< < < <

Does arsenokoitēs mean male homosexuality in the New Testament - Bible?

The word, arsenokoitēs, is translated as "men who practice homosexuality" in the English Standard Version (1 Cor. 6:9 ESV and 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV) and "abusers of themselves with mankind" in the King James Version (1 Cor. 6:9 KJV) and "them that defile themselves with mankind" in 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV. Moreover, other Bible versions translate arsenokoitēs differently. Which translation is the most accurate?

What was the true ancient Greek meaning of arsenokoites?

How did arsenokoites come to mean "male homosexuality" in the Bible?

Could arsenokoites have referred to male prostitutes or their clients?

Could arsenokoites referred to a fornicator, in general?

Can we deduce the meaning of arsenokoites based solely on 1 Cor. 6:9 & 1 Tim. 1:10?

Lev. 18:22, Lev. 20:13 and Arsenokoites

Yellow

Homosexuality Is Not a SinHomosexuality Is a Sin

The word arsenokoitēs or ἀρσενοκοίτης is composed of two separate ancient Greek words: arrhēn or arsēn meaning "male (as stronger for lifting): - male, man" and koitē meaning "a couch; by extension cohabitation; by implication the male sperm: - bed, chambering, X conceive."1 In the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary, arrhēn and arsēn, written as ἄρρην and ἄρσην, both mean the same thing: They are the singular form of "male; manly, vigorous, strong."2 Notice that the first half of the word arsenokoitēs, arsēn, is singular for male. The second half of the word, koitē, written as κοίτης, means "going to bed, sleep; couch, bed; marriage-bed; embryo; offspring."3

In the English Standard Bible Version, ἄρρην and ἄρσην are used interchangeably to mean "men," "male," and "man." The authors pluralized the word based on how they thought the word was best used in a sentence and not based on the actual linguistic plurality of the word, such as in Matt. 19:4". . . at the beginning made them male and female . . ." Matt. 19:4 ESV., Mark 10:6". . . God made them male and female . . ." Mark 10:6 ESV., Rom. 1:27"And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly . . ." Rom. 1:27 ESV., Gal. 3:28". . . there is neither male nor female . . ." Gal. 3:28 ESV., Rev. 12:5"And she brought forth a man child . . ." Rev. 12:5 ESV., and Rev. 12:13". . . brought forth the man child" Rev. 12:13 ESV.. In each of these passages, ἄρρην and ἄρσην are translated as "male," "man," or "men." However, in ancient Greek dictionary definitions, ἄρρην and ἄρσην are singular.4 Thus, the translation for arsenokoitēs meaning "male, bed" is completely accurate, and it is supported by ancient Greek lexicons, such as A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, which cites several sources that break down arsenokoitēs into "male, bed."5 Obviously, it's pluralized form, arsenokoitai, which some ancient Greek Bibles use, would be broken down into "males, bed."

When we break down the literal meaning of arsenokoitēs (ἀρσενοκοίτης), the word means "male (ἄρσην)- bed (κοίτης)," with a sexual connotation on the last half of the word. If we believe that the word ἄρσην could have referred to "man" as in "mankind," then ἄρσην could have been pluralized in the ancient Greek language and arsenokoitēs could have meant "mankind-bed." Nevertheless, the translations "male-bed" and "mankind-bed" are very broad.

Arsenokoitēs could be referring to "someone who sleeps with a man," "a man who sleeps with others," or some other sexual sin of a man, like masturbation. It is also possible, if you accept that ἄρσην could have referred to "men" as in "mankind," that arsenokoitēs could have meant "someone who sleeps with men" or "men who sleep with others."

