Chrysostom’s point is that Paul’s wording in Romans 1:28 (“did not like to retain God in their knowledge”) indicates a willful, deliberate rejection of God’s truth, rather than a passive lack of knowledge, as implied by “knew not God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:5.
In Romans 1:18–32, Paul argues that the Gentiles are without excuse because God’s existence and attributes are evident through creation (“the things that are made,” Romans 1:20). Thus, their failure to acknowledge God is not due to ignorance but a conscious choice to suppress the truth. Chrysostom interprets “did not like to retain God in their knowledge” as evidence of a “perverted determination of obstinacy”—a stubborn, willful refusal to honor God despite having access to knowledge of Him through natural revelation (e.g., creation, conscience).
In contrast, 1 Thessalonians 4:5’s phrase “Gentiles which know not God” could imply a lack of exposure to divine revelation, perhaps referring to Gentiles who have not heard the Gospel or the Law. Chrysostom sees Paul’s choice in Romans to use stronger language (“did not like to retain”) as highlighting a moral failing of the will, not a mere lack of information.