Part VIII
In verses 24 and 25, Paul summarizes God giving humanity over to their desires, identifying two categories of cravings: the first is sexual impurity, and the second is believing the lie. Paul goes on to explore these categories in more detail throughout the rest of the chapter, beginning with sexual impurity in verses 26 and 27.
We’ve already discussed the foundational understanding of sexual purity from Genesis 1 and 2, where it represents the image of right relationship. On one hand, it symbolizes the relationship within God’s Trinity, and on the other, it reflects the right relationship between God and humankind, and between Christ and humankind. In Genesis 2, based on the creation story in Genesis 1, sexual purity is defined as the exclusivity of sexual relations between a male and a female within the covenant of marriage. This definition is rooted in the Genesis 2 narrative, where God creates one human being, divides them into two (male and female), and then brings them together through marriage, reflecting a multiple-in-one union that mirrors the Trinitarian relationship. The dependent union of marriage also reflects the relationship between God and humankind.
The division between male and female, with distinct attributes given to each, creates a necessary dependence: the male needs the female and vice versa. While physical strength often leads to the male being viewed as the stronger in a sin-cursed world, God's purpose was not for one to have dominion over the other, but for the one with more ability to provide for the more vulnerable. Even though physical strength might seem like the dominant trait, Genesis 2 places emphasis on the care the female provides to the male, countering any overemphasis on the male’s role in providing. The Hebrew word ezer (help), used to describe the female’s role, is a term frequently used for God as the helper—one who provides what the other cannot. In this sense, the woman’s role is not subordinate but one of equal care and support.
Genesis 2 emphasizes the interdependence of male and female, where the male leaves his parents to "cling" to his wife, highlighting that he, too, enters into dependency, not on his parents but on his spouse. In this relationship, both partners are equally involved in giving and receiving care, which images God’s relational care for humanity.
Verse 26 introduces the discussion of sexual impurity, identifying it as a consequence of humanity's departure from God’s intended order. The first thing to note is that Paul describes these passions as "degrading." This adjective indicates that the passions involved in sexual impurity degrade humanity from its created purpose and worth. The degradation begins not with the activity itself, but with the passions that lead to it. The desire to seek satisfaction in sexual relationships outside God's design represents a movement toward subhuman, sub-purposed desires.
Paul further explains that these degrading passions result in "exchanging natural sexual relations for unnatural ones." It’s important to note that the phrase "even their women" (used in translations like the HCSB and NIV) can be misleading. It seems to imply that Paul is shocked that women, too, engaged in these practices. However, the more accurate translations (such as the ESV and NASB) clarify that Paul is speaking of both males and females engaging in unnatural sexual acts—“both their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and the men did also.” This is a clear "both-and" statement, indicating that both sexes participated in this impurity.
Why does Paul focus specifically on homosexuality in this context? All sexual sin—adultery, fornication, bestiality, and homosexuality—violates the image of right relationship. However, homosexuality, in this passage, serves as the most direct example of a violation of God’s design. In God’s creation, male and female were separated for the purpose of coming together in a union that mirrors the multiple-in-one structure of the Trinity. Homosexuality, by contrast, has each gender seeking union within its own division, thus violating God’s intent for the union of opposite strengths and vulnerabilities related to the sexes—male and female—to image the right relationship.
We need to address a misinterpretation that some Christian homosexuals argue today. They claim that what Paul condemns here is not homosexuality in general but only the practice of heterosexuals engaging in homosexual acts. They suggest that a person who is naturally heterosexual but, in lust, pursues homosexual encounters is acting against their true nature, while the person with a natural homosexual inclination is not being condemned. However, this interpretation misses the point Paul is making and misreads the passage.
Paul’s argument throughout this section centers on the rejection of God as the source of truth, goodness, and beauty (TGB). Humanity’s foolish hearts have been darkened (Romans 1:21), and in this darkened state, they turn away from God's revealed TGB. To suggest that Paul would bless or affirm a "natural" inclination toward homosexuality, as the Christian homosexual interpreters claim, contradicts everything Paul has said about the natural state of humanity being corrupt and "without understanding" (Romans 1:21). The natural state of all humanity, as Paul has repeatedly emphasized, is one of sin and distortion.
In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul contrasts the "natural person" (one whose heart is darkened) with the person who receives the things of the Spirit of God. The idea is not that natural inclinations (whether heterosexual or homosexual) are inherently trustworthy but that they are corrupted and must be submitted to God’s revealed truth. Therefore, even someone with heterosexual inclinations should not trust those desires if they contradict God’s revelation. In the same way, a homosexual inclination is not an automatic indicator of God's will but must also be examined in light of God’s purpose for human relationships.
Paul's use of "natural" in this passage refers to God's revealed will in creation, not to a fallen, corrupted human nature. The "natural" sexual relations Paul advocates are those that reflect God’s intention for male and female to come together in the exclusive covenant of marriage. Homosexuality, therefore, as a deviation from this design, is an example of sexual impurity that images the brokenness of the relationship between humanity and God.
Verse 28 introduces the second aspect of the consequences of God "giving them over"—the breakdown in relationships between humanity and each other. Paul’s list of sins in verses 28-31 highlights the various ways human relationships are destroyed when humanity suppresses the truth of God. Some may find it odd that Paul includes “disobedient to parents” alongside more egregious sins, but this makes sense when we understand that all these sins harm relationships. Disobedience to parents is a sign of rejecting the proper relational structure that God intended for families.
Paul ends in verse 32 with a striking example of the foolishness of a heart darkened by sin: those who practice these things also approve of others who do the same. The irony here is glaring—those who engage in relationship-damaging behavior celebrate others who do the same, thinking they are building camaraderie. This is the ultimate absurdity: celebrating the very behaviors that destroy relationships and isolate individuals. It’s a foolish, selfish isolation that stands in stark contrast to the communal, loving relationships that God intended. True community, founded on love, can exist only when hearts are turned to God as the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty.