ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS |
Romans
1:18-3:20
|
Romans
3:21-5:21 |
Romans
6:1-8:39 |
Romans
9:1-11:36 |
Romans
12:1-16:27 |
|
SIN
|
SALVATION
|
SANCTIFICATION |
SOVEREIGNTY |
SERVICE |
NEED
FOR
SALVATION |
WAY
OF
SALVATION |
LIFE
OF
SALVATION |
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION |
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION |
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin |
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners |
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers |
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile |
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service |
Deadliness
of Sin |
Design
of Grace |
Demonstration of
Salvation |
|
Power Given
|
Promises Fulfilled |
Paths Pursued |
Righteousness
Needed |
Righteousness
Credited |
Righteousness
Demonstrated |
Righteousness
Restored to Israel |
Righteousness
Applied |
God's Righteousness
IN LAW |
God's Righteousness
IMPUTED |
God's Righteousness
OBEYED |
God's Righteousness
IN ELECTION |
God's Righteousness
DISPLAYED |
|
Slaves to Sin |
Slaves to God |
Slaves Serving God |
|
Doctrine |
Duty |
|
Life by Faith |
Service by Faith |
|
Modified from Irving
L. Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's
Survey of the NT" |
AND, ALTHOUGH
THEY KNOW THE ORDINANCE OF GOD: hoitines to
dikaioma tou theou epignontes (AAPMPN):
(Ro 1:18,21; 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5,21, 22, 23)
The late Dr. R. H. Graves of
Canton, China, said that a Chinaman who read these verses declared that
Paul could not have written it, but only a modern missionary who had
been to China. It was such a perfect description of Chinamen! (Romans 1)
Know
(1921)
(epiginosko from epí = upon,
an intensive which gives force of “fully” +
ginosko = to know) (See also the discussion of the related noun
epignosis) means to know fully,
to know with certainty, to become thoroughly
acquainted with or to know thoroughly. Epiginosko means to
possess more or less definite information about, and can imply a degree
of thoroughness. It speaks of full or added knowledge (see
epignosis).
In fairness, it should be noted that a few sources (J. Armitage Robinson
in his commentary on Greek text of Ephesians) see no significant
difference in meaning between epiginosko and ginosko and thus do not
favor the idea of a more thorough or complete knowledge with the
epiginosko/epignosis word group.
Friberg (Analytical
Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker Academic)
in fact divides the definitions of epiginosko as follows...
(1) with no emphasis on the
epi-prefix;
(a) recognize, know (Mt 11.27;
cf. Lk 10.22);
(b) perceive, notice, become aware of (Mk 5.30; cf. Lk 8.46);
(c) learn of, find out (Lk 7.37);
(d) acknowledge, understand (2Co 1.13);
(2) with the preposition (epi)
intensifying the meaning;
(a) know exactly, fully,
completely (Lk 1.4);
(b) especially in relation to higher and spiritual knowledge received
through revelation fully know, perfectly know (Col 1.6)
Wuest explains that
epiginosko is...
“knowledge gained by
experience,” thus, a personal knowledge. This is the meaning of the
simple verb (ginosko). The prefixed preposition epi is
perfective in meaning, intensifying the already existing idea in the
verb. Thus, the compound verb means, “personal knowledge gained by
experience and which is clear.”
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Epiginosko also means to recognize a thing to be what it really
is, to acknowledge, to understand (1Co 14:37, 16:18; 2Co 1:13, 14)
Here in Romans 1:32 epiginosko denotes the clear discernment
which these suppressors of the truth about God in fact had of God's
regulations of "right and wrong".
Robertson writes that
The heathen knows that God
condemns such evil practices
Why did they know "beyond a shadow of
a doubt"? Paul explained...
that which is known about
God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them...so
that they are without excuse...they knew God, they did not honor
Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (see exposition of
Romans 1:21ff)
For when Gentiles who do not
have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having
the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the
Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and
their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, (Romans
2:14,15)
Epiginosko in Ro 1:32 is in
the
aorist
tense
which
indicates that they had been effectively made aware of God's ordinance.
