Paul may be highlighting it because it is a particularly vivid example, and may have been especially pertinent for his readers in Rome given their cultural context. Either way it is illustrative of something that is the case for all of us: This is as true of a heterosexual person as of a homosexual person. There are no grounds in this passage for singling out homosexual people for any kind of special condemnation. The same passage indicts all of us.
It is important to recognize that Paul is talking here in social rather than individual terms. He is describing what happens to culture as a whole, rather than particular people. It is not the only sign, and in everyone there is no doubt more than one sign or another - but it is a sign nevertheless.
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In response to the exchanges Paul has described, we see three instances of God giving us over to live in the outcome of our sinful desires. This is his present-day judgment against sin. We ask for a reality without him and he gives us a taster of it. Sin leads to judgment, but judgment also leads to further sin. Again, homosexual activity is certainly not the only sinful act. All of us are guilty. But it listed among them as one of the ways in which human nature as a whole has been changed from what God originally intended. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived: In these verses Paul is describing different kinds of people who unless they repent will be excluded from the kingdom of God. Four kinds relate to sexual sin, and two of those specifically to homosexual behaviour. In 1 Corinthians 6 malakoi comes in a list describing general forms of sexual sin, and the context suggests Paul is most likely using it in a broad way to refer to the passive partners in homosexual intercourse, as we are about to see.
The second term he Paul uses. These are the two words used in the Greek translation of Leviticus Arsenokoitai , then, is a general term for male same-sex sex, and its pairing with malakoi indicates that Paul is addressing both the active and passive partners in homosexual sex.
Homosexual sin is serious. Paul urges his readers not to be deceived on this point. He assumes there will be those who deny this teaching, and argue that some forms of homosexual conduct are acceptable to God. But Paul is clear: This is a serious issue. Homosexual sin is not unique.
וַיִִּקְרָא
Homosexual sin is incredibly serious, but it is not alone in being so. It is wicked, but so is, say, greed. We must not imply that homosexual sex is the sin of our age.
If we are to be faithful to Scripture, we must also preach against theft, greed, drunkenness, reviling, and defrauding others, many of which are also trivialised in our society, and all of which also characterize the unrighteous. Homosexual sin is not inescapable. Paul continues in verse These forms of behaviour are not appropriate for the Corinthian church precisely because it is not who they are any more. Some of them clearly had been active homosexuals. They did once live in these ways.
They have been washed, sanctified and justified; forgiven, cleansed from their sins, and set apart for God. They have a new standing and identity before him. It is possible for someone living a practicing gay lifestyle to be made new by God. Temptations and feelings may well linger. That Paul is warning his readers not to revert to their former way of life suggests there is still some desire to do so. But in Christ we are no longer who we were. Those who have come out of an active gay lifestyle need to understand how to see themselves.
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What defined us then no longer defines us now. The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, men who practise homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine. Also in common with 1 Corinthians, same-sex sex is mentioned among other wide-ranging sins, non-sexual as well as sexual. They do not conform to the life Christians are now to lead.
They go against the grain of the new identity we have in Christ.
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Attempts to read these texts as anything other than prohibitions of homosexual behaviour do not ultimately work. The plain reading of each passage is the right one. Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf, taking the punishment that we deserved so that we might be forgiven. If you are His child, then He wants you to reflect His character. He is sanctifying you much like He did the nation of Israel.
Does your life echo His? In what ways are you growing more like Christ? View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Leviticus , which divides the book into major sections and highlights themes and key verses. Who wrote the book? Why is Leviticus so important?
1. Learning to Love Leviticus | theranchhands.com
God established the sacrificial system so that His covenant people might enjoy His fellowship through worship; it also allowed for repentance and renewal: What's the big idea? How do I apply this? Zondervan, , Old Testament , ed. Walvoord and Roy B. Victor Books, , Leviticus Overview Chart View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Leviticus , which divides the book into major sections and highlights themes and key verses. Insight's Old Testament Handbook: Insight's Handbook of Old Testament Backgrounds: