The purpose of this thread is to finish off the background of Romans 1:18-32 that I didn't get to finish from this post before the thread was locked. It is from a Bible study perspective so please follow the CF rule that homosexuality may NOT be promoted here.
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; 21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
24 Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. 29 They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips 30 and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. 31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32 NABRE)
The book of Romans was addressed to believers in Rome (1:7). Here's the background:
Paul wrote to a culture where homosexuality was accepted as a part of life for both men and women. For some 200 years, the men who ruled the Roman Empire openly practiced homosexuality often with young boys.
At times the Roman Empire specifically taxed approved homosexual prostitution and gave boy prostitutes a legal holiday. Legal marriage between same gender couples was recognized, and even some of the emperors married other men. At the very time Paul wrote, Nero was emperor. He took a boy named Sporus and had him castrated, then married him (with a full ceremony), brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his “wife.” Later, Nero lived with another man, and Nero was the “wife.”
Enduring Word Bible Commentary Romans Chapter 1
Paul lived in a day when homosexuality was “coming out of the closet.” The Roman historian Sutonius relates in graphic detail the unnatural sexual practices of those emperors who followed Augustus. Paul’s pronouncement here is a judgment against both Roman society and even the Roman emperors of the day.
WHEN GOD GIVES UP
Deities of human form prevailed in Greece; those of the bestial form in Egypt; and both methods of worship were practiced in Rome.
Romans 1:23 - and exchanged the... - Verse-by-Verse Commentary
In light of this background, we can see that the reason why God handed those people over to homosexuality is a judgment against sin. When men turned away from God and refused to worship Him, God gave them over to the sins of their flesh, in this case, it is homosexuality.
@Apex @food4thought
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; 21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
24 Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. 29 They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips 30 and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. 31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32 NABRE)
The book of Romans was addressed to believers in Rome (1:7). Here's the background:
Paul wrote to a culture where homosexuality was accepted as a part of life for both men and women. For some 200 years, the men who ruled the Roman Empire openly practiced homosexuality often with young boys.
At times the Roman Empire specifically taxed approved homosexual prostitution and gave boy prostitutes a legal holiday. Legal marriage between same gender couples was recognized, and even some of the emperors married other men. At the very time Paul wrote, Nero was emperor. He took a boy named Sporus and had him castrated, then married him (with a full ceremony), brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his “wife.” Later, Nero lived with another man, and Nero was the “wife.”
Enduring Word Bible Commentary Romans Chapter 1
Paul lived in a day when homosexuality was “coming out of the closet.” The Roman historian Sutonius relates in graphic detail the unnatural sexual practices of those emperors who followed Augustus. Paul’s pronouncement here is a judgment against both Roman society and even the Roman emperors of the day.
WHEN GOD GIVES UP
Deities of human form prevailed in Greece; those of the bestial form in Egypt; and both methods of worship were practiced in Rome.
Romans 1:23 - and exchanged the... - Verse-by-Verse Commentary
In light of this background, we can see that the reason why God handed those people over to homosexuality is a judgment against sin. When men turned away from God and refused to worship Him, God gave them over to the sins of their flesh, in this case, it is homosexuality.
@Apex @food4thought
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