These men have
a full experiential knowledge not only that the things they practice are
wrong but also that they themselves are deserving of death. They know
this is God’s verdict, however much they seek to rationalize or even legalize
these sins (cp states sanctioning gay marriage in the United States!). But this
knowledge does not deter them from indulging in these forms
of ungodliness (which speaks to the power of the fallen
flesh!) In fact these
truth rejecters unite with others to promote ungodly behavior and feel
a sense of camaraderie with their partners-in-sin.
Ralph Earle
(Word Meanings in the New
Testament)
has this note on epiginosko...
Arndt and Gingrich feel that in
some cases (e.g., 1Co 13:12) epiginosko means "know completely,"
but that most of the time it is simply equivalent to ginosko. The
same would go for the nouns epignosis and gnosis.
Thayer puts the case more strongly. After noting that "epi
denotes mental direction towards, application to, that which is known,"
he gives as the first definition for epiginosko: "to become
thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly; to know accurately, know
well" (p. 237).
For epignosis he gives: "precise and correct knowledge."
Trench agrees with this
when he writes
Of epignosis, as compared with
gnosis, it will be sufficient to say that epi must be regarded as
intensive, giving to the compound word a greater strength than the
simple possessed (p. 285)
Likewise Cremer says that
epignosis signifies
clear and exact knowledge, more
intensive than gnosis, because it expresses a more thorough
participation in the object of knowledge on the part of the knowing
subject (p. 159).
Lightfoot concurs.
Commenting on this passage (Col 1:9 - which uses the noun
epignosis),
he writes
The compound epignosis is an
advance upon gnosis, denoting a larger and more thorough knowledge (p.
138).
Epiginosko is used 44 times in
the NT -- Mt 7:16-note,
Mt 7:20-note;
Mt 11:27; 14:35; 17:12; Mk 2:8; 5:30; 6:33, 6:54 (to know fully by
experience, to recognize Jesus, knowing full as nearly all did by now);
Lk 1:4, 22; 5:22; 7:37; 23:7; 24:16, 31; Acts 3:10; 4:13; 9:30; 12:14;
19:34; 22:24, 29; 23:28; 24:8, 11; 25:10; 27:39; 28:1; Ro 1:32; 1Co
13:12; 14:37; 16:18; 2Co 1:13, 14; 6:9; 13:5; Col 1:6-note;
1Ti 4:3; 2Pe 2:21-note
In the NAS epiginosko is
translated -- acknowledge(1), ascertain(2), aware(2), find out(1), found
out(2), fully known(1),know(7), know fully(1), known(2), knows(1),
learned(3), perceiving(1), realized(1), recognize(5), recognized(6),
recognizing(1),take note(1), taking note(1), understand(3),
understood(1), well-known(1).
There are over 90 uses in the
Septuagint - Gen. 27:23; 31:32; 37:32f; 38:15, 25f; 41:31; 42:7f; Deut.
1:17; 16:19; 21:17; 33:9; Jdg. 18:3; Ruth 2:10, 19; 3:14, 18; 1 Sam.
26:17; 2 Sam. 19:7; 1 Ki. 20:41; Ezr. 3:13; Neh. 6:12; 13:24; Esther
1:1; 3:5; 4:1; Job 2:12; 4:16; 6:17; 7:10; 24:13, 16f; 34:27; Ps.
103:16; 142:4; Prov. 14:8; 24:23; 27:23; 30:18; Is 61:9; 63:16; Jer.
4:22; 5:5; 24:5; Lam. 4:8; Ezek. 5:13; 6:7, 10, 14; 7:4, 9; 11:10, 12;
12:20; 13:14, 21; 14:8, 23; 15:7; 16:62; 17:21; 20:38, 42, 44, 48; 21:5;
22:22; 24:24, 27; 25:5, 7, 11, 14, 17; Dan. 2:3; 4:31; 6:10; 11:39; Hos.
2:20; 5:4; 7:9; 14:9; Joel 2:27; 3:17; Jon. 1:7; Hab. 3:2; Hag. 2:19;
Zech. 2:11; 4:9; 6:10, 14; Malachi 2:4
John Piper notes that...
