| PAULS' VIEWS -- ROMANS |
SUMMARY
Some people use Chapter 1 of the Biblical book of
Romans to say that homosexuality and homosexuals
are bad. However, the facts are as follows:
In Romans 1, Paul shows what happened to people who
refused to glorify God. Their thinking became foolish
(distorted) and they honored and served created things
(including idols) rather than God the Creator. Therefore
God allowed them to follow their own lustful choices and
dishonor their bodies. Women and men changed from
having male-female sex and had female-female sex and
male-male sex instead.
Paul criticizes the act of sex between women by
calling it unnatural (Romans 1:26). He also criticizes
an extreme form of sex between men by saying that
the men are utterly consumed in their lust for one
another and men act shamefully with men (Romans 1:
27). Although Paul calls both these forms of sex
degrading passions (shameful lusts) and unclean, he is
only using them to illustrate his argument and does not
say don’t do it.
Paul’s criticism of sex between women seems to be
based on how women’s sex roles were seen in the
Greek-Roman and Jewish cultures of Biblical times
(women should be passive, not active, in sex). As the
criticism is culturally based and as Paul does not say
don’t do it, the criticism does not apply today. More
details However sex between women should
comply with the no-harm test. Details
His criticism of sex between men refers only to
penetrative sex (anal intercourse), not to other forms of
sex between men. Details
Although Paul criticizes penetrative sex between men,
he does not actually say don’t do it.
The criticism of penetrative sex between men does
not apply to straight, bisexual and gay men today
because it applied only to the Greek-Roman culture of
Paul’s time. For those who don’t accept this culture
argument, the criticism of male-male penetration does
not apply when no one is harmed, directly or indirectly.
Details
- Get detailed information on the following topics:
- SEX BETWEEN FEMALES
- What form of sexual activity is described in
Romans 1:26?
- What points favor Romans 1:26 referring to sex
between females and what points favor a
reference to male-female anal sex?
- What does Paul mean by “nature” in Romans 1:26
and what is the meaning of “natural relations” and
“unnatural relations”?
- What does the criticism of sex between females
mean for women who are attracted to, or have sex
with, other women?
- SEX BETWEEN MALES
- What form of male sexual activity is described in
Romans 1:27?
- What did Paul think of same-sex behavior?
- What was the Roman attitude to sexual relations
between males?
- Is Paul criticizing same-sex activity wherever it
occurs or just same-sex activity when people
worship idols?
- What is meant by “receiving the due penalty for
their error” in Romans 1:27?
- What does the criticism of male-male penetration
mean for men who are attracted to, or have sex
with, other men?
- GENERAL
- False views about Romans 1:26 and Romans 1:
27
- Other interpretations and papers
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Author: Colin Smith