I Cor 6:9 and Tim 1:9-10 Greek Study

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Note: Liberated Christians is a primarily about heterosexual relationships. While we are supportive of all sexual orientations, the leaders do not have the resources to assist them in their special issues. Thus, our Fellowship groups are not appropriate for gays/lesbians. However, individually Dave (an extreme heterosexual - Kinsey Scale= 0) has done extensive biblical research and has been active supporting biblical homosexuality for many years. However, there is no "official" stand as an organization on homosexuality other than general support.

I Cor 6:9 and Tim 1:9-10 Greek Study:

Historical Background
Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians has been totally falsely twisted from the Greek to English. It says nothing at all about homosexuality only ancient idolatry. The temple of Aphrodite Pandemos, goddess of sexual fertility, dominated Acrocorinthus and employed 1000 prostitutes who served in sexual rites virtually around the clock. The greek words pornoi, arsenokitai and malikos, were no doubt promiscuously available throughout the city, a city famous for her libertine rites in the worship of idols. Acrocorinthus was the dominant geographic feature enshrouding the Corinthian skyline and rose to a great height of 1750 ft. above the city. Corinth, herself, was a metaphor of fertility and libertine sexuality among the ancient cities of Mediterranean.

Koine Greek has no word for homosexuals. Some English translations based on an agenda, not biblical truth have terribly mistranslated two Greek words to mean homosexual, but with no factural foundation to do so. Some concordances falsely claim: "arsennokoites" = a male homosexual, pederast, or sodomite and "malakos" = soft effeminate, esp. of catamites, men and boys who allow themselves to be used for homosexuality.

It is the mistaken contention of some that Paul spoke of homosexuals in two other letters. The error comes from cultural bias which has crept into the translation of his letters; specifically regarding two words (*malakoi* and *arsenokoitai*). To the church in Corinth and subsequently in a letter to Timothy Paul wrote:

"... Neither the sexually immoral (referring here to the pagan temple prostitutes) nor idolaters nor adulterers (but understood from the 10 Commandments to only he wrong for a married women, but never a married man as long as the women was single - not the property of another man) nor MALE PROSTITUTES (*malakoi*) nor HOMOSEXUAL OFFENDERS (*arsenokoitai*) nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." I Cor. 6:9-10 (NIV)

"We also know that the law is made not for good men but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and PERVERTS (*arsenokoitais*), for slave traders and liars and perjurers." I Tim. 1:9-10 (NIV)

What the NIV refers to in 1 Cor. 9 supposedly as "homosexual offenders" and later in 1 Tim. 1:10 as "perverts" is related in Paul's original letters with the single Greek word *arsenokoitai(s)* The translators for King James render the word as "abusers of themselves with mankind." Other modern translations construe the term as "child molesters" or even "sodomites" (ironic since we know that the Sodomites were not condemned for homosexuality).

The claim this word means homosexual, defies linguistic evidence and common sense. "Koites" generally denotes licentious sexual activities, and corresponds to the active person in intercourse. The prefix "Arsen", simply means "male". It could mean a male that has sex with lots of women. Paul made up a new word. A biblical scholar when a word is unknown, looks for similar greek words to find a possible meaning. Boswell concludes Paul writing in Koine Greek, took a word from Attic Greek combined with a word from Old Testament Greek to mean the active male prostitute. These were common in the Hellenistic world in the time of Paul. They served as prostitutes for both men and women. BINGO! Remember "porneia" in the same verse that has been mistranslated fornication but was really female temple prostitutes? Guess what? Paul also is condemning the male prostitutes that also were in the temples of the sex gods!

Hans-Michael (hans@teleport.com) did an excellent job of summarizing, on the Internet, the serious biblical research on this passage by saying:

"The various translations of the idiom *arsenokoitai* as used by Paul give evidence as to its ambiguity. Arndt and Gingrich begin their citation of the term with the reference "a male homosexual." It might be helpful to have a lexicon to explain what they understood a homosexual to be. If the rest of their entry on *arsenokoites* is any evidence of this, then one may infer a certain amount of cultural bias on the part of these lexicographers. The citation goes on to list "pederast" (man who molests boys) and "sodomite" (meaning vague). Child molesters are a subset of both homosexuals as well as heterosexuals. A pederast is not however synonymous with a male homosexual."

"The term *arsenokoitai* is only used twice in the original texts of the Bible; in the two passages by Paul just cited. Usages of the word by contemporaries of Paul (secular or otherwise) seem to be almost nonexistent. (Father D. Helminiak, Ph.D., a Catholic theologian writes in his book "What the Bible *really* Says About Homosexuality": "1 Corinthians is our earliest record of the word." Yale Professor Dr. J. Boswell writes in his award winning "Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality": "Paul appears to have been the first author to use the word, and it appeared very infrequently after him.") Should Paul have intended to condemn child molesters with this word (as Arndt and Gingrich suggest and some translations reflect), a generalization of the passage to condemn all homosexuals would be disingenuous.

"Where a modern translation reports Paul's contention in I Corinthians that "male prostitutes" shall not inherit the kingdom of God, the KJV speaks of "the effeminate." This poor rendering of the Greek word *malakoi* has been used to condemn gays for the past three centuries. The mistranslation owes in part to the already prevalent prejudice against gays present during preparation of this version of the Bible. It also illustrates a common misconception which is held by many people even today, namely the stereotype that all gay men are "effeminate" or feminine in their actions or appearance. Yet Paul was a Greek speaking Jew and a Roman citizen. In the culture in which he wrote the word malakoi, those who engaged in homosexual acts were not considered to be of questionable manhood. The Thebans even formed a legion of warriors composed entirely of gay couples. The group possessed an incredible esprit de corps and could boast of many victories.

"*Malakoi* suffers from the same lexical complexity. The word *malakos* means literally "soft." There is no indication that it was used in the time of Paul as a derogatory remark leveled exclusively against gays. On the contrary, Hellenistic literature is replete with examples of heterosexuals being characterized as *malakos*. The label seemed to indicate some sort of general moral weakness or excess. The early church fathers invoked the word *malakos* against masturbation. Moreover they never used the word to imply being "effeminate" but rather list other terms for this purpose including *thelubrios* and *androgunos* whence the term "androgyny."

"Did Paul intend to condemn homosexuals? It would appear that his writings leave us with no compelling evidence to decide in the affirmative. Regardless, Paul was a poor authority when it came to matters of sex. He remained single all his life and wished that all men were as he. He saw marriage as a last resort for those who couldn't control their sexual desires. Said Paul, "it is better to marry than to burn" (I Cor. 7:8-9). He thought marriage was good for younger widows to keep them from growing idle and becoming "gossips and busybodies" (I Tim.5:13). Although Paul was a devout follower of Christ who communed intimately with the Lord, it is fair to say that he didn't fully appreciate the love which God created to be shared between two people."

It is a serious thing to take human bias and misrepresentations and then sanctify them by wrapping them in the robes of God's authority. That is clearly Scriptural abuse and God DOES warn strongly those that try and add to His Word. The real abomination is the false biblical teachings that hurt so many whose only "sin" is to be just as God created them to be. It is man that his twisted the biblical meanings for which he needs to repent and spread the truth that their is no sin in the natural sexual orientation of homosexuality any more than it is a sin to be a heterosexual.

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