Romans 1:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then the apostle says, "inventors of evil." He shows that they were not satisfied with the evil already done, but invented another evil also. This again belonged to people who acted intentionally and by their own disposition, not by impulse or imitation. Having spoken of vice in particular and shown that the Gentiles again rose up even against nature itself, the apostle says: "disobedient to parents."

They know the righteous judgment of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death." Do you see how the apostle unites evil disposition, pride, and the other hidden sins into one whole with murder, covetousness, and all similar manifest sins? The Lord Himself says: "What is exalted among men is an abomination before God" (Lk 16:15). And again: "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk 14:11). And Wisdom says: "Everyone proud in heart is unclean before God" (Prov 16:5). Many similar sayings, exposing the passions hidden in the soul, may be found in the other Holy Scriptures. See Ex 4:21 and Eccl 1:13.

Therefore those who bestow divinity not only on creatures, but also on imaginary things, are still worse. "Disobedient to parents." With what arrogance must they be seized, if they do not acknowledge the parents who gave them birth and do not rejoice in it. They despised those from whom they themselves received their beginning.

But human minds are changeable and fallible. Therefore a succession of errors and an abyss of vices arose. In these, men first of all found their punishment for error. First God gave men over to lusts, then to passions of dishonor, and finally to a debased mind, to do what is improper. In the human mind, as the highest power, are rooted the senses of the Godhead and of His righteousness. In other words, the fear of God and conscience are rooted there. But when the thought of God leaves the mind, fear before Him is lost, and conscience is weakened. As a result, sensuality raises its voice. Then every kind of moral deformity begins, which the Apostle describes as he depicts the life and manner of conduct of the Romans.

Both occur secretly and openly. Evil disposition makes one speak evil of another, seeking to wound him without distinguishing whether one speaks truth or falsehood. One must not speak evil of another, even if something evil is actually found in him. Much less should one speak without being certain that he has truly erred in something. From this comes evil rumor, which does not always correspond to the truth. Hateful to God, θεοστυγεῖς, may mean "both those who hate God and those hated by God" (Blessed Theophylact). But here it means "not those hated by God, for that is not now the Apostle's subject, but those who hate God" (Gennadius). They are "filled with enmity toward God" (Blessed Theodoret). See how far they have come. Those who have lost the habit of remembering God and divine things, and have become attached to visible things, find no pleasure when someone directs their thoughts to these matters. A man may even express openly how unpleasant this is to him. Yet this is not yet enmity against God, though it is a sufficient seed of enmity. Whence comes enmity? When someone in pride thinks that God must do this or that for him, and sees that He not only does not do it, but brings upon him the opposite of what he wanted and demanded, then enmity arises. Instead of profit comes loss, instead of advancement dismissal, instead of success ruin. Then, considering himself offended by God, he allows himself to be hostile toward God. He expresses this hostility in word, by blasphemy and murmuring. Yet one must note that this does not occur without the participation of our enemy. Insolent men, ὑβρισταί, are abusive people, "always ready to offend another by word" (Blessed Theodoret), "bold revilers" (Gennadius). Here one may include those who use shameful abusive words. Everything that the whisperer says into the ear, and everything that the slanderer clothes in proper words while hiding behind zeal for truth, the abusive reviler blurts out directly. He does so without restraint, in words now sharp, now shameful. Haughty, ὑπερήφανοι, are "those who think highly of their advantages" (Blessed Theodoret). They are those who, "having certain dignities, become puffed up and look down on those who do not have them" (Gennadius). One is haughty over wealth, another over authority, another over honor, another over intellect, bodily strength, or beauty. But whatever a man is haughty about, he sins. All this is not his, but God's gifts, given for God's glory and for beneficence toward the brethren. One must not be haughty, but fear responsibility. Therefore one must be more humble the more one has. Such people are thieves of God's glory. Proud, ἀλαζόνες, are "arrogant, boastful, puffed-up people, who have no basis for a high opinion of themselves and are vainly inflated" (Blessed Theodoret). "Having no dignities, they exalt themselves as though they had them" (Gennadius). This is true satanic pride, in which lies our ruin. Saint Chrysostom says of this: "Having placed among transgressions what for many seems neither evil nor good, he intensifies the accusation by ascending to the citadel of evils and adding: proud. To sin and think much of oneself is worse than the sin itself. Therefore the Apostle also accuses the Corinthians of the same thing, saying: 'And you are puffed up' (1 Cor 5:2). If one who is proud of a good deed destroys everything by this, what punishment does a sinner deserve? Such a man is already incapable even of repentance." Blessed Theophylact adds: "Know that haughtiness is contempt for God, while pride is contempt for men, from which insult is born. For he who despises men insults and tramples everyone. By nature pride precedes insult. Yet insult first becomes apparent to us, and only afterward does its mother, pride, become known." Inventors of evils, ἐφευρεταὶ κακῶν, are devisers of evil, those who blaze new paths for it, guides of others, ringleaders. The Apostle "shows that they were not satisfied with the evil already done, but invented new and further evil" (Saint Chrysostom). They "not only dared what had already entered into custom, but devised new evil deeds" (Blessed Theodoret). Disobedient to parents. "Here also, as in lusts, the Gentiles rose up against nature" (Saint Chrysostom). "This is the greatest incongruity: nature itself is the accuser" (Blessed Theodoret). Disobedient, ἀπειθεῖς, means inattentive to their word and admonition. However bad parents may be, a desire to direct their children onto the true path is still not foreign to them. Yet the children do not listen, whatever they say. This too comes from the loss of the fear of God and from the predominance of sensuality.