1:16-25

OK, Here's the notes on 1:16-25. NEXT WEEKS VERSES ARE: 1:26-32

Please forgive any spelling errors or bad grammar and other dumb things, limited time has not allowed for me to comb through the notes to make them perfect. Hope you're blessed going through it and comparing your notes, love to hear any thoughts if you have them. 

God Bless, I & K

(16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation

 

M –Paul isn’t ashamed of the good news. The reason being is that it has power for salvation. Some messages might encourage us, but don’t really carry the power to save us. If the news is true and can lead you towards something that can save you then it’s powerful. Save us from what? The rest of the book seems to make it clear that he’s referring to being saved from our sin and saved from wrath as a judgment of it (Romans 5:9 / 1 Thess. 5:9.)

 

A –The gospel may be something we’re tempted to feel ashamed of, but it’s the most valuable thing we can give people when it can save them. We wouldn’t be ashamed to tell people to leave a burning building because what we are telling them has the power to save them.

 

(16) for everyone who believes,

 

M –This is the description of who receives the salvation, not just the person who hears the message, but the person who believes it.

 

A –It’s not enough to just know the good news, we have to believe it. “The medicine prepared will not cure the patient if it be not taken.” –Matthew Henry. If you tell someone the building has started burning but they don’t believe you then they won’t leave and they won’t be saved.

 

(16) for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 

M –Not sure what all Paul has in mind when He says this, but we know both Christ and His disciples went to the Jewish people before the non-Jews. The Jews were the people who received God’s special revelation and expectation of a savior to come. ‘Greek’ here seems to just imply anyone ‘non Jewish.’

 

(17) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;

 

M –The word ‘righteousness’ will appear again and again in this letter. Most of the time it carries the idea of either God being ‘in the right’ or a person having a right-standing with God. Many would refer to this verse as the theme of the letter. When something is revealed it implies something that was hidden, and is now visible. In the good news, a right-standing with God is made visible. ‘From faith to faith’ can literally be translated ‘out of faith, into faith.’ Whatever this means it implies the centrality of faith (or trust) in the good news of God.

 

A –If we could focus on learning and walking in one thing it might be faith –or trust in God. If we’re going to have a right-standing with God it’s going to have to come from God.

 

(17) As it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

 

M -This is an Old Testament quotation from Hab. 2:4. Even before Christ came and the gospel revealed this righteousness, it was talked about in the O.T. (Old Testament.)

 

A –When I hear this verse, it points past just a one time act of faith, but a lifestyle of trust in God. Also, as Paul often quotes it, we have a lot to learn from the OT as it was authored by the same God of the New Testament and spoke in expectation and figures of the things that would come later.

 

(18) The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men

 

M –‘wrath’ has the idea of anger, often exhibited in punishment. The anger of God is revealed from heaven (where our Father is Mt.6:9.) His anger is against everything unlike Him or disrespecting of Him (ungodliness) and against everything not right. Some commentators point to the possible connection of ungodliness in reference to the Jews, who knew in the law what was godly and unrighteousness for the gentiles who knew from their consciences what was right.

 

A –Here, even in the New Testament, God is shown to be angry at sin. He hasn’t changed from the Old Testament, we just have a gospel to cling to now. We have to remember all that the bible says God is, He is loving but He also hates ungodliness.

 

(18) who suppress the truth in unrighteousness

 

M –Ungodly and unrighteous people suppress (hold back) the truth.

 

A –It’s part of our sinful nature to avoid the truth because it reveals that God has the right to be in charge and that we have sinned against Him.

 

(19) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

 

M –What can be known about God is plain to man, because God has made it plain to plan.

 

A –While we can’t know everything about God, there are some things we can know about Him. And even if someone doesn’t have a bible to know more about God, there are some things about Him that should be obvious to man.

 

(20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

 

M -Ever since the world was created, just by looking at creation, a couple things could be obvious to man.

 

1. His eternal power: Creation shows proof of a creator and one of great power. We cannot even fathom how big our galaxy let alone the universe. How powerful God must be to create all of this!
2. His Godhead (divine nature): I guess the thought here is that the creator is God, something higher than us that we owe our existence and everything to.

 

Man will never be able to use the excuse that He didn’t know of God and His power.

 

A –Even if someone has never possessed or read a bible, if they are honest, looking at creation points to the fact that there is a God out there and He is powerful. Someone can say and choose to not believe in God, but He has left enough evidence for them to know He’s there and He’s higher than us.

 

(21) because, although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

 

M –Men will be without excuse, because even though they knew God was there and great, they didn’t honor Him for what He is. They weren’t thankful, even though He had given them everything. Futile means basically pointless or empty. Because they didn’t let the facts lead their minds to the natural conclusion (that God is there and should be honored and thanked) their thoughts became useless. Their foolish hearts being darkened seems to imply the confusion and aimlessness they walk into.

 

A - When we shut off the facts and look for other solutions to suit ourselves, our thinking is pointless because it leads to no real answers. When we try to explain away God we are always walking into darkness and foolishness, we know better.

 

(22) Professing to be wise, they became fools,

 

M –When people choose not to acknowledge and honor God, they may claim to be wise and have a wisdom from this world, but they become fools. They are unwilling to acknowledge the reality of God who built them and the world they live in. They’ve chosen ignorance.

 

A –Psalm 14:1 says ‘The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’’ True wisdom is found when we follow facts to their source.

 

(23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man-and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

 

M –Instead of worshiping the glorious God of eternity, sinful men choose to worship images of men and animals…things on the same and lower levels than themselves. They decided it would be easier to imagine a statue was God than to just acknowledge there was a God.

 

A –Whenever we aren’t thinking of God as who He really is, we end up worshiping a God of our own imagination or one presented to us differently. We don’t get to decide who God is, just discover who He actually is and worship Him.

 

(24) Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves

 

M –This section opened by saying ‘the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (18).’ The progression goes like this: Man chooses to hold back the truth –God now gives them up to uncleanness. He ‘seconds their motion’ and allows them to receive the natural consequences of their choice. ‘uncleanness’ is contrasted with holiness in 1 Thess. 4:7 so may be a general term for all ungodliness. God stops holding them back from the things they desire so much as a judgment. Man is made in God’s image and was put over the animals in Genesis, but he dishonors himself worshiping images of things He was made to rule over.

 

A –It is God’s grace when He confronts us with our sin so we can turn from it, it’s His wrath when He stops confronting us and lets us go our own way. Man is not inherently good, left to himself He will bring destruction and dishonor on himself.

 

(25) who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped an served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

 

M –Again, these people chose a lie instead of God. They worshiped and served created things instead of the one who created them. It’s like being infatuated with a basketball signed by Michael Jordan when He’s standing right there with you. God alone should be blessed (praised) forever and will be by some. ‘Amen’ means ‘truly’. God is the truth.

 

A –Proverbs 23:23 says we should ‘buy the truth and do not sell it.’ The intended meaning seems to line up with this verse: Nothing is worth selling the truth for. If you choose to turn away from reality and do your own thing you’re only kidding yourself. Only God should be worshipped.