What does Romans 1:27 mean?

Question

Your personal opinion, please.

Answer 1

The whole passage, beginning in verse 18 talks about what happens when people don't respond to the light that they have. When we repress the truth we start ourselves into a downward spiral of blindness and enmity with God. Verse 27 refers to the distortion of our sexuality.
As Bob Dylan said, "Everything is broken."
Daniel

Answer 2

I'm not so sure this is an "opinion" question... From what I read, Paul is reporting fact. The men of Rome made the decision to participate in sinful homosexuality, and thus reaped the consequences.
I don't want people to think I'm prejudiced against gays. I'm not. I do not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, and I believe that it is indeed sin. Does God love people to choose to live this way? Absolutely. Do I love these people? Absolutely. Does it break God's heart to see his people live in sin? Yes sir, but no more than it breaks God's heart to see his people steal, lie, murder, divorce, etc. According to my Bible, there aren't 'degrees of sin'. A person who habitually tells white lies is just as much a sinner as a homosexual. It really makes me upset when fellow Christians act like their sins are so much more acceptable than a gay person's sins. It's utter hypocrisy, and a big reason Christians have gotten such a bad reputation.

Answer 3

Here is what God's word says...

Rom 1:26 -27 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: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

It is talking about the last days that we are currently living in. That both men and women will leave the natural use and become gays, lesbians and sexual deviants. You can get a better description in the following verses.

Continue to read...

Romans 1:29 -32 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

It is a sad state of affairs in which we live. The above describes pretty well where we now live today.

Here is what those who live the life of these verses have to look forward too...That is if they do not live for Jesus...

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

In His Service,

Ray
http://www.prophezine.com

Answer 4

Roman 1:27 condemns the practice of homosexuality and announces that those who are indulged in such practices have no mercy from God and are given a mind that cannot be reproved, and therefore becoming unable to recognize the great sin in which they are involved leading themselves therefore into utter destruction!

Answer 5

Always be careful when reading the Bible -- single verses can be misleading when taken out of context. My NIV views verses 18-32 as a single unit, and that is part of all of Romans.

In verses 18-32, Paul is talking about "the wrath of God". Paul belived that all people could see the power and divinity of God by looking at creation. Paul's argument is that, having seen God, people are expected to understand/accept/acknowledge their reality as created beings. When people choose to ignore their knowledge and fail to make God the first priority in their lives, that makes God mad, and homosexual behavior is the punishment God gives to those people.

First of all, I doubt that all people now can look at the universe and see God. The Enlightenment has taught us to analyze and to expect that eventually we will be able to understand/control what we see. Our sense of wonder and awe is thereby muted. So one could reasonably say that these verses don't apply to many people today.

Secondly, everyone knows Paul was deeply into the religous mores of his time. He was a Pharisee (a group that seriously bedeviled Jesus.) That means Paul was seriously homophobic. Clearly, Paul did not love us as God loves us. How are we to view passages where Paul's prejudice runs against the faithful love of God expressed throughout most of the Bible? I choose to think that a grain or two of salt is appropriate, and in this case I think I'll take 1/4 cup, please.

Thirdly, God changing one's personality -- NO WAY!! As part of creation, God gave us free will. Sin happens because we choose to do things we know are wrong, and we can choose because we have free will. God doesn't take that away! Never! People choose their life styles. God doesn't dictate them.

Fourthly, homosexuality as punishment? There are a few times when God "hardened his heart" (Pharoah) or "blocked their ears so they would not believe" (New Testament), which caused people to get into permanent trouble. But mostly (sometimes after a lesson like the exile into Babylon) God forgives and works hard to bring people back into a love relationship with God. That pattern is stronger that these few verses.

SO, FINALLY -- how are we to understand that something misleading is in the Bible? Try this: the New Testament has two main players, Jesus and Paul. Jesus didn't make mistakes. Paul did. That reality helps us know who was more important.

Without that, we might well be worshipping Paul instead. He was the force that organized the early church. During their lifetimes, he made far more converts than Jesus, even more than Jesus and the disciples combined. But the Biblical picture of Paul shows a man with serious 'rough edges'. And it shows that he himself changed his understanding of the timing of end things as he got older -- he recognized that he did not have the whole truth. Given this, it is easier to remember that we are to follow Jesus, not Paul.

This answer may be more technical than you expected, but I hope that it helps some. May Jesus bring you peace of mind.

Answer 6

Romans 1:27 "In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."
The commentary in my Bible explains it this way
"God's plan for natural sexual relationships is his ideal for his creation. Unfortunately, sin distorts the natural use of God's gifts. Sin often means not only denying God, but also denying the way we are made. When people say that any sex act is acceptable as long as nobody gets hurt, they are fooling themselves. In the long run (and often in the short run), sin hurts people-individuals, families, whole societies. Because sex is such a powerful and essential part of what it means to be human, it must be treated with great respect. Sexual desires are of such importance that the Bible gives them special attention and counsels more careful restraint and self-control than with any other desire. One of the clearest indicators of a society or person in rebellion against God is the rejection of God's guidelines for the use of sex."

Answer 7

It means you need to read Romans Chapter 1 Verse 27. muhahahaha

I don't know about this verse.
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, though I was prevented until now, that I might harvest some fruit among you, too, as among the rest of the Gentiles.
He wants to harvest someones fruit, sounds pretty gay too me.
And since it always says man this man that does this mean it's ok for woman to be gay?

Answer 8

It means Paul was the Pat Robertson of his day. And, since he had nothing going for him, he condemned everyone around him.

It also demonstrates that Paul was an "anti-Christ" since that entire chapter is nothing more than Paul glorifying himself & condeming everyone else.

Answer 9

Talking about men having sex with other men (homosexuals), they left the normal love for women and desired each other instead, and for this sin they received punishment.

Answer 10

It means, because man has stop believing in God that man's lust will drive him to accept homosexual lifestyles and that he will approve all things contrary to God.