Even ancient Greek dictionaries and lexicons translate arsenokoitēs inconsistently. The Greek-English Lexicon (1940) translates arsenokoitēs as "sodomite" - note that a sodomite is "one who practices sodomy" and sodomy is "anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex; also: copulation with an animal." It is also important to note that sodomy refers to any sexual activity that does not produce children and not simply anal intercourse.6 Thus, married and unmarried men and women could be guilty of committing sodomy - sodomy is not exclusive to male homosexuals. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889) translates arsenokoitēs as "lying with men" - note that the gender of the person who is lying with men is undefined. Furthermore, the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary (2002, p. 52) translates arsenokoitēs as, "someone who goes to bed with men." Note that, according to the lexicons and dictionary, both men and women can commit the sin of arsenokoitēs. If one compares other ancient Greek words that are similar to arsenokoitēs, one can easily conclude that arsenokoitēs meant, "one who goes to bed with a man," regardless of gender.

Some ancient Greek bibles use the word arsenokoitai and not ἀρσενοκοίτης, arsenokoitēs, in 1 Cor. 6:9 or 1 Tim. 1:10. People who believe that arsenokoitai means "homosexuals" or "male homosexuals" point out that arsenokoitai is the plural form of arsenokoitēs, and, therefore, the word must be translated as "males-bed-males." Of course, the plural defintion for arsenokoitēs (if it means sodomite) is "sodomites," and the plural definiton for arsenokoitēs (if it means "someone or one who lies with men") is "people who lie with men." "Someone" and "one" are gender neutral. Their claims are illogical and not supported by dictionary definitions.

Finally, some people argue that since arsenokoitai is a masculine plural word, one can simply translate the word to mean "males-bed-males." True ancient Greek translators do not follow this make-believe "rule." All Greek nouns possess declension, case, gender, and number. Likewise, a noun’s gender does not necessarily refer to "male" and "female." A noun's gender refers to grammatical gender, which is determined purely by grammatical usage and must be learned by observation.7 Contextual usage of a word is integral to understanding its true meaning.

Sometimes, masculine and feminine ancient Greek nouns referred to people that were obviously male or female, such as the ancient Greek words for slave – δούλη (a female slave) and δουλικός  (a male slave).8 Sometimes, masculine and feminine nouns that referred to a person were not classified in accordance with the person’s gender, such as methuso (drunkards) in 1 Cor. 6:10 and eidololatrai (idolators) in 1 Cor. 6:9. Moreover, the gender of many nouns seemed to be somewhat arbitrary.9 This is another reason why a word’s contextual usage is integral.

One should note that ALL of the sins that Paul cites in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 and 1 Tim. 1:9-10 have a plural, masculine ending. Notice the "Pl," which means "plural," and "m," which means "masculine," underneath each vice in the aforementioned Greek Interlinear Bible passages. Does this mean that Paul thought that only men could be sinners? Of course not! These words obviously referred to both men and women, despite their masculine gender.

Since other ancient Greek authors used arsenokoitēs to refer to both men and women, we know that the word could not have referred only to men, as the term "male homosexuals" does. Ancient Greek dictionaries take ancient Greek words and their contextual usage into account in their definitions, which is why no secular ancient Greek dictionary exists that defines arsenokoitēs as "male homosexual," "male homosexuality," or "male-bed-male."

The word arsenokoitēs or ἀρσενοκοίτης is actually composed of two other separate ancient Greek words: arrhēn  or arsēn meaning "male (as stronger for lifting): - male, man" and koitē meaning "a couch; by extension cohabitation; by implication the male sperm: - bed, chambering, X conceive."1 The second half of the word seems to mean something sexual, but its true meaning is not apparent. When both halves of the word are placed together, the word arsenokoitēs could mean something that has to do with "men and bed" or "male and beds" or "men and beds," with a sexual emphasis on "beds." All of these translations have one thing in common: They all have to do with a man or men committing sexual sins. Notice that an ancient Greek prefix that refers to a woman is not incorporated into the word. Thus, the man or men must have committed a sexual sin with himself or with other men, and male homosexuality (i.e., sodomy) is the only sexual sin that men can commit with each other.

