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Sincerely,
Brian Anthony Bowen, Author
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Unfortunately, traditional Christian teachings usually start by condemning GLBT people using Romans 1, verse 26:
26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
But if we are to truly examine Romans 1 again we cannot start in verse 26. No, we have to back up and look to see what "For this reason" means. For what reason? Because they were gay? NO, but because they had rejected God and went back to worshipping their gods of Roman mythology (Zeus, Hera, etc). These gods were often depicted in stories as other creatures, especially Zeus, who according to the mythology, was able to transform himself into a swan, an eagle, a bull, and also a mortal man....just as Paul's language describes.
But these were not GLBT people in this account. They were Roman pagans, who learned about the nature of God through their own mythology and then received the Word about the One True God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and then rejected Jesus and went back to worshiping Zeus and the other Roman pagan gods. Again we have to ask what does the term "for this reason" relate to in verse 26? It relates back to verses 21-25. But all traditional Christians quote out of Romans are all the juicy details about how these heterosexual people became homosexual. Most Christians get this backwards. They refuse to acknowledge what "for this reason" means. They interpret it to say that people were gay first, therefore, they reject God and therefore God turned them over. But that's not the order we see at all.
Romans 1 is about God's judgment for rejecting Him. GLBT Christians are not rejecting God...we're trying to come to Him. Therefore, I contend that the Scripture cannot be used as a blanket condemnation of people who identify as GLBT and are also God fearing Christians. I contend that traditional Christian teachings are not "incorrect", but are "incomplete" and are "misdirected" and "inappropriately directed" towards GLBT people instead of the people they actually apply to. Let’s take a closer look:
23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
NOTE: NO Christians exchange the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, beasts or reptiles, therefore, this does not apply to ANY Christians
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
NOTE: No Christians (especially the celibate and married ones) are given up in the lusts of our own heart to sexual impurity, nor the dishonoring of our bodies among ourselves, nor abandoning ourselves to the degrading power of sin, therefore, this does not apply to ANY Christians (true, holy life pursuing Christians...obviously, these are sins that any Christian can be guilty of from time to time)
25 Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).
NOTE: No Christian exchanges the truth of God for a lie and do not worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator Who is blessed forever, therefore, this does not apply to ANY Christians. AMEN!
26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one,
NOTE: Female GLBT people do not "exchange the natural function" for an unnatural and abnormal one. For a GLBT female, same gender expression is both natural and normal, therefore, this does not apply to GLBT people. It applies to heterosexual women. For heterosexual women, relations with a woman is not natural, and so for the women listed in these Scriptures who "exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one" the women had to have been heterosexual at first or there would have been no "exchange of function", therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians. Nor does it apply to heterosexual female Christians (true Christians striving to live holy lives. Obviously some are tempted from time to time)
27 And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
NOTE: Male GLBT people do not turn from natural relations with women because it is not in our nature to have relations with women. For a male GLBT person, same gender expression is both natural and normal, therefore, this portion of the Scripture does not apply to GLBT Christians. It applies to heterosexual men. For heterosexual men, relations with a woman is natural, and so to "turn from natural relations with women and to be set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another", or to be "going astray" these men would have had to be heterosexual at first in order to have "turned from natural relations with women", therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians. Nor does it apply to male heterosexual Christians (true Christians striving to live holy lives. Obviously some are tempted from time to time)
28 And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,
NOTE: ALL Christians *do* acknowledge God and approve of Him and consider Him worth the knowing. He has not given us to a base and condemned mind to things not proper or indecent or loathsome. In these Scriptures, again, God had given heterosexual men who rejected God over to these things, therefore, this does not apply to ANY Christians.
29 Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers, slanderers,
NOTE: GLBT Christians are not alone in these sins and neither are heterosexuals. Therefore, these sins are common to ALL Christians, therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians *only*.
hateful to and hating God,
NOTE: No Christian is hateful to nor hates God. Therefore, this portion of Scripture does not apply to ANY Christian.
full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting;
NOTE: GLBT Christians are not alone in these sins and neither are heterosexuals. Therefore, these sins are common to ALL believers, therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians *only*.
