The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (166 page)

1:2 in the holy Scriptures:
The gospel message is a biblical message that was prophesied and prefigured long ago in the Hebrew Scriptures (15:4; 16:26). This conviction is amply attested in Romans, where Paul appeals to the OT more than 60 times in the span of 16 chapters (CCC 121-23). 
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1:3-4
Possibly an excerpt from an ancient hymn or creed of the Church. It does not reflect on the two natures of Christ, human and divine, but delineates two phases of his incarnate life as a man (2 Tim 2:8). The dividing line between these phases is the Resurrection: Jesus was born of the royal line of David according to the flesh (Rom 1:3); then, by his rising from the dead, his humanity was reborn to a heavenly life of kingship by the power of the Spirit (1:4). These verses build on classic messianic ideas found in the Jewish literature of the period. 
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1:3 concerning his Son:
In the translation, this phrase modifies "the gospel" of v. 1. It can also modify "the holy Scriptures" of v. 2. The latter option would suggest that Paul had specific OT passages about the "Son" in mind. • Two passages fit the description: 2 Sam 7:14 and Ps 2:7, which both refer to a Davidic ruler. In ancient Israel, the kings in David's line were designated the "sons" of Yahweh by a decree of royal adoption on the day of their enthronement. Paul sees this pattern elevated to a new level on Easter morning, when the Davidic humanity of Jesus was anointed for eternal kingship and made to share in the glory of his divine Sonship (Acts 13:33-34). This event, culminating in the enthronement of Jesus in heaven, fulfilled Yahweh's covenant oath to establish the royal throne of David for ever (Ps 89:3-4; 132:11; Lk 1:32-33; Acts 2:29-36). 
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1:4 designated:
Or "appointed". Paul is saying, not that Jesus became the divine Son of God only at his rising, but that the glory of his divine Sonship is now manifest in his resurrected humanity (CCC 445, 648). 
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1:5 the obedience of faith:
Probably means "the obedience that is faith" or "the obedience that springs from faith". The expression stands like two bookends at the beginning and end of Romans (16:26). It holds the epistle together around the central theme of faith, which is the act of trusting in God and entrusting oneself to God. Faith inspires love (Gal 5:6) and is the indispensable basis for a living relationship with Christ (Rom 1:17; Heb 11:6) (CCC 143, 1814).
among all the nations:
Paul was appointed an apostle both to the "Gentiles" (11:13) and to the "sons of Israel" (Acts 9:15). 
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1:8 in all the world:
The Church in Rome was already admired the world over as a living exemplar of Christian faith (16:19). Its reputation continued to grow as Peter and Paul ministered to the Roman Church and were martyred there in the mid 60s. This led the early Christians to shift their attention from Jerusalem to Rome as the new center of apostolic authority and tradition.
See note on Acts 12:17
. 
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1:11 I long to see you:
An ambition fulfilled when Paul came to Rome as a prisoner around
A.D.
60 (Acts 28:14-16). 
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1:14 Greeks:
Cultured peoples of the Mediterranean who spoke Greek.
barbarians:
Peoples of the Mediterranean who spoke languages other than Greek and followed their own indigenous customs. For Paul's missionary encounters with barbarians, see Acts 14:8-18 and 27:1-10. 
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1:16 I am not ashamed:
Paul was neither bashful nor embarrassed when it came to spreading the gospel. Boldness was necessary to overcome the hardened opposition of Jews and Greeks who considered the message scandalous and even ridiculous (1 Cor 1:23). Encouragement came from the gospel itself, as Paul witnessed its power to save bursting forth into lives of believers (1 Cor 1:18).
Jew first and also to the Greek:
Paul preached to Jews and Gentiles equally but sequentially. The conviction that Israel stood first in line for the blessings of the Messiah was also that of Jesus (Mt 15:24) and Peter (Acts 3:26).
See note on Acts 13:5
. 
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1:17 righteousness of God:
A towering theme of the Book of Romans. It has two related meanings.
(1)
It denotes the covenant faithfulness of Yahweh revealed through the history and Scriptures of Israel. God shows himself righteous when he keeps his promises and fulfills his covenant commitments to bless the righteous and rain curses upon the wicked (Neh 9:8; Ps 50:6; 143:11; Dan 9:14; Zech 8:8).
