Romans, Part 2

Posted on July 25, 2012 by admin

By the time he wrote his letter to the Romans Paul was back. He abandoned all pretense of being concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.¹ His letter began with a history lesson like those he preached at Pisidian Antioch and Athens. It was the history of sin since the flood. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness…²

I think it is important not to confuse ungodliness here with sinful acts. The word is ἀσέβειαν (a form of ἀσέβεια) in Greek from ἀσεβής, a compound word, the negation of σέβομαι (a form of σέβω; “to worship, honour, revere”). This ἀσέβεια is something in people that causes them not to revere God in truth. What I am calling the religious mind is surely part of this ἀσέβεια (ungodliness). Because of this ἀσέβεια people either ignored or denied the obvious truths that were made plain to them by the creation itself, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power (δύναμις) and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.³

So people are culpable for their failure to worship Him in truth, and his wrath was visited upon them as they worshiped after their own inclinations (not unlike Nadab and Abihu in some cases). For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks,⁴ but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.⁵

In other words both people and the rest of creation were made in such a way by God that it should have been plain to us that no human being, bird, mammal or reptile made everything that had been made. But this ἀσέβεια in human beings makes our thoughts futile, our hearts senseless, and though it may flatter us that we are wise, ultimately it makes fools of us before God. And so God’s wrath against our ἀσέβειαν (a form of ἀσέβεια) and our unrighteous worship was revealed (Ἀποκαλύπτεται, a form of ἀποκαλύπτω) from heaven.

Unrighteous Worship

The Wrath of God Revealed from Heaven

For although they knew God, they did not glorify (ἐδόξασαν, a form of δοξάζω) him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Romans 1:21-23 NET

Therefore God gave (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) them over in the desires (ἐπιθυμίαις, a form of ἐπιθυμία) of their hearts to impurity (ἀκαθαρσίαν, a form of ἀκαθαρσία), to dishonor (ἀτιμάζεσθαι, a form of ἀτιμάζω) their bodies (σώματα, a form of σῶμα) among themselves.⁶

Romans 1:24 NET

The desires of their hearts were not necessarily evil because of the Greek word ἐπιθυμίαις (a form of ἐπιθυμία). Jesus said, I have earnestly (ἐπιθυμίᾳ, another form of ἐπιθυμία) desired (ἐπεθύμησα, a form of ἐπιθυμέω) to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.⁷ But ἀσέβεια (ungodliness) even in religious people nudges those desires toward evil. You people are from your father the devil, Jesus said to those who were trying to kill him,⁸ and you want to do what your father desires (ἐπιθυμίας, a form of ἐπιθυμία). He was a murderer from the beginning…⁹

So the idea here is that when God gave those who exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles over to impurity (ἀκαθαρσίαν, a form of ἀκαθαρσία), this was their own desire (ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν, “desire of the heart”). In other words, He stopped restraining their urges. Later, Paul wrote the believers in Ephesus (Ephesians 4:17-19 NET):

So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles¹⁰ do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts [Table]. Because they are callous, they have given themselves over (παρέδωκαν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity (ἀκαθαρσίας, a form of ἀκαθαρσία) with greediness.

The Greek word ἀκαθαρσίας (a form of ἀκαθαρσία) comes from the word ἀκάθαρτος, (unclean), used extensively in the Gospels to describe unclean¹¹ spirits. I mean, Paul wrote the Corinthians, that what the pagans¹² sacrifice¹³ is to demons and not to God.¹⁴ Paul was not the originator of this explanation of the gods, he paraphrased Moses’ prophecy to Israel: They made him jealous with other gods, they enraged him with abhorrent idols. They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known; to new gods who had recently come along, gods your ancestors had not known about.¹⁵

So God gave them—who exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles—over in the desires of their hearts to the impurity of demon worship, to dishonor (ἀτιμάζεσθαι, a form of ἀτιμάζω) their bodies (σώματα, a form of σῶμα) among themselves. The word ἀτιμάζω is from ἄτιμος, the negation of τιμή. Paul wrote the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 NET):

For this is God’s will (θέλημα): that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality (πορνείας, a form of πορνεία), that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor (τιμῇ, a form of τιμή), not in lustful (ἐπιθυμίας, another form of ἐπιθυμία) passion (πάθει, a form of πάθος) like the Gentiles who do not know (εἰδότα, a form of εἴδω) God.

