Romans 1:26–27 in its first-century setting
Says God "gave them over to dishonorable passions": their women exchanged natural relations for those παρὰ φύσιν (para physin, "contrary to nature"), and the men abandoned relations with women and "burned with lust for one another," ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν (arsenes en arsesin, "males with males," Rom 1:26–27).
Greek custom tolerated the love of boys, which Philo says had become a boast (Spec. 3.37). Adult pairings existed: Juvenal satirizes a "wedding" of two men (Sat. 2.117–135). Some pagans objected: Plato's Athenian calls intercourse of males with males or females with females contrary to nature (Leg. 636c) and would outlaw it (836c–841d). Jewish writers rejected such relations, following Lev 18:22 and 20:13: Philo (Spec. 3.37–42; Abr. 135–136), Josephus (C. Ap. 2.199, 273–275), and Pseudo-Phocylides (190–192), who also addresses women.
Implies On the historic Protestant reading, which the team holds, the verses condemn same-sex intercourse as contrary to the Creator's design (Gen 1:27; 2:24). "For one another" describes mutual desire, and the women of 1:26 fit no pederastic model. The view that Paul knew only exploitative pederasty (Scroggs) fails this evidence (Gagnon, ch. 4).
Implies Rom 1:26 most likely refers to sex between women: ὁμοίως (homoiōs, "likewise," 1:27) ties the men's act to the women's, both leave τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν (tēn physikēn chrēsin, "the natural use"), and "females" and "males" echo Gen 1:27.
A minority historic view, Augustine's (Nupt. 2.20.35), took 1:26 of unnatural acts with men.
Says The argument ends with all having sinned and being justified freely by God's grace (3:23–24).
Claims
- SaysRom 1:26–27 says God gave people over to dishonorable passions, that women exchanged natural relations for those contrary to nature, and that men abandoned relations with women and burned with desire for one another, males with males.
- ImpliesBecause the text describes mutual desire ('for one another'), includes women, and echoes the 'male and female' of Gen 1:27, it condemns same-sex intercourse as such, as contrary to the Creator's design, not only exploitative pederasty.
- ImpliesRom 1:26 most likely refers to sexual relations between women: 'likewise' (ὁμοίως, 1:27) links the men's act to the women's, both depart from 'the natural use' (τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν), and the 'females'/'males' wording echoes Gen 1:27.
- SaysRom 3:23–24 says all have sinned and are justified freely by God's grace.
Citations
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 1:26–27; 3:23–24
- BSB public domain Rom 1:26–27; Lev 18:22; 20:13; Gen 1:27; 2:24
- Philo (Yonge) public domain Spec. 3.37–42; Abr. 135–136
- Juvenal (Ramsay) public domain Sat. 2
- 🔒︎ Latin Library public domain Juvenal, Sat. 2.117–135 (line numbers, Latin text)
- Plato, Laws (Bury) CC BY-SA 3.0 Leg. 636c; 836c–841d
- Plato (Burnet) CC BY-SA 3.0 Leg. 636c
- Josephus, C. Ap. (Whiston) public domain C. Ap. 2.199 (Whiston 2.25); 2.273–275 (Whiston 2.38)
- 🔒︎ OTP Copyrighted vol. 2, Pseudo-Phocylides 190–192 (trans. P. W. van der Horst)
- 🔒︎ Scroggs, NT and Homosexuality Copyrighted whole work
- 🔒︎ Gagnon, BHP Copyrighted ch. 4, 'The Witness of Paul and Deutero-Paul' (pp. 229–339)
- NPNF1 5 public domain NPNF1 5, On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.20.35
Quotations from Plato, Laws (Bury) are used under CC BY-SA 3.0 · Quotations from Plato (Burnet) are used under CC BY-SA 3.0 · Credits
2026-10-28
Open in Reader All notes on this passage