Romans 1:28-32 Part 2

Romans 1:28-32 (New American Standard Bible)

 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, ^(A)God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are ^(B)gossips,

 30slanderers, ^(C)haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, ^(D)disobedient to parents,

 31without understanding, untrustworthy, ^(E)unloving, unmerciful;

 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of ^(F)death, they not only do the same, but also ^(G)give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Verse 29 begins with a conclusion of the thought that was being express in verse 28.  God gave man over to a depraved mind to do things that were not proper, "being filled with all unrighteousness..."

And the list begins:

1. Wickedness - Comes from Greek word, Poneria which means a malicious person in that not only is he evil, but he expresses that malice and affects others.  Malice according to the dictionary:  desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness:the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.  When I see this definition, I immediately think of "The Dark Knight" and the character Joker.  His full intent for committing evil was not to receive gain for himself, but to inflict suffering on others.  He committed evil for the simple fact that he desired and loved it.  He embodies this concept:  desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness:the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.
2. Greed - Comes from Greek word Pleonexia which means greed or covetousness.  While it usually denotes a desire for material possessions, the NT often associates this monetary desire with sexual immorality.  For example, in Ephesians 4:19, and they, having ^(A)become callous, ^(B)have given themselves over to ^(C)sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.,greed is a characteristic of sexual immorality.  Again in Ephesians 5:3 and Colossians 3:5, it is associate with sexual immorality.  Thus, the desire for someone else's property is no different than the desire for someone else's spouse or for other kinds of sexual illicit behavior. Greed according to the dictionary:   An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth    
3. Evil - Comes from Greek word Kakia which means wickedness as an evil habit of the mind while Poneria (seen in number one above) is the actually outcoming of the same.  In other words, the evil acted out by man begins in the mind.  
   
4. Full of envy - Comes from the Greek word, Zeloo, which means to be zealous or jealous.  In classical Greek, this word could be used in post a positive (eager striving, enthusiasm, or praise) and negative (jealousy, ill will, envy) sense.  The same is true of its usage in the NT.  The way it is used here in Romans 1 is always regarded as a negative sense.  In fact, the word used is actually, Phthonos, and means envy.  It is never regarded as something favorably to possess in someone.  Envy according to the dictionary:  a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.  This seems to connect with greed in the same way that wickedness and evil seem to belong together in the same concept.  Envy and greed are what drive our American culture, and far too often my own heart.  How I struggle at times to rejoice with those who get something nice that I too want.  How I struggle at times wanting things for myself.  
   
5. Murder - Comes from the Greek word, phoneuo, which means to murder.  In both the OT and NT, God is against the willful destruction of human life.  Most of the occurances in the NT occur in quotations of the ten commandments.  Murder according to the dictionary:  The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice.
   
6. Strife - Comes from the Greek word, eris, which only occurs in the letters of Paul.  It indicates arguments, quarreling, and discord among people.  Dictionary Definition - vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism: to be at strife.
   
7. Deceit - Comes from Greek Word - dolos, meaning deceit.  In Mark 7:22, Jesus lists deceit as one of the sins that comes out of the human heart.    Dictionary Definition of Deceit - 
   

8. the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating: Once she exposed their deceit, no one ever trusted them again.

   Malice - See wickedness above.
   
9. Gossips - Dictionary Definition - 
   

10. idle talk or rumor, esp. about the personal or private affairs of others:

    Slanderers
    
11. Haters of God
    
12. Insolent
    
13. Arrogant
    
14. Boastful
    
15. Inventors of Evil
    
16. Disobedient to parents
    
17. Without understanding
    
18. Untrustworthy
    
19. Unloving
    
20. Unmerciful
    
21. And, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.