Some people may think that the term arsenokoitēs is too vague to mean homosexuality. Unfortunately, the word arsenokoitēs is not common in ancient Greek writings. In fact, most scholars believe that Paul "coined" the term because the earliest use of the word has been traced to Paul's use of the word in the New Testament.2 However, despite the perceived "ambiguity" of the word, dictionaries have made its meaning very clear. For example, according to The New Exhaustive Strong's Concordance of the Bible (hereinafter Strong's Concordance), arsenokoitēs means "a sodomite: - abuser of (that defile) self with mankind."3 Moreover, according to An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, ἀρσενοκοίτης means "lying with men," and A Greek-English Lexicon defines ἀρρενοκοίτης, which is similar to ἀρσενοκοίτης, as "sodomite."4

The ancient Greek word arsenokoitēs only occurs in two places in the Bible: 1 Tim. 1:10 and 1 Cor. 6:9. Several Bible versions translate the word arsenokoitēs to mean male homosexuality. This is, most likely, due to the fact that Paul created the word arsenokoitēs to address the sins that are listed in Lev. 18:22 and Lev. 20:13, which prohibit a man from being with another man. We can make this assumption because Paul states in 1 Tim. 1:8 ESV that ". . . the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for . . . the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality . . . ." The "law" that he refers to is the Mosaic law of the Old Testament as set forth in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which includes Lev. 18:22 KJV, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."

Paul states in several other verses that the Mosaic law is no longer applicable to Christians; however, in 1 Tim. 1:10 and 1 Cor. 6:9, he states that the law is applicable to Christians in terms of sins that they need to avoid, and he lists homosexuality as one of those sins. Thus, when Paul uses the term arsenokoitēs to mean "male homosexuality," he is referring to Lev. 18:22, which is a moral law that is relevant for Christians. Therefore, the English Standard Version's translation of the term arsenokoitēs to mean "male homosexuality" in 1 Cor. 6:9 and 1 Tim. 1:10 is accurate.

Some ancient Greek bibles use the word arsenokoitai and not ἀρσενοκοίτης, arsenokoitēs. Arsenokoitai must mean "homosexuals" or "male homosexuals" because arsenokoitai is the plural form of arsenokoitēs Obviously, it would not make sense to translate the word as "male - beds." In fact, the word is self-identifying: It defines its own vice as "males - bed - males," which is also known as "male homosexuals." We can easily deduce that arsenokoitai defines itself as "males - bed - males" because the noun form of the word arsenokoitēs is nominative, singular, masculine and the noun form of the word arsenokoitai is nominative, plural, masculine. Since arsenokoitēs and arsenokoitai are masculine, they must have only applied to males. Thus, "males - bed - males" is an accurate translation; arsenokoitēs must have meant "male homosexual" and arsenokoitai must have meant "male homosexuals."

How did arsenokoites come to mean "male homosexuality" in the Bible?
Homosexuality Is Not a SinHomosexuality Is a Sin

Paul used the term arsenokoitēs to describe a certain type of person who will not be allowed to enter into the kingdom of heaven. There are many different Bible versions, and some of the recent versions translate arsenokoitēs to mean "homosexuals" (see Table I for a list of translations). However, it was not until 1946 that the word arsenokoitēs was first translated as "homosexuals" by the Revised Standard Edition of the NT Bible.10 Surprisingly, the word "homosexual" was present in the English language for over fifty years before it was introduced into some modern translations of the Bible!

Even though the word "homosexuals" first entered the Bible in 1946, Bible translators have interpreted arsenokoitēs differently in the past and in the present. For example, The Revised English Bible, which was published in 1946, translates the word arsenokoitēs, written as ἀρσενοκοίτης, in 1 Cor. 6:9 to mean "sexual perverts" as in, "Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts. . . ." Surprisingly, in 1 Tim. 1:9-10, the Revised English Bible translates the word arsenokoitēs differently to mean "sodomites," as in, "(U)nderstanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient . . . (for) immoral persons, sodomites . . . and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine. . . ."