(2)
It also denotes an inward grace that establishes the faithful in a right covenant relationship with God (5:17; Phil 3:9). These two meanings work together in Romans, especially in 3:21-26. See word study:
Justified
at 2:13.
through faith for faith:
From start to finish, the Christian life advances by faith. The expression that Paul uses here suggests he envisions a steady increase in faith (the same prepositions are used in the same sequence in the Greek versions of Ps 84:7 and Jer 9:3).
He who through faith:
A citation from Hab 2:4. • Habakkuk receives a word of hope in the midst of a message of judgment. Although Yahweh was sending Babylonian hordes to punish Israel for its sins, he promised to spare the just man who keeps faith. Received in faith, Paul's gospel offers the same hope of deliverance in the face of the coming judgment (2:5-11). 
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1:18-3:20
Paul paves the way for good news with the bad news of human sin. He declares all nations guilty before God, the Gentiles for rejecting the natural revelation of God in the world (1:18-32), and Israel for spurning the supernatural revelation of God in the Scriptures (2:1-3:20) (CCC 401). 
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1:18-32
Paul reflects on the moral and spiritual depravity of the Gentiles. Although God placed himself and his law within the reach of their rational minds (1:19), they defiantly turned their backs to him, piling ingratitude upon impiety (1:21) until their sins smothered his truth within their consciousness (1:18). This is the underlying cause of their foolish and idolatrous ways. • Paul's diagnosis of pagan corruption has close affinities with the Jewish assessment in Wis 11-14. 
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1:18 the wrath of God:
Not a surge of anger and emotion that overcomes God, but a fixed response or reflex of divine holiness toward sin. 
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1:20 his invisible nature:
Paul contends that our minds can rise to a knowledge of God's power and divinity by reflecting on the grandeur of the world (Wis 13:5; Acts 17:2628). Failure to do this is inexcusable since God has made it possible everywhere and at all times (CCC 1147). Atheism and idolatry are thus moral problems and only secondarily intellectual problems (CCC 2125). • Vatican I decreed in 1870 that God's existence can be known with certainty by the light of human reason (Dei
Fiiius,
chap. 2). This confirmed centuries of theological tradition, which developed numerous philosophical arguments for the existence of one Supreme Being (CCC 3135). 
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1:21 minds were darkened:
Persistence in sin has damaging effects on the human faculties: the mind gradually darkens to a point of intellectual blindness, and the heart gradually hardens and grows cold to the love and laws of God (Eph 4:17-18). 
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1:23 exchanged the glory:
Idolatry is the most conspicous error of paganism. It is the sin of worshiping created things in place of the Creator (1:25; Wis 13:10). Gentiles of the biblical period worshiped images of men (Greeks) and animals (Egyptians) (CCC 2112-14). • Paul alludes to Ps 106:20 as a subtle reminder that Israel, too, has stumbled down the path of idolatry. Although Yahweh strictly forbade Israel to manufacture graven images (Ex 20:4), at its weaker moments the nation venerated figures of men (Ezek 16:17), beasts (Ex 32:4), and reptiles (2 Kings 18:4). 
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1:24 God gave them up:
God does not hold back his judgment on sin until the end of history but manifests it throughout history as well (Ps 81:12; Acts 7:42). One severe form of judgment is for God to allow recalcitrant sinners to continue in their sin. The graces that would have moved sinners to repentance have been rejected. As a consequence, a dulled moral sense and intense, disordered desires are forms of punishment that such hardened sinners often experience when they revel in their sin. Paul sees this sort of punishment at work among the Gentiles, whom God has handed over to a thousand obscenities and sins against nature (1:26, 28) because they would not acknowledge him or his truth (1:21, 25, 28, 32). In effect, God says to them, "Have it your way." 
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1:27 passion for one another:
Homosexual activity is expressly condemned in the OT (Lev 18:22; 20:13) as well as the NT (1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10). It is a grave disorder that victimizes both men and women and turns them away from each other and their natural complementarity. For Paul, sexual rebellion against nature (1:26) is the fallout of spiritual rebellion against God (CCC 2357-59). 
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