Romans 1:28

28 And according as they did not think good [a] to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate [b] mind to practise unseemly things;

Romans 1:28 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 1:28

And even as they did not like
This accounts for the justness of the divine procedure in leaving them to commit such scandalous iniquities; that since they had some knowledge of God by the light of nature, and yet did not care

to retain God in [their] knowledge;
or to own and acknowledge him as God, to worship and glorify him as such; but took every method to erase this knowledge out of their minds, and keep it from others:

God gave them over to a reprobate mind;
a vain empty mind, worthless, good for nothing devoid of all true knowledge and judgment; incapable of approving what is truly good, or of disapproving that which is evil; a mind that has lost all conscience of things, and is disapproved of by God, and all good men:

to do those things which are not convenient;
which are neither agreeably to the light of nature, nor convenient to, or becoming the honour of human nature; things which the brutes themselves, who are destitute of reason, do not do.

Romans 1:28 In-Context

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile lusts; for both their females changed the natural use into that contrary to nature;
27 and in like manner the males also, leaving the natural use of the female, were inflamed in their lust towards one another; males with males working shame, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error which was fit.
28 And according as they did not think good to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind to practise unseemly things;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,
30 back-biters, hateful to God, insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Not 'did not like.' The word means 'to assay, test, prove,' and thence 'to approve' as Phil. 1.10.
  • [b]. Or, as some, 'a mind void of moral discernment.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.