Romans 1:25-32
1:26 a women turned against the natural way: In this context, natural way refers to the nature of the world as God made it. As in the Old Testament, Paul singles out homosexuality as a key illustration of how people have fallen away from worship of the true God (see Gen 19:1-28 b; Lev 18:22 c; 20:13 d; Deut 23:17-18 e). God created human beings as male and female, and engaging in homosexual activity is a violation of God’s creative intention.1:27 f suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved: When people abandon the Creator’s intentions, they are judged for their actions. This judgment can take many different forms, but the ultimate consequence is spiritual death (see 1:32 g).
1:28 h thought it foolish: Sin affects our actions and even our thoughts. One of the serious consequences of turning away from God is an unsound mind; people can no longer use their minds as God intended.
Summary for Rom 1:29-31: 1:29-31 i This list of sins follows a popular Hellenistic literary form called a vice list. While not exhaustive, it reminds readers of various forms that evil might take.
1:32 j To encourage others to sin is worse than sinning oneself (Jas 3:1 k; cp. Testament of Asher 6:2: “The two-faced are doubly punished because they both practice evil and approve of others who practice it; they imitate the spirits of error and join in the struggle against mankind”).
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