(영문) 롬1:26-27에 대한 성서학자들의 해석입니다

 

 

* 신약성서의 대표적 구절인 롬1:26-27에 대한 성서학자들의 해석입니다.

Romans 1:26-27:

The text reads (in the King James Version):
Romans 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 recompence of their error which was meet."
Bennett Sims, the former Episcopal bishop of Atlanta, believes that these verses have done more to form Christians' negative opinion of homosexuality than any other single passage in the Bible. He writes: "For most of us who seriously honor Scripture these verses still stand as the capital New Testament text that unequivocally prohibits homosexual behavior. More prohibitively, this text has been taken to mean that even a same-sex inclination is reprehensible, so that a type of humanity known as 'homosexual' has steadily become the object of contempt and discrimination." 1

Overview of Romans 1:26-27:
The text reads (in the King James Version):
Romans 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 recompence of their error which was meet."
Bennett Sims, the former Episcopal bishop of Atlanta, believes that these verses have done more to form Christians' negative opinion of homosexuality than any other single passage in the Bible. He writes: "For most of us who seriously honor Scripture these verses still stand as the capital New Testament text that unequivocally prohibits homosexual behavior. More prohibitively, this text has been taken to mean that even a same-sex inclination is reprehensible, so that a type of humanity known as 'homosexual' has steadily become the object of contempt and discrimination." 1

As stated in 2 Peter 3:15-17, we have to be very careful when interpreting the writings of Paul. "As also in all his [Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (KJV)
As stated by Dr. R.S. Truluck, "Paul's writings have been taken out of context and twisted to punish and oppress every identifiable minority in the world: Jews, children, women, blacks, slaves, politicians, divorced people, convicts, pro choice people, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, religious reformers, the mentally ill, and the list could go on and on.  Paul is often difficult and confusing to understand.  A lot of Paul's writing is very difficult to translate.  Since most of his letters were written in response to news from other people, reading Paul can be like listening to one side of a telephone conversation.  We know, or think we know, what Paul is saying, but we have to guess what the other side has said." 2

Some important words in Romans 1:26-27:
It is important to understand the precise meaning of certain key words in Verses 26 & 27, as expressed in the original Greek:
        About the words "vile affections:" The Greek phrase translated as "vile affections" in the King James Version of the Bible is also translated as:         "vile affections and degrading passions" (Amplified Bible)
        "dishonorable passions" (English Standard Version)
        "degrading passions" (New American Bible, New American Standard Bible, & New Revised Standard Version)
        "shameful lusts" (New International Version)
        "shameful desires" (New Living Translation)
        "evil things" (Living Bible)
        "shameful affections" (Rheims New Testament)
In the original Greek, the phrase probably does not mean "passions" or "lust" as people experienced in normal, day-to-day living -- the type of emotion that one encounters in a marriage or sexually active relationship. It seems to refer to the "frenzied state of mind that many ancient mystery cults induced in worshipers by means of wine, drugs and music." 2 It seems to describe the results of ritual sexual orgies as performed in many Pagan settings at the time. Paul seems to be referring here to Pagan "fertility cult worship prevalent in Rome" at the time. 4 Vestiges of this type of sex magic are still seen today in some Neopagan religious traditions. The Wiccan "Great Rite" is one example. However, in modern times, such rituals are restricted to committed couples in private.
        About the words "exchanged," "leaving," "change," and "abandoned:" These words are important, because they precisely describe the people about whom Paul is talking. From the text, he is obviously writing about women with a heterosexual orientation, who had previously engaged in only heterosexual sex, who had "exchanged" their normal/inborn behaviors for same-sex activities.  That is, they deviated from their heterosexual orientation and engaged in sexual behavior with other women. Similarly, he describes men with a heterosexual orientation who had "abandoned" their normal/inborn behaviors and engaged in same-sex activities. In both cases, he is describing individuals with a heterosexual orientation, who were engaging in same-sex behavior -- in violation of their natural desires. In normal life, these are very unusual activities, because heterosexuals typically have a strong aversion to engaging in same-sex behavior. However, with the peer pressure, expectations, drugs, alcohol and other stimulants present in Pagan sex rituals at the time, they appear to have abandoned their normal feelings of abhorrence and tried same-sex behavior.
        About the word "natural:" "The operative term in Paul뭩 original Greek is "phooskos", meaning "inborn", "produced by nature" , "agreeable to nature". 1 This term, and the corresponding phrase "para physin" described below, are open to interpretation:         To many religious liberals, gays, lesbians, mental health therapists, and human sexuality researchers,  homosexual and bisexual orientations are normal, natural, and inborn for a small percentage of human adults. For gays, lesbians and bisexuals with these orientations, opposite-sex behavior would be abnormal and unnatural.
        To most religious conservatives, and perhaps to Paul himself, all same-sex behavior is abnormal and unnatural, no matter by whom it is done.