Inventors of new forms of evil,
NOTE: No Christian is an inventor of new forms of evil, therefore, this portion of Scripture does not apply to ANY Christian.
disobedient and undutiful to parents.
NOTE: GLBT Christians are not alone in these sins and neither are heterosexuals. Therefore, these sins are common to ALL Christians, therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians *only*.
[They were] without understanding,
NOTE: GLBT Christians are not alone in this and neither are heterosexuals. Therefore, this is common to ALL Christians therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians *only*.
conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
NOTE: GLBT Christians are not alone in this from time to time, and neither are heterosexuals. Therefore, this is common to ALL Christians therefore, this does not apply to GLBT Christians *only*.
32 Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them
NOTE: No Christian who is truly fully aware of God's righteous decrees approve and applaud others who practice the rejection of God, nor those who practice any of the above. Therefore, this portion of Scripture does not apply to ANY Christian. (true Christians striving to live holy lives. Obviously some are tempted from time to time, but none outright reject God. That's what got all these judgments started from Him in the first place. Christians, whether gay or straight, do not reject God, but embrace Him, and strive to come to know Him more and more each and every day.)
At least that's my take on these Scriptures. Some may not agree, but they are my understanding. I hope I've rated them fairly on behalf of ALL Christians.
Bottom line, I again contend that these Scriptures refer only to people who had heard the Word, received the Word, and then rejected God. God's judgment was not strictly homosexual behavior being committed by heterosexuals, but as we see, it encompassed a wide range of judgments and many do not even apply to Christians who have accepted God, believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, and strive to live holy lives, whether GLBT people or heterosexuals.
The historical accounts of ancient Rome are replete with orgies as part of worship. Part of these rituals was the dishonoring of their bodies, and sexual impurity. Verse 24 does not describe GLBT people, but heterosexual people engaged in orgies as part of worship to their pagan gods. If we or anyone else have not first done these things, we do not come under the judgment of God to take on the opposite sexual orientation, and do all the other things listed in Romans 1. If we don't recognize that crucial "given" we cannot "prove" anything about anyone who does not first know and recognize God, reject Him, and then practice worshiping birds, beasts and reptiles. That came FIRST!! They knew and recognized God FIRST!! They rejected God FIRST!! They worshipped birds, beasts and reptiles FIRST!!
To illustrate this, let’s cross reference our examination with some information regarding the gods Paul described. Following are just some of the major Greek and Roman Gods and the words in BOLD HIGHLIGHT that Paul used to describe them:
Jupiter Roman/Zeus Greek: His attribute is the lightning bolt and his symbol the eagle, who is also his messenger (BIRD)
Mercury Roman/Hermes Greek: The symbols of Mercury are the caduceus (a staff with two intertwined snakes) (REPTILE)
Vesta Roman/Hestia Greek Goddess of the Fire (both sacred and domestic) and the Hearth. Daughter of Saturn and Ops. Her sacred animal was the ass. Patroness of bakers. Her chief festival was the Vestalia on June 7. One of the most worshipped of the Roman deities. (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Neptune (Roman)/Poseidon (Greek): Horse and bull (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Aprhodite: dove (BIRD)
Hera: was goddess of marriage and the queen of Olympus. She was Zeus's wife and sister; many myths tell of how she sought revenge when Zeus betrayed her with his lovers. Her symbols include the peacock and the cow. (BIRD) and (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Ares: was the god of war. He was both cruel and a coward. Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, but neither of his parents liked him. His symbols include the vulture and the dog, and he often carried a bloody spear. (BIRD) (FOUR FOOTED BEAST)
Athena was the goddess of wisdom. She was also skilled in the art of war, and helped heroes such as Odysseus and Hercules. Athena sprang full-grown from the forehead of Zeus, and became his favorite child. Her symbols include the owl and the olive tree. (BIRD)
Dionysus was the god of wine, which he invented. In ancient Greece Dionysus was honored with springtime festivals that centered on theater. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal. His symbols include ivy, the snake, and grapes. (REPTILE)
These are just some of the gods to whom Paul refers that the Romans were worshiping and returned to worshiping even after hearing the Word of God, and again, as Paul said, these gods were represented by images of mortal men, birds, reptiles and four footed beasts. Also, these are the "creatures" they worshiped instead of the Creator, just as Paul describes in Romans 1. Also we even see that some of the Israelites worshiped these same gods, which is why they built the golden calf, and God even prophesies through Amos that not only were they guilty of worshiping these pagan gods while in the wilderness, but "would do so again."