These Gentiles did not know (εἰδότα, a form of εἴδω) or see God because they were not born from above. I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus explained to Nicodemus, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see (ἰδεῖν, another form of εἴδω) the kingdom of God.¹⁶ So I know the cure, or antidote, Paul proposed to this ἀσέβειαν (ἀσέβεια, ungodliness) that caused the Gentiles not to εἰδότα (εἴδω) God. And I am beginning to get a fairly clear picture of how the demon worshippers dishonored their bodies among themselves. They were in this fix because they did not glorify (ἐδόξασαν, a form of δοξάζω) him as God or give him thanks. Paul wrote the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NET Table):

Flee sexual immorality (πορνείαν, another form of πορνεία)! “Every sin a person commits is outside of the body (σώματος, another form of σῶμα)” – but the immoral person (πορνεύων, a form of πορνεύω) sins against his own body (σῶμα). Or do you not know that your body (σῶμα) is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify (δοξάσατε, another form of δοξάζω) God with your body (σώματι, another form of σῶμα).

I’m convinced the ἀτιμάζεσθαι (ἀτιμάζω) Paul referred to was πορνείας (πορνεία), the cultic worship practices that even descendants of Israel followed before (and after) they were liberated from Egypt. (And as I mentioned before I hope that Paul used the word πορνείας in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 to describe adultery rather than cultic worship practices.) So where my religious mind may have conceived of God’s wrath as punishment (even as atonement) for sin, Paul’s Christ mind conceived God’s wrath as God releasing people to even more sinfulness—the desires of their hearts—because it is God who makes people righteous, not people themselves.

Addendum: April 21, 2020
Tables comparing Deuteronomy 32:16 and 32:17 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Deuteronomy 32:16 and 32:17 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing Romans 1:21; 1:24; Ephesians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 10:20 and John 3:3 in the NET and KJV.

Deuteronomy 32:16 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:16 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 32:16 (NET)
They roused Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations did they provoke Him.	They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.	They made him jealous with other gods, they enraged him with abhorrent idols.

Deuteronomy 32:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 32:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
παρώξυνάν με ἐπ᾽ ἀλλοτρίοις ἐν βδελύγμασιν αὐτῶν ἐξεπίκρανάν με	παρώξυνάν με ἐπ᾿ ἀλλοτρίοις, ἐν βδελύγμασιν αὐτῶν παρεπίκρανάν με
Deuteronomy 32:16 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:16 (English Elpenor)
They provoked me with foreign things; by their abominations they embittered me.	They provoked me to anger with strange gods; with their abominations they bitterly angered me.

Deuteronomy 32:17 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:17 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 32:17 (NET)
They sacrificed unto demons, no-gods, gods that they knew not, new gods that came up of late, which your fathers dreaded not.	They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.	They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods they had not known; to new gods who had recently come along, gods your ancestors had not known about.

Deuteronomy 32:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 32:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔθυσαν δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ θεῷ θεοῗς οἷς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν καινοὶ πρόσφατοι ἥκασιν οὓς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν	ἔθυσαν δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ Θεῷ, θεοῖς, οἷς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν· καινοὶ καὶ πρόσφατοι ἥκασιν, οὓς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν
Deuteronomy 32:17 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:17 (English Elpenor)
They sacrificed to demons and not to God, to gods they did not know. New, recent ones have come, whom their fathers did not know.	They sacrificed to devils, and not to God; to gods whom they knew not: new and fresh [gods] came in, whom their fathers knew not.

Romans 1:21 (NET)	Romans 1:21 (KJV)
For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.	Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
διότι γνόντες τὸν θεὸν οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ ἠυχαρίστησαν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία	διοτι γνοντες τον θεον ουχ ως θεον εδοξασαν η ευχαριστησαν αλλ εματαιωθησαν εν τοις διαλογισμοις αυτων και εσκοτισθη η ασυνετος αυτων καρδια	διοτι γνοντες τον θεον ουχ ως θεον εδοξασαν η ευχαριστησαν αλλ εματαιωθησαν εν τοις διαλογισμοις αυτων και εσκοτισθη η ασυνετος αυτων καρδια

Romans 1:24 (NET)	Romans 1:24 (KJV)
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.	Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Διὸ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοίς	διο και παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εν ταις επιθυμιαις των καρδιων αυτων εις ακαθαρσιαν του ατιμαζεσθαι τα σωματα αυτων εν εαυτοις	διο και παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εν ταις επιθυμιαις των καρδιων αυτων εις ακαθαρσιαν του ατιμαζεσθαι τα σωματα αυτων εν εαυτοις

