Romans 1:26-27
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The verse uses the specific term "women" (females) to highlight that this departure from natural relations wasn't limited to men, but extended to women exchanging their "natural use" for that which is contrary to nature. This detail underscores the pervasive societal breakdown, showing that the rejection of God's design affected both men and women in profound ways.
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)
Paul is detailing the consequences of humanity's rejection of God, moving from idolatry to a description of the moral decay that follows. Having established that people exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, he now explains how God "gave them up" to increasing impurity and dishonor. This section vividly illustrates that turning away from God leads to a breakdown of natural order, both in worship and in human relationships.
Have you ever wondered if God actively punishes sin, or if He just lets things run their course? This verse speaks directly to that.
The phrase "God gave them up" (or "gave them over") is a powerful concept in Romans 1. It doesn't mean God caused their sin, but that as a just consequence for rejecting Him, He withdrew His restraining influence. Think of it like a parent who, after repeated warnings, allows a rebellious child to face the natural, painful consequences of their choices. This "giving up" signifies a profound judgment, where God allows people to be fully consumed by the very sinful desires they chose over Him. It's a descent into vice that is both a punishment and a revelation of the depth of human sin when left to its own devices.
What does it mean for passions to be "dishonorable" and for actions to be "contrary to nature"?
The verse speaks of "passions of dishonor" (or "vile affections"). This highlights that the sins described are not merely acts, but deep-seated affections and desires that bring shame. The commentators note that "dishonor" is the opposite of the "honor" due to our bodies and sexual relations, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:4. The phrase "natural use" refers to the God-ordained, biologically intended purpose for sexual relations within marriage. When Paul says women exchanged this "natural use" for what is "contrary to nature," he's not just describing specific sexual acts, but a fundamental inversion of God's design. This inversion is inherently shameful because it goes against the created order and reflects a rebellion against the Creator.
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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 is writing to the Roman church around AD 50-60, a time when Roman society was deeply influenced by Hellenistic culture and had its own complex moral landscape. The 'natural' and 'unnatural' distinctions Paul discusses would have resonated in a society with diverse sexual practices and a pantheon of gods whose myths often depicted immoral behavior, providing a backdrop for his critique of gentile impiety and its consequences.
c. 330 BC
The Rise of Hellenistic Culture
Following Alexander the Great's conquests, Greek culture and philosophy spread throughout the Mediterranean world, influencing social norms and religious practices, including those in Rome.
c. 27 BC – AD 180
Pax Romana
The Roman Empire experienced a long period of relative peace and stability, which facilitated the spread of ideas and practices across its vast territories.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
The central event of Christianity, leading to the formation of the early church and the spread of the Apostle Paul's teachings.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul's Ministry and Epistles
The Apostle Paul traveled and established churches throughout the Roman Empire, writing letters to guide and encourage these communities, including the Epistle to the Romans.
c. AD 64
Great Fire of Rome and Persecution
Under Emperor Nero, a major fire devastated Rome, leading to the first empire-wide persecution of Christians, who were scapegoated for the disaster.
This passage explicitly prohibits male homosexual acts, providing an Old Testament legal context for the concept of 'contrary to nature' as understood within the Mosaic Law and by extension, Paul's argument.
Romans 1:24This verse directly precedes the passage in question and describes God 'giving them up' to impurity, setting the stage for the specific examples of sexual perversion detailed in verses 26-27.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10This passage lists various sins, including those relating to sexual immorality, that will exclude people from the Kingdom of God, reinforcing the seriousness with which Paul viewed these 'vile affections'.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5This passage calls believers to live in holiness, specifically mentioning sexual immorality and emphasizing that God's will is for sanctification, contrasting sharply with the 'contrary to nature' practices described in Romans 1.
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…
The verse uses the specific term "women" (females) to highlight that this departure from natural relations wasn't limited to men, but extended to women exchanging their "natural use" for that which is contrary to nature. This detail underscores the pervasive societal breakdown, showing that the rejection of God's design affected both men and women in profound ways.
Paul is detailing the consequences of humanity's rejection of God, moving from idolatry to a description of the moral decay that follows. Having established that people exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, he now explains how God "gave them up" to increasing impurity and dishonor. This section vividly illustrates that turning away from God leads to a breakdown of natural order, both in worship and in human relationships.
Paul is detailing the consequences of humanity's rejection of God, moving from idolatry to a description of the moral decay that follows. Having established that people exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, he now explains how God "gave them up" to increasing impurity and dishonor. This section vividly illustrates that turning away from God leads to a breakdown of natural order, both in worship and in human relationships.
"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…" — The verse uses the specific term "women" (females) to highlight that this departure from natural relations wasn't limited to men, but extended to women exchanging their "natural use" for that which i…
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Last reviewed October 2026
