The Bible App is completely free, with no advertising and no in-app purchases. Get the app
Guilt and Judgement
Paul's Letter to the Romans-Guilt and Judgement
This Bible Study will explore the language, theology, context, and content of Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome.
Locations & Times
Bentonville
2702 SW I St, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA
Monday 8:00 AM
This section can bedivided into two main themes, the universal sinfulness of humanity, and condemning ourselves through judging others.
Universal Sinfulness of Humanity
This section is primarily about idolatry, and not just the obvious idols.
Ultimately, all sin is rooted in idolatry, which is turning to something other than God and God’s Word.
Then Paul moves on to Lust and Degrading Passions- the main theme here is lust, not necessarily sexual orientation. Sexual orientation was seen as a choice, and not an inherent attribute of a person in this culture. The focus is on Natural vs Unnatural roles in the sexual act.“they received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.” The penetrator was seen as fulfilling the natural male role, while the one being penetrated was seen as taking on an unnatural sexual role for a male. This was a weaker, and passive role, which carried with it shame if this person was an adult.
Verse 24 speaks of degrading of their bodies; dishonoring or shaming themselves.And again in verse 26- degrading passions; passions of dishonor or shame. In both instances the Greek word means shame or dishonor, with the noun form in verse 24 and the verb form in verse 26.
Sexuality in this Helenized (Greek) and Roman culture was about power and dominance, or economic benefit. This was a prominent theme in A Week in the Life of Rome.
The “natural” role Paul speaks of is the male as the penetrator, rather than the one being penetrated. Likewise, for the female to be the one being penetrated by a male. When a man was penetrated by another male, he took on the natural role of the woman. For an adult male, this was dishonorable and shameful because it was a surrender of power to another male. There was, however, no shame or dishonor for the male doing the penetrating, as that was seen as his natural role in the sexual relationship.
The Jewish perspective was not so one sided, as it was based in child rearing with known family lineage. Improper use of male seed was seen as wicked in Jewish teaching. Any discharge of seed other than for procreation was improper use. See Genesis 38:8-10.
Excrement was seen as filth, and so placing of male seed in the place of filth was even more forbidden, as there were no children to be gained from it.
The main takeaway here is that the sexual interactions Paul is talking about in Romans are not likely committed intimate relationships, but rather adulterous fornication for the assertion of power and dominance. It is interesting to me that Paul, a Jewish Pharisee, does not quote Torah Law forbidding homosexuality, instead he addressed lust and degrading passions.
This section is primarily about idolatry, and not just the obvious idols.
Ultimately, all sin is rooted in idolatry, which is turning to something other than God and God’s Word.
Then Paul moves on to Lust and Degrading Passions- the main theme here is lust, not necessarily sexual orientation. Sexual orientation was seen as a choice, and not an inherent attribute of a person in this culture. The focus is on Natural vs Unnatural roles in the sexual act.“they received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.” The penetrator was seen as fulfilling the natural male role, while the one being penetrated was seen as taking on an unnatural sexual role for a male. This was a weaker, and passive role, which carried with it shame if this person was an adult.
Verse 24 speaks of degrading of their bodies; dishonoring or shaming themselves.And again in verse 26- degrading passions; passions of dishonor or shame. In both instances the Greek word means shame or dishonor, with the noun form in verse 24 and the verb form in verse 26.
Sexuality in this Helenized (Greek) and Roman culture was about power and dominance, or economic benefit. This was a prominent theme in A Week in the Life of Rome.
The “natural” role Paul speaks of is the male as the penetrator, rather than the one being penetrated. Likewise, for the female to be the one being penetrated by a male. When a man was penetrated by another male, he took on the natural role of the woman. For an adult male, this was dishonorable and shameful because it was a surrender of power to another male. There was, however, no shame or dishonor for the male doing the penetrating, as that was seen as his natural role in the sexual relationship.
The Jewish perspective was not so one sided, as it was based in child rearing with known family lineage. Improper use of male seed was seen as wicked in Jewish teaching. Any discharge of seed other than for procreation was improper use. See Genesis 38:8-10.
Excrement was seen as filth, and so placing of male seed in the place of filth was even more forbidden, as there were no children to be gained from it.
The main takeaway here is that the sexual interactions Paul is talking about in Romans are not likely committed intimate relationships, but rather adulterous fornication for the assertion of power and dominance. It is interesting to me that Paul, a Jewish Pharisee, does not quote Torah Law forbidding homosexuality, instead he addressed lust and degrading passions.
Condemning Ourselves Through Judging Others
Conveniently, most who use Romans to criticize homosexuality stop at the end of Chapter 1, and do not venture into Chapter 2. In Chapter 2, Paul is plain in his admonition- the only sins we need concern ourselves with are our own. Jesus called this hypocrisy in Matthew 7:3-5. In chapter 3, Paul will reiterate his point here, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Paul sees judgment of others as despising God's kindness, forbearance, and patience. God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. Our hard and impenitent hearts store up wrath for us. Paul reminds the Romans, and us, that God will repay. The sins of others are for Jesus to judge. The only sins we need to be concerned with are our own.
