Romans 1:18-20

II. THE NEED FOR GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS 1:18-3:20

Paul began his explanation of the gospel by demonstrating that there is a universal need for it. Every human being needs to trust in Jesus Christ because everyone lacks the righteousness that God requires before He will accept us.

"Paul implicitly acknowledges that Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20 is an interruption in his exposition of the righteousness of God by reprising Romans 1:17 in Romans 3:21 . . . Some think that the ’revelation of God’s wrath’ is a product of the preaching of the gospel, so that Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20 is as much ’gospel’ as is Romans 3:21 to Romans 4:25 . . . But, although Paul clearly considers warning about judgment to come to be related to his preaching of the gospel (Romans 2:16), his generally positive use of ’gospel’ language forbids us from considering God’s wrath and judgment to be part of the gospel.

"We must consider Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20 as a preparation for, rather than as part of, Paul’s exposition of the gospel of God’s righteousness." [Note: Moo, p. 92.]