Discovery: Apostle Paul Accepted Christian Homosexuals Finding shows Paul acknowledged homosexuality as not a barrier to heaven Paul's only unequivocal reference to homosexuality is found within a passage that has mystified scholars for 2,000 years. "The interpretation of Romans 1:18-3:20 has been notoriously difficult for almost every commentator," says Richard Longenecker, Distinguished New Testament Scholar at Wheaton College. "Earlier interpreters such as Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and Erasmus wrestled with this issue and it continues to plague commentators today." (1) Internationally acclaimed cryptographer, Michael Wood, has now solved the 2,000 year enigma. "The discovery is remarkable, because solves a colossal paradox that has remained unsolved for 2,000 years," confirms Dr. William Berg. (Dr. Berg has taught Greek and Roman Classics at Stanford University and has spent many months examining the linguistic and historical basis of Wood's "remarkable discovery.") Romans 1:18-3:20 is riddled with paradoxes. It says that "only the doers of the law will be vindicated before God," and "by the works of the law no one will be vindicated." The passage also mysteriously separates idolatrous, homosexual, orgy fests from transgressions worthy of spiritual death. "In finding the definitive solution to Paul's legal paradox, I inadvertently discovered why he separated the idolatrous, same-sex orgies from sin worthy of spiritual death," said Wood. The passage turns out to be based on the ancient Jewish division of the law which Paul called the "Justices" and the "Jobs." The Justices were all the commandments based on Leviticus 19:18-"Love your neighbor as yourself." The Jobs were all the commandments not based on Leviticus 19:18. Wood's solution is definitive, elegant, and verifiable. Romans 2:13-26 essentially teaches: Only the doers of the Justices of the Torah will be vindicated before God. Romans 3:20 says, "By the Jobs of the Torah no one will be vindicated." Not only is there no contradiction, but the Great Paradox has always been simple restatements of each other The legal solution fully explains Paul's treatment of homosexuality. Paul separated idolatrous, homosexual, orgy fests from a group of sins which he said were worthy of spiritual death, things such as "bad mouthing others," "deceiving," and "inflicting pain." Those engaged in idolatrous, homosexual orgies weren't violating the Justices. (They weren't violating the precept, "Love your neighbor as yourself"). Therefore Paul was compelled to separate this from the list of sins which did violate the Justices, completely authenticating Wood's finding. The finding is significant because it shows that Paul purposefully separated the same-sex acts from his list of mortal sins. It was a conscious, deliberate decision consistent with the rest of the passage. This shows that Paul's view on homosexuality was very different from what Christians had thought for 2,000 years. While Romans 1 contains the only unequivocal reference to homosexuality, anti-homosexual statements have been introduced into other passages in newer versions of the English Bible. As for these modern changes to the Biblical text, "Michael Wood has gone the extra mile in being faithul to Paul's Greek," said Dr. Berg. "While being faithful to the Greek, he shows, time and again, that the words traditionally mistranslated as 'homosexual, ' 'effeminate, ' 'impure, ' and so forth, are really targeting selfish, unloving, unjust activity and have nothing to do with sexual orientation." The only remaining barrier to full societal acceptance of gays and lesbians is the Christian misunderstanding of Paul's view of homosexuality. Wood's discovery is destined to change this. Footnote: (1) "Studies in Paul, Exegetical and Theological," by Richard N. Longenecker, p. 98