Romans 1:32Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But now, on the basis of many things, we have proved that you knew and sinned willingly. But you will say: I was carried away by passion. Why then do you assist others and praise them? "They not only do them," says the Apostle, "but also consent to those who do them."

Thus, in order to convict the Gentile, the Apostle first sets forth the gravest and most inexcusable sin. The one who approves sin is far worse than the one who has sinned.

And there is no one who rebukes all this. But there are many who emulate them and are crushed because they cannot do the same as others. These latter also will be punished, even if they do no evil, because "they not only do them, but also consent to those who do them." Their dispositions are equally corrupt. From the Apostle's words it is clear that there will also be punishment for the disposition of the heart.

He who envies his brother's successes cuts himself off from eternal life. But he who helps his brother will also share with him in eternal life. For if, according to judgment, both those who do evil and those who participate with them are punished, how much more will the Lord reward him who assists in the fulfillment of His will?

But I do not assert that the apostolic books are damaged in this passage. Nor do I attack those who failed to understand. Perhaps, while yielding to me the advantage in this matter, they surpass me in another and have understood what never came into my mind.

I shall say what I think and leave the judgment to future readers. Therefore I say this. Since it is far worse and deserves greater punishment to praise those who err than to err, the saying is just: "Not only do they do these things, but they also consent to those who do them."

He who has sinned and condemns sin may in time be corrected. In his condemnation of sin he has a very great help toward repentance. But he who praises vice deprives himself of the help of repentance.

Therefore, since consent to sin is the fruit of a corrupted heart and of a soul incurably diseased, the one who praises sin is justly called far more lawless than the one who sins. For the one will very quickly withdraw from sin, but the other will not withdraw at all, whatever judgment readers may pronounce.

Faith in judgment and recompense after death is common to all the peoples of the earth. Yet, knowing all this, they not only acted lawlessly themselves, but also encouraged others to do the same. They consent, συνευδοκοῦσιν, means not only that they look indulgently upon the sins of others. It means they look with favor, protection, approval, and a desire that they sin again and again. In this one cannot fail to see a greater degree of corruption than when someone only sins himself, without assisting others in their sinful deeds. One who falls into sin may still say, to lessen his guilt, "Passion carried me away." But, recognizing his guilt, he should at least urge another, "Take care." If, however, having fallen into the mire, he leads another there as well, then he is twice guilty, for himself and for the other. Saint Chrysostom says: "Having set before himself two objections, the Apostle resolved both here beforehand. Can you say, he asks, that you did not know how you ought to act? Even if you did not know, you yourself are chiefly to blame, because you abandoned God, Who gives knowledge. But now many proofs have been presented to you that you knew and sinned voluntarily. Will you say that you were carried away by passion? Why then do you carry others away and praise them? 'They not only do them,' says the Apostle, 'but consent to those who do them.' Thus, in order to condemn the Gentile, he first sets forth the gravest sin. For approving sin is far worse than sinning oneself." Blessed Theodoret expresses the last thought thus: "Nature itself teaches one to choose the good and avoid its opposite. But they do not consider it enough to do the latter. They also weave praises for those who do such things. This is the utmost limit of corruption." It seemed to some that consenting to others is weaker than doing. Therefore they thought that one should say, "They not only consent to others, but also do them themselves." Some even sought out such a reading of the text. Saint Isidore of Pelusium rebuked them, saying that the customary reading should not be so distorted, because this would give a wrong thought. He then adds: "To praise those who sin deserves greater punishment than only to sin oneself. Therefore it is rightly said: 'They not only do them, but consent to those who do them.' Whoever sins, yet knows that it is not good to sin, and condemns his deed, may in time rise from his fall. In this knowledge and condemnation of sin he has a strong impulse and aid toward repentance. But the one who praises an evil life deprives himself of the aid to repentance, that is, of the awakener to repentance. Therefore, since such judgment, namely praise of sin, is a sign of the utmost corruption of heart and mind, it is right to consider the one who praises another's sin more lawless" (in Oecumenius). Some interpreters think that from the first verse of chapter 2 the holy Apostle turns his speech to the Jews. But our ancient interpreters do not do this. Saint Chrysostom says that these words refer to popular rulers, since Rome then held power over the whole world in her hands. Yet after saying this, he passes to the thought that the Apostle speaks here generally of all who judge: everyone, whoever you are. Following him, all our other interpreters also understood it so. Blessed Augustine includes the Jews only because they too must be included under the word "everyone." Ambrosiaster sees here the Apostle's answer to a supposed objection: no, I do not consent, but condemn others, though I sin myself. Therefore, lest any of the lawless begin to excuse himself or lessen his guilt by saying that, though he sins himself, he does not consent to others who sin but condemns them, the Apostle speaks as if to such a man. It is no easier for you either. In judging another, you condemn yourself. Thus both this understanding of the ancients and the very composition of the speech compel us to acknowledge the following. Here the holy Apostle continues to explain the guilt of those who know and condemn, but do not do. His intention is to awaken the fear of judgment. Then they will more readily accept his good tidings concerning how to be delivered from this judgment. The speech turns specifically to the Jews from verse 17. Here there is a general reasoning, or a general instilling of the fear of judgment. This resembles the part of our discourses called application.