Notice that the same word in the same surrounding context is translated differently within the same Bible! On the other hand, the New American Bible (NAB) translates the word arsenokoitēs to mean "sodomites" in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 NAB, "Do not be deceived; neither fornicators not idolaters . . . sodomites nor thieves . . . will inherit the kingdom of God." The New American Bible also translates arsenokoitēs to mean "sodomites" in 1 Tim. 10 NAB, "(T)he unchaste, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching. . . ."

According to Strong's Concordance, arsenokoitēs means "a sodomite: - abuser of (that defile) self with mankind."11 But, according to the Old Testament and to Strong's Concordance, a "sodomite" is a male cult prostitute who worshipped idols through various means, including sexual acts.12 It is important to understand that the Old Testament was written primarily in ancient Hebrew, and the New Testament was written primarily in ancient Greek. So the word for "sodomite" in ancient Hebrew may not mean the same thing as the word for "sodomite" in ancient Greek.

The New International Bible (NIV) translates arsenokoitēs in 1 Cor. 6:9 as "men who have sex with men," and in a footnote the translators justify the translation by stating that they translated "translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts." In 1 Tim. 1:10, the NIV translates arsenokoitēs to mean "for those practicing homosexuality," and yet it does not mention the two Greek words referring to active and passive homosexuality in the translation. The reason behind his omission is because the word "malakos," which translators defined as a "passive homosexual" in 1 Cor. 6:9, is missing from 1 Tim. 1:10. Yet, the translators still conclude that arsenokoitēs meant "for those practicing homosexuality," in general terms. The translators do not even limit the term to "male homosexuals," even though many other Bibles that translate the term to have something to do with homosexuality do so. Instead, they unilaterally broaden the term to include male and female homosexuals with no further explanation.

It is scary how arsenokoitēs was first translated in English to mean "abusars of them selves with the mankynde" by William Tyndale in 1526 and was eventually redefined through multiple messy translations to refer to all homosexuals, male and female, in the NIV in 2011. Of course, the majority of people who read the NIV will never question the translation, a translation which is touted by NIV editors as the most up-to-date and accurate version. Of course, based on the literal break-down of arsenokoitēs that is discussed below, we know that Paul did not intend for lesbians to be included as arsenokoitēs, and he most likely did not intend for the term to refer to male homosexuals. Instead, in 1 Tim. 1:10, the NIV authors, who claim that their "updated" Bible translation is the most accurate, disregarded Paul's intentions and ancient Greek dictionaries by creating a new definition for arsenokoitēs and using the word to condemn all homosexuals.

Even though the meaning of arsenokoitēs is not very clear based solely on a linguistic study of the word, one fact about the word is very clear: The word does not translate as "men - bed - men" or "male - bed- male" when its linguistically dissected, despite some people's claims. Perhaps we can relate the word to its true meaning based on a historical context.

In 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV and 1 Tim. 1:10, Paul used the ancient Greek word arsenokoitēs to describe a certain type of person who will be allowed to enter into heaven. Bibles translate this word differently. For example, 1 Cor. 9 ESV and 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV translate the word arsenokoitēs to mean "men who practice homosexuality." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV states, "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . . . will inherit the kingdom of God." This passage was written by Paul for the church of Corinth (see 1 Cor. 1:1-2 ESV), and it clearly states that men who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God. Similarly, 1 Tim. 1:9-10 ESV states, "(U)nderstanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for . . . the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality. . . ."

One can easily see that 1 Tim 1:9-10 ESV compliments 1 Cor. 6:9-10 ESV. However, the King James Version of the Bible states in 1 Cor. 6:9, "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God" and in 1 Tim. 1:9-10, "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for . . . whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind. . . ." Notice that the terms "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with mankind . . ." in 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV are replaced with the phrase "men who practice homosexuality" in 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV. Likewise, the phrase for "them that defile themselves with mankind" in 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV is replaced with "men who practice homosexuality" in 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV.