        About the word "against nature," "unnatural," etc: The Greek phrase "para physin" is commonly translated into the English as:         "unnatural and abnormal" (Amplified Bible)
        "contrary to nature" (English Standard Version)
        "against nature" (King James Version, Rheims New Testament)
        "sin with each other" (Living Bible)
        "unnatural" (New American Bible, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version)
This does not seem to be an accurate translation. It may demonstrate prejudice on the part of the translators. "Unnatural" implies that the act is something that is to be morally condemned. M. Nissinen defines "para physin" as "Deviating from the ordinary order either in a good or a bad sense, as something that goes beyond the ordinary realm of experience." 3 The word "unconventional" would have been a more precise word for translators to use. The phrase "Para physin" appears elsewhere in the Bible:        In 1 Corinthians 11:14, Paul uses the phrase to refer to long hair on men as unusual and not ordinary.
        In Romans 11:24, Paul used it to describe God's positive actions to bring Jews and Gentiles together.

        About the phrase "just reward:" Romans 1:27 refers to the idolaters receiving a recompense or penalty for "their error which was due." (NKJ, ASV, etc). This appears to be a reference to the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) which was epidemic among such Pagan fertility cults at the time.

The context in which Verses 26 & 27 appear:
It is important to analyze the preamble to the verses quoted above:
        Romans 1:7 says that Paul is writing his epistle "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...": That is, his letter is written to all of the Christians in Rome. His recipients would be submerged in the Roman culture, where homosexual behavior was both widespread and acceptable by society.
        Romans 1 is concerned with "Paul's vigorous denunciation of idolatrous religious worship and rituals." 2 This is not often mentioned today. Rather, verses 26 and 27 are broken out of the longer passage and cited by themselves to condemn same-sex behavior.
Verses 21 to 28 include the following topics:
        Verses 21-23: The people had once been Christians. But they had fallen away from the faith, and returned to Paganism. They made images of Pagan gods in the form of men, birds, animals and reptiles for their religious rituals. The latter were probably held in Pagan temples.
        Verse 24: Next, they engaged in heterosexual orgies with each other as part of these pagan fertility rituals.
        Verse 25: Next, they worshipped the images that they had made, instead of God, the creator. Paul is specifically condemning idol worship here.
        Verse 26: Because of these forbidden practices, God intervened in these fertility sex-rituals and changed the people's behavior so that women started to engage in sexual activities with other women.
        Verse 27: describes how God had the men also engage in same-sex ritual activities. They (presumably both the men and women) were then punished in some way for their error.
        Verse 28: Again, because they did not acknowledge God, then He "gave them up" to many different unethical activities and attitudes: evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, etc.

