What is a debased mind in Romans 1:28?

The New Translation (JND) renders verse 28, “And according as they did not think good to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up” etc. They would give no approval to having God in their knowledge — as much a matter of the mind as of the heart, both of these being corrupted. Hence “God gave them up to a reprobate mind,” a mind that rejects the good and is therefore rejected by the good — abandoned to its worthlessness and wilful lack of discernment.

"And even as they approved not to have God in knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do things unbecoming; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, guile, ill-disposition; whisperers, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boasters, inventors of mischiefs, disobedient to parents, without understanding, perfidious, without natural affection, unmerciful; who, well knowing the righteous decree of God that those who do such things are worthy of death, not only do them but also take complacency in those who do them." (Ver. 28-32.) What pit of immorality can be lower than this last?

The word ἀδόκιμος is here as elsewhere translated "reprobate," as this well suits the phrase and contrasts their not approving to retain God in their knowledge with His giving them over to a "disapproved" mind. But it may rightly bear an active sense, and would then mean an "undiscerning" mind, as the sentence on their presumption in rejecting God after pretending to test and try the matter. It will be observed that in verse 29 I have omitted on good external authority πορνείᾳ ("fornication"), as the internal appears to me to turn the scale against it. As for the resemblance to πονηρίᾳ, it might act either in giving room to its insertion by mistake, or to its omission. But I think that the first class consists of personal evil; the second of that which is relative; as the third brings out, not roots of moral pravity, abstractedly viewed, whether personal or relative, but developed wicked characters, and this in an order neither unsystematic nor difficult to discern. Ἀσπόνδους is deficient in authority, being omitted in the best and most ancient manuscripts. "Implacable" is therefore left out of verse 31. It was probably introduced here because of its connection with ἄστοργοι in 2 Timothy 3:3.

The proof of human depravity and need is not yet complete. There is another character of evil contrasted yet connected with the description in the last verse of chapter 1 and most offensive in the sight of God. Men judge others and yet do the same things, and thus condemn themselves. How can this in any way arrest or even mitigate the sentence of God? It was and is common among speculative men, moralists, and the like. In truth it is no small aggravation. To say "we see" exposes us, who none the less practise iniquity, to hear from the just Judge of all, that "our sin remains." For the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, and the judging in others what they themselves live in justifies their own righteous doom. Say what they please, God's sentence is according to truth upon those that do such things. He will, He must, have reality, and conscience knows it. Instead of open sympathy with others who sin, they may judge it as wrong; but if they do the same, how can such moral trifling, or those guilty of it, stand before God?

Such is man, as fallen, and left to the guidance of natural conscience and reason. Truly he is "without excuse," for the ignorance is not a guiltless one. "When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was hardened." It was because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge" that He "gave them over to a reprobate mind," or a mind void of judgment. (Rom. 1:21, 28.) So in the passage we are considering. It is "because of the hardness of their heart" that their understanding is darkened, and in their ignorance they are alienated from the life of God. Thus they walk "in the vanity of their mind," the vain, sinful desires and feelings of the natural heart being their only guide. Nor is this all. Corrupt appetites, followed without restraint, soon deaden the conscience and poison the affections, so that all right natural feeling is lost. This is the lamentable condition of the Gentile world. They are "past feeling," the restraints of conscience and even decency are removed, and giving themselves over to depraved appetites, they "work all uncleanness with greediness." Thus it was with the world before the flood, when the whole earth was filled with "corruption and violence." Thus it was with the cities of the plain, till God rained upon them fire and brimstone from heaven. Thus it ever has been when man has been left to himself to follow the leading of his own evil heart.

(Vv. 24-27) The appalling result is brought before us in the verses that follow. Man had given up God, now we have the statement, thrice repeated, "That God gave them up". In the government of God men are allowed to reap what they sow. Their lusts had turned them away from the true God, now, the false gods, they had set up according to their own tastes, sanctioned and encouraged their lusts. God giving them up to their lusts, they immediately proceed to dishonour their own bodies, even as they had already dishonoured God.

Having changed the truth of God into a lie, and in place of the Creator set up the creature as an object of worship, they are permitted to fall beneath the creatures that they worshipped. Men sank below the beasts. It has been truly said a beast is not a moral creature, but a man degraded to the level of a beast becomes immoral: his affections become corrupted and perverted from their natural course into that which is contrary to nature.