The reason why 1 Tim 1:10 KJV and 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV condemn "abusers of themselves with mankind" instead of "men who practice homosexuality" is that the King James Version of the Bible was written approximately in 1611 and updated in 1769 with the authorized Oxford edition. However, the term "homosexuality" entered into the English language in 1892, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2012). Thus, the King James Version of the Bible existed approximately 281 years before the term "homosexuality" was ever used in the English language. The phrase "abusers of themselves with mankind" was the closest phrase to "men who practiced homosexuality" that the KJV Bible translators could devise for the ancient Greek word arsenokoitēs, which Paul used to describe these types of sinners. In fact, most modern versions of the Bible translate arsenokoitēs to mean either homosexuality or sodomy (see Table I).

Could arsenokoites have referred to male prostitutes or their clients?
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin Homosexuality Is a Sin

The city of Corinth, during Paul's time, had at least twelve temples in which various deities were worshipped, and in some of the temples, particularly in the temple of Aphrodite, the worshippers practiced religious prostitution.13 It's no secret that the Corinth church had its faults, and 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, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . . " 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV. specifically states that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. In fact, idol worship was extremely common in the city of Corinth and throughout Greece. Moreover, in 1 Cor. 5:11"But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one" 1 Cor. 5:11 ESV., 6:9"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV., 8:5-6"For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist" 1 Cor. 8:5-6 ESV., 10:7"Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play" 1 Cor. 10:7 ESV., and 10:14-21"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" 1 Cor. 10:14-21 ESV.
, Paul relates to the Corinthians that idol worship is specifically prohibited.

We know that male and female temple prostitutes existed during Paul's time, and these people would engage in sexual acts during religious rituals. The castrated Cybele worshippers, for example, were known for being sexually active with other men.14 However, no word in the ancient Greek language existed to refer only to the male temple prostitutes.15 We also know that Paul loathed idolatry; he condemned it often as stated in 1 Cor. 5:11"But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one" 1 Cor. 5:11 ESV., 6:9"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV., 10:7"Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play'" 1 Cor. 10:7 ESV., 14"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" 1 Cor. 10:14 ESV., 20-21"No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" 1 Cor. 10:20-21 ESV., 12:2"You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led" 1 Cor. 12:2 ESV.; Gal. 5:19–21"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry . . . those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" Gal. 5:19–21 ESV.; Eph. 5:5"For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" Eph. 5:5 ESV.; Col. 3:5"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" Col. 3:5 ESV.; Rom. 1:25". . . because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" Rom. 1:25 ESV.; and 1 Thess. 1:9"For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God . . ." 1 Thess. 1:9 ESV.. Likewise, Paul chastised men who visited prostitutes when he reminded them in 1 Cor. 6:13-16"'Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food'—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, 'The two will become one flesh.'" ESV.
that any man who has sexual relations with a female prostitute is united with her.

A man who searched for sexual release outside of marriage could utilize several sources. If the man was wealthy enough, he could possess slaves, and he could use his slaves for sexual release, although rape of slaves was prohibited.16 The man could visit a prostitute, who may have been free-born and who chose to be a prostitute or who may have been sold into prostitution and who was working as a prostitute against his or her will.17

Free-born male prostitutes who worked outside of the brothels also existed, but there was no ancient Greek word the referred specifically to these types of people.18 The historian Scroggs uses the term "call boys" to refer to these types of prostitutes. "Call boys" would often live with a man as his "mistress" for a certain period of time.19 As some "call boys" grew older, they tried to prolong their youthful looks by adapting effeminate mannerisms, such as by partaking in body hair removal, wearing makeup, and wearing effeminate clothing.20 Obviously, "call boys" would target wealthy clients so that they would be paid higher wages and have comfortable living conditions.

Some scholars believe that arsenokoitēs refers to "call boys" who targeted wealthy men and formed relationships with them in hope of obtaining their estate, just like people known as "gold-diggers" in modern times who have "sugar-daddies." The end result was that these boys or men "stole" the estate from the wealthy men's heirs who would have inherited it.