Religious conservatives frequently focus on Verses 26 to 28 as a (perhaps the) main anti-homosexual passage in the Bible. one reason is that these passages refer to same-sex behavior by either men or women. Conservatives generally condemn all homosexual behavior as an unnatural, abnormal perversion. Some feel that it is further linked to all types of evil behavior up to and including suicide. Almost all Evangelical Christian writers speak with a common voice about same-sex behavior: condemnation:
        David Griffiths writes: one of the consequences of refusing God's plan for life is homosexual activity which is condemned by the Scriptures (Romans 1:26-28; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13 ), and is contrary to the gospel. (1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10 ). But homosexuals can be saved through faith in Christ and can know deliverance like other sinners. (1 Corinthians 6:11 )." 1
        A. Mohler said: "The passage makes it clear that homosexuality is ultimately a rebellion of human nature against the divine creator. It deals with the heart of homosexuality, the passion of man for man or woman for woman." 2
        Frontline Christian organization states: "The 'natural use' would  be the use of sex between a male and female who are married.  Intimate affections between two of the same gender are here called unnatural.... Homosexuality displays clearly how utterly perverse man's desires are." 3
        David O. Dykes, Pastor "...in this passage, the Bible says homosexuality, number one, is unnatural. Number two, it is called 'a perversion.' ...Note: God created sex for a man and a woman who are married to each other. ALL other sexual practices are a perversion of God뭩 good plan. 4
        Drew Worthen writes: "...when people willfully dishonor the one true God, God may very well turn people over to their own sins where they are dishonored. In the case before us it involves sexual perversion. Now I'm not going to spend a lot of time getting too specific here as this kind of behavior is very unnatural and not a very pleasant subject. But the gist of it all is that God is addressing the perversion of lesbianism among women and homosexuality among men." 5
        Dave Armstrong writes: "...the contrast is between natural and unnatural, and also between heterosexual and homosexual sex. Paul is not merely saying that the 'inflamed passions' are what is sinful, but the very concept and practice of homosexual relations, which goes against nature. The documented medical consequences of engaging in such unnatural and unhealthy sexual practices bear this out. Since it is "unnatural" for men to be (sexually) with men, and women with women, according to the Apostle (and God, since the Bible is God-breathed), he describes the sexual acts as 'shameless' and 'error.' There is no qualification here for things like rape or promiscuity or uncommitted, manipulative sex (that is the desperate eisegesis [sic] of those who already believe the Bible is neutral on the issue - itself an absurd proposition, in my opinion). St. Paul makes an argument from nature. He is saying that the very notion of homosexuality is disordered and unnatural." 6
        Dan Hill writes: "The 'natural' use is the relationship of man and woman. The use that is 'against nature' is lesbianism. This is the female ｅxpression of degrading passions....Paul affirms that male homosexuality is also unnatural and then goes a step further in saying that it consists of indecent acts. It is an error or aberration and receives due penalty: The word DUE PENALTY involves justice, receiving what one deserves....Christians are very good at becoming hate mongers, and we must not allow that to happen. There are many homosexual men and lesbian women who are very aware of their lack of fulfillment and are receptive to the truth of God if it is expressed with the love of Christ. 7
        Jonathan D. Inman writes: "There is no indication whatsoever that any of the sins mentioned in Romans 1:26-32 -- homosexuality or greed, murder or gossip (among others) -- would be acceptable under any circumstances. Such a distinction is a far-fetched fiction, based on impressive sounding speculations that lack any demonstrable factual basis....In Romans Paul teaches that homosexuality is absolutely wrong, that it is coincident with and on a par with all kinds of other sin, and that God forgives people of all kinds of sin, including the sin of homosexuality." 8
        ChristianAnswers.Net writes that "For the bible-believing Christian, there can be no doubt that homosexuality is a grievous sin in the sight of God. The awful catalogue in the first chapter of Romans of the sins practiced by the ancient pagan world began with this sin." 9
        Bob Harbison writes: "The popular view is that homosexuality is just as natural for the homosexual as heterosexuality is for the rest of us, and that it is actually harmful for one to suppress his natural sexual inclinations. Is this a natural, inborn trait? Does the Bible address that question?....(Romans 1:26-27). There may be physical or sociological factors which make the temptation to be homosexual stronger for some people, but there is nothing natural about it! If someone convinces us that there is, it becomes easier to accept the sin." 10
        Manfred Brauch writes: "The point, it seems to me, is that same sex relations are a specific falsification of God's intention for human sexual intimacy, emerging out of the general falsification of right thinking about God, idolatry. Paul is not talking about individuals who deny their true nature, that is, heterosexuals committing homosexual acts, but about humanity that both in general idolatry and in specifics in morality, has replaced the truth about God and the truth about God's creative design with error." 11
However, one conservative Christian group has a different interpretation:
        National Gay Pentecostal Alliance (NGPA): They note that Paul's epistle was written to the Christians in Rome. They were surrounded by the Roman culture which expected people to engage in sex with both men and women. The majority of people, then as now, have a heterosexual orientation. Thus, to participate in same-sex behavior, and to meet society's expectations, they would have had to disregard their sexual orientation. They would have gone beyond their own nature. "The resulting activity was "unseemly" and an "error" only because the men were heterosexual by orientation. Again, it was their attempt to violate their own nature, that is, their attempt to alter the orientation God created them with, that Paul was addressing...The bottom line is, God created each of us with a sexual orientation. To attempt to change it is, in effect, telling God that He created us wrong. The creation (us) does not have the right to "re-create" itself." 12 The situation to the ancient Romans is similar to the situation that homosexuals find themselves in today: society expects them to be heterosexual, and to engage in sexual activity with persons of the opposite gender -- even to marry. And so, many gays and lesibans go against their nature and try to pretend to be heterosexual. The NGPA also notes that Paul referred to this as an "error:" a mistake, not a sin.


