Romans 1:28 (DRB)

Passage

And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient.

Nearby Context

Romans 1:26 For this cause, God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature.

Romans 1:27 And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts, one towards another: men with men, working that which is filthy and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error.

Romans 1:28 And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient.

Romans 1:29 Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness: full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity: whisperers,

Romans 1:30 Detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "liked", "knowledge", "delivered", "reprobate", "sense", "things", and "convenient". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "liked" and "knowledge", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "And in like manner the men also..." into verse 29's "Being filled with all iniquity malice fornication...", so "liked" and "knowledge" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "liked" and "knowledge" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.