Ephesians 4:17 (NET)	Ephesians 4:17 (KJV)
So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.	This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Τοῦτο οὖν λέγω καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν κυρίῳ, μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν, καθὼς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν	τουτο ουν λεγω και μαρτυρομαι εν κυριω μηκετι υμας περιπατειν καθως και τα λοιπα εθνη περιπατει εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αυτων	τουτο ουν λεγω και μαρτυρομαι εν κυριω μηκετι υμας περιπατειν καθως και τα λοιπα εθνη περιπατει εν ματαιοτητι του νοος αυτων

1 Corinthians 10:20 (NET)	1 Corinthians 10:20 (KJV)
No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.	But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι ἃ θύουσιν, δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ θεῷ [θύουσιν]· οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς κοινωνοὺς τῶν δαιμονίων γίνεσθαι	αλλ οτι α θυει τα εθνη δαιμονιοις θυει και ου θεω ου θελω δε υμας κοινωνους των δαιμονιων γινεσθαι	αλλ οτι α θυει τα εθνη δαιμονιοις θυει και ου θεω ου θελω δε υμας κοινωνους των δαιμονιων γινεσθαι

John 3:3 (NET)	John 3:3 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”	Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ	απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτω αμην αμην λεγω σοι εαν μη τις γεννηθη ανωθεν ου δυναται ιδειν την βασιλειαν του θεου	απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτω αμην αμην λεγω σοι εαν μη τις γεννηθη ανωθεν ου δυναται ιδειν την βασιλειαν του θεου

Romans, Part 3

Back to Romans, Part 4

Back to Romans, Part 5

Back to Romans, Part 6

Back to Romans, Part 7

Back to Romans, Part 24

Back to Fear – Genesis, Part 2

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 5

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 1

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 6

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 3

Back to Saving Demons, Part 1

Back to Romans, Part 85

Back to To Make Holy, Part 4

Back to Romans, Part 14

Back to Romans, Part 22

Back to Romans, Part 67

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 2

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 5

Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 16

Back to Sowing to the Flesh, Part 1

Back to Romans, Part 35

Back to Romans, Part 73

Back to Romans, Part 81

Back to Romans, Part 89

Back to A Monotonous Cycle, Part 2

Back to A Monotonous Cycle, Part 5

Back to Ezra and Divorce

Back to Fear – Genesis, Part 8

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 2

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 1

Back to Father, Forgive Them – Part 4

Back to Peter’s First Gospel Proclamation Revisited, Part 1

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Back to Romans, Part 8

Back to Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 1

Back to The Will of God – Jesus, Part 2

Back to The Book of Life, Part 2

Back to Christianity, Part 1

Back to Nothing True, Part 1

Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 1

Back to Who Am I? Part 14

Back to Keep Yourselves from Idols, Part 1

Back to Christianity, Part 15

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 5

¹ 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NET) Table

² Romans 1:18 (NET)

³ Romans 1:19, 20 (NET)

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἠυχαρίστησαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευχαριστησαν (KJV: were thankful).

⁵ Romans 1:21-23 (NET)

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτοίς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εαυτοις.

⁷ Luke 22:15 (NET)

⁸ John 8:40 (NET)

⁹ John 8:44 (NET) Table

¹⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λοιπα (KJV: other) preceding Gentiles. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹¹ Matthew 10:1; 12:43; Mark 1:23, 26, 27; 3:11, 30 (said of Jesus); 5:2, 8, 13; 6:7; 7:25; 9:25; Luke 4:33, 36; 6:18; 8:29; 9:42; 11:24

¹² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τα εθνη (KJV: the Gentiles) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θύουσιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had θυει

¹⁴ 1 Corinthians 10:20a (NET)

¹⁵ Deuteronomy 32:16, 17 (NET)

¹⁶ John 3:3 (NET)

Romans, Part 1

Posted on July 22, 2012 by admin

Paul wrote to the believers in Rome before he had been there to see them (Romans 1:13-17 NET).

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Thus I am eager also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel,¹ for it is God’s power (δύναμις) for salvation to everyone who believes (πιστεύοντι, a form of πιστεύω), to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) of God is revealed (ἀποκαλύπτεται, a form of ἀποκαλύπτω) in the gospel from faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) to faith (πίστιν, another form of πίστις), just as it is written, “The righteous (δίκαιος) by faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) will live.”

Paul listed two reasons why he was not ashamed of the Gospel.

I am not ashamed of the gospel…
#1	…it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes…
#2	…the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith…

And again Paul quoted from the Septuagint.