25 Did you bring to Me sacrifices and cereal offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26 [No] but [instead of bringing Me the appointed sacrifices] you carried about the tent of your king Sakkuth and Kaiwan [names for the gods of the planet Saturn], your images of your star-god which you made for yourselves [and you will do so again].
27 Therefore I will cause you to go into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. Amos 5:25-27.
Romans 1 is fulfillment of this prophecy from God. And guess what lies "beyond Damascus" from Egypt?? ROME!
And let's look at the Amos prophecy in more detail just so we can see that Paul was speaking of Israelites (Jews) who once knew God (in the wilderness), and now some of them were back to worshiping the same old idols by the time Paul wrote Romans 1:
1 HEAR THIS word which I take up concerning you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
2 The Virgin of Israel has fallen; she shall no more rise; she lies cast down and forsaken on her land; there is no one to raise her up.
3 For thus says the Lord God: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live!
5 But seek not [the golden calf at] Bethel nor enter into [idolatrous] Gilgal, and pass not over to [the idols of] Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity and exile, and Bethel [house of God] shall become Beth-aven [house of vanity, emptiness, falsity, and futility] and come to nothing.
NOTE: God is saying that if they continue to worship idols that the House of God shall become Beth-aven instead of Bethel. Bethel means House of God. Beth-aven probably means "not house of God", but I'm not a Hebrew scholar, so cannot say for certain.
6 Seek the Lord [inquire for and of Him and require Him] and you shall live, lest He rush down like fire upon the house of Joseph [representing the ten tribes] and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel [the center of their idol hopes].
7 You who turn justice into [the bitterness of] wormwood and cast righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) down to the ground,
8 Seek Him Who made the [cluster of stars called] Pleiades and [the constellation] Orion, Who turns the shadow of death or deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night,
NOTE: God is saying don't worship the gods of the stars, but Seek Him who MADE the stars! He also mentions his dismay with star worship elsewhere in the Book of Job:
8 Who alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the waves and high places of the sea; Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the [loose cluster] Pleiades, and the [vast starry] spaces of the south; Who does great things past finding out, yes, marvelous things without number. Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth--the Lord is His name—
9 Who causes sudden destruction to flash forth upon the strong so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 They hate him who reproves in the [city] gate [holding him as an abomination and rejecting his rebuke], and they abhor him who speaks uprightly. Job 9:8-10
as well as:
Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades, or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion? Job 38:31
God is saying don't worship the gods of the ocean (Poseidon/Neptune), but worship Him Who MADE the seas and controls them.
you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them;
as referenced also in Hosea 8:14:
For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces and idol temples, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities and it shall devour his palaces and fortified buildings.
and in 2 Corinthians 6:16:
What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
Another reference to pagan gods, specifically, Dionysus who was the god of wine, which he invented. In ancient Greece Dionysus was honored with springtime festivals that centered on theater. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal. His symbols include ivy, the snake, and grapes. (REPTILE)
12 For I know how manifold are your transgressions and how mighty are your sins--you who afflict the [uncompromisingly] righteous, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the [court of the city] gate from their right.
13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silence in such a time, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek (inquire for and require) good and not evil that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.
15 Hate the evil and love the good and establish justice in the [court of the city's] gate. It may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph [the northern kingdom].
16 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: There shall be wailing in all the broad ways, and in all the streets they shall say, Alas! Alas! And they shall call the farmers to mourning and such as are skilled in lamentation to wailing.
17 And in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord.
18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light;
19 It is as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light? Even very dark with no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies.
NOTE: What feasts?
Again, the goddess Ceres (Roman)/Demeter (Greek): Corn Goddess. Eternal Mother. the Sorrowing Mother. Grain Mother. Goddess of agriculture, grain, crops, initiation, civilization, lawgiver and the love a mother bears for her child. Protectress of women, motherhood, marriage. Daughter of Saturn and Ops. She and her daughter Proserpine were the counterparts of the Greek goddesses Demeter and Persephone. Her worship involved fertility rites and rites for the dead, and her chief festival was the Cerealia, as in "cereal offerings."
