Changes

As with the Levitical texts, prohomosex revisionists labor to restrict Romans 1 to a specific context, and or to otherwise disallow it from condemning all forms of homosex. Scroggs supposes that Paul's condemnation of homosex only targets pederasty,<ref>Pederasty involves a voluntary relationship between an adult male and a pre-puberty boy</ref> due to Paul being culturally ignorant of Greek homosexuality, he though he concedes he would have opposed it<ref>Scroggs, The  New Testament and Homosexuality, pp. 115-18</ref> Boswell and others assert that “contrary to nature” (Rm. 1:26,27) refers to heterosexuals acting as homosexuals.<ref>Boswell, ibid. pp. 108-09</ref>) Still others disallow Romans 1 from being a moral indictment of homosex, but attribute Paul's words to [[homophobia]], insecurity, repressed anger, and or largely being a polemic designed to reprove the arrogance of self righteous Jews or a Jew, with an act “against nature” being Gentiles not having the Law by birth.<ref>Hanks, Thomas D., A Gay Apostle’s Queer Epistle for a Peculiar People: Romans 1:16-2:16; (compilation)</ref> And which Jews oppress the Gentiles homosexuality, which they see Paul's gospel justifying, as being part of the ceremonial purity code (like not eating bacon), which the New Covenant does not enjoin upon Christians.<ref>Countrymen, Dirt, Greed and Sex, pp. 98-123</ref><ref>Edwards, "Gay/Leban Liberation, pp. 85-102</ref>

As with the Levitical texts, prohomosex revisionists labor to restrict Romans 1 to a specific context, and or to otherwise disallow it from condemning all forms of homosex. Scroggs supposes that Paul's condemnation of homosex only targets pederasty,<ref>Pederasty involves a voluntary relationship between an adult male and a pre-puberty boy</ref> due to Paul being culturally ignorant of Greek homosexuality, he though he concedes he would have opposed it<ref>Scroggs, The  New Testament and Homosexuality, pp. 115-18</ref> Boswell and others assert that “contrary to nature” (Rm. 1:26,27) refers to heterosexuals acting as homosexuals.<ref>Boswell, ibid. pp. 108-09</ref>) Still others disallow Romans 1 from being a moral indictment of homosex, but attribute Paul's words to [[homophobia]], insecurity, repressed anger, and or largely being a polemic designed to reprove the arrogance of self righteous Jews or a Jew, with an act “against nature” being Gentiles not having the Law by birth.<ref>Hanks, Thomas D., A Gay Apostle’s Queer Epistle for a Peculiar People: Romans 1:16-2:16; (compilation)</ref> And which Jews oppress the Gentiles homosexuality, which they see Paul's gospel justifying, as being part of the ceremonial purity code (like not eating bacon), which the New Covenant does not enjoin upon Christians.<ref>Countrymen, Dirt, Greed and Sex, pp. 98-123</ref><ref>Edwards, "Gay/Leban Liberation, pp. 85-102</ref>

Countering such renderings is the traditional means of exegesis of Romans 1, in which both Jews and Gentiles are shown to be in need of salvation by grace through faith, by the gift of imputed righteousness, and not merited by works, but resulting in obedience to God by faith, (Rm. 4ff) including repentance from all sexual immorality.<ref>Adam Clarke, Rm. 1:17</ref> Paul works to show Gentiles as sinners by how idolaters rejected the “natural revelation” of God's creation to given them, (Rm. 1:18-23) which results in judgment by God in deliverance up unto progressive moral declension, which is particularly manifested in female and (“likewise”) male homosex, this being contrary to nature,  referring to God's revealed creation design and normalcy.<ref>Gill; Vid. R. Sol Jarchi in Gen. xxiv. 16</ref>  (Rm. 1:24-27)  As regards women, some understand this may refer to the use of unnatural means.  Further fruits of idolatry and its resultant moral declension are manifest in various iniquities, (1:28-32) similar to the fruits of the flesh seen in Gal. 5:19-21, the end of which is spiritual death. (cf. Rm. 8:13) Paul will then move onto the Jews in the next chapter, convicting them as sinners disobedient to God by the more precise and comprehensive relation of the Scriptures.<ref>Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible</ref> This twofold use of revelation (natural and written) is seen elsewhere in Paul's preaching to both groups respectively. (Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-29; cf. Acts 13:16-41; 24:25; 26:22,23; 28:23)  Paul can thus conclude in the next chapter that “we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin”, (Rm. 3:9), before moving on in the proceeding chapters to establish how convicted sinners may be justified before the holy God of both creation and Scripture, and live accordingly.

Countering such renderings is the traditional means of exegesis of Romans 1, in which both Jews and Gentiles are shown to be in need of salvation by grace through faith, by the gift of imputed righteousness, and not merited by works, but resulting in obedience to God by faith, (Rm. 4ff) including repentance from all sexual immorality.<ref>Adam Clarke, Rm. 1:17</ref> Paul works to show Gentiles as sinners by how idolaters rejected the “natural revelation” of God's creation to given them, (Rm. 1:18-23) which results in judgment by God in delivering them up unto progressive moral declension, which is particularly manifested in female and (“likewise”) male homosex, this being contrary to nature,  referring to God's revealed creation design and normalcy.<ref>Gill; Vid. R. Sol Jarchi in Gen. xxiv. 16</ref>  (Rm. 1:24-27)  As regards women, some understand this may refer to the use of unnatural means.  Further fruits of idolatry and its resultant moral declension are manifest in various iniquities, (1:28-32) similar to the fruits of the flesh seen in Gal. 5:19-21, the end of which is spiritual death. (cf. Rm. 8:13) Paul will then move onto the Jews in the next chapter, convicting them as sinners disobedient to God by the more precise and comprehensive revelation of the Scriptures.<ref>Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible</ref> This twofold use of revelation (natural and written) is seen elsewhere in Paul's preaching to both groups respectively. (Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-29; cf. Acts 13:16-41; 24:25; 26:22,23; 28:23)  Paul can thus conclude in the next chapter that “we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin”, (Rm. 3:9), before moving on in the proceeding chapters to establish how convicted sinners may be justified before the holy God of both creation and Scripture, and live accordingly.

== See also ==

== See also ==