This is an astonishing
affirmation about human nature. Everybody has knowledge of God and the
moral law of God, whether they have seen a Bible or not, or whether they
live in America or in an undiscovered people group of Irian Jaya...The
second observation is that this knowledge means people are without
excuse before God not only because of the way they treat God, but also
because of the way they treat each other. (Romans
1:28-32
Doing and Endorsing Evil)
Haldane writes that...
This the heathens knew, from the
work of the law written in their hearts. Although they had almost
entirely stifled in themselves the dictates of conscience, it did not
cease, in some measure, to remonstrate against the unworthiness of their
conduct, and to threaten the wrath of God, which their sins deserved.
They recognized it by some remains they had of right notions of the
Godhead (Editorial note: One example is the worldwide existence of the
remnants of covenant - see H Clay Trumbull's fascinating work "The Blood
Covenant" the second edition published in 1885) and by which they still
understood that God was judge of the world; and this was confirmed to
them by examples of Divine vengeance which sometimes passed before their
eyes. They knew it even by the false ideas of the superstition in which
they were plunged, which required them to seek for expiations. That they
knew it in a measure is evident by their laws, which awarded punishments
to some of those vices of which they were guilty. (Haldane, R. An
Exposition of Romans.)
Albert Barnes writing about their knowledge of God's ordinance
says that this is substantiated by the secular writings...
Livy says of the age of
Augustus, in some respects the brightest period of the Roman history,
"Rome has increased by her virtues until now, when we can neither bear
our vices nor their remedy." (Preface to his History.) Seneca, one of
the purest moralists of Rome, who died A. D. 65, says of his own time,
"All is full of criminality and vice; indeed much more of these
is committed than can be remedied by force. A monstrous contest of
abandoned wickedness is carried on. The lust of sin increases daily; and
shame is daily more and more extinguished. Discarding respect for all
that is good and sacred, lust rushes on wherever it will. Vice no longer
hides itself. It stalks forth before all eyes. So public has abandoned
wickedness become, and so openly does it flame up in the minds of all,
that innocence is no longer seldom, but has wholly ceased to exist,"
Seneca de Ira, ii. 8. Further authorities of this kind could be easily
given, but these will show that the apostle Paul did not speak at random
when he charged them with these enormous crimes. (Romans
1)
Ordinance
(1345)
(dikaioma from dikaióo = to justify <> díkaios =
just, righteous <> dike = right) refers to what God has declared to be right
and here referring to His decree of
retribution which has the force of law. Dikaioma is used elsewhere in this Epistle
with its other meaning of
“righteousness” (see table below). Strictly speaking
dikaioma is what God establishes as just.
Dikaioma is found 10 times in
the NT (Luke;
Romans 5x;
Hebrews 2x;
Revelation 2x)
and is translated as -
act of righteousness, 1; justification, 1; ordinance, 1; regulations, 2;
requirement, 1; requirements, 2; righteous acts, 2 (NASB)
In simple terms, as used here by Paul
dikaioma is God’s declaration about what is right and just.
Kenneth Wuest writes that
dikaioma is...
Primarily that which is deemed right,
so as to have the force of law; hence an ordinance.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Paul's point in this verse is that
these men with depraved minds were aware of God's regulations for right
living and had an innate knowledge that the things they were doing
were wrong and deserving of His retribution. Simply put they knew they
were doing wrong and justly deserving of punishment but they simply
don't care!
Godet writes that because of
God's workings men had ..
moral light...produced in them as
well as religious light (see Ro 1:21). The words following indicate
the contents of that sentence which God had taken care to engrave on
their heart. What appeals to God's justice do we not find in the
writings of Gentile historians and philosophers! What a description in
their poets of the punishment inflicted on malefactors in Tartarus!