22 Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream.
25 Did you bring to Me sacrifices and cereal offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26 [No] but [instead of bringing Me the appointed sacrifices] you carried about the tent of your king Sakkuth and Kaiwan [names for the gods of the planet Saturn], your images of your star-god which you made for yourselves [and you will do so again].
27 Therefore I will cause you to go into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. Amos 5:1-27.
NOTE: Once again, these rituals included the worship of the goddess Ceres (Roman)/Demeter (Greek): Corn Goddess. Eternal Mother. the Sorrowing Mother. Grain Mother. Goddess of agriculture, grain, crops, initiation, civilization, lawgiver and the love a mother bears for her child. Protectress of women, motherhood, marriage. Daughter of Saturn and Ops. She and her daughter Proserpine were the counterparts of the Greek goddesses Demeter and Persephone. Her worship involved fertility rites and rites for the dead, and her chief festival was the Cerealia. Cerealia, as in "cereal offering" the same festival God is lamenting in verse 25 above saying: "Did you bring to Me sacrifices and cereal offerings NO....." He's decrying the fact that they would bring the Corn Goddess cereal offerings but not the One True God, Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I hope that helps make the distinction between GLBT people who are seeking God, and the pagan peoples of ancient Rome who continued to worship idols and gods of Roman mythology, even after hearing the Word of The Living God, Creator of the Universe, and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
BOTTOM LINE: Romans 1 confirms the results of disobeying the FIRST of the 10 Commandments; THOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME!
And have you ever wondered how Paul knew what was going on in Rome? Well, even before Paul got to Rome, he would encounter people who worshiped Greek gods, and even was thought to be one himself, as we continue to find references to pagan gods and goddesses in this account from Acts 14:
8 Now at Lystra a man sat who found it impossible to use his feet, for he was a cripple from birth and had never walked.
9 He was listening to Paul as he talked, and [Paul] gazing intently at him and observing that he had faith to be healed,
10 Shouted at him, saying, Stand erect on your feet! And he leaped up and walked.
11 And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, The gods have come down to us in human form!
12 They called Barnabas Zeus, and they called Paul, because he led in the discourse, Hermes [god of speech].
13 And the priest of Zeus, whose [temple] was at the entrance of the town, brought bulls and garlands to the [city's] gates and wanted to join the people in offering sacrifice.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothing and dashed out among the crowd, shouting,
15 Men, why are you doing this? We also are [only] human beings, of nature like your own, and we bring you the good news (Gospel) that you should turn away from these foolish and vain things to the living God, Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that they contain.
16 In generations past He permitted all the nations to walk in their own ways;
17 Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness of Himself, for He did you good and [showed you] kindness and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with nourishment and happiness.
18 Even in [the light of] these words they with difficulty prevented the people from offering sacrifice to them.
NOTE: This would explain HOW Paul knew of the goings on when it came to idol worship, because he saw it first hand as folks tried to "offer sacrifices" to Paul and Barnabas. Also, note in verse 15 above, again Paul calls the sacrifices "vain and foolish", and in Romans 1, we see he continues to:
21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
And notice, as they thought Barnabas was Zeus. Remember, Zeus Greek: His attribute is the lightning bolt and his symbol the eagle, who is also his messenger (BIRD)
And they thought Paul was Hermes: Remember, Hermes Greek: The symbols of Mercury are the caduceus (a staff with two intertwined snakes) (REPTILE)
But in this case, these idolaters were worshiping Greek gods, and not Roman gods. Nevertheless, the widespread encounters of Paul with idolaters was sufficient for him to be shocked and outraged, especially if these men were engaging in same sex relations as a "sacrifice" (and right out in the open in the city gates!)
Again, we now know how Paul knew what the Roman pagans were doing, because we certainly don't think he was actually participating, now do we? But we certainly see how it was possible for him to know first-hand exactly what they did when they worshiped these gods.
And finally, we see once again Paul encountering more idolaters in Acts 19, and again, all before even setting foot in Rome:
21 Now after these events Paul determined in the [Holy] Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece) and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.
