I got the wrong idea when I read Romans 1:18-19 in the NIV:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”
The main idea here is that when God’s wrath rightly falls on sinful humanity, they have no excuse because the truth of God has been made plain to them. However, when I read this, I got hung up on the words used to describe sinful humanity, as those “who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” This didn’t make sense to me. How can the truth be suppressed by wickedness?
Then I read the same passage in the NASB, and it made more sense:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”
This describes sinful humanity as those “who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” The word “suppress” here is the Greek word “katecho.” The old KJV translated this word as “hold,” but the word “suppress” is closer to the Greek meaning to “hold down” or “keep back.”
Those who are unrighteous and ungodly restrain the truth of God’s righteousness. Paul is saying that the heathen have had the righteousness of God revealed to them, yet they suppress this truth of His righteousness in themselves “because” they are ungodly and unrighteous. They’re not suppressing the truth “by” their unrighteousness, but rather because of it. It’s not that their wickedness suppresses the truth of God. Instead, their unrighteous deeds suppress (in themselves) the truth that has already been made plain to them.