“They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents” (Romans 1:30 NLT).
We may have a tendency to rush past these references to the insolent or arrogant (CSB) individuals who are mentioned here in Romans 1:30. This is especially true in light of the more prominent behaviors that appear throughout Romans 1:29-31. But a cursory glance at this reference might overlook the highly inappropriate conduct that is described for us within this passage. For instance, this word identifies…
- “…one who behaves with humiliating and unconscionable arrogance to those who are not powerful enough to retaliate.” (1)
- “…one who, uplifted with pride, either heaps insulting language upon others or does them some shameful act of wrong.” (2)
- “It describes the man who is wantonly and sadistically cruel and insulting. Aristotle describes it as the spirit which harms and grieves someone else, not for the sake of revenge and not for any advantage that may be gained from it, but simply for the sheer pleasure of hurting. There are people who get pleasure from seeing someone wince at a cruel saying. There are people who take a devilish delight in inflicting mental and physical pain on others. That is hubris (G5196); it is the sadism which finds delight in hurting others simply for the sake of hurting them.” (3)
To borrow a phrase that appears in the following chapter of this epistle, we might say to those who engage in such behavior, “…you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
Another related characteristic is pride. Pride is emblematic of those who consider themselves to be superior to others or those who possess an inflated opinion of themselves. That attitude subsequently reveals itself in the form of arrogant, contemptuous behavior towards others. While there may be many contributing factors that help explain those responses, the important thing is to identify these attitudes and prayerfully seek God’s enablement to remove them from our lives.
Paul the Apostle will later provide us with an effective way to guard against pride later in Romans 12:3: “I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one” (CSB). Another, more direct, incentive appears in the Biblical book of Proverbs: “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 CSB).
(1) F. F. Bruce, The Letter of Paul to the Roman [p. 81] quoted in Notes on Romans 2025 Edition, Dr. Thomas L. Constable https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/pdf/romans.pdf<s/mall>
(2) Rich Cathers, Romans 1:24-32. (n.d.). https://bstudy2.calvaryfullerton.org/45%20Rom/2008/45%20Rom%2001d.htm
(3) Barclay, William. “Commentary on Romans 1”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible“. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/romans-1.html. 1956-1959.
One common illustration of the truth behind that statement occurs whenever someone employs Jesus’ name as a profanity or an expletive. Another example occurs whenever we casually refer to God in a thoughtless, flippant, irreverent, or condescending manner. Some examples might include the term “ohmigod,” “OMG,” or other similar expressions.
This reference to strife is then followed by another ungodly attribute: deceit. “Deceit” involves an effort to manipulate or fool others in a dishonest manner. The type of deceit mentioned here refers to “a bait or contrivance for entrapping.” (2) Other descriptive terms that characterize this idea include guile, treachery, and cunning (in a bad way).
With these things in mind, we can say murder is a crime that violates the 
This progression exists because people generally act on what they believe unless something prevents them from doing so. If God elects to remove His restraints from those who choose to reject Him and subsequently delivers them over to “…the lusts of their own hearts” (Romans 1:24 KJV), then He no longer shields them from the impact of their choices. As we’ll see, that progression leads to an array of negative consequences once those restraints are removed.
This passage speaks of an exchange that takes place with those who choose to reject the existence of God. This concept should be familiar to virtually everyone, for we frequently engage in various types of exchanges each day. Perhaps the most common example is the person who is seeking to purchase an item from a merchant. To do so, the buyer must exchange money (or another commodity) in order to complete the sale.
What mental image does the word “fool” elicit? In the original language of this passage, the word “fool” is moros, and serves as the precursor to our contemporary term “moron.” This word typically describes someone who is lacking in wisdom, understanding, good judgment, or common sense. The Old Testament book of Psalms offers another definition of this word that relates to our text from Romans 1:22-23: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God…'” (Psalm 14:1).
We can illustrate this function of the celestial heavens with the image of a train that is traveling down a flat set of railroad tracks. The last car of our hypothetical train is moving because it is coupled to the car ahead of it. The same is true of every other railroad car in that sequence; the motion of each individual car is explained by the action of the car that precedes it.
For instance, the visible world is like a mirror that reflects the existence and power of its Creator. The natural world offers a means of verifying God’s reality and a way to understand some of His attributes. Anyone with the gift of sight may enter the theater of nature and observe the glory of God through creation. That theater encompasses the world we inhabit along with the observable universe.
We can always learn something about a person from the presence of his or her work. At a minimum, we can know that someone lived to create that work, even if he or she remains unseen. For instance, we might associate a high-quality piece of handiwork with the efforts of a skilled craftsman. In a similar manner, sculptures imply sculptors, paintings imply painters, and buildings imply builders.
This reality has led to many creative forms of suppression among those who are uncomfortable with the reality of God’s existence. For instance, the term “Mother Nature” is a common way of referring to creation in a manner that eliminates the idea of a Creator. We might also refer to “luck,” “fate,” “chance,” or “karma” in an effort to camouflage or dismiss any consideration of God and His sovereignty over the affairs of life.
The word “suppress” refers to the act of holding something down. A common analogy for understanding this word is that of a sailor who is determined to pilot his or her boat against a strong current of water. To accomplish this, the sailor must work to “suppress” or counteract the natural flow of water by forcing the rudder to take the boat in the direction he or she wishes to go instead of the direction of the current.
That brings us to this reference to “godlessness,” a term that means “without reverence for God.” A godless person is someone who lives as if God did not exist, or exhibits irreverence for Him in thought, word, or deed. Much like a warning lamp that signals the presence of a fault condition, godlessness signals a defect in one’s vertical relationship with his or her Creator.
Scholars and commentators have wrestled with the precise meaning of the term “faith to faith” here in Romans 1:17. For instance, this portion of Scripture may relate to God’s faithfulness in respect to our faith, or it may refer to ever-increasing degrees of faith.
While many accept the premise that everyone possesses a moral compass, there are just as many who would undoubtedly view “right” and “wrong” as a matter of personal preference. However, a compass that aligns with our preferences may not provide an accurate reading. Therefore, the question of where that compass points is far more significant.
The fact that Paul had often planned to visit Rome without success is one that should bring comfort when our own plans fail to come to fruition. For example, Paul’s experience tells us that it is not wrong to plan for the future. As we’re reminded in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, “Wise people think before they act; fools don’t–and even brag about their foolishness” (Proverbs 13:16 NLT).
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