The Third Cycle and Every Kind of Wickedness
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness Romans 1:28,29a
In verses 21 to 24 and 25 to 27 Paul has outlined the increasing momentum in our world’s downward spiral. Here in verses 28 to 32 he will show where the spiral is taking us. This third cycle, like the two before it, involves three elements:
· firstly the people’s knowledge of God
· ‘to retain the knowledge of God’ (1:28)
· secondly the rejection of their knowledge in favour of idolatry
· ‘they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God’ (1:28)
· thirdly the reaction of God’s wrath
· ‘God gave them over to a depraved mind … filled with every kind of wickedness’ (1:28,29)
Paul has explained how he sees God’s wrath being outworked by the phrase ‘God gave them over’ (1:24,26,28). God’s anger works quietly and often invisibly by God handing sinners over to themselves. It operates, not by God intervening, but by Him not intervening, by letting men and women go their own way.
The opening verse involves a play-on-words in the Greek language that we miss in our English translations. Because people did not ‘approve’ (NIV ‘think it worthwhile’) of God’s knowledge, He handed them over to ‘unapproved’ (NIV ‘depraved’) minds; or, they did not see ‘fit’ to retain the knowledge of God so God gave them over to an ‘unfit’ mind. The word translated ‘depraved’ means ‘rejected because it failed the test.’ The word was used of metals that could not be used because of a fault and especially coins that had been miss-struck and so were never put into circulation. They were melted down again to make a usable coin next time round.
Refusing the knowledge of God led to idolatry, futile thinking and a darkened heart which led to ‘sexual impurity’ (1:21-24)
Refusing the truth of God led to further idolatry and ‘shameful lusts’ (1:25-27)
Refusing the knowledge of God by not even retaining this knowledge has led to ‘a depraved mind’ which has led to ‘every kind of wickedness’ (1:28-32)
So people who have refused to acknowledge God end up with minds that are ‘disqualified’ from being able to understand the will of God. A ‘depraved mind’ (1:28) cuts us off from any real ability to understand our world and our purpose and destiny in it. As in 1:21, Paul stresses that people who have turned from God are fundamentally unable to think and decide correctly about God and His will. This incapacity explains the apparently inexplicable failure of people to comprehend, let alone practice, biblical ethical standards. No wonder then that many people just cannot understand the moral and ethical stands Christians take on the basis of God’s righteousness revealed in Scripture, and no wonder they often finish up doing ‘what ought not to be done’ (1:28). Only the work of the Spirit in renewing the mind can overcome this deep-seated blindness.
This should not stop us from speaking up for biblical standards. God’s standards are for our ‘good’ (Deuteronomy 6:24; 8:16) – but not only for the ‘good’ of Christians but for the good of the world. When was the last time you publicly expressed a Christian perspective on your moral world? Politicians too often listen to the loudest voice rather than following principle. When did you let a local politician know how, as a Christian, you feel about issues that affect your world?