(Godet, F: The Epistle of St Paul to the Romans)
Vine writes that dikaioma
refers to...
what God has declared to be right
(dikaioma), here referring to His decree of retribution. The relative
pronoun “who,” as in verse 25, suggests that what is now to be stated
concerning the sinners mentioned is the cause of the evils just
enumerated. The evils are the effect of the refusal to accept and follow
what they know to be right. Man’s conscience and experience tell him of
the evil character and effects of impurity and cruelty, and their Divine
condemnation. (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Dikaioma has 3 basic meanings
in the NT:
(1) Dikaioma most often refers
to a regulation relating to a just or right action, especially in
reference to God's requirements, ordinances or regulations. In other
words, dikaioma is used to refer to an act which is in accordance
with what God requires. It is an appointment of God having the force of
law.
And they [Zacharias and Elizabeth,
parents of John the Baptist] were both righteous in the sight of God,
walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements
(dikaioma) of the Lord." Luke 1.6
If therefore the uncircumcised man
keeps the requirements (dikaioma) of the Law, will not his
uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Romans 2:16
For what the Law could not do, weak
as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in
the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement (dikaioma) of the Law
might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4
Now even the first covenant had
regulations (dikaioma) of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.
Hebrews 9:1
since they (Jewish gifts and
sacrifices called for under the Old Covenant) relate only to food and
drink and various washings, regulations (dikaioma) for the body
imposed until a time of reformation.
(2) Dikaioma can refer to the
fulfillment of a legal requirement, a righteous deed or an act of
justice, by Christ (Ro 5.18), by God (Rev 15.4) or by saints (Rev 19.8).
So then as through one transgression
there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of
righteousness (dikaioma - here a reference to the Death of Christ,
an act accomplished and consistent with God's character) there resulted
justification of life to all men." Romans 5:18 Here the a righteous act
is that of our Lord Jesus Christ in satisfying the demands of the law
which mankind broke.
"Who will not fear, O Lord, and
glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME
AND WORSHIP BEFORE THEE, For Thy righteous acts have been
revealed." Rev 15.4
And it was given to her to clothe
herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the
righteous acts of the saints.
(3) Dikaioma is used once to
signify the clearing of someone of a violation as an act of
justification. In this use it equates with the removal of guilt or
granting of an acquittal.
And the gift is not like that which
came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose
from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand
the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in
justification (dikaioma = here refers to a "declaration of
righteousness"). Romans 5.16
THAT THOSE WHO
PRACTICE SUCH THINGS: hoti oi ta toiauta prassontes (PAPMPN):
Practice...practice - The
first verb is prasso and the second verb is poieo. See
discussion of these verbs under prasso below.
Practice (4238)
(prasso) means to practice but is distinguished from
poieo which means "to do", because prasso
expresses a course of conduct (even the
present tense
of poieo expresses a series of repeated acts -- see note by Vine
below).
The predominant idea conveyed by
prasso in its NT uses is to bring about or accomplish an
objective through some activity (Ro 1:32, 2:3, Ac 5:35, 26:20, 2Co 5:10,
etc). In a few NT uses prasso means to engage in activity or behave in a
certain way (Acts 3:17, 17:7).
Prasso has an rare meaning
of to collect what is due in Lk 3:13, 19:23.
Vine adds that prasso...
signifies to
practise, though this is not always to be pressed. The Apostle John, in
his Epistles, uses the continuous tenses (present tense
) of poieō, to indicate a practice, the habit of doing something,
e.g., 1Jn 3:4 (cp poieo in 1 Jn 3:8, 9 where the sense of practising is
the meaning). John uses prasso twice in the Gospel, Jn 3:20 and
Jn 5:29. The Apostle Paul uses prasso in the sense of practising,
and the R.V. so renders the word in Ro 1:32; 2:2...
Generally speaking, in Paul’s Epistles poieō denotes an action
complete in itself, while prassō denotes a habit. The difference
is seen in Ro 1:32.
Again,
poieō stresses the accomplishment, e.g., “perform,” in Ro 4:21;
prassō stresses the process leading to the accomplishment, e.g.,
“doer,” in Ro 2:25.
In Ro 2:3 he
who does, poieō, the things mentioned, is warned against
judging those who practise them, prassō.
