Yellow Balloons: Finding Power to Live Above Your Circumstances, by Tim Dunn

Koinesúnē: A digital magazine that celebrates the authentic pursuit of discipleship

Home / Commentary / Romans / Romans Chapter 3 / Romans 3:18

Romans 3:18

Those who pursue sin and wickedness do not fear God.

Paul now shifts the quote to Psalm 36:1. Psalm 36:1-4 describes the makeup of a wicked person; wickedness begins by not fearing God. The Greek word translated fear is “phobos” which is the root of our English word “phobia.” It originally meant “flight” as in the Greek poet Homer’s characters fleeing in fear. Phobos is usually translated “fear” but is also translated “awe, reverence, and intimidation.”

When we fear another person it might come from a number of motives or attitudes. We might have great respect for, or we might loathe, a person we fear. But in any case, the underlying concern that leads to fear is connected to the action the person we fear can take that we wish to avoid. For someone we love and respect, fear might take the form of desiring not to generate disappointment. We might be desperate to live up to the expectation of a parent we adore. For a person with great wisdom, we might fear not following his advice, realizing that shame might come if we don’t.

When we do not fear God, it means we are not concerned with what God thinks. We are also not concerned about following His advice. We give it no value, and only value our own opinions. These attitudes toward God are at the very heart of wickedness.

Biblical Text

¹⁸“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Check out our other commentaries:

Romans 15:20-22
Paul prioritized his travel so that he could preach the gospel to those who did not know Christ. He again explains that he had not......

Matthew 10:5-10
Jesus instructs His disciples in what they are supposed to do when they go throughout the land proclaiming the kingdom, healing, and casting out demons.......

Genesis 17:1-2
When Abram was 99 years old, God established a covenant with him to bless him greatly if he walked blameless. God expanded His covenant to......

Matthew 3:11-12
John confesses that he is not the Messiah. John is only a lowly forerunner of the Messiah. John shifts metaphors and warns that the Messiah......

Romans 1:8-10
The faith of the Roman believers is being talked about throughout the world; Paul thanks God for their faith and prays for them unceasingly. Paul......

Additional Resources

Book Theme

The Apostle Paul writes to the world-renowned believers in Rome, the center of the world at that time, in order to answer a slanderous charge made to them against Paul and his message. Paul’s detractors claim his emphasis on faith overturns the law. Paul says that ” just living by the law” does not achieve personal justice before God, while “just living by faith” does. Paul then demonstrates what a just life looks like: harmonious living with Jesus as the leader. Paul also makes clear the choice a believer has: to walk in faith and the power of the resurrection and experience resurrection life, or walk in sin and unnecessarily experience the negative consequences.

Chapter Context

Paul specifies the slander charge raised against him by competing Jewish “authorities” who claim Paul is teaching that believers ought to sin. These “authorities” claim that Paul teaches we ought to do evil because then we are doing good: “Do evil that good may come.”

These authorities claim Paul teaches that we do God a favor by showing how full of grace God is.

Paul dismisses their charge as a statement that is worthy of condemnation, but goes on to emphasize that he is no better than they are because no person other than Jesus can be good enough to satisfy the requirements of God’s law.

The reality is that we are all sinners, and each of us needs the grace of God. In this chapter, Paul sets up a defense of his position that righteous living comes through living by faith.

Videos

View Romans on the Timeline