加爾文註釋羅馬書(31)第一章28. 他們既然故意不認識神，神就任憑他們存邪僻的心

28. 他們既然故意不認識神，神就任憑他們存邪僻的心，行那些不合理的事；

註釋：

28．他們故意不認識神 在此句中我們見出一明顯的對比，藉此對比清楚指出罪與罰之間的公正關係。因為他們不願持守有關神的知識（惟有這知識才能導引我們的心歸向真道的智慧），所以主就叫他們放縱自己不尋正直邪僻的心。這所謂不尋正直，就是他不儘力追求神的知識，反而故意離棄神。保羅暗示他們既作此惡劣的揀選，揀選自己的虛妄而不揀選真神--所以他們的錯謬乃是自願的，自己欺騙自己。 　　行那些不合理的事 保羅至此僅論到一項罪惡的例證，此罪惡當然在多人中間盛行，但對所有的人並非是共通的，於是他開始論及無人可以避免的那些罪惡。雖然各樣的罪惡未能在每個人身上顯出，但每個人都犯些罪，所以每人都當個別地受明顯墮落的譴責。他首先提到不合理的事，那就是說他們所作的事與一切理性的判斷相矛盾，完全與人類的本分背道而馳。保羅所以提及此點，目的在證明人心的邪僻，毫無分辨地耽於那些罪惡之中，就是由普通常識來判斷也應棄絕這些罪惡。 　　若使各罪惡互相結合彼此依存，乃屬徒勞無益之舉，因為這並不是保羅的原意。只是當他想到某一惡德時，即加以考慮。至於其各自意義為何，茲簡述之。

28. And as they chose not, etc. There is an evident comparison to be observed in these words, by which is strikingly set forth the just relation between sin and punishment. As they chose not to continue in the knowledge of God, which alone guides our minds to true wisdom, the Lord gave them a perverted mind, which can choose nothing that is right. 53And by saying, that they chose not, (non probasse - approved not,) it is the same as though he had said, that they pursued not after the knowledge of God with the attention they ought to have done, but, on the contrary, turned away their thoughts resignedly from God. He then intimates, that they, making a depraved choice, preferred their own vanities to the true God; and thus the error, by which they were deceived, was voluntary.

To do those things which were not meet As he had hitherto referred only to one instance of abomination, which prevailed indeed among many, but was not common to all, he begins here to enumerate vices from which none could be found free: for though every vice, as it has been said, did not appear in each individual, yet all were guilty of some vices, so that every one might separately be accused of manifest depravity. As he calls them in the first instance not meet, understand him as saying, that they were inconsistent with every decision of reason, and alien to the duties of men: for he mentions it as an evidence of a perverted mind, that men addicted themselves, without any reflection, to those vices, which common sense ought to have led them to renounce.

But it is labor in vain so to connect these vices, as to make them dependent one on another, since this was not Paul』s design; but he set them down as they occurred to his mind. What each of them signifies, we shall very briefly explain.

53     There is a correspondence between the words οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν — they did not approve, or think worthy, and ἀδόκιμον — unapproved, or worthless, which is connected with νοῦν, mind. The verb means to try or prove a thing, as metal by fire, then to distinguish between what is genuine or otherwise, and also to approve of what is good and valuable. To approve or think fit or worthy seems to be the meaning here. Derived from this verb is ἀδόκιμος, which is applied to unapproved or adulterated money, — to men unsound, not able to bear the test, not genuine as Christians, 2 Corinthians 13:5, — to the earth that is unfit to produce fruits, Hebrews 6:8. The nearest alliteration that can perhaps be presented is the following, 「And as they did not deem it worth while to acknowledge God, God delivered them up to a worthless mind,」 that is, a mind unfit to discern between right and wrong. Beza gives this meaning, 「Mentem omnis judicii expertem — a mind void of all judgment.」 Locke』s 「unsearching mind,」 and Macknight』s 「unapproving mind,」 and Doddridge』s 「undiscerning mind,」 do not exactly convey the right idea, though the last comes nearest to it. It is an unattesting mind, not capable of bringing things to the test — δοκίμιον not able to distinguish between things of the most obvious nature.
   「To acknowledge God」 is literally 「to have God in recognition τὸν θεὸν ἔχειν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει.」 Venema says, that this is a purely Greek idiom, and adduces passages from Herodotus and Xenophon; from the first, the following phrase, ἐν αλογίῃ ἔχειν — to have in contempt, i.e., to contemn or despise. — Ed.