A study on the book of Romans (part 2)

Following on from our last study (http://musingmonk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-study-on-book-of-romans-part-1.html), we now will look at one of the most controversial passages in Romans.

Before we do, however, I would suggest revisiting our first study (see link above) to understand the context in which Paul was writing.

There is conflict, division, a real tension between more conservative Jewish Christians and gentile Christians (who would have been considered much more liberal by the Jews).  Paul's purpose in writing is to promote unity in this divided community.  This is a crucially important background to our next section.

Paul starts this next section by affirming the Jewish position (remember, they were the minority group and were looked down upon by many gentile Christians).  A Jew would be acutely aware of how they must differentiate themselves from non-Jew.  Their strict laws and observances were drummed into them from a young age.  Paul writes in a way to get them on board by highlighting the pagan world round about as we shall see in verses 17-32.

Romans 1:17-32

"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. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

[Here, Paul addresses the issue of non-Jews being aware of God, despite their lack of education and training in Jewish ways.  Essentially, he is saying we can know the Creator by his Creation.  We cannot make the excuse of not having been educated as a Jew.]

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

[Here, there is a clear reference to pagan activities.  Paul is not talking about Christians, but about pagans who have rejected God and instead chosen to worship false gods.]

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is for ever praised. Amen.

[Many of the pagan temples were known for their hedonism and sexual activities, including temple prostitutes and orgies.]

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

[The only reference in the Bible to female sexuality of this kind - it is not known if Paul here means lesbian activities, or women adopting a sexually aggressive and traditionally male role in sexual activities with men.  Rather than the natural sexual intimacy of a loving relationship with a woman, we hear of a licentious and lustful behaviour.  We do not know the exact nature of the men's shameful acts with other men, but can safely assume they were sexual and "un-natural"] - see however, my other postings on how this relates to homosexuality today.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worth while to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practise them."

[Again, Paul clarifies that he is not talking about non-Jewish Christians, but those who choose not to  acknowledge God.  The fruit of this life is wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, arrogance, boasting, doing evil, disobeying parents, having no understanding or fidelity or love or mercy.]

At this point, bearing in mind that this letter is likely to be read aloud in public to a diverse audience, you can imagine how the Jewish Christians will be buoyed and will anticipate that Paul is on their side (after all, he was himself a strict Jew).  By highlighting the sins of pagan worshipers of false gods (remember how Paul introduces this - with images of mortal man, birds, animals and reptiles), Paul is raising the Jewish awareness of how they have been set apart as God's people.  This was an important affirmation that the Jews needed to hear, particularly proclaimed aloud in front of their gentile brothers and sisters.

Before they can get overly arrogant about their position however, Paul quickly turns the tables on them.  We will explore this in the next chapter.

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A quick point needs to be made about homosexuality here.  Many Christians use the above passage as "clear evidence" that God condemns all homosexual activities.  However, there are 2 points to be made here.  Firstly, if this is a true reading of this passage, then equal strength of opposition needs to be made for all the other groups of sin mentioned in this passage - including gossiping, boasting, arrogance and dishonouring of parents.  To have integrity in applying God's word fairly, we cannot take one sin and put it on a pedestal of unrighteousness, while turning a blind eye to others.

Secondly, and of paramount importance, is that the people Paul is describing here are clearly pagans engaging in promiscuous and licentious living.  The fact that everyone knows about these behaviours means that it is not the private intimacy of a loving couple, but instead public sexual promiscuity and in all likelihood associated with temple worship.  The people being described "neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him".

Our debates today on homosexuality in the Church are about a much different people - brothers and sisters in Christ who do seek with all their hearts to glorify God and give thanks to him.  The fruit of the Spirit is at odds with the acts of the sinful nature and we must be careful not to compare a homosexual Christian with this group of sexually promiscuous and licentious pagan worshipers Paul is referring to in this passage.  This is particularly important in light of the next part of his letter and the whole purpose of what he is writing in this letter, right through to the end of Romans.