will demonstrate from Scripture that the book of Romans, especially Romans 1:18-32 is exclusively describing Israel.  It is not about GENERAL REVELATION, a concept derived from the traditions of mere men to make people believe the idea that man can come to the knowledge of GOD by the creation.  

ROMANS 1

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴ and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name AMONG ALL THE NATIONS, ⁶ including YOU WHO ARE CALLED TO BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST,

⁷ TO ALL THOSE IN ROME WHO ARE LOVED BY GOD AND CALLED TO BE SAINTS:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because YOUR FAITH IS PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE WORLD. ⁹ For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you ¹⁰ always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order THAT I MAY REAP SOME HARVEST AMONG YOU as well asAMONG THE REST OF THE GENTILES. ¹⁴ I am under obligation both to GREEKS AND TO BARBARIANS, both to the wise and to the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to PREACH THE GOSPEL TO YOU ALSO WHO ARE IN ROME.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, TO THE JEW FIRST and ALSO TO THE GREEK. ¹⁷ For in it 

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

¹⁸ For THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVENagainst all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who BY THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS SUPPRESS THE TRUTH. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has SHOWN IT TO THEM. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ FOR ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW GOD, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

V5-7  Paul is bringing in the CALLED and ELECT REMNANT of Israel that was scattered among the nations by the Gospel.  

V8 The gospel was proclaimed in all the covenant world and “The Great Commission” given to the apostles and disciples of 1^st century generation fulfilled it!

V13 Paul states that he may reap some harvest among the Romans as well as among the rest of the gentiles.  Meaning the Romans were part of the elect remnant of Israel that became like gentiles or the nations when they were scattered and became the Diaspora.  Btw, Christ says in 

Matthew 13:³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” 

Paul likens himself to an angel reaping at the end of the old covenant age.

The rest of the gentiles are the rest of the scattered elect remnant of Israel who were scattered among the gentile nations and became like gentile.

V14 The Greek was not necessarily one of Greek heritage but one familiar with the Greek language which was used.  Barbarians would contrast the Greek in being one not familiar with Greek culture and language among which the elect remnant of Israel’s Diaspora was scattered.

John 7:35  The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

V16  The Gospel was unleashed from Judah/ Jerusalem among the Jews first and spread among the Greeks or those elect remnant diaspora among the “gentile” Greek speaking nations.

V17 Notice how YHWH’s righteousness and wrath v18 is being revealed.

BREAKING DOWN ROMANS 1:18-32

This passage is not about an average Joe looking at nature and coming to YHWH.  It’s about Israel who knew God and His statutes and rejected Him making them worthy of wrath. 

¹⁸ For THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 

Notice in v17,
the righteousness of God is REVEALED 

and v18 the wrath of God  is REVEALED

Exodus 32:11

Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “LORD, WHY DOES YOUR WRATH 

BURN HOT AGAINST YOUR PEOPLE whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Zechariah 8:14  For thus says the Lord of hosts: “AS I PURPOSED TO BRING DISASTER TO YOU WHEN YOUR FATHERS PROVOKED ME TO WRATH, AND I DID NOT RELENT, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS,

Deuteronomy 9:7  “Remember! Do not forget how YOU PROVOKED THE LORD YOUR GOD 

TO WRATH in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.

¹⁹ FOR WHAT CAN BE KNOWN ABOUT GOD IS PLAIN TO THEM, because GOD HAS SHOWN IT TO THEM. 

GOD only made Himself known to Israel.

 

Amos 3:1-2 

Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:  ² “YOU ONLY HAVE I KNOWNOF ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH;therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

 

Deuteronomy 7:6 

“FOR YOU ARE A PEOPLE HOLY TO THE LORD YOUR GOD. THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU TO BE A PEOPLE FOR HIS TREASURED POSSESSION, OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLES WHO ARE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

Deuteronomy 10:15  

Yet THE LORD SET HIS HEART IN LOVE ON YOUR FATHERS AND CHOSE THEIR OFFSPRING AFTER THEM, YOU ABOVE ALL PEOPLES, as you are this day.

 

Psalm 147:19-20 

HE DECLARES HIS WORD TO JACOB,
HIS STATUTES AND RULES TO ISRAEL.
²⁰ HE HAS NOT DEALT THUS WITH ANY OTHER NATION;THEY DO NOT KNOW HIS RULES.Praise the Lord!

