Homosexual relationships in the letter to the Romans

Article* published on the site The Reformation Project (United States), freely translated by Giacomo Tessaro

Negative message: Paolo condemns the homosexual behavior in Romans 1 as ignominious, therefore the Church cannot absolutely accept homosexual relationships.

Positive message: The letter to the Romans speaks of unbridled desire, not of sexual orientation.

In Romans 1: 26-27 Paolo condemns the libidinous homosexual behavior between men, and probably also between women.

“For this God abandoned them to infamous passions; Their women have changed natural relationships in relationships against nature. Equally also men, leaving the natural relationship with the woman, turned on with passion for each other, committing men with men with men, thus receiving in themselves the punishment that adhered to their transfer. " (Romans 1: 26-27)

- In the first three chapters of the letter to the Romans, Paolo claims that all peoples, Jews like Gentiles need salvation. In the second chapter he turns to his Jewish co -religion, saying that even one infringement of the law makes them necessary to reconcile with God.

- In Romans 1 Paolo says that even the Gentiles need salvation, because although not having a written law to transgress, they have still violated what they know how to be the truth about God, through his creation. Instead of adoring God they loved idols, and consequently God abandoned them to their passions.

- God abandoned them to the unbridled passions of their hearts, so they inflamed themselves of desire and ended up having homosexual relationships.

In the ancient world it was thought that everyone could be satisfied with heterosexual relationships, but some people went further: they were so insatiable as to practice homosexual relationships.

-In his comment to Romans 1: 26-27 Giovanni Crisostomo writes: "You see well how the complex of desire comes from an excess, which he does not know how to contain himself within the limits".

- Paul does not condemn those who are gay, contrasting it to those who are straight: condemn the insatiable excesses by opposing them to moderation, in fact he speaks repeatedly about "Passions", and men who "Abandon" heterosexual relationships.

- homosexual relationships as we know them today were not conceivable in that era.

Perhaps it is true that Paolo is describing unbridled desires, and not loving relationships, but still uses the terms "Infami", "Against nature", "Ignominious" When he talks about homoerotic relationships; This would seem to indicate that all homosexual relationships are sinful, however loving and stable they can be.

- Paolo uses, in 1 Corinthians 11, the identical Greek words of Romans 1, but most of today's Christians believe that the terms "nature" (Physis) Is "Indecori, ignominious" (Atimia) of 1 Corinthians 11 describe what was usual in the first century, not what should be the universal rule for Christians and Christians on the length of their hair.

- In fact, we know that long -haired men were not always indecorous or ignominious: we think of the vote of Nazireato (numbers 6: 5), and Sansone's decision to cut his hair, that yes a ignominious action, because his long hair It was a source of strength (judges 16: 17-19). What is honorable and what is indecorous varies in eras and cultures.

- If the terms "nature" is "ignominious" In 1 Corinthians 11 are culturally determined, then we must ask ourselves if they are also in Romans 1. In the ancient world the sexual intercourse between men were considered shameful and unnatural, because they reduced the passive male to the socially lower condition of a woman. It is a logic that however does not apply to Christians, who believe that men and women have equal value in God.

Things "The punishment that adhered to their transfer" Paolo speaks of?

- The worshipers of the idols have not been able to offer God the honor due to him, therefore God has allowed them to dishonor themselves as a punishment for the error of idolatry. Punishment consists in their ignominious acts.

- The passivity of the male, the position of domination of the female and the lack of self -control made the homoerotic sex the same emblem of excess and dishonor, and an effective illustration of what happens when we do not honor God: we are abandoned to the dishonor.

- But the problems of which Paolo speaks in Romans 1 are not characteristic of today's homosexual unions, based on love, mutual commitment and self -donation.

Christians should agree with Paolo on the fact that unbridled and excessive sexual behaviors are wrong, but the homosexual relationships that are based on love and long -term commitment should be evaluated differently.

* The biblical passages are taken from the Jerusalem Bible/CEI.

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