The scholar Nissinen cites Countryman who states that arsenokoitēs is "a link between adultery (pornoi) and theft (andrapodistai), referring to 'legacy hunters who used sexual attraction as bait.'"21 Again, some "call boys" would often incorporate feminine characteristics into their persona. Since the term malakos, which is translated in 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV. as "effeminate" lies next to arsenokoitēs in the Bible (although some scholars believe that malakos should not be translated as "effeminate" in this passage), since some "call boys" incorporated effeminate characteristics as they became older, and since there are no known ancient Greek words that referred to "call boys," it is possible that Paul coined arsenokoitēs to condemn these types of free-born prostitutes in 1 Cor. 6:9 and 1 Tim. 1:10.

In 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV, the vices: "whoremongers" (πόρνος or pornos) "for them that defile themselves with mankind" (ἀρσενοκοίτης or arsenokoitēs) and "menstealers" (ἀνδραποδιστής or andrapodistēs) are listed together. At first glance, one may not think that these vices do not relate to each other. However, whoremongers (πόρνος) means "(male) prostitute" according to Strong's Concordance and "fornicator" according to the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary, and menstealers (ἀνδραποδιστής) means "an enslaver" according to Strong's Concordance and "slave-dealer or kidnapper" according to A Greek-English Lexicon.22

In ancient Greece, men would commonly kidnap men and women and sell them as slaves for prostitution.23 Since the words surrounding arsenokoitēs refer to prostitution and men who kidnapped other people and sold them into prostitution, one might easily deduce that the term arsenokoitēs refers to the clients of male prostitutes. Furthermore, we know from 1 Cor. 6:12-20 that Christian Corinthians had a problem with soliciting prostitutes. Historians note that some Christian Corinthians actively and openly visited prostitutes under the guise of "Christian freedom."24 Notice that 1 Cor. 6:12-20 is only two verses away from 1 Cor. 6:9-10"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (n)or thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Cor. 6:9-10 KJV.. In 1 Cor. 6:15-18"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" 1 Cor. 6:15-18 KJV.
, Paul encourages the Corinthians to flee from fornication and harlotry (i.e., prostitution). Thus, since some Corinthians fornicated with prostitutes, it is possible that arsenokoitēs referred to the clients of male prostitutes.

Male clients of male prostitutes existed; but no ancient Greek word existed to specifically define these types of clients. Paul may have found the clients of the male prostitutes more reprehensible than the male prostitutes, themselves, because most prostitutes were often forced into slavery to prostitute themselves.25 Perhaps Paul coined the term to refer to male prostitutes, male temple prostitutes, or the clients of male prostitutes. It is possible that Paul could have intended arsenokoitēs to refer to male temple worshippers, like the assinu"Hittite texts document transvestite eunuch priests; Babylonian and Assyrian texts refer to the priests who chanted, played music, wore masks and carried a spindle, a symbol of women's work. They were thought to have magical powers and all the references to them indicate that they had been castrated and that they submitted to anal intercourse" (Spencer, 1995, p. 56). See also Greenberg, 1988, p. 96. (male temple prostitutes) referred to in the Old Testament. In fact, it is even possible that Paul created arsenokoitēs to refer to a rapist because there was no ancient Greek word for rape or rapist.

Some people translate the word arsenokoitēs to mean that Paul was writing to the Corinth church to prohibit male-to-male sexual relations because some members of Corinth church were worshipping other idols through sexual acts and rituals. It's no secret that the Corinth church had its faults, and 1 Cor. 6:9"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV. specifically states that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. However, in several passages, Paul specially admonishes Corinthians who offer food to other gods (see 1 Cor. 8:1-10"Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that 'all of us possess knowledge.' This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that 'an idol has no real existence,' and that 'there is no God but one.' For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. or if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?" 1 Cor. 8:1-10 ESV
, 14-21"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" 1 Cor. 10:14-21 ESV.
). In these passages, Paul does not admonish the Corinthians for committing sexual acts in their worship of other idols. Thus, Paul did not create the term arsenokoitēs to mean that only sexual rituals offered up by men in worship to other idols should be prohibited.

