Re: romans 1

From: jtownsle@iupui.edu
Date: Sun Jun 13 1999 - 00:07:19 EDT


>>v. 26b-27-Men and women "metyllaxan" (exchanged) natural relations
>>for unnatural relations.
>>God, and so he "paradoken" (gave them over) them to do evil things.
>>v. 29-The things in this list are the evil things they did.

You responded:
> So Paul is arguing that the deviant behaviour was the *result* of
> their suspending belief in God, not the *cause* of their suspending
> belief in God. They gave up on God; so God gave up on them.

You're right--that was a mistake on my part. What I meant to say was what
Chamberlain had said above, which I rephrase to reflect the correction:

v. 28-"kai kathos" (and because of this--referring to the fact that they
stopped believing in God), God gave them over to do evil things, as listed
in the following verses.

Which still leaves the original question. Regarding "kathos" as 'causal'
as Chamberlain suggests, and regarding poiein (Rom 1.28), which he says is
an epexegetical infinitive, do these two things separate the homosexual
acts listed in 26-27 from the sin list in 29ff as separate entities.
Several commentaries I've read say that they should all be considered part
of one big list, but it doesn't seem that that conclusion is allowed by
the text. It seems that the interpretation should go as listed below
which, if correct, clearly makes the homosexual acts separate entities
from the sin list, and therefore part of the ultimate CAUSE of God giving
them over, not the RESULT of God giving them over. I still agree with you
that the sin list in v. 29ff (which is what I assume you are referring to
above when you say "deviant behavior") is the RESULT, not the CAUSE.

A. They exchanged (met/yllaxan):
        a) God's glory (v. 23a)
        b) God's truth for a lie (v. 25a)
        c) natural relations for unnatural (v. 26b-7,the homosexual acts)

B. This led to them doing the following:
        a) made images of animals and men to worship (v. 23b)
        b) worshipped created things (25b)
        c) stopped believing in God (v. 28a)

C. Which led to God giving them (paradwken) over to:
        a) sinful desires/sexual impurity/degrading their bodies (v.
                24)
        b) shameful lusts (v. 26)
        c) a depraved mind, to do evil things (v. 28b-31)

Does this make it more clear what my original question was? Sorry for the
confusion!

Jeramy Townsley
Indiana University
http://php.iupui.edu/~jtownsle

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