Paul (NET)

Blue Letter Bible (Septuagint)

NET Bible (Greek parallel text)

The righteous by faith will live

Romans 1:17b (NET)

ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται

Habakkuk 2:4b

ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται

Romans 1:17b

The difference between the Septuagint and the Greek text used to translate the NET is the single word μοῦ. In other words the Septuagint was even clearer in the sense that it read my faith (or faithfulness), as spoken by God: “The righteous by my faithfulness will live.” The contemporary Hebrew translation of Habakkuk 2:4 in the NET reads: the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness. Not surprisingly that sounds like one who by his own effort keeps the law.

As I begin to contrast Romans and 1 Corinthians I’m not suggesting that Paul was ashamed of the Gospel in Corinth. On the contrary he clearly stated one of the reasons he was not ashamed of the Gospel when he wrote to the Corinthians: the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power (δύναμις) of God.² I must contrast these two letters to overcome my own bias that Romans is the Gospel in theory and 1 Corinthians is the Gospel in practice; or, even worse, that Romans is the sales pitch and 1 Corinthians is what happens if one is foolish enough to take the sales pitch seriously.

Even as I began to hear, even as I began to want to hear, Romans as crazy, hopeful things—alarming-could-they-possibly-be-true-I’ve-never-heard-anything-like-these-things-in-my-life things—after I finished reading Romans I turned to 1 Corinthians. Whatever I thought I learned in Romans was largely undone there. However hopeful I became reading Romans, 1 Corinthians sobered me up and encouraged me to maintain my faith in my efforts to keep the law, even after the law became my paraphrase of Paul’s definition of God’s love. The discovery that Paul’s letter to the Romans was probably written after 1 Corinthians was a watershed moment for me.

So, while Paul stated one of the reasons he was not ashamed of the Gospel in 1 Corinthians, I want to examine it in its context (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NET).

For the message (λόγος) about the cross is foolishness (μωρία) to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power (δύναμις) of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom (σοφίαν, a form of σοφία) of the wise (σοφῶν, a form of σοφός), and I will thwart the cleverness (σύνεσιν, a form of σύνεσις) of the intelligent (συνετῶν, a form of συνετός).” Where is the wise (σοφός) man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater (συζητητὴς) of this age? Has God not made the wisdom (σοφίαν, a form of σοφία) of the³ world foolish (ἐμώρανεν, a form of μωραίνω)? For since in the wisdom (σοφίᾳ) of God the world by its wisdom (σοφίας, another form of σοφία) did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe (πιστεύοντας, a form of πιστεύω) by the foolishness (μωρίας, a form of μωρία) of preaching (κηρύγματος, a form of κήρυγμα). For Jews demand miraculous signs⁴ and Greeks ask for wisdom (σοφίαν, a form of σοφία), but we preach (κηρύσσομεν, a form of κηρύσσω) about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block (σκάνδαλον) to Jews and foolishness (μωρίαν, another form of μωρία) to Gentiles.⁵ But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power (δύναμιν, a form of δύναμις) of God and the wisdom (σοφίαν, a form of σοφία) of God. For the foolishness (μωρὸν, a form of μωρός) of God is wiser (σοφώτερον, a form of σοφώτερος) than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is⁶ stronger than human strength.

There is a defensiveness here that seems entirely unnecessary, particularly calling the proclamation of the Gospel the foolishness of preaching. The σύνεσιν (a form of σύνεσις), the συνετῶν (a form of συνετός), the σοφός and the συζητητὴς (a form of συζητητής) lead my thoughts back to Athens, and persuade me that his address before the Areopagus meant more to Paul than Luke’s flippant comment⁷ about the Athenians would suggest. At a minimum 1 Corinthians was written two years after that event, yet the tension of that confrontation in Paul’s writing is as fresh as if it just happened. None of this is to say that I think anything above is untrue, just that that truth is presented defensively.

Saul was no slouch intellectually. Add the mind of Christ to that and Paul was formidable beyond reckoning as a συζητητὴς (debater). There was never any reason for him to feel defensive around those with a philosophical bent to their minds, unless his own confidence was shaken somehow. It leads me to suspect that though Paul continued faithfully, though he went through the motions, at this particular moment he didn’t have a fully satisfying handle on things. Consider by way of comparison the confidence that emanates from the similar opening of Romans.

I am a debtor (ὀφειλέτης) both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise (σοφοῖς, another form of σοφός) and to the foolish (ἀνοήτοις, a form of ἀνόητος). Thus I am eager (πρόθυμον, a form of πρόθυμος) also to preach the gospel (εὐαγγελίσασθαι, a form of εὐαγγελίζω) to you who are in Rome.⁸ I don’t care if you are a Greek, a barbarian, wise or foolish, Paul wrote, I owe you the Gospel, the whole Gospel and nothing but the Gospel. And I’m ready, willing and able to proclaim it to you. All hint of prejudice is gone. I can’t discern, for instance, whether Paul thought of the Romans as wise or foolish. There is no hint of defensiveness except perhaps the perceived need to say (Romans 1:16, 17 NET):

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.”