(Vv. 28-31). The condition described in the verses that follow, present an awful picture of the abominations of the heathen world. The condition described by this catalogue of crimes is traced back to one root. When men had some knowledge of God, "They did not think good to have God in their knowledge" (N.Tn). Men deliberately gave up the light that God had given of Himself with the result that man is given over to a reprobate mind, abandoned to his depraved thoughts. The awful effect of sin is to leave men with defiled bodies (24), degraded affections (26), and deformed minds (28). Man is fallen body, soul, and spirit.

The Gentiles are without excuse on two accounts. First, that which may be known of God has been manifested by creation — His power and His Godhead. This proof has existed since the creation of the world. Secondly, that, having the knowledge of God as Noah had it, they had not glorified Him as God, but in the vanity of their imaginations, reasoning upon their own thoughts on this subject and the ideas it produced in their own minds, they became fools while professing themselves to be wise, and fell into idolatry, and that of the grossest kind. Now God has judged this. If they would not retain a just thought of the glory of God, they should not even retain a just idea of the natural honour of man. They should dishonour themselves as they had dishonoured God. It is the exact description, in a few strong and energetic words, of the whole pagan mythology. They had not discernment, moral taste, to retain God in their knowledge: God gave them up to a spirit void of discernment, to boast themselves in depraved tastes, in things unbecoming nature itself. The natural conscience knew that God judged such things to be worthy of death according to the just exigencies of His nature. Nevertheless they not only did them, but they took pleasure in those who did them, when their own lusts did not carry them away. And this left no excuse for those who judged the evil (and there were such), for they committed it while judging it. Man then by judging condemned himself doubly: for by judging he showed that he knew it to be evil, and yet he did it. But the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things: they who acquired credit by judging them should not escape it.

Verses 28-32. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge," etc. Human will has thrown off the yoke of God, but to recover the lost position is impossible to man. They are the slaves of a reprobate mind. But the mind of man cannot be light and dark at the same time. It is an active principle, which works out its ends according to the direction and bias under which it moves. But that bias is fixed for evil, and that by the judgment of God. He has given them up to work an evil work. They are filled with evil. Not partially depraved, but filled with all iniquity. Most solemn, most fearful truth! But they also know that it is even so. Conscience affords light enough to keep perpetually before the mind the dark and uneasy dread of an unsatisfied responsibility towards God. Moreover, the eye is ever in presence of the material witness of the Divine glory. The prevalence and extent of moral corruption are known and reckoned on by man, (all human legislation proceeds on the recognition of this) but acquiesced in, and furthered unceasingly, by the course and progress of human society (verse 32).

Their plight has been reached under the government of God. Three times over do we get the phrase (with slight variations) "God gave them up to …" If men object to thinking of God and give Him up, they have no ground of complaint when He gives them up. And if they give up God, and consequently good, they naturally find themselves given up to everything that is evil and degrading. There is an ironic justice about God's government.

Scripture shows that there is an intimate connection between the two, and that the heart exercises a considerable influence over the mind. When the declension of man from the knowledge of God to the darkness and corruption of heathendom is described, it is first stated that they "became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened." It then follows that "even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind" (Rom. 1:21, 28). The heart foolish and darkened was the precursor of the reprobate mind. Again, the apostle prays for the Ephesians that God would give them "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your heart (not, "understanding" as in the A.V.) being enlightened: that ye may know what is the hope of his calling," etc. So that it is clear that while the knowledge of God was lost through the darkening of the heart, the full knowledge of Him is now communicated through the enlightening of the heart. Since the heart therefore is the highway to every true and proper apprehension of the things of God, it is of the highest importance that the heart should be strictly guarded; even as it is said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). So the apostle writes to the Philippians, "And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7), thus pointing out what alone can form an efficient garrison for the central citadel of man's nature.

The scriptures show unmistakably the sad disorder into which man's natural mind has fallen. Far from loving God with all his mind, man did not even think good to retain God in his knowledge, and light wilfully shut out breeds its own punishment. “God gave them over to a reprobate mind,” (Rom. 1:28) and a terrible catalogue follows of the fruit of lives directed by such a mind. God is not in all their thoughts (Ps. 10:4) is at once the cause and condition of the wicked.

When summing up the sins of the Gentiles the apostle says, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind." Why? Because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." (Rom. 1:28.) This was the root, and all the other sins were but the fruits. God does not ask for your goodness. He wants the heart, and this is what man does not like to give.