"For what man knoweth the
things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the
things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God,
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth
all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the
mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:11-16). This scripture was written by
the apostle Paul. Who was this man, whose name was changed from Saul to
Paul? Let us notice 2 Corinthians 11:2-6, as he writes to the church at
Corinth: "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I
have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ. For he that cometh preacheth another
Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which
ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye
might well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very
chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge;
but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things."
(emphasis, hl)"
Replying to a
"Letter to the Editor," a citizen of our community had this to
say about Paul: "All Paul would have known of homosexuality was the
debauched pagan expression of it. He cannot be condemned for his
ignorance, but neither should his ignorance be an excuse for our
own." From whence did Paul learn the facts he taught concerning
homosexuality? Was it from Gamaliel, at whose feet Paul studied (Acts
22:3)? Was it from Paul's life before he became a Christian and while he
was persecuting the Lord's church (Acts 26:9,10)? Paul tells us! It was
the spirit of Christ, received after Paul's obedience to God's commands
(Acts 26:14-18). Paul says he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision
(Acts 26:19).
Concerning homosexuality, God has forbidden the practice since Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-26). Romans 1:26,27 is not the earliest prohibition against homosexuality. Read Leviticus 20:13, contained in the Old Testament law given to the Jews. Under discussion in Leviticus was not pagan practices, but God's law to His people.