Are You Sure You’re Right
Romans 1:18-32
· Romans 1:18-32 (RSV)
The Guilt of Mankind
· A lot has been said when using these verses of Scripture and many have used these wrongly stating that Paul is admonishing the Greco-Roman culture for its openness to homosexual acts. This is NOT what Paul is referring to. So, what is Paul talking about?
· This introduction has plenty apocalyptic language in it, but the apocalypses that are referred to are ones of the past. There is a huge transition of some 3,600 years’ time from present to past. If you are not careful, you will miss it. The transition is made in the original text at verse 20. So, what two apocalyptic events (God’s Divine Judgment) could Paul be referring to? Two stories fit the descriptions:
· Genesis 6:1-4 and Genesis 19: 1-29
· Genesis 6:1-4 (RSV)
The Wickedness of Mankind
· Genesis 19:1-29
The Depravity of Sodom
· There are apocalyptic books in the Eastern Orthodox Church that we do not have, mainly those attributed to Enoch. The first 19 chapters of 1 Enoch fills in the blanks of the Genesis 6 record. Other books that are part of the Apocryphal texts, mainly Sirach and 3 Maccabees that are celebrated in the Catholic church go into further detail about both Genesis 6 and 19.
· What about the Protestant Bible?
– 2 Peter 2:4-10
– Jude 5-7
· What about Jesus?
– Luke 17:26-29
– Matthew 24:37-39
– John 8:44
· The last verse of John 8:44 must have influenced John:
– 1 John 3:8-10
· Now let us read Romans 1:18-32 again . . .
· Finally, let us read Romans 2:1-13!