To me any undue attention paid to someone writing over 2,000 years ago, is just unrealistic.
Considering the fact that almost any document in written form from the era of the bible writer's time frame, is going to be considered sacred. It survived or was painstakingly copied and handed down generation to generation. It's old, we better find some meaning to it.
Kinda of like the reverence an archeologist pays to ancient cave dweller's scribbeling on the wall. Pictures have to mean something damnit. There really, really old.
If the WT&BS society can write tomes upon tomes of literature about how some little convention in Cedar Point, Oh fullfilled all sorts of prophecy. Certainly guys living in the Apostle Paul's day, could do just as well with the story of Jesus Christ.
Gumby your observation on Romans 1;24 is right on. Seems as though all religious leader's past and present cannot get away from dramatizing what they have to say, with words and expressions that indicate more than needed.
'giving them up' is just such an expression. Almost carries a threatening tone, it served the same purpose to Paul as it does today, when the WT&BS says things like, 'god's spirit was removed', 'loss of favor', 'his clean organization', blah blah, puke.
We human sure pay alot of attention to things that get really, really old. We know nothing for certain about any of it, but we are good at offering up every possible meaning behind it's mystery. The world is one big garage sale of old stuff, just depends on how much you value someone else's collection, as to how much time, effort and money you will invest in trying to aquire the item (s).
Danny