As a matter of completeness Paul’s Old Testament quotation follows.

Paul (NET)

Blue Letter Bible (Septuagint)

NET Bible (Greek parallel text)

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.

1 Corinthians 1:19 (NET)

ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω

Isaiah 29:14b

απολω την σοφιαν των σοφων και την συνεσιν των συνετων αθετησω

1 Corinthians 1:19

Apparently, Paul substituted a stronger word αθετησω (I will thwart, I will set aside) for κρύψω (I will hide) in the Septuagint. The NET translation of the Hebrew is, Wise men will have nothing to say, the sages will have no explanations.⁹ But a footnote alerts the reader that the Hebrew is: “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”

Addendum: November 2, 2019
Tables comparing Habakkuk 2:4 and Isaiah 29:14 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Habakkuk 2:4 and Isaiah 29:14 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables of Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1:22, 23 and 1:25 comparing the NET and KJV follow.

Habakkuk 2:4 (Tanakh)	Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV)	Habakkuk 2:4 (NET)
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.	Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.	Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness.

Habakkuk 2:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Habakkuk 2:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν ὑποστείληται οὐκ εὐδοκεῗ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται	ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται
Habakkuk 2:4 (NETS)	Habakkuk 2:4 (English Elpenor)
If it draws back, my soul is not pleased in it. But the just shall live by my faith.	If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.

Isaiah 29:14 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 29:14 (KJV)	Isaiah 29:14 (NET)
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.	Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.	Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people—an absolutely extraordinary deed. Wise men will have nothing to say, the sages will have no explanations.”

Isaiah 29:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 29:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ προσθήσω τοῦ μεταθεῗναι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ μεταθήσω αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω	διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ προσθήσω τοῦ μετατεθῆναι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ μεταθήσω αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω
Isaiah 29:14 (NETS)	Isaiah 29:14 (English Elpenor)
Therefore look, I will proceed to remove this people. I will remove them and destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will hide.	Therefore behold I will proceed to remove this people, and I will remove them: and I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will hide the understanding of the prudent.

Romans 1:16 (NET)	Romans 1:16 (KJV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.	For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνομαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, δύναμις γὰρ θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι, Ἰουδαίῳ τε \|πρῶτον\| καὶ ῞Ελληνι	ου γαρ επαισχυνομαι το ευαγγελιον του χριστου δυναμις γαρ θεου εστιν εις σωτηριαν παντι τω πιστευοντι ιουδαιω τε πρωτον και ελληνι	ου γαρ επαισχυνομαι το ευαγγελιον του χριστου δυναμις γαρ θεου εστιν εις σωτηριαν παντι τω πιστευοντι ιουδαιω τε πρωτον και ελληνι

1 Corinthians 1:20 (NET)	1 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV)
Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish?	Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ποῦ σοφός; ποῦ γραμματεύς; ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου; οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου	που σοφος που γραμματευς που συζητητης του αιωνος τουτου ουχι εμωρανεν ο θεος την σοφιαν του κοσμου τουτου	που σοφος που γραμματευς που συζητητης του αιωνος τουτου ουχι εμωρανεν ο θεος την σοφιαν του κοσμου τουτου

1 Corinthians 1:22, 23 (NET)	1 Corinthians 1:22, 23 (KJV)
For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom,	For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐπειδὴ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι σημεῖα αἰτοῦσιν καὶ ῞Ελληνες σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν	επειδη και ιουδαιοι σημειον αιτουσιν και ελληνες σοφιαν ζητουσιν	επειδη και ιουδαιοι σημειον αιτουσιν και ελληνες σοφιαν ζητουσιν

but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν	ημεις δε κηρυσσομεν χριστον εσταυρωμενον ιουδαιοις μεν σκανδαλον ελλησιν δε μωριαν	ημεις δε κηρυσσομεν χριστον εσταυρωμενον ιουδαιοις μεν σκανδαλον ελλησιν δε μωριαν

1 Corinthians 1:25 (NET)	1 Corinthians 1:25 (KJV)
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.	Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶν καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων	οτι το μωρον του θεου σοφωτερον των ανθρωπων εστιν και το ασθενες του θεου ισχυροτερον των ανθρωπων εστιν	οτι το μωρον του θεου σοφωτερον των ανθρωπων εστιν και το ασθενες του θεου ισχυροτερον των ανθρωπων εστιν