Paul condemns prostitution in 1 Cor. 6:12-20. Thus, we know that some of the Christian Corinthians visited prostitutes. However, Paul only condemns those who visit female prostitutes. The ancient Greek word used for "harlot" in 1 Cor. 6:16 is πόρνη"Feminine of (πόρνος); a strumpet; figuratively an idolater: - harlot, whore" "πόρνη." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4204. or pornē and it is the feminine form of πόρνος". . . a (male) prostitute (as venal), that is, (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine): - fornicator, whoremonger" Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4205. or pornos, which referred to a male prostitute. In 1 Cor. 6:16-18, Paul condemns Christians who fornicate with female prostitutes or πόρνη, not male prostitutes or πόρνος. Therefore, the Corinthians must have had problems with soliciting female prostitutes, not male prostitutes, which further proves that arsenokoitēs in 1 Cor. 6:9 does not refer to male prostitutes or the clients of male prostitutes. Therefore, Paul most likely did not create the word arsenokoitēs to refer to male prostitutes or a specific type of male prostitute.

Could arsenokoites referred to a fornicator, in general?
Homosexuality Is Not a SinHomosexuality Is a Sin

The most accurate interpretation of arsenokoitēs is that Paul created the word simply created the word to condemn someone who lies with a man who is not one's spouse. From a purely linguistic study of arsenokoitēs, this definition makes the most sense, especially when we examine other ancient Greek words that end with "κοίτης," such as ἀκοίτης, which means "bedfellow, spouse, husband" (i.e., one who lies with his or her spouse); Βορβοροκοίτης, which means "mudcoucher" (i.e., one (a frog) that lies in mud); δουλοκοίτης, which means "consorting with slaves" (i.e., one who lies with slaves); δρυοκοίτης, which means "dweller on the oak" (i.e., one who lies on oak); μητροκοίτης,26 which means an "incestuous person" (i.e., one who lies with his or her mother); παρακοίτης, which means "one who lies beside, bedfellow, husband;" πεδοκοίτης, which means "lying on the ground" (i.e., one who lies on the ground); and ὑληκοίτης, which means "one who lodges in the wood" (i.e., one who lies on wood).27

Notice that "κοίτης" doesn't always have a sexual connotation in the above ancient Greek words; however, when it does, the suffix κοίτης always refers to a person who has a sexual relationship with the subject in the word's prefix. Furthermore, notice that the person conducting the action could be either male or female. Based on this linguistic study, the definition of ἀρσενοκοίτης as "one (male or female) who lies (κοίτης) with a man (ἄρσην)" is a proper definition of the word ἀρσενοκοίτης, with a logical inference that the man is not the person's spouseMarriage is a ceremony that a priest administers to blessed couples. Some churches conduct gay marriages or at least bless civil unions, and others do not. "Spouse" does not refer exclusively to a male-female couple. Paul only spoke of men and women marrying each other if they burned with sexual desire; he never mentioned same-sex couples marrying if they burn with sexual desire as stated in 1 Cor. 2, 9. Neither Paul nor anyone else in the Bible promotes, prohibits, or even mentions unions between monogamous same-sex couples.. This is similar to An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon's definition of ἀρσενοκοίτης, which is "lying with men."28 Moreover, the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary's (2002, p. 52) definition of arsenokoitēs, "someone who goes to bed with men," supports the conclusion that arsenokoitēs simply referred to someone who had sexual relations with a man, regardless of gender. Thus, when ἀρσενοκοίτης is examined linguistically, the ESV translation of ἀρσενοκοίτης, "men who practice homosexuality," and the other biblical translations of ἀρσενοκοίτης, "sodomite" and "homosexuals," are completely incorrect.

