Within the first eight chapters of Romans, Paul explains his worldview regarding the natural world. In the book of Genesis, the Jewish community is taught “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 NIV). In six days, God created everything from the light to man, which He created in His own image. However, though a single individual man, sin entered the world, and death also came through sin. God sees sin as rebellion against Him. In Romans 1:18-20 Paul is beginning to describe the cost of this sinful nature. Paul reminds his readers that everyone knows to honor God and not rebel because the whole of creation reveals God to all people. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power
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Since the first century when Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, relationships between humans haven’t changed. As Paul describes the destroyed relationship between Humankind and God, so does this parallel the relationship each human has with another. Those that have no desire to know God cannot possibly wish to know their neighbors. Throughout Romans, Paul describes a depraved society. “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy” (Romans 1:29-31). In the modern day, this has not changed. John R.W. Stott states “But the cultural idolatry of the West is no better. To exchange the worship of the living God for the modern obsession with wealth, fame, and power is equally foolish and equally …show more content…
In addition to the vices and the immoral sexual relations being shown, not only during Paul’s time, but in today’s society as well, there is also tolerance at the cultural level of this behavior. The church in Rome, which Paul was addressing in his letter, was dealing with these issues of sin. Eventually, as Paul and the other apostles spread the gospel message, believers turned away from the standard of living being demonstrated by the culture around them and began living the way God wanted them to live in response to righteousness imparted by God. For “believers must now not live according to the flesh, but through the Spirit put aside the sins they have been committing”. However, while Paul’s cultural lessons should be a warning to modern day believers, many are approving the sins of others, under the guise of human rights. But twisting the meaning of the Scriptures, they are attempting to justify their sinful behavior. The result is an increase of sin in modern times and a decrease in the number of those who believe in the Word of
Since the first century when Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, relationships between humans haven’t changed. As Paul describes the destroyed relationship between Humankind and God, so does this parallel the relationship each human has with another. Those that have no desire to know God cannot possibly wish to know their neighbors. Throughout Romans, Paul describes a depraved society. “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy” (Romans 1:29-31). In the modern day, this has not changed. John R.W. Stott states “But the cultural idolatry of the West is no better. To exchange the worship of the living God for the modern obsession with wealth, fame, and power is equally foolish and equally …show more content…
In addition to the vices and the immoral sexual relations being shown, not only during Paul’s time, but in today’s society as well, there is also tolerance at the cultural level of this behavior. The church in Rome, which Paul was addressing in his letter, was dealing with these issues of sin. Eventually, as Paul and the other apostles spread the gospel message, believers turned away from the standard of living being demonstrated by the culture around them and began living the way God wanted them to live in response to righteousness imparted by God. For “believers must now not live according to the flesh, but through the Spirit put aside the sins they have been committing”. However, while Paul’s cultural lessons should be a warning to modern day believers, many are approving the sins of others, under the guise of human rights. But twisting the meaning of the Scriptures, they are attempting to justify their sinful behavior. The result is an increase of sin in modern times and a decrease in the number of those who believe in the Word of