Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul uses the word "women" (females) here not just to describe the act but to highlight the profound reversal of natural roles and affections. It's a subtle but significant choice, emphasizing how deeply unnatural this behavior was, even turning the very concept of "female" away from its intended design.
Paul is explaining the consequences of humanity turning away from God. Having shown how people exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped created things instead of the Creator, he now details the resulting moral decay. This leads to God "giving them up" to further sinful practices, first highlighting unnatural sexual behavior among women, and then men in the following verse.
Have you ever felt like God has withdrawn from someone, or even from yourself? This passage speaks of God 'giving people up.' What does that really mean, and why does it happen?
In Romans 1, Paul describes a devastating consequence of humanity's rejection of God: God 'gives people up.' This isn't God actively pushing people into sin, but rather a judicial withdrawal of His restraining grace.
A Withdrawal, Not an Indulgence
Think of it like this: imagine a parent who has repeatedly warned a child about touching a hot stove. If the child keeps touching it, despite the warnings, the parent might eventually let go, allowing the child to experience the painful consequence. This isn't because the parent wants the child to get hurt, but because the child has rejected the parent's guidance.
Similarly, when people repeatedly turn away from God's truth and reject His knowledge (as described in Romans 1:18-23), God, in His justice, 'gives them up.' This means He stops restraining their sinful desires and allows them to fully experience the consequences of their choices. It's a profound and terrible judgment, a removal of divine protection and guidance, leaving individuals to the full power of their own corrupt hearts and desires.
The verse speaks of changing 'natural use' into that which is 'against nature.' What does 'natural' mean in this context, and what is lost when we swap it for something 'unnatural'?
Paul uses the terms 'natural use' and 'contrary to nature' to describe profound deviations from God's design for human sexuality and relationships.
God's Design as the Standard
'Natural' here doesn't mean merely common or popular. Instead, it refers to what aligns with God's created order and intentions for humanity. This includes the complementarity of male and female, intended for union and procreation within marriage.
When the passage says women exchanged natural relations for those contrary to nature, it's highlighting a deliberate turning away from God's established order. This isn't just about physical acts; it's about a spiritual and moral turning away from the Creator and His design. The consequences are 'passions of dishonor'—affections that lead to shame, not glory, because they disregard the very image and purpose God instilled in humanity.
Understand the original words
paredōken · Greek Verb
The act of abandoning or surrendering someone to the consequences of their own sinful desires and choices, reflecting God's judicial withdrawal of restraining grace.
pathē · Greek Noun
Strong, uncontrolled, and unruly desires or cravings, often associated with sinful appetites that override reason and moral restraint.
para physin · Greek Phrase
Behavior, roles, or desires that are inconsistent with the created order and purpose established by God for human beings.
atimias · Greek Noun
Behavior that causes shame or disgrace; it refers to that which is morally ignoble, debasing, or violates the honor due to one's body and station.
Paul's condemnation of 'dishonorable passions' and 'contrary to nature' sexual acts in Romans 1:26 stems from a deep concern that the Roman Gentile world, by turning away from God's clear revelation in creation and suppressing the truth, had fallen into widespread idolatry and its resulting moral decay, including practices that violated the natural order established by God.
c. 1400 BC - 1st century AD
Prevalence of Idolatry and Immorality
Throughout the centuries leading up to Paul's writing, various forms of idolatry and the associated immoral practices were widespread in the Gentile world. The worship of deities like Jupiter, Venus, and others often involved rituals and behaviors that blurred the lines between the sacred and the profane, leading to widespread sexual impurity.
c. 8th - 6th century BC
Greek Philosophers and Morality
Prominent Greek philosophers debated and documented various aspects of human behavior, including sexual practices. While some philosophers explored concepts of natural order, others described or even accepted practices that later generations, including Paul, would consider contrary to nature and divine law.
c. 2nd century BC - 1st century AD
Roman Expansion and Cultural Influence
The expansion of the Roman Empire brought diverse cultures and moral codes into close proximity. While Roman society often emphasized law and order, it also experienced periods of significant moral laxity and the acceptance of various sexual practices, some of which were viewed as excessive or unnatural.
This passage explicitly forbids same-sex sexual acts, highlighting the long-standing biblical concern with 'natural' versus 'unnatural' sexual relations.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10The apostle Paul lists various sins, including those related to sexual immorality, that exclude people from the Kingdom of God, reinforcing the seriousness of the transgressions mentioned in Romans 1.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5This passage contrasts sexual immorality with the holy will of God, emphasizing that believers are called to sanctification and honor in their bodies, directly opposing the 'dishonorable passions' described in Romans 1.
Jeremiah 5:7-8The prophet Jeremiah describes a similar spiritual and moral decay in Israel, where infidelity to God leads to rampant sexual sin and a departure from natural order, mirroring the conditions Paul addresses in Rome.
meyerRomans 1:26: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:"
Romans 1:26-27 . Διὰ τοῦτο ] Beginning an independent, sentence (against Hofmann, see on Romans 1:25 ), refers to the description οἵτινες .… κτίσαντα contained in Romans 1:25 . The giving up is set forth once more (comp Romans 1:24 , διό ) as the punishment of apostasy, and now indeed with such increasing force of delineation, that out of the ca…
henryRomans 1:26-32: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:"
1:26-32 In the horrid depravity of the heathen, the truth of our Lord's words was shown: Light was come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil; for he that doeth evil hateth the light. The truth was not to their taste. And we all know how soon a man will contrive, against the strongest evidence…
Paul uses the word "women" (females) here not just to describe the act but to highlight the profound reversal of natural roles and affections. It's a subtle but significant choice, emphasizing how deeply unnatural this behavior was, even turning the very concept of "female" away from its intended design.
Paul is explaining the consequences of humanity turning away from God. Having shown how people exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped created things instead of the Creator, he now details the resulting moral decay. This leads to God "giving them up" to further sinful practices, first highlighting unnatural sexual behavior among women, and then men in the following verse.
Paul is explaining the consequences of humanity turning away from God. Having shown how people exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped created things instead of the Creator, he now details the resulting moral decay. This leads to God "giving them up" to further sinful practices, first highlighting unnatural sexual behavior among women, and then men in the following verse.
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c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
The central event of Christianity, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, provided the ultimate revelation of God's truth and judgment. This event served as a pivotal point in redemptive history, highlighting the consequences of human sin and God's provision for salvation.
c. AD 50s— this verse
Paul's Ministry and Letter to Rome
The Apostle Paul's extensive missionary work brought him into contact with diverse cultures and moral landscapes across the Roman Empire. He began writing his Epistle to the Romans during this period, likely from Corinth or Cenchreae, to prepare the church there for his eventual visit.
"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one…" — Paul uses the word "women" (females) here not just to describe the act but to highlight the profound reversal of natural roles and affections. It's a subtle but significant choice, emphasizing how de…