22 And having sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself stayed on in [the province of] Asia for a while.
23 But as time went on, there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way [of the Lord].
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [the goddess] Artemis [Diana], brought no small income to his craftsmen.
NOTE: Artemis (Greek)/Diana (Roman) was the Fertility Goddess. Moon Goddess. Huntress Goddess. Triple Goddess- Lunar Virgin, Mother of Creatures, the Huntress or Destroyer. Goddess of nature, fertility, childbirth, wildwood, moon, forests, animals, mountains, woods, and women. Goddess of the hunt. In Roman art Diana usually appears as a huntress with bow and arrow, along with a hunting dog or a stag. Both a virgin goddess and an earth goddess, she was identified with the Greek Artemis. She is praised for her strength, athletic grace, beauty and her hunting skills. With two other deities she made up a trinity: Egeria the water nymph (her servant and assistant midwife), and Virbius (the woodland god).
25 These he called together, along with the workmen of similar trades, and said, Men, you are acquainted with the facts and understand that from this business we derive our wealth and livelihood.
26 Now you notice and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost all over [the province of] Asia this Paul has persuaded and induced people to believe his teaching and has alienated a considerable company of them, saying that gods that are made with human hands are not really gods at all.
27 Now there is danger not merely that this trade of ours may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may come into disrepute and count for nothing, and that her glorious magnificence may be degraded and fall into contempt--she whom all [the province of Asia] and the wide world worship.
28 As they listened to this, they were filled with rage and they continued to shout, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!
29 Then the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging along with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were fellow travelers with Paul.
30 Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not permit him to do it.
31 Even some of the Asiarchs (political or religious officials in Asia) who were his friends also sent to him and warned him not to risk venturing into the theater.
32 Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the gathering was in a tumult and most of them did not know why they had come together.
33 Some of the crowd called upon Alexander [to speak], since the Jews had pushed and urged him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, wishing to make a defense and [planning] to apologize to the people.
34 But as soon as they saw him and recognized that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them as the voice of one man, as for about two hours they cried, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!
35 And when the town clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the sacred stone [image of her] that fell from the sky?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet (keep yourselves in check) and do nothing rashly.
37 For you have brought these men here, who are [guilty of] neither temple robberies nor blasphemous speech about our goddess.
38 Now then, if Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen who are with him have a grievance against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are [available]; let them bring charges against one another [legally].
39 But if you require anything further about this or about other matters, it must be decided and cleared up in the regular assembly.
40 For we are in danger of being called to render an account and of being accused of rioting because of [this commotion] today, there being no reason that we can offer to justify this disorder.
41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. Acts 19:21-41
So we see there was indeed a struggle on in order for Paul to change the pagans into Christians by first addressing the issue of the gods they already worshiped. In this case, we see the goddess involved was Artemis (Greek)/Diana (Roman) in verse 24, and how Paul was beginning to encroach upon people's livelihoods. As he did, the silversmith, named Demetrius held a "business meeting" with other temple smith workers and expressed his concern of the new Christian religion's message and impact on not only business, but the "sanctity" of the temple that had been built to Artemis, located in the city of Ephesus.
So again, it's just impossible to "save the mythology talk" when it comes to the idolatrous practices outlined so specifically and clearly and accurately in our discussions of Romans 1.
So now let's confirm this with Scriptures and turn our attention to the various times God had warned these people, His wrath that He finally poured out upon them, and what it was these folks had been doing instead of worshiping God the Creator of the Universe and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people--to the men and to the women and to all the people who had given him that answer--
21 The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem--you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land--did not the Lord [earnestly] remember [your idolatrous wickedness] and did it not come into His mind?
22 The Lord could no longer endure the evil of your doings and the abominations which you have committed; because of them therefore has your land become a desolation and an [astonishing] waste and a curse, without inhabitants, as it is this day.
23 Because you have burned incense [to idols] and because you have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law and in His statutes and in His testimonies, therefore this evil has fallen upon you, as it is this day.