Some comments from a forum of liberal and conservative authorities were:  
        J. Nelson: "Paul didn't write it as a condemnation of homosexuality, but as a criticism of Greek behavior in temple worship. Greeks often incorporated sexual behavior in temple worship." 1
        D. Bartlett: "This is the tough one. I think one doesn't get around this. It's the only place in the New Testament where there's any extensive discussion of homosexual relations. In Romans, there's no question that Paul thinks certain kinds of homosexual behavior are a result of the idolatry of the pagan world." 1

Human rights workers might reject Paul's belief that homosexuality is beyond the normal -- particularly when Paul's support for the oppression of women (1 Corinthians 14:34 - 35), and his acceptance of slavery as a normal social practice in (Philemon 1:15  to 16) are considered. They might feel that this passage in 1 Romans should be rejected as immoral and outside the will of God, much as other biblical passages are worthless and should be ignored -- including those which recognized slavery, required some hookers to be burned alive, advocated genocide, recognized the torture of prisoners, and required the execution of non-virgin brides

Other liberal interpretations include:
        Verses are unrelated to homosexuality: The complete passage describes how the ex-Christians engaged in orgiastic, presumably heterosexual sexual activities. This type of behavior was common among Pagan fertility religions in Rome during Paul's time. Paul writes that, later, God "gave them over" to something new: homosexual behavior. This implies that throughout their lifetime they had had a heterosexual orientation and had engaged only in heterosexual sex. God influenced them so that they engaged in homosexual sex. This was, for them, an unnatural activity. They were criticized because they were engaged in sexual activity which was unnatural for them. For a person with a heterosexual orientation, homosexual behavior is "shameful," "unnatural," "indecent," and a "perversion." The passage in Romans is not a condemnation of homosexual behavior. Rather, it disapproves of sexual behavior that is against a person's basic nature (i.e. homosexual behaviors by people whose orientation is heterosexual). Presumably this would condemn heterosexual behavior by gays and lesbians -- activity which is equally against their nature. 2 For the vast majority of adults, those who are heterosexual, it is indecent for them to engage in homosexual activities. For the small minority of humans who are homosexual, it would be indecent for them to engage in heterosexual activities. As C. Ann Shepherd writes: "When the scripture is understood correctly, it seems to imply that it would be unnatural for heterosexuals to live as homosexuals, and for homosexuals to live as heterosexuals." 3Bruce Hahne writes, in point form:         "Verses 26-27 exploit Jewish cultural prejudices.
        Good rhetorical strategy: begin with assumptions of audience, build on them to make your point.
        So Romans 1:26-27 speaks only of heterosexual people who act 'contrary to their nature.'
        The text provides neither ethical nor behavioral guidance to lesbian, bay or bisexual people." 4

