Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness,
Paul speaks of the wrath of God, the condemnation, that has come upon mankind through the sin of Adam, which wrath remains upon any any who are outside the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. (Romans 5:1-19; John 3:36) This wrath can be seen in all the subjection to futility and the suffering of mankind. -- Romans 8:20; Ecclesiastes 1:2,13,14.
Romans 1:19 - because that which is known by God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.
Paul is not saying that all mankind living has received this revealing, but he is referring to mankind in general, as represented in the first human pair, Adam and Eve. It was as represented in Adam and Eve that mankind knew God, and to whom God revealed himself. Through Adam especially, all mankind in Adam were being judged regarding God's law of love and obedience to the Creator. Nevertheless, mankind does still have a left-over sense of God's law as revealed to Adam, for Paul later refers to this, when speaking of the heathen, that, they, by nature, do things of the Law. (Romans 2:14) Not that any of the heathen were actually fully obedient of the Law, but that we find remnants of God's original Law as revealed to Adam, the law of love and justice. Paul later says that he "previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin." -- Romans 3:9.
Romans 1:20 - For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.
Romans 1:20
ta gar aorata autou apo ktisews kosmou
THE FOR UNSEEN (THINGS) OF HIM FROM CREATION OF WORLD
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tois poieemasin nooumena kathoratai hee te
TO THE THINGS MADE BEING PERCEIVED IS SEEN DOWN, THE AND
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aidios autou dunamis kai theiotees eis to einai
ETERNAL OF HIM POWER AND GODSHIP, INTO THE TO BE
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autous anapologeetous
THEM DEFENSELESS,
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Westcott & Hort Intelinear
The unseen things of God, his eternal power and godship, being perceived, is seen from the creation of the world, so that they are defenseless.
The creation refers to mankind, not all creation in whole universe. Adam and Eve are still being used to represent the creation. From the creation of the world of mankind, as mankind looks back upon what is recorded about Adam and Eve, one can see the demonstration of God's eternal power and godship. The invisible things of God were seen in the original creation, and still can be seen although creation has been marred by man's disobedience, so that many men draw the wrong conclusions from the present-day things that are seen. But to Adam and Eve, God's eternal power and godship could be seen clearly in their own creation. Today, however, that perception has been marred by corruption through sin. Nevertheless, as Paul later shows, all mankind are included in Adam, and thus all mankind are counted as without excuse due to Adam's sin.
Romans 1:21 - Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
Mankind, represented in Adam and Eve, once knew God, but they didn't give him the glory, the honor, due to him as God. They became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
Romans 1:22 - Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
The story in Genesis shows that Eve was tempted by witchcraft, or the crafty "wisdom" of the serpent. The serpent told her, in effect, that Yahweh was a liar, and thus Yahweh was not due to the glory and honor of rulership and godship. The serpent lead Eve into believing that disobedience to One who made them would a wise thing to do. Adam, however, was not decieved as was Eve, and thus in his hands laid a greater responsibility. Although not deceived, he evidently considered it to be a wise thing to obey the voice of his wife, rather than the commandment of Yahweh. And thus mankind become fools.
Romans 1:23 - and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.
Until Adam and Eve sinned, they had the incorrupt (but not incorruptible) glory of God, since they had not fallen short of the glory through sin. Once they sinned, however, they fell short of the glory. (Romans 3:23) Their original image of God (Genesis 1:26) in them was thus marred due to sin.
God created mankind upright, straight, incorrupt, without sin, but mankind was not created incorruptible. (Ecclesiastes 7:29) Had they been incorruptible, then it would have been impossible for them to have become corrupted by sin. On the other hand, being created upright, without corruption, mankind was not created in a bondage to corruption, but was later subjected to such a bondage due to Adam's sin. (Romans 8:20) Being incorrupt, yet corruptible, God gave mankind -- represented in Adam and Eve -- the freewill to either obey or disobey. Paul here hints that their obedience would eventually lead to becoming incorruptible like their God. But, instead of seeking the glory of that incorruptible image, they traded what they could have had for the image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, etc. Thus it came to be that man was reduced to being like the beasts of the field, so that now, "man [who was originally given dominion over all the lower creatures of the earth] has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity." -- Ecclesiastes 3:19; Genesis 1:26,28; Psalm 8:5-8; Hebrews 2:6-8.
See also:
http://reslight.multiply.com/journal/item/3/Since_the_Creation_-_Romans_118-23In service of Jesus,
Ronald
http://creation.reslight.nethttp://theodicy.reslight.net