24 Moreover, Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt,
25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have both declared with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her. [Surely] then confirm your vows and [surely] perform your vows! [If you will defy all My warnings to you, then, by all means, go ahead!] Jeremiah 44:20-25
Paul in Romans 1 is simply reminding the Christians in Rome of what happened when people rejected God, and seems to quote directly from this passage in Jeremiah. Even saying at the end, "God gave them over to their reprobate ways." by saying here in Jeremiah 44:25: [If you will defy all My warnings to you, then, by all means, go ahead!] or as Paul said in Romans 1:18-25:
18 For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
19 For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
23 And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25 Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it). Romans 1:18-25
And what is so cool about the Scriptures is that it is even the VERY SAME VERSES from Jeremiah 44:18-25:
18 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.
19 [And the wives said] When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes [in the shape of a star] to represent and honor her and pour out drink offerings to her without [the knowledge and approval of] our husbands?
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people--to the men and to the women and to all the people who had given him that answer--
21 The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem--you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land--did not the Lord [earnestly] remember [your idolatrous wickedness] and did it not come into His mind?
22 The Lord could no longer endure the evil of your doings and the abominations which you have committed; because of them therefore has your land become a desolation and an [astonishing] waste and a curse, without inhabitants, as it is this day.
23 Because you have burned incense [to idols] and because you have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law and in His statutes and in His testimonies, therefore this evil has fallen upon you, as it is this day.
24 Moreover, Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt,
25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have both declared with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her. [Surely] then confirm your vows and [surely] perform your vows! [If you will defy all My warnings to you, then, by all means, go ahead!] Jeremiah 44:18-25
Just one more proof to me, that God's Word is SO True and SO perfect! And then Jeremiah says:
26 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all [you people of] Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the Lord, that My name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, As the Lord God lives.
27 Behold, I am watching over them for evil and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine until there is an end of them and they are all destroyed.
28 Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah who came to the land of Egypt to dwell temporarily shall know whose words shall stand, Mine or theirs. Jeremiah 44:26-28
In verse 33, we meet "Alexander the coppersmith", whom Paul lamented in his letter to Timothy that he had "given over to Satan" in order to learn not to blaspheme, and whom had "oppressed and resisted Paul's message very greatly: Among them are Hymenaeus and
Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan in order that they may be disciplined [by punishment and learn] not to blaspheme. 1 Timothy 1:20
Alexander the coppersmith did me great wrongs. The Lord will pay him back for his actions. Beware of him yourself, for he opposed and resisted our message very strongly and exceedingly. 2 Timothy 4:14-15
And we see this confirmed in the account from Acts 19, in verses 33 and we see that indeed, Paul had been betrayed by this fellow Jew, and had resisted the preaching of the gospel in order to protect the "business" of providing metal works intended to become shrines in the Ephesian temple of Artemis.
So in those days as in modern day Christianity, money talked, and in many Christian circles, it still does. And few issues have garnered the Christian church more money than their opposition to GLBT people. Finally, let us remember again Pau's description of the gods that he described in Romans 1:23:
And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles. As we have already discovered, the pagan gods the Romans worshipped were represented by a variety of images, including birds, beasts and reptiles.
But what of the images "resembling mortal man?" And what of the modern idol worship of MONEY. Interestingly enough, on each form of United States currency, and indeed most currency in the world, there is an "image of a mortal man" emblazoned boldly in the center or near center of every form of paper and metal coin. Today, also interestingly enough, many modern day Christians have worshiped money above even God Himself. They have decided in many cases to place the importance of tithes coming into the church as a reason to not preach the Word of God in its pure form, but have customized and tailored the messages preached each Sunday into something that is sure to encourage congregants to give financially, but also avoid any mention of subjects that would push away heterosexual people. They avoid messages about divorce while decrying the ills of society brought on by GLBT people, using Romans 1 as a "clobber passage" and "proof text" to do 2 things:
1. Keep GLBT people out of church and away from God
2. To keep GLBT people so wrought up with shame that they will pay any price to "change", and enroll in "change therapies" designed to do nothing but reinforce the self loathing attitudes that come from the denigrating messages towards GLBT people the Church has traditionally taught. All in the name of God. And all for the sake of MONEY.
I think it may be TIME for the Church to ask herself: Who's the idolater now? And who is changing the Truth of God's Word for a lie?