        Verses relate to some homosexual activity, but not to loving, committed relationships: Some question whether the word "perversion" in Verse 27, and "such things" in Verse 30 are related to only certain gay and lesbian behavior. e.g.:         casual homosexual activities outside of a committed, monogamous two person relationship, or
        homosexual molestation between a man and a child. In Paul's day, the latter was often a slave.
        group homosexual practices of any type, or
        group homosexual practices in a religious setting. This was a common practice among Pagans at the time; e.g. in the temples dedicated to the Goddess Aphrodite).
These probably were the only forms of same-sex activity that Paul was familiar with. Paul may well have not been thinking of gays and lesbians in committed relationships when he wrote this passage. He never referred to such couples in his writings, and probably never encountered any during his lifetime. He might simply have been condemning homosexual orgies in Pagan sexual rituals.
        Homosexual implications of minor importance: Many English translations render the end of Verse 27 as "due penalty of their error." Their basic error was to leave Pauline Christianity, and engage in idolatry. That is the main theme of the argument. From the idolatry flowed sexual orgies, sexual behavior against their nature, wickedness, greed, murder, etc. The intent of the passage is to show how idolatry leads to complete degeneration of behavior: to evil, envy, treachery, spite, gossiping, etc. The reference to what was, for them, unnatural homosexual behavior seems almost incidental, to the story. It was merely one symptom of the results of Pagan idolatry."Paul is not speaking here of homosexual orientation. Instead, he is talking about the gentile world, a world of idolaters, who long ago rejected the worship of God and became a culture of abuse, in which power and conquest were established and displayed in sexual acts." 5
        Passage refers to bisexuals and bisexual behavior: In Greek and Roman society of the time, bisexuality was regarded as quite natural; people in some walks of society were expected to engage in bisexual relations. Since most of them were heterosexual, bisexual activity would be against their personal nature. This behavior would be condemned because it is against their nature. one source states "...God created each of us with a sexual orientation. To attempt to change it is, in effect, telling God that He created us wrong. The creation (us) does not have the right to 're-create' itself."
        Passage refers to child sexual abuse: Some interpret the "men...with other men" clause to be a translation of the original Greek word for "pederasty" which was commonly practiced at the time by adult males with male children (often slaves). Thus Paul might have been criticizing child sexual abuse.
        Passage refers to non-procreative sex: From Paul's era, until today, many people have believed that the only natural, normal sexual activity was between one man and one woman for the purpose of procreation. Thus "unnatural" sex would include:         anyone engaging in sex for pure enjoyment
        married couples who engaged in intercourse even though one partner was sterile.
        married couples who had sex even though the woman was not in the fertile part of her cycle, or was past childbearing years
Perhaps Paul's use of the phrase "para physin" simply meant that the people engaged in same-sex practices that had no procreative function.
        Passage refers to dominant/submissive relationships: Writer Richard Summerbell suggests that this passage may refer to men who are predominantly heterosexual, but who are involved in "dominant/submissive relationships or casual sex with younger men or older teens...Most of the men taking up such relations are married and actively heterosexual at the same time. The male-male relationships are diversions or, when taken up by single men, substitutes for heterosexuality.  It became clear to me that surrogate heterosexuality, a type of male- male sex which in our societies is common in prisons but nowhere else (it is sometimes referred to as "prison homosexuality") can become so common in some societies that its practitioners greatly outnumber and also influence the behaviour of those who are actually of a homosexual orientation." 6 Thus, St. Paul may be writing of men involved in dominant/submissive relationships and/or of heterosexuals involved in sex with male youths. Neither has any connection to consensual, committed gay or lesbian relationships.
        Paul condemns homosexual behavior, out of ignorance: Finally, some religious liberals may conclude that Paul is here declaring that, in his opinion, all homosexual behavior is sinful and unnatural. However, many Christians have gone beyond Paul's teachings; they have deviated from those biblical teachings that denigrate women and considered them as property. They have rejected slavery. Modern-day Christians have evolved towards a new understanding of gender, human rights, and higher regard for woman. So too many Christians are now evolving towards a different regard and understanding of persons with homosexual orientation. Modern-day Christians are aided by recent findings of human sexuality research to which Paul did not have access. Thus, Romans 1 may accurately reflect Paul's beliefs; but they are beliefs that now have to be largely abandoned, as we have already abandoned slavery, dictatorships, theocracies, and the oppression of women.
        A Roman Catholic view: The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, " added footnote 18 to their 1975 declaration "Persona Humana" 7 which includes a very different rendering of Romans 1:26-27: "...why their women have turned from natural intercourse to unnatural practices and why their menfolk have given up natural intercourse to be consumed with passion for each other, men doing shameless things with men and getting an appropriate reward for their perversion"Most versions of the Bible start Verse 27 with an ｅxpression like: "In the same way" (NIV, NRSV, NAS) or "in like manner" (Rhiems New Testament). or "The men also turned" (KJV). Since the men were engaging in homosexual activities, the "in the same way" phrase would imply that the women were engaging in lesbian sex. But the version that the Pope quoted omits the phrase. This gives a completely different slant to the entire passage. The men are still having homosexual relationships, but the women were merely engaging in some unspecified "unnatural practices". one can speculate whether these practices were simply non-traditional, non-procreative heterosexual activities such as heterosexual oral or anal sex, masturbation, sex with multiple men, etc. They might not have been involved in same-sex practices at all. Thus, one could argue that the entire Bible may be totally silent on lesbianism. "Pope Paul VI approved this Declaration... confirmed it and ordered its publication."