Compare Leviticus 18:27 with Romans 1:24-27 regarding sinful behaviors. Setting the Context • Both passages expose behaviors God calls sinful. • Leviticus speaks to Israel before entering Canaan; Romans addresses all humanity after the cross. • Scripture presents one consistent moral standard, anchored in God’s character (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). Leviticus 18:27—Sin Among the Nations “For the men of the land who were before you practiced all these abominations, and the land has become defiled.” • “Men of the land” – Canaanites practiced the listed sexual sins (vv. 6-23). • “Abominations” – term signals acts wholly incompatible with God’s holiness. • “The land has become defiled” – sin pollutes not just people but creation itself (cf. Genesis 3:17). • Outcome: judgment by expulsion (vv. 24-25); Israel warned not to imitate them. Romans 1:24-27—Sin in Every Human Heart “Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves…” (BSB, vv. 24-27) • “God gave them over” – divine judicial act; restraint removed, sin’s consequences felt (Psalm 81:11-12). • Exchange theme – Truth for a lie (v. 25). – Natural for unnatural (vv. 26-27). • Specific sins named – Female same-sex relations (v. 26). – Male same-sex acts (v. 27). • “Due penalty” – temporal and eternal repercussions (Galatians 6:7-8). Shared Themes • Universality of sin: pagan Canaanites and Greco-Roman society alike (Romans 3:23). • Sexual sin pictured as both root and fruit of idolatry. • God’s holiness demands separation from sin; He judges individuals and cultures. • Sin carries built-in consequences—defilement in Leviticus, “due penalty” in Romans. Contrasts Worth Noting • Audience: Old-covenant Israel vs. mixed Jewish-Gentile church in Rome. • Covenant context: Law given at Sinai; in Romans, humanity stands condemned apart from law (Romans 2:12-16). • Remedy hinted: Leviticus points forward to atonement sacrifices (Leviticus 17:11); Romans anticipates the gospel revealed in 3:21-26. Implications for Believers Today • God’s moral standards are constant; cultural acceptance does not nullify divine judgment. • Sexual purity remains an essential mark of God’s people (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). • Idolatry in any form—elevating desire, self, or culture over God—opens the door to deeper corruption. • The gospel offers cleansing and transformation (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). • Faithful witness requires both truth and compassion, calling sin what God calls it while extending Christ’s mercy to all who repent. Additional Scriptures for Deeper Study • Genesis 19:4-13—earlier example of homosexual sin and judgment. • 1 Kings 14:24—Canaanite practices recur in Israel, leading to exile. • Jude 7—links Sodom’s sins with eternal fire. • 1 Timothy 1:9-11—New-Testament reaffirmation of the law’s moral demands. • 1 Corinthians 6:18-20—body as temple of the Holy Spirit; flee sexual immorality. |
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