That brings us to another of the famous clobber passages: 1 Timothy 1:10:
This passage of Scripture seems to once again tie into Paul's message to the Corinthians and the Romans who would reject God, and as Paul instructs Timothy regarding his mission to Ephesus, he seems to encourage Timothy to root out those who would pervert God's Word. For the full context of Paul’s' message, let's begin in verse 3:
3 As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on where you are at Ephesus in order that you may warn and admonish and charge certain individuals not to teach any different doctrine,
4 Nor to give importance to or occupy themselves with legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which foster and promote useless speculations and questionings rather than acceptance in faith of God's administration and the divine training that is in faith (in that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence)--
5 Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith.
6 But certain individuals have missed the mark on this very matter [and] have wandered away into vain arguments and discussions and purposeless talk.
7 They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law (teachers of the Mosaic ritual), but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions.
8 Now we recognize and know that the Law is good if anyone uses it lawfully [for the purpose for which it was designed],
9 Knowing and understanding this: that the Law is not enacted for the righteous (the upright and just, who are in right standing with God), but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike and beat and [even] murder fathers and strike and beat and [even] murder mothers, for manslayers,
10 [For] impure and immoral persons, those who abuse themselves with men, kidnapers, liars, perjurers--and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine
11 As laid down by the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
12 I give thanks to Him Who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for this], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry.
13 Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageously and aggressively insulting [to Him], nevertheless, I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief.
14 And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus.
15 The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.
16 But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.
17 Now to the King of eternity, incorruptible and immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever (to the ages of ages). Amen (so be it).
18 This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare,
19 Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith.
20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan in order that they may be disciplined [by punishment and learn] not to blaspheme.
So although many traditional Christian teachings have declared "abusing themselves with men" as meaning gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, it could not possibly be so. For instance, lesbian people could not "abuse themselves with men" if they never even had sexual relations with men. It seems more likely that again, this term is applied to heterosexual men who were having sexual relations with boys, and probably through forced sodomy, hence the word "abusers." But as we read through the Scripture immediately before and after verse 10, we see again, Paul's main concern was those who would reject God and His Word. Rather than expressing concern over gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people engaging in loving expressions, Paul's concern is clearly shown to be that of keeping God's Word from becoming "adulterated" by "certain individuals"....most likely, the same kind of individuals he had encountered and written about in Rome and Corinth.
He was now extending his message about perverting God's Word to the Church in Ephesus through Timothy. But again, that's not what traditional Christian teaching has said. By twisting the Scriptures known as the "clobber passages" it is my belief that the traditional teaching of Christianity regarding those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender has itself been a perversion of God's Word. It has taken a few passages of Scripture and twisted them to justify their opposition to GLBT people (and eunuchs) from becoming part of the House of Prayer that God insists will become a House of Prayer for ALL People.
All means all, but these "clobber passages" do not address loving expressions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. To the contrary; they actually admonish Church Shepherds against perverting God's Word. They admonish heterosexual men against adultery, including turning to other men (or animals, or in-laws, etc.). And they admonish against idolatry. They encourage Christians to uphold the Truth of God's Word, including the Law of the Old Testament, while also encouraging us to remember that even as the "chief of all sinners" that Paul describes himself as in these passages, we are forgiven of all our sins under the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
It also reminds us we have a New Covenant, and are no longer "under the Law of sin and death," although, as Paul points out to Timothy, the Law does serve its purpose. It helps us remember that "adultery" is still "adultery," and “idolatry” is still “idolatry.” It helps us remember what a better Covenant we have through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And it helps us remember that the Law was given to the Jewish forefathers, who in turn gave us Jesus Christ through Jewish descent.
To me, it doesn't mean we just "throw the Law out" because we are Christians. Instead, I believe as Jesus said, that we are to keep the Ten Commandments even as Christians. So we embrace the Law of God as part of His Truth revealed to mankind through the prophets of the ages, and help us remember that although we are not still put to death for adultery, or perverting God's Word, doing so indeed brings death to our marriage relationships, and to God's Church when we do so.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10:
I discuss this passage of Scripture in detail in Chapter 5: Apostle Paul Ordains Gay Marriage. It is actually part of a message that Paul had written to Church Shepherds, beginning from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 5, and going through until 1 Corinthians Chapter 7.
