Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Romans: Chapter 1]
unwritten revelation, but plainly made known. \Org•\ is from
\orga•\, to teem, to swell. It is the temper of God towards sin,
not rage, but the wrath of reason and law (Shedd). The revelation
of God's righteousness in the gospel was necessary because of the
failure of men to attain it without it, for God's wrath justly
rested upon all both Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1-3:20).
{Ungodliness} (\asebeian\). Irreligion, want of reverence toward
God, old word (cf. 2Ti 2:16). {Unrighteousness} (\adikian\).
Lack (\a\ privative and \dik•\) of right conduct toward men,
injustice (Ro 9:14; Lu 18:6). This follows naturally from
irreverence. The basis of ethical conduct rests on the nature of
God and our attitude toward him, otherwise the law of the jungle
(cf. Nietzsche, "might makes right"). {Hold down the truth} (\t•n
al•theian katechont•n\). Truth (\al•theia, al•th•s\, from \a\
privative and \l•th•\ or \lanthan•\, to conceal) is out in the
open, but wicked men, so to speak, put it in a box and sit on the
lid and "hold it down in unrighteousness." Their evil deeds
conceal the open truth of God from men. Cf. 2Th 2:6f. for this
use of \katech•\, to hinder.
1:19 {Because} (\dioti\). Gives the reason (\dia, hoti\ like our
"for that") for the revelation of God's wrath. {That which may be
known of God} (\to gn•ston tou theou\). Verbal adjective from
\gin•sk•\, either "the known" as elsewhere in N.T. (Ac 1:19;
15:18, etc.) or "the knowable" as usual in ancient Greek, that
is "the knowledge" (\h• gn•sis\) of God. See Php 3:8. Cf. same
use of the verbal \chr•ston\ in Ro 2:4, \ametatheton\ in Heb
6:17. {Manifest in them} (\phaneron en autois\). In their hearts
and consciences. {God manifested} (\ho theos ephaner•sen\). First
aorist active indicative of \phanero•\. Not mere tautology. See
2:14-16.
1:20 {The invisible things of him} (\ta aorata autou\). Another
verbal adjective (\a\ privative and \hora•\, to see), old word,
either unseen or invisible as here and elsewhere in N.T. (Col
1:15f., etc.). The attributes of God's nature defined here as
"his everlasting power and divinity" (\h• te aidios autou dunamis
kai theiot•s\). \Aidios\ is for \aeidios\ from \aei\ (always),
old word, in N.T. only here and Jude 1:6, common in Philo (\z••
aidios\), elsewhere \ai•nios\. \Theiot•s\ is from \theios\ (from
\theos\) quality of \theos\ and corresponds more to Latin
_divinitas_ from _divus_, divine. In Col 2:9 Paul uses
\theot•s\ (Latin _deitas_ from _deus_) {deity}, both old words
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