 

Hosea 5:3 

I KNOW EPHRAIM,AND ISRAEL IS NOT HIDDEN FROM ME;for now, O EPHRAIM, YOU HAVE PLAYED THE WHORE;Israel is defiled.

 

Hosea 13:5 

IT WAS I WHO KNEW YOU in the wilderness,in the land of drought;

²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

YHWH MADE HIS ATTRIBUTES, POWER, MIGHT KNOWN TO ISRAEL!

Psalm 78:10-18  

¹⁰ They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law.
¹¹ THEY FORGOT HIS WORKS AND THE WONDERSthat HE HAD SHOWN THEM.
¹² IN THE SIGHT OF THEIR FATHERS HE PERFORMED WONDERSin the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
¹³ He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap.
¹⁴ In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light.
¹⁵ He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
¹⁶ He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

¹⁷ YET THEY SINNED STILL MORE AGAINST HIM, REBELLING AGAINST THE MOST HIGH IN THE DESERT.
¹⁸ THEY TESTED GOD IN THEIR HEART BY DEMANDING THE FOOD THEY CRAVED.

²¹ FOR ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW GOD,, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

Only Israel KNEW GOD!

2 Kings 17:15 

¹⁵ THEY DESPISED HIS STATUTES AND HIS COVENANTthat he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 

ISRAEL PLAYED THE FOOLISH HARLOT AND RAN AFTER IDOLS.

Jeremiah 10:14 

¹⁴ EVERY MAN IS STUPID AND WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE;
    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
    and there is no breath in them.

²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

ISRAEL EXCHANGED THE GLORY OF GOD FOR IDOLS.

 

Psalm 106:20 

²⁰ THEY EXCHANGED THE GLORY OF GOD for the image of an ox that eats grass.

 

Jeremiah 2:11 

¹¹ Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?
But MY PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED THEIR GLORYfor that which does not profit.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 

ISRAEL DEFILED HERSELF.

Ezekiel 36:17

“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, THEY DEFILED IT BY THEIR WAYS AND THEIR DEEDS. THEIR WAYS BEFORE ME WERE LIKE THE UNCLEANNESS OF A WOMAN IN HER MENSTRUAL IMPURITY.

²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

ISRAEL OVER AND OVER REJECTED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR THE LIE AND PLAYED THE WHORE BY WORSHIPPING IDOLS

Jeremiah 9:5 

⁵ Everyone deceives his neighbor, and NO ONE SPEAKS THE TRUTH;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.

Numbers 25:1-3 

While Israel lived in Shittim, THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO WHORE WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF MOAB. ² These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ SO ISRAEL YOKED HIMSELF TO BAAL OF PEOR. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Exodus 32:7-9  

⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. ⁸ They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. THEY HAVE MADE FOR THEMSELVES A GOLDEN CALF AND HAVE WORSHIPED IT AND SACRIFICED TO ITand said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” ⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 

²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 

THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS IS LIKENED TO SPIRITUAL ADULTERY!  TO WORSHIP AN IDOL INVOLVED SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH A PRIEST OR PRIESTESS IN ORDER TO COMMUNE WITH THE FALSE GOD.


2 Kings 17:7-18 

⁷ And this occurred because THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD SINNED AGAINST THE LORD THEIR GOD, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and HAD FEARED OTHER GODS ⁸ and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. ⁹ And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. ¹⁰ They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, ¹¹ and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger, ¹² and they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” ¹³ Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

¹⁴ But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ THEY DESPISED HIS STATUTES AND HIS COVENANT that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. THEY WENT AFTER FALSE IDOLS AND BECAME FALSE,and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. ¹⁶ AND THEY ABANDONED ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD THEIR GOD, AND MADE FOR THEMSELVES METAL IMAGES OF TWO CALVES; AND THEY MADE AN ASHERAH AND WORSHIPED ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN AND SERVED BAAL. ¹⁷ AND THEY BURNED THEIR SONS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS AS OFFERINGS AND USED DIVINATION AND OMENS AND SOLD THEMSELVES TO DO EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,provoking him to anger. ¹⁸ Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though THEY KNOW God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

ISRAEL KNEW YHWH's WORD, STATUTES, RULES, LAW BUT REJECTED THEM AND LIVED IN SIN!

Psalm 147:19-20 

HE DECLARES HIS WORD TO JACOB,
HIS STATUTES AND RULES TO ISRAEL.
²⁰ HE HAS NOT DEALT THUS WITH ANY OTHER NATION;THEY DO NOT KNOW HIS RULES.Praise the Lord!