Remember, we are saved by the Grace of God, through the gift of Faith in Christ Jesus. This is not our doing, but a free gift of God, so that no one may boast. No matter what your sins, it is God’s Grace and Faith in Jesus Christ that saves you. If salvation comes down to the presence or absence of sin, of any kind, we all stand equally condemned.
Conveniently, most who use Romans to criticize homosexuality stop at the end of Chapter 1, and do not venture into Chapter 2. In Chapter 2, Paul is plain in his admonition- the only sins we need concern ourselves with are our own. Jesus called this hypocrisy in Matthew 7:3-5. In chapter 3, Paul will reiterate his point here, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Paul sees judgment of others as despising God's kindness, forbearance, and patience. God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. Our hard and impenitent hearts store up wrath for us. Paul reminds the Romans, and us, that God will repay. The sins of others are for Jesus to judge. The only sins we need to be concerned with are our own.
Remember, we are saved by the Grace of God, through the gift of Faith in Christ Jesus. This is not our doing, but a free gift of God, so that no one may boast. No matter what your sins, it is God’s Grace and Faith in Jesus Christ that saves you. If salvation comes down to the presence or absence of sin, of any kind, we all stand equally condemned.
Devotion
Paul begins his letter to the Romans by making common the ground beneath every human foot. Before he speaks of grace, justification, or new life, he names a difficult truth: sin is universal. And at its root, sin is not merely bad behavior, it is misplaced worship and devotion.
Idolatry, in Romans, is not limited to carved statues or pagan temples. It is any turning away from God toward something else for meaning, identity, power, or fulfillment. When humanity exchanges the truth of God for a lie, the result is not freedom, but distortion of our desires, our relationships, and even our understanding of ourselves. Sin, Paul suggests, is what happens when we ask created things to give us what only God can give.
Paul’s discussion of lust and degrading passions must be heard within its historical world. In Greco-Roman culture, sexuality was often about power, dominance, and social status rather than orientation, relationship, or love. Honor and shame shaped relationships, and who held power mattered more than love or faithfulness. Paul names these dynamics as signs of humanity’s deeper disorder, desires untethered from God’s intentions.
Repeatedly, Paul uses language of shame and dishonor. This is not accidental. He is describing what happens when human beings misuse God’s gifts, including their bodies, in ways that contradict God’s life-giving purposes. From a Jewish perspective, sexuality was closely tied to covenant, family, and the continuation of life. When sexuality was detached from these purposes, it was seen not simply as personal failure, but as communal harm. For the Gentile Christians, faith meant a drastic change in how they had been taught to view sexuality, for the Jewish Christians Torah Law still prohibited homosexuality but for different reasons. The common ground in their faith, and ours, is grace and not judgement.
Paul does not stop with sexual sin. In fact, his list widens dramatically: envy, murder, deceit, arrogance, gossip, disobedience, ruthlessness. The most dangerous of them all is judgment itself!
When we judge others, Paul says, we condemn ourselves. We assume the role of God while ignoring our own brokenness. Jesus called this hypocrisy, trying to remove a speck from someone else’s eye while a log remains in our own. Paul goes further: judging others despises God’s kindness, patience, and forbearance. The very mercy that sustains us is the mercy we deny when we harden our hearts.
God’s kindness, Paul insists, is meant to lead us to repentance, not fear or superiority. When we refuse that invitation, we bring judgement on ourselves. Paul reminds the Roman Christians, and us, that God alone is the judge, and God alone will repay.
Romans will soon proclaim the good news that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But before that good news can be heard, we must see ourselves clearly—not as exceptions, but as people in need of grace as much as anyone else.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some modern “idols” that promise meaning, security, or identity, and how do you see them shaping desires or relationships today—including your own?
2. How do our societal and cultural norms view satisfying lust? Does this drive the modern tendency towards an acceptance of premarital sex?
3. Does what we know about the context of Greek/Roman use of sexuality for dominance change how we might read Paul’s writing in Chapters 1 and 2 in light of modern homosexuality? Should we view Paul’s writing in chapters 1 and 2 in Romans as blanket admonitions against homosexuality in today’s context? What are we unsure about and why?
4. Why do you think judgment is such a persistent temptation, and where do you see it most clearly at work in the church or in your own heart?
5. Paul says that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. How does this understanding of repentance challenge common assumptions about guilt, punishment, or moral achievement, and what might repentance shaped by kindness look like in daily life?
2. How do our societal and cultural norms view satisfying lust? Does this drive the modern tendency towards an acceptance of premarital sex?
3. Does what we know about the context of Greek/Roman use of sexuality for dominance change how we might read Paul’s writing in Chapters 1 and 2 in light of modern homosexuality? Should we view Paul’s writing in chapters 1 and 2 in Romans as blanket admonitions against homosexuality in today’s context? What are we unsure about and why?
4. Why do you think judgment is such a persistent temptation, and where do you see it most clearly at work in the church or in your own heart?
5. Paul says that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. How does this understanding of repentance challenge common assumptions about guilt, punishment, or moral achievement, and what might repentance shaped by kindness look like in daily life?