RECONCILIATION AND FAILURE OF THE LAW117

`For there is being revealed wrath of God from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who

are holding down the truth in unrighteousness' (1:18 Author's translation).

Ungodliness. - The words asebeia and asebes are confined to the outer portion of Romans. Ungodliness does

not come into the scope of Romans 5:12 to 8:39 - there the deeper depravity of Adamic sin is brought to light. The

passages are as follows:

Asebeia (1:18; 11:26).

Asebes (4:5; 5:6).

Wrath from heaven is revealed against ungodliness, but, as far as Israel is concerned, ungodliness shall finally be

turned away from them. The plan of justification by faith is directly concerned with these ungodly ones, for

Abraham's justification is brought forward as a pattern of the justification of the ungodly. Christ has died for the

ungodly. The connection between Romans 1 and 5 will be the more readily seen as we proceed, but here one link

can be realized. Romans 1:18 speaks of wrath revealed from heaven against ungodliness. Romans 5:6 reveals that

Christ died for the ungodly, and 5:9 adds:

`Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him'.

This revelation of wrath and deliverance from wrath must now be investigated in order that its place in the outer

portion of Romans and the introductory epistles may be clearly seen. Once again we must record the fact that

`wrath' (orge) is confined to the outer portion of Romans. Wrath is not revealed against Adamic sin, neither is

deliverance from wrath predicated of the work of Christ as the last Adam. Whatever we may think of this, we trust

all will see the wisdom of bowing to the limitations set by God in His word, and of continually `trying the things that

`... wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness' (1:18).

`... impenitence treasures up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgement' (2:5 Author's

`... to the contentious and those also who do not obey the truth, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish'

(2:8 Author's translation).

`... Is God unrighteous who visits with wrath?' (3:5 Author's translation).

`... the law worketh wrath' (4:15).

`... we shall be saved from wrath' (5:9).

`What if God, willing to exhibit His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering the

vessels of wrath fitted to destruction' (9:22 Author's translation).

`... not avenging yourselves, but give place to wrath' (12:19 Author's translation).

The ruler is a `minister of God ... a revenger to execute wrath ... be subject not only for wrath, but also for

conscience sake' (13:4,5).

Galatians and Corinthians do not speak of this revealed wrath, the only other epistle of this period which does so

being 1 Thessalonians.

`Wait for His Son from heaven ... which delivered us from the wrath that is coming' (1 Thess. 1:10 Author's

`For the wrath is come upon them unto the end (eis telos)' (1 Thess. 2:16 Author's translation).

`God did not appoint us unto wrath' (1 Thess. 5:9 Author's translation).

Let us look at the earlier utterances in 1 Thessalonians first. Those to be delivered from the wrath that is coming

(1:10) (1) were turned from idols, (2) served the living and true God, and (3) waited for His Son from heaven. Both

the `turning' and the `serving' refer to idolatry. Those upon whom the wrath is coming `for an end' (2:16) are the

Jews, who opposing the revelation of the reconciliation hindered the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, thereby