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Romans 3:18 meaning

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.”

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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.

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