“We are commanded to judge righteously...”
Certainly, but that’s not what Paul is discussing. His point, if you read the verses in context, is to demonstrate that ALL are guilty of unrighteousness under the law and deserving of God’s judgement. That’s the entire premise of the book from ch 1 verse 18 through ch 3 verse 20, which sums up:
“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Then starting in ch 3 verse 21, he introduces the solution to the problem he just outlined, which is righteousness through grace.
“There are sins committed in this life that are deserving of death, among these are sodomite acts, the subject of this thread...”
Yes, but Paul lists every manner of sin here, with no specific focus only on sexual or sodomite sins. He stresses repeatedly every single person is guilty of the same things he is talking about and all deserve the same judgement under the law. To try and use these verses to argue for some special penalty against only one group of sinners is to miss the point completely.
Your argument is not lost on me. I understand we are heading ultimately to Romans 3:23 and 3:26.
But the fact is that Paul does focus on sexual sin here in Romans 1, because it is exceedingly grave. It is gateway path of degradation which marks one of God's turning over points. Idolatry, the first, leads to this uncleaness (:24). And sexual perversion ultimately leads to a reprobate mind. (:28)
Romans (:29ff) is not a casual list sins, but a culmination of "all unrighteousness". Sexual perversion goes hand in glove with the most wicked manifestations. As I pointed out in my first post from Jude:
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 7)
Homosexuals and homosexualists (as Scott Lively calls them -- those who champion sexual perversion although they themselves may not personally engage in the obvious sodomite varieties) compromise the very group Paul characterizes in :32 -- "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
Please clarify for me: