The Strand Study Bible

Written From Corinth During Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

ROMANS

1852

Strong’s concordance translates arsenokoite to mean “a Sodomite,” in obvious reference to Sodom. The Arndt-Gingrich Greek Lexicon defines it as “a male who practices homosexuality, pederast, sodomite” and cites Romans 1:27 as an example. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon has the same take on the word; indeed according to Timothy Dailey’s book The Bible, Church, and Homosexuality, no lexicon can be found that doesn’t equate arsenokoite with male homosexuality. 1 NOTE –Although God loves sinners (Jn 3:16), He hates sin. And, according to God, alternative lifestyles go against God’s created order and expressed will ( Gen 13:13 & 18:20 & 19:24-25, Lev 18:22 & 20:13, Deut 23:17-18, Jud 19:22-23, I Ki 14:24 & 15:11-12, I Cor 6:9 b and Jude 7). 1:28 This word ( reprobate ) comes from the Greek word DGοNLPο9 ( adokimos ) and means “ unapproved .” This word is found 8 times in the New Testament (Rom 1:28, I Cor 9:27, II Cor 13:5-7, II Tim 3:8, Titus 1:16 and Heb 6:8) and was primarily applied to metals ( I Cor 9:27 ). According to God, nations that embrace sexual immorality and alternative lifestyles are “unapproved” and thus rejected. C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain notes: The lost enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded and are therefore self-enslaved. 2 God rejects those who reject Him and abandons them to their own sinful freedoms and the consequences of those freedoms. 1:29-31 Note that which “flows” ( Being filled with ) out of a society that is sexually immoral and pornographic (vs 24), homosexual (vs 26), depraved (vs 28) and pure evil (vs 29-31). 1:32 People that are turned over to a reprobate mind know it’s wrong ( Who knowing the judgment of God ); they know the penalty (“ that they which commit such things are worthy of death ”), yet they do it anyway ( not only do the same ) and hardily applaud those who practice these kinds of sins ( but have pleasure in them that do them ). Sound like America? NOTE – Its not ignorance that keeps a person from knowing God and going to Heaven someday ( I Sam 3:13 and Rom 1:21a ), but pride ( Gen 4: 1- 7 ). 2:1 Paul knew that many of his Christian readers in Rome would pass judgment on the people that he had just described in Romans 1:18-32. Therefore, he reminds them here in verse one that they too were guilty of some of the same sins ( for thou that judgest doest the same things - I Cor 6:9-11 and Eccl 7:20-22). 2:4 People shouldn’t get saved because Hell is hot, but because God is “good” ( the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ). 2:7 Sadly, some religious movements have tried to use this Scripture to teach that “good works” ( by patient continuance in well doing ) are essential to salvation ( seek for… eternal life ) and thus part of the saving Gospel. They are not (Rom 3:20-28 & 4:1-8 & 5:15-21 & 6:23, Gal 2:21-3:3, Eph 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5). The only “work” good enough to save a person is the one Christ performed on Calvary ( Exo 14:13,30-31 and Jn 6:27-29). Therefore all who accept that “ WORK ” are accepted of God (Jn 5:28-29). What Paul meant here is that those with an open and honest heart that want what’s right are accepted of God and will eventually find Him and eternal life through Christ ( Acts 10:35 ). 2:15 God has built within every human being a conscience , and unless that conscience has been seared (I Tim 4:2), that conscience NOTE – Long before the Law of Moses was ever written down, in order to guide the nation of Israel, there existed unwritten laws that God had written upon men’s hearts ( Gen 26:5 and Job 22:22 & 23:12 ). Called the “laws before the Law,” these twenty-one laws appeared to be the most meaningful of all the laws to God. Seeing these twenty-one laws were also included in the Law of Moses years later, both Jews and Gentiles are responsible for these unwritten laws. becomes a warning device to threaten us with a loss of well being if not obeyed. THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Conscience is that thing that feels bad when everything else feels good

1 Dallas, Joe. The Gay Gospel ?. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Pub. 1996. 2007. Print. 2 Lewis, C.S. The Problem of Pain . New York: Touchstone. 1943. Print.