The distinction in John 3:20, 21 is noticeable: “Every one that does (prassō,
practises) ill … he that does (poieō) the truth,” While we cannot
draw the regular distinction, that prassō speaks of doing evil things,
and poieō of doing good things, yet very often “where the words assume
an ethical tinge, there is a tendency to use the verbs with this
distinction” (Trench, Syn., § xcvi).
(Vine,
W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words. 1996. Nelson)
Prasso in Romans 1:32 is in the
present tense which
emphasizes that this is the habitual practice of these individuals! The old adage "practice makes
perfect" takes on an ironic twist in Ro 1:32. Their practice makes them
perfectly fit for God's righteous judgment!
Friberg writes that
prasso has the following nuances...
(1)
transitively (Ed: In grammar, a transitive verb is one which
is or may be followed by an object; a verb expressing an action which
passes from the agent to an object);
(a) of
pressing through on an action carry out, do, accomplish (Ac 26.20);
(b)
predominately with a negative evaluation commit, do (Ac 5.35);
(c) as
denoting intense preoccupation with something busy oneself with,
practice (Ac 19.19); in regard to law practice, observe (RO 2.25); in
regard to taxes, interest, toll duties collect, demand, exact (Lk
19.23);
(2)
intransitively, (Ed: In grammar, an intransitive verb is one
which expresses an action or state that is limited to the agent, or in
other words, an action that does not pass over to, or operate upon an
object) with a qualifying adverb or phrase;
(a) to
qualify how someone is acting do (Ac 3.17; perhaps 15.29);
(b) to denote
one’s condition be, be situated, be faring (Ep 6.21; perhaps Ac 15.29)
(Friberg,
T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New
Testament. Baker Academic)
Thayer has this entry for
prasso (abbreviated) --
1. “to
exercise, practise, be busy with, carry on”: Acts 19:19; to
mind one’s own affairs, 1Th 4:11; used of performing the duties of an
office, 1Co 9:17. “to undertake to do,” Acts 19:36.
2. “to accomplish, to perform”: has been accomplished, “has taken
place,” Acts 26:26; 2Cor 5:10; Ro 9:11, Acts 26:20; add, Romans 7:15,19;
Philippians 4:9; to do, i.e. keep the law, Ro 2:25; of unworthy acts,
“to commit, perpetrate” is more common in reference to bad conduct; Acts
26:9; 2Co 12:21; “this (criminal) deed,” 1Co 5:2, Lk 22:23; Ac 3:17;
5:35; Ro 7:19; such nameless iniquities, Ro 1:32; Ro 2:1-3; Galatians
5:21; Jn 3:20; 5:29;, Lk 23:15; Ac 25:11,25; 26:31; Ro 7:19; 13:4; Lk
23:41; to bring evil upon one, Acts 16:28.
3. “to manage public affairs, transact public business”
(Xenophon, Demosthenes, Plutarch); from this use has come a sense met
with from Pindar, Aeschylus, Herodotus down, viz. “to exact” tribute,
revenue, debts: Luke 3:13 (here R.V. “extort”); το αργυριον, Luke 19:23
(so agere in Latin, cf. the commentators on Suetonius, Vesp. 1; (cf.
Winer’s Grammar, sec. 42, 1 a.)).
4. intransitive, “to act”: contrary to a thing, Acts 17:7.
5. from Aeschylus and Herodotus down reflexively, how I do, the
state of my affairs, Ephesians 6:21; Acts 15:29
There are 39 uses of prasso
in the NT - Lk 3:13; 19:23; 22:23; 23:15, 41; Jn 3:20; 5:29; Acts 3:17;
5:35; 15:29; 16:28; 17:7; 19:19, 36; 25:11, 25; 26:9, 20, 26, 31; Ro
1:32; Ro 2:1-note,
Ro 2:2-note,
Ro 2:3-notet,
Ro 2:25-note;
Ro 7:15-note,
Ro 7:19-note;
Ro 9:11-note;
Ro 13:4-note;
1Co 5:2; 9:17; 2Co 5:10; 12:21; Gal 5:21-note;
Ep 6:21-note;