Some people say that against homosexuality
generally has presented two places, whom are assumed condemning
homosexuality as a sin. 1 Cor 6:9 and 1 Tim 1:10 is Greek word
arsenokoites, and according to some it doesn't mean
homosexuality. Some people say that the meaning of arsenokoites
is also unclear in the midst of Bible scholars. There are also people
who claim that apostle Paul made up this word, because we can't find
this word from Greek texts before Paul.
All preceding claims are wrong and erroneous. The
concept of arsenokoites is in Greek Septuagint text, which has
been made about two hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The
Jews translated the Septuagint in Alexandria of Egypt, because the Jews
were scattered and part of them merged to heathen languages and couldn't
speak and understand Hebrew. For this reason, the Jewish scribes
translated the Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek (Septuagint).
Septuagint and the Greek word arsenokoites:
Lev 18:22 (Septuaginta)
kai meta arsenos ou koimeeteesee koiten gynaikos
bdelugma gar estin
Lev
20:13 (Septuaginta)
kai os an koimeetee meta arsenos koiten gynaikos bdelugma
epoieesan amphoteroi thanatousthoosan enokhoi eisin
Arsenos means male and koiten means bed. Lev 18:22
and 20:13 teach that a man cannot lie (sexual act) with another
man as he lies with a woman. The origin of the word arsenokoites
means homosexual activity and homosexual. Lev 18:22 and 20:13 prove very
clearly that arsenos koiten means homosexual sex, because
the Jews scribes translated words' arsenos koiten describe
men who have sex with other men (homosexuality), which is a sin
and against the will of God. Apostle Paul didn't make up the word
arsenokoites, but it was already as the concept in the Old Testament,
where it meant homosexuality.
It is very clear that the words' arsenos
koiten meant homosexuality (a man who had sex with another
man) to Jews of the Old Covenant era. In the same way
arsenokoites meant homosexuality (a man who had sex with
another man) to Jesus' disciples in the New Covenant era.
Jewish philosopher Philo lived in the
same time as Jesus Christ and Philo has said that arsenokoites meant
shrine prostitute (male temple prostitute), and not homosexual. Some
people have made from this a conclusion that the
word arsenokoites meant a male
temple prostitute. Philo's interpretation was totally wrong, because the
Bible proves this undisputedly and shows that Philo erred.
De 23:17 There shall be no whore
(gedeshah) of the daughters
of Israel, nor a sodomite (gadesh)
of the sons of Israel.
Lev 18:22
Thou shalt not lie (shakab)
with mankind, as with womankind: it
is abomination.
Lev 20:13 If a man also lie (shakab)
with mankind, as he lieth (mishkab) with a woman, both of them
have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their
blood shall be upon them.
The
female temple prostitute is in Hebrew gedeshah and a male
temple prostitute is gadesh. Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 are
Hebrew words shakab (lie, lie down and lie sexually)
and mishkab (bed, lying down, lying down sexually).
Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 doesn't use the temple
prostitute word, but the words in which is denied that a man can't lie
sexually with another man. Always when the Bible speaks for temple
prostitutes, so the Bible uses words gedeshah and
gadesh. If Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 told for temple
prostitutes, so verses would mention them, but there isn't, because in
those verses, the Bible forbids homosexuality. It is very clear and
indisputable in the light of the testimony of the Bible, that
arsenokoites means homosexuality.
The text of Septuagint translators disproves
totally Philo's false interpretation:
De
23:17 ouk stai porne apo thugateron israel kai ouk estai porneuon
apo uion israel ouk estai telesphoros apo thugateron israel kai ouk
estai teliskomenos apo uion israel (Septuagint De 23:17)
In the text of Septuagint appear words
porne and porneuon, which describe temple prostitutes. Jewish
Bible translators' scholars didn't use the word arsenokoites
to describe a temple prostitute. The testimony of the Bible is
unambiguous that arsenokoites doesn't mean temple
prostitute, but homosexual.
Philo was
pleased to Greek, Stoic and Jewish philosophy, and for this reason he
believed that literal interpretation of the Jewish Bible is stifled and
too complex to be understood in literal human terms. Philo was a liberal
theologian of his era, who distorted the teachings of the Bible by his
own human wisdom. Philo's testimony from the word arsenokoites
is invalid and clearly against the teaching of the Bible.
Arsenokoites meant exactly what Jewish Septuagint translators
meant, in other words, it means homosexuality and practicing of
homosexuality, which is a sin according to the word of God (Bible).
1
Cor 6:
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of
God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate (malakos), nor abusers of themselves with mankind
(arsenokoites),
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of
our God.
The word
effeminate is in Greek malakos, which means soft,
effeminate, of a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man, of a male
who submits his body to unnatural lewdness, of a male prostitute.
According to the word of God (Bible) homosexual act between a boy and a
man is a sin, and male prostitution is also a sin.
Abusers
with mankind is in Greek arsenokoiteen - arsenokoites,
which means homosexual. This comes out also very clear from Septuagint
as we have seen it before. Arsenokoites derives from words
arrhen and koite. Arrhen means
a male, and koite means a bed. The Bible brings up also in
the New Covenant that homosexuality is wrong and a sin. The Bible brings
up indisputably that homosexuality is a sin and it is obstruction of
salvation. Apostle Paul taught that homosexuality is a sin as we can see
clearly from 1 Cor 6:9-11.
The word
of God (Bible) teaches very clearly that those people who live in sinful
homosexuality (and unrighteous, adulterers, idolatries and so on)
cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, unless if they don't repent their
sins and forsake their sins.
1 Cor
6:9-11 show for us also that in Corinth, some disciples had been
homosexuals, but weren't anymore, because they were sanctified and
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible
also proves in 1 Cor 6:9-12 that homosexually oriented males can change
and forsake homosexual identity for heterosexual with the help of the
Lord Jesus. There are also testimonies of many ex-gays who have received
salvation in the Lord Jesus, and forsaken homosexuality and turned to
heterosexual persons.
David
and Jonathan
