And those people he’s describing? Well, they’re us-all of us. Paul speaks of the “ godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”-the people who struggle with “envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice” (vv.18, 29). In other words, this passage is about us. Douglas Moo, a professor at Wheaton College, interpret his words more broadly: “ has in view human beings generally, prone to turn away from God because of the original fall into sin.” Scholars have speculated-perhaps it’s about Adam and Eve, or perhaps he is describing non-Christians. He never specifies who this passage is about. And yet, his language is intentionally vague. My life looks nothing like Paul’s portrait of self-destruction. Like many lifelong Christians, I was raised in the church, a rule-following “good girl” who never colored outside the lines. If you’re like me, that might sound strange. It’s dark and it’s grim, but there is one thing you especially need to know about it: Here Paul paints a picture of total depravity, gleeful rebellion, and blind rejection of God-all of which incur the deserved wrath of God. In all of Paul’s letters, there are few bleaker passages than the one we encounter in Romans 1:18-32. Scripture Reading: Romans 1:18-32, Proverbs 1:7, 2 Timothy 3:1-9
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