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A comparison of Rom. 1: 21 with Eph. 4: 17, 18 will show that "heart" and
"understanding" are practically synonymous.
The ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their hearts (Eph. 4: 18).--
We may gather something concerning this ignorance by reading Paul's speech at Athens
(Acts 17: 30). There, dealing with the wise of the earth, he speaks of their ignorant
worship, and of the unknown god. To turn from One in Whom we move, live and have
our being, from One Who gave fruitful seasons and every reason for gratitude, to turn
away from Him and to worship the works of their own hands was the practical expression
of their "alienation from the life of God".
In verse 30 we meet the word "ignorance" and find that it characterizes the whole
Gentile period, "And at the times of this ignorance God winked at". This ignorance and
alienation are beyond human remedy. No philosopher or orator who ever stood upon
Mar's Hill could dispel its gloom or illuminate its darkness. The darkness, alienation and
ignorance of Eph. 4: 18 are the expansion of the words "vanity of mind" of the previous
verse (4: 17). The walk as the Gentiles which was forbidden is expanded in 4: 19:--
"Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness."
In this record of the Gentile walk we find the word paredoken:--
"God gave them up to uncleanness" (Rom. 1: 24).
"They gave themselves up to uncleanness" (Eph. 4: 19).
The Scripture adds "with greediness". Here we have the two sides of the solemn truth.
The act of God was not without cause:--
"For this cause God gave them up" (Rom. 1: 26).
"Even as they did not approve to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to
a reprobate mind" (Rom. 1: 28).
"The fool hath said in his heart, `There is no God'." (Psa. 14: 1); the immediate
comment is, "They are corrupt; they have done abominable works".
Life and Truth.
The passages of Scripture brought together here impress us with the important
position of the mind in connection with the activities of life. The word "life" (zoe) occurs
but once in this epistle, namely, in Eph. 4: 18, "the life of God". It does not appear to
be used in any form in any other part of the epistle, except in Eph. 2: 5 where it is a
compound and translated "quickened together". In case any reader should think that we
have overlooked Eph. 6: 3 we would point out that the word there is not zoe.
How are we to understand this alienation from the life of God? The parallel passage
in Col. 1: 21 connects this alienation with "wicked works". We cannot "live unto God"
without the "life of God", and that life can only be ours as we are "made alive together