Wrath of God defined
Researched by Chuckt
"(1:18) The apostle now speaks of the wrath of God inasmuch as 'the revelation of the righteousness of God (v.17) is needed in view of the revelation of His wrath, from which only God's righteousness (whether it be His justifying sentence or the righteousness He bestows on man) can deliver' (Denney). 'Wrath' is orge. The word is used of God's wrath in Matthew 3:7, Romans 1:17, 12:19, and is defined by Trench as 'a wrath of God who would not love good unless He hated evil, the two being inseparable, that He must do both or neither.' It is used of our Lord when, after healing the man with the withered hand, He observed the hardness of heart of the Pharisees, and looked upon them with anger (Mk. 3:5). Orge is an anger 'which righteous men not merely may, but as they are righteous, must feel; nor can there be a surer and sadder token of an utterly prostrate moral condition than the not being to be angry with sin--and sinners' (Trench). Vincent describes orge as God's personal emotion with regard to sin. It represents God's abhorrence and hatred of sin."1
(There is more of the definition here which supports this translation.)
"Translation: For there is revealed God's wrath from heaven upon every lack of reverence and (every) unrighteousness of men who the truth in unrighteousness are holding down."2
1 Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Volume 1, Kenneth Wuest, Eerdmans, p. 28-29
2. "The New Testament" (An Expanded Translation) by Kenneth Wuest on Romans 1:18.
I've actually debated people who say that Romans 1 doesn't speak about Homosexuality so I researched the scholars:
What do the scholars have to say about Romans Chapter 1? They all say it is Homosexuality being discussed. Since all of my debaters are without Bible degrees, they are sadly misinformed by those Homosexuals who wish to change what the Bible says because the majority of scholars do support the interpretation that Romans 1 has to do with Homosexuality. My debaters are misinformed..
“b. Abandoned to sexual perversion (1:26-27)
1:26-27. Also God gave them over to shameful lusts (lit., ‘passions of disgrace’). This involved, as the text states, both sexes engaging in homosexual instead of heterosexual relationships. Women deliberately exchanged natural relations (with men in marriage) for unnatural ones (with other women). This is the second ‘exchange’ the unregenerate made (cf. v.25). Men...were inflamed with lust (orexei,’sexual lust,’ used only here in the NT and differing from the more common word for lust in v.26).
The words translated women and men in these verses are the sexual words ‘females’ and ‘males.’ Contemporary homosexuals insist that these verses mean that it is perverse for a heterosexual male or female to engage in homosexual relations but it is not perverse for a homosexual male or female to do so since homosexuality is such a person’s natural preference. This is strained exegesis unsupported by the Bible. The only natural sexual relationship the Bible recognizes is a heterosexual one (Gen. 2:21-24; Matt. 19:4-6) within marriage. All homosexual relations constitute sexual perversion and are subject to God’s judgment. Such lustful and indecent acts have within them the seeds of punishment (due penalty).”-“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” (An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty, p.444.
“When the Bible declares that homosexual practices are ‘against nature’ (Rom. 1:26), it is referring to biological nature, not sociological nature. First, sex is defined biologically in Scripture from the very beginning. In Genesis 1, God created ‘male and female’ and then told them to ‘be fruitful and increase in number’ (Gen. 1:27-27, NIV). This reproduction was only possible if He was referring to a biological male and female.
“Second, sexual orientation is understood biologically, not sociologically, when God said ‘for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh’ (Gen. 2:24, NIV. For only a biological father and mother can produce children, and the reference to ‘one flesh’ speaks of a physical marriage.
“Thirdly, the Romans passage says that ‘men committed indecent acts with other men.’ This clearly indicates that this sinful act was homosexual in nature (Rom. 1:27, NIV).
“Fourth, what they did was not natural to them. They ‘exchanged’ the ‘natural relations’ for the unnatural ones (Rom. 1:26, NIV). So the homosexual acts were pronounced unnatural for homosexuals too.
“Fifth, homosexual desires are also called ‘shameful lusts’ (v. 26, NIV). So it is evident that God is condemning sexual sins between those of the same biological sex. Homosexual acts are contrary to human nature as such, not just to a homosexual’s sexual orientation.”-“When Critics Ask” by Dr. Norman Geisler, p438-439
“Because they exchanged the real God for false gods, by way of temporary punishment they exchanged natural sexual intercourse for homosexuality. 25. Paul breaks out of the foul atmosphere of vice and idolatry into the fresh air of a doxology. 27. Perversion is their idolatry: Gk. plane (lit. ‘wandering’) is often used in the LXX.”-“The International Bible Commentary”, F.F. Bruce, General Editor, p.1320
“Long before this chapter was penned, the Lesbians and others throughout refined Greece had been luxuriating in such debasements;”-“Commentary On The Whole Bible” by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, p.1142.
“Although today the world seeks to popularize and legitimize homosexuality, nevertheless it is despicable to God and condemned by Him.”-Liberty Bible Commentary, p.345
“Does the Bible really condemn homosexuality? The answer is yes, it does. In every place it mentions any homosexual practice it roundly condemns the practice. In no place does it speak positively on homosexuality.”-“Hard Sayings of the Bible” by Walter C. Kaiser Jr, Peter H. Davids, F.F. Bruce, Manfred T. Brauch, p.545
“What is true historically and theologically is in measure true, however, experientially. The ‘gay’ facade is a thin veil for deep-seated frustration. The folly of homosexuality is proclaimed in its inability to reproduce the human species in keeping with the divine commandment (Ge 1:28). To sum up, what people do with God has much to do with their personal character and lifestyle. Throughout the passage they are represented as actively choosing a religion and a lifestyle; they are not being taken captive against their will.”
-“Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary”, Volume 2: New Testament, p.528-529
“In my book Reasoning Through Romans, I define these sins,...”-“Thru The Bible Commentary”, Romans by Dr. J. Vernon McGee.42
“I believe our text hints at the latter. In verse 27, Paul writes,’they receive in themselves that recompense of their error’ (verse 27). It could very well be that ‘the recompense of their error’ manifests itself in a chemical that affects the psychology of a person who practices this kind of error.
Homosexuality damages people psychologically. It changes who they are and what they could be. Knowing this, God says,’Stay away from it.’”-p.878, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary
