20 For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:
<To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.> The heavens are sounding the glory of God; the arch of the sky makes clear the work of his hands. Day after day it sends out its word, and night after night it gives knowledge. There are no words or language; their voice makes no sound. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them has he put a tent for the sun, Who is like a newly married man coming from his bride-tent, and is glad like a strong runner starting on his way. His going out is from the end of the heaven, and his circle to the ends of it; there is nothing which is not open to his heat.
Let your eyes be lifted up on high, and see: who has made these? He who sends out their numbered army: who has knowledge of all their names: by whose great strength, because he is strong in power, all of them are in their places.
Because the knowledge of God may be seen in them, God having made it clear to them.
When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have put in their places;
He has made the earth strong on its bases, so that it may not be moved for ever and ever;
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the army of heaven by the breath of his mouth. He makes the waters of the sea come together in a mass; he keeps the deep seas in store-houses. Let the earth be full of the fear of the Lord; let all the people of the world be in holy fear of him. For he gave the word, and it was done; by his order it was fixed for ever.
If I had not come and been their teacher they would have had no sin: but now they have no reason to give for their sin.
Who is the image of the unseen God coming into existence before all living things;
For to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father for ever, Prince of Peace.
My flesh was made by you, and my parts joined together in my mother's body.
And when your eyes are lifted up to heaven, and you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the army of heaven, do not let yourselves be moved to give them worship, or become the servants of what the Lord has given equally to all peoples under heaven.
If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way, A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth; That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.
So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.
By faith he went out of Egypt, not being turned from his purpose by fear of the wrath of the king; for he kept on his way, as seeing him who is unseen.
How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God?
But is now made clear; and by the writings of the prophets, by the order of the eternal God, the knowledge of it has been given to all the nations, so that they may come under the rule of the faith;
Let your hope be in the Lord for ever: for the Lord Jah is an unchanging Rock.
Fire and rain of ice, snow and mists; storm-wind, doing his word: Mountains and all hills; fruit-trees and all trees of the mountains: Beasts and all cattle; insects and winged birds: Kings of the earth, and all peoples; rulers and all judges of the earth: Young men and virgins; old men and children:
Your faith is unchanging from generation to generation: you have put the earth in its place, and it is not moved.
Before the mountains were made, before you had given birth to the earth and the world, before time was, and for ever, you are God.
For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form,
So that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven; for his sun gives light to the evil and to the good, and he sends rain on the upright man and on the sinner.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Romans 1
Commentary on Romans 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 1
In this chapter we may observe,
Rom 1:1-7
In this paragraph we have,
Rom 1:8-15
We may here observe,
Rom 1:16-18
Paul here enters upon a large discourse of justification, in the latter part of this chapter laying down his thesis, and, in order to the proof of it, describing the deplorable condition of the Gentile world. His transition is very handsome, and like an orator: he was ready to preach the gospel at Rome, though a place where the gospel was run down by those that called themselves the wits; for, saith he, I am not ashamed of it, v. 16. There is a great deal in the gospel which such a man as Paul might be tempted to be ashamed of, especially that he whose gospel it is was a man hanged upon a tree, that the doctrine of it was plain, had little in it to set it off among scholars, the professors of it were mean and despised, and every where spoken against; yet Paul was not ashamed to own it. I reckon him a Christian indeed that is neither ashamed of the gospel nor a shame to it. The reason of this bold profession, taken from the nature and excellency of the gospel, introduces his dissertation.
Rom 1:19-32
In this last part of the chapter the apostle applies what he had said particularly to the Gentile world, in which we may observe,
Now lay all this together, and then say whether the Gentile world, lying under so much guilt and corruption, could be justified before God by any works of their own.