GAY TRUTH

Is Paul making a blanket pronouncement that homosexuality is sin against God in Romans 1:26–27 when he speaks of a behavior (“men with men” and “women with women”) that is “against nature”? The Revisionist Answer It is not possible to read here a reference to a crime against nature or a so-called “natural law” because such a concept is Greek and was unknown to Paul. The Biblical Answer Natural law was known to Philo and Josephus, contemporaries with the apostle Paul, and it is reflected in literature contemporary with, or antecedent to, Paul. For Jews, it represented creation and God’s law brought into harmony (see pp. 149–62, 239–51). The Revisionist Claim In Romans 1, Paul condemns men and women who leave their natural state. He does not condemn those who are born homosexual, who have the homosexual condition, for that is their natural state. Ancient peoples did not know of the modern ideas of a mutual, permanent homosexual union and homosexual orientation. Rather, Pa

Augustine on Romans 1 and homosexual sin - a mind darkened / depraved - open to sin even more. “The very matter,” says [Paul], “of sin is its punishment , if the sinner is so much weakened that he commits more sins.” He does not consider how justly the light of truth forsakes the man who transgresses the law. When thus deserted he of course becomes blinded, and necessarily offends more; and by so falling is embarrassed and being embarrassed fails to rise, so as to hear the voice of the law, which admonishes him to beg for the Savior’s grace.  Is no punishment due to them of whom the apostle says: “Because that, when they knew God , they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened?”  SPIRITUAL DARKENING This darkening was, of course, already their punishment and penalty ; and yet by this very penalty—that is, by their blindness of heart, which supervenes on the withdrawal of the light of wisdo