For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
這裡並不是說同性戀就特別邪惡,很多異性戀的行為比同性戀者更差,這裡的重點是,全世界的人都活在上帝的憤怒底下,這是一種普世的陳述,我們的生命就是保羅所陳述的那樣,只配得上帝的憤怒。
也許有人會認為自己的罪惡並沒有保羅陳述的那麼嚴重,但其實凡背離上帝的聖潔都是嚴重的。一個人實際有仇恨人的心跟一個把人殺死,哪一個比較嚴重呢?從上帝的眼光來看,心裡仇恨弟兄就是殺人。有沒有那麼嚴重,不是憑我們的感覺或是表面意識去判斷,就如同你的病到底嚴重不嚴重,不是你自己感覺的那樣。如果我們被這些經文觸怒,那正好顯明我們的心其實是充滿罪惡的,我們驕傲自大,不願意被說我們不好。但若我們仔細閱讀保羅所列出的罪惡表,並誠實面對自己的生命,我們就會看清楚我們真是這樣。保羅對我們人性、罪的控告,一點都沒有錯。
我們全部都是罪人,全都活在上帝的憤怒底下,因此我們需要耶穌基督的救恩。[註]
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