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Christianity & Homosexuality Part 2 of 8: Exploring Romans 1:26-27

By David W. Shelton | September 10, 2006 |

Last week, I dared to ask the question, “Can a person be gay and a Christian.” Naturally, the first reaction by many sincere Christians is that “the Bible condemns homosexuality.” This series will continue to explore this very controversial issue in the light of Scripture. Since I asserted the whacky idea that the answer to the aforementioend question is, “yes,” it’s prudent to, as the Bereans did, “search the Scriptures to see if it’s so.”

There are six passages in Scripture that are used to support the traditional evangelical and fundamentalist view that homosexuality in any form is condemned outright. We will explore all of these passages at length and go into as much detail as possible so that we can begin to understand that some of us are not only gay, but clearly are embraced by God as his children, and are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Today’s exploration skips past all of the passages in Genesis and Leviticus, and goes straight into Paul’s letter to the Romans. One of the most apparently damning passages in the New Testament that are used to condemn gay and lesbian people is actually something entirely different. Romans chapter 1:26-27 are often used to say how bad off gay people really are:

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (NIV) It all sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it? They’ve abandoned natural relations… and received the due penalty for their perversion. Yikes! But is it talking about Christians? What’s more important, is it talking about gay people? The answer to both questions is, “no.” Well, to be clear, he’s not talking to about Christians yet. Let’s look at the context. Why is that important? Well, it’s basic Bible interpretation…or rather, exegesis. “If there’s a “therefore” or a “wherefore,” find out what it’s there for.” The “because of this” in verse 26 clearly indicates that there’s more to it. Let’s look back a few verses to just after Paul’s salutation, starting at verse 18:

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 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 men are without excuse. 21 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. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Now we’re seeing a bit more of the big picture, aren’t we? This is clearly not talking about Christians. Paul is talking about those who have “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” Verse 25 makes the point clear. They “worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.” In a word, this entire chapter deals with idolatry. And the “gay-bashing” verses are about the pagan practices in temple rites. Now, if you’re not sure whether or not this can relate to Christians who struggle with their sexual orientation, let’s look at the handful of verses after verse 27:

28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 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, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 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 practice them.

The “big picture” is even bigger with this paragraph. This is referring to a group of people who once had the knowledge of God, but have become “filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.” Verse 30 and 31 slammed them even more and finally called such people “ruthless.” Now, ask yourself this simple question: Can we seriously believe that this chapter addresses Christians who might be gay? To be fair, I know a lot of gossips too, but this kind of depravity is clearly in reference to a people who have rejected everything holy in the name of their own false idols. Let’s get a little close to home. If Paul wasn’t talking about Christians in the early part of Chapter 1, he certainly is now. He clearly knew when he wrote this passage that it would sting some of the people who were reading it. After all, gossips and backbiters were everywhere, even in the church. So what did he have to say about that? Let’s read on starting in Chapter 2:

1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? (NIV)

Paul finally makes his point. Here, Paul echoes Jesus’ words on judgment from Matthew 7. Paul completely turns this whole idolater-bashing passage on its heels and directs it toward the Christians in Rome: “because you who pass judgment do the same things.” Does he know today’s church or what?
So, in a nutshell, Paul is addressing a few issues. One, he’s blasting the Roman Christians who pass judgment on others for doing the very things they do themselves. Two, he’s establishing the platform to discuss the riches of God’s kindness and His grace. The reality is that none of the verses in Romans 1 or 2 can exist in a vacuum, and must be taken with the whole. Most people who are struggling with their sexual orientation take Romans 1:26-28 by themselves (as they’re often told to do) and look for ways to try to fix themselves. But as Scripture says, there is clearly a more excellent way.

Clearly, this passage is talking about hypocritical behavior (as Jesus often did), not homosexuals. The first thing we must do if we’re gay or if we know someone who is; is that we can not condemn ourselves or others based on that fact. There are other Scriptures which are often used as “clobber verses” but none of them are as apparently clear as the Romans 1 passage is. Even then, the literary context of those three verses changes everything.

Those of us who are gay and Christian have a number of issues that we must deal with; including whether or not we’re going to pursue a relationship with someone. Since those issues are as complex as they are vast in numbers, They will be covered in later articles. Next week, we’ll go back in time to ancient Sodom. Get those asbestos suits ready!

About David W. Shelton

Posts by David W. Shelton are copyright (c)2006, 2007, 2008 by the author. All rights reserved. David W. Shelton is a writer, speaker and activist in Clarksville, and serves on the Clarksville Human Relations Commission. His passions include film and complete equality for all people, and he has worked in various capacities to work toward this goal. He is currently an illustrator, graphic designer, trainer, and is the owner of Imagine Media Solutions. He is an Adobe® Certified Instructor in Photoshop®.

Web Site: http://www.skippingtothepiccolo.com/

Email: dwshelton@charter.net

Sections: Politics, Spirituality
Topics: Bible, Gay Christian, Romans

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