We now enter the New Testament and Paul’s
exposition on sinful humanity. He argues persuasively for the fact that all are
sinful in the eyes of God in Romans 1:18-3:20, as he will summarize it in
Romans 3:9-20. In Romans 1 though we will see the depravity to which sinful
humanity can sink if their thoughts and actions go on unabated and against the
Lord.
Romans 1:26-27 ~
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged
the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the
men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire
toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in
their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Here in Romans 1 we get a vivid view of the pagan culture. It is a
world that will directly influence the early Church with its depraved godless
nature. Without divine grace and mercy to reverse a trending pattern, the people
described here will continue to fall away from God. In keeping with the context
of Romans it needs to be noted that Paul’s intent is not to specifically demonize
homosexuality but to show how the whole of humanity is debased and corrupted by
sin by rejecting God. To show how humanity is unable to get a favorable verdict
in God’s judgment without God’s pardon trough Jesus Christ (Bruce 77). The
picture he paints here is condemning and bleak. We see a people who have rejected
God in exchange for lesser things (v.23), so God gave them over to
their sins (v.24). Because of this rejection of God, they received the penalty
they deserved (v.27). In this case, being given over to their own sins is part
of that penalty and judgment.
Unnatural Acts
Unnatural Acts
The direct addressing of the sin of homosexuality comes in verse 26. It
is the fallout of having first rejected God (v.23). Because of the
self-indulgence mentioned, God gave them over (women) to the very degrading
passions that corrupted them. They are given over to πάθη/passions/lust of ἀτιμίας
/shameful/vile and those things that are παρὰ/contrary to φύσιν/nature or more specifically contrary to nature’s
law/order (Harder 659, Wuest 35-36). The very word φύσιν/phusin denotes the world of Creation (Harder
659).
So what is Paul talking about here? First, Paul is not releasing males
or females from their obvious guilt. First he indicts the females (v.26) and
then the males (v.27) for unnatural acts (v.26 & 27) with their hearts
(idolatry)/bodies (sexual) (v.24) that lead to shame and dishonor. We see
lesbianism and pederasty. Paul also shows that where the mind leads, the body
will follow.
Furthermore, a clear context of sexuality can be seen in verse 27 when
the ἄρσενες / arsenes / males left
the natural χρῆσιν /use (in a sexual
sense) of θηλείας/thleias/women
and instead they were ἐξεκαύθησαν/burning
or literally burned-out with desire or appetite for ἀλλήλους ἄρσενες/another
male. The startling thing about the words used here is the intensity of word
choice by Paul. They had completely given over to their sinful natures.
Gender Designation
Gender Designation
Paul’s use of male and female here is also interesting because he
could’ve easily used the words ανδρος
/andros for man/male and γυνή/gune
for woman/female but he does not. He uses ἄρσενες/arsenos
and θηλείας/theleias. Paul is being
deliberate in is usage of gender distinctions to draw our attention to the fact
he is specifically contemplating the sexual differences or contrast of gender in this sexual
context (Brown-Vol.2 569-570, Wuest 35-36). He then says that they will be,
“receiving in their own persons
the due penalty of their error.” The words “due penalty” are ἀντιμισθίαν/antimisthian or recompense.
It is the idea that they are being rightfully punished for what they have
earned through their indecent and unnatural acts. These acts are not elaborated
on in the text but the inferences made from the text are clear. They are sexual
in nature based on the use of the words ὀρέξει
/ lust, σώματα / bodies and ἀσχημοσύνην
/ aschemosunen / acts (indecent).
In other words, there is a consequence that can be expected as ordained
by divine law. When one violates a law by choice, there will be a
penalty in accordance with Scripture. These were not involuntary acts. There is
no disambiguation here by Paul. The people here are purposely committing
unnatural homosexual acts by choice and are clearly in error. There is a
clear tone of condemnation throughout this entire passage. What’s more is that
there will be consequences for their actions. There is always a trade-off when
one ἤλλαξαν/exchanges or changes (v.25) the glory of God for the image of a mortal
man. Instead of the truths of God, these people accepted themselves and their
own lies. They made themselves their own sexual golden calves. We therefore see
a twisted form of sexual idolatry.
In the context of idolatry we begin to see another reason why
homosexuality is abhorrent to God and needs to be acted on so sternly. In
rejecting God and a love for God, men (and women) literally turned to images of
themselves (v.23 corruptible humanity), same-sex and all in a form of sexual
and idolatrous narcissism (Gagnon 747). It is as if homosexuality is the
ultimate form of idolatry. To make oneself (or another human being like
the self) the sole object of worship, desire, love or lust. Homosexuals
therefore not only reject God and His statutes, they end up adding insult to
injury lusting and loving after the flawed created being (v.23) that has been
given over to their sin (v.24). It is a self-perpetuating downward cycle of sin
and depredation.
It then makes sense why they would heartedly approved of one another’s
sins as they are literally in love with themselves or those like themselves and
God is conspicuously absent from their lives. It seems as if it is a
self-inbreeding sin that continues to reap rotten fruits. To pursue this course
in vain is a clear sign of unrepentant behavior and unrepentant behavior
eventually incurs the wrath of God. That wrath already begins to manifest
itself right within the passage when we see that the perversion that these
people commit becomes the very thing by which they are judged. They “receive
the due penalty in their own persons (NIV: in themselves).” To be given
over completely to one’s own sin becomes its own judgment.
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