Unfortunately, we simply don't know from a contextual study of arsenokoitēs in 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, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . . " 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV. and 1 Tim. 1:10"For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; " 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV. what Paul meant when he used arsenokoitēs because 1 Cor. 6:9 and 1 Tim. 1:10 is merely a list of sins, and these sins are defined from other sentences within the Bible and from sources outside of the Bible where most of the words are commonly found. Furthermore, it is dangerous to pretend that we understand the word arsenokoitēs outside of any context other than our understanding that it is a vice. There are many words in the English language which, when broken down linguistically, have completely different meanings than when they are used contextually.

For example, take the term "lady-killer." The word could mean someone who kills a lady; it could mean a lady who kills; or it could mean (as currently defined) "a man who is extremely attractive to women."29 Without being able to read "lady-killer" within a descriptive sentence, we would never be able to ascertain the true meaning of the word "lady-killer." In comparison, Paul lists arsenokoitēs along with a list of vices, so we know that the word is a vice, but we have no other context or description by which we can understand the meaning of the word, other than reading the offensive behaviors that surround it.

In 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV, the ancient Greek word malakos (μαλακός) is listed as a vice immediately before arsenokoitēs. The KJV translates malakos as "effeminate;" however, in the ancient Greek language malakos only referred to "effeminate" men who were mild, gentle, weak, or cowardly.30 It did not specifically refer to a man who was a passive sexual partner in a homosexual relationship.

The vices which surround the word arsenokoitēs in 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV and 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV also support the fact that Paul intended arsenokoitēs to mean "male homosexuality." 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV states, "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. . . ." The ancient Greek word that is defined as "fornicators" is πόρνος or pornos, which is defined simply as "fornicator" in the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary.5 Similarly, Strong's Concordance defines πόρνος as "a (male) prostitute (as venal), that is, (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine): - fornicator, whoremonger," and A Greek-English Lexicon defines πόρνος as "catamite, sodomite, fornicator, and idolater" (male prostitute is not mentioned).6

As you can see, πόρνος had several different meanings, with "fornicator" being the most common. Thus, we know that arsenokoitēs is not referring to general sex outside of marriage, "fornication," because that is the meaning of πόρνος, and Paul would not have listed the same vice more than once within the same verse.

Can we deduce the meaning of arsenokoites based solely on 1 Cor. 6:9 & 1 Tim. 1:10?
Homosexuality Is Not a SinHomosexuality Is a Sin

Perhaps we could gain a better understanding of arsenokoitēs if we could see the word used in another context? Unfortunately, Paul was the first person to use arsenokoitēs in the Koine language, and it is not found in any other ancient Greek writings before Paul's writings.31 Other early Christian authors, who used arsenokoitēs after Paul in their ancient Greek writings, utilize the word in various contexts, such as to mean rape, incest, prostitution, sodomy (which was any non-missionary sexual position in ancient times),32 and general male sexual activities. In fact, arsenokoitēs has been used in situations in which men have sexual relations with women.33

St. John the Faster, who wrote manuscripts in ancient Greek and who died in 595 A.D., used arsenokoitēs in his writings to refer to some type of sexual wrongdoing (perhaps sodomy) that can occur between a husband a wife.34 Interestingly, St. John the Faster also uses the word malakos (μαλακός) in his writings to refer to masturbation.35 Furthermore, in the Sibylline Oracles 2:70-77 and the Acts of John 36, arsenokoitēs is used, but it doesn't refer to male homosexuality.36 Thus, at least other ancient Greek authors did not use arsenokoitēs to refer to male homosexuality. Even though no exact word for "homosexuality" existed in Koine Greek, we must ask ourselves if there were other common ancient Greek words or phrases that meant male homosexuality that Paul could have used if he had intended to list a vice referring to male homosexuality.37

Based on the above discussions, we know that arsenokoitēs did not refer to fornicators, in general, and we know that it did not refer to male or female prostitutes. We also know that arsenokoitēs did not mean adultery because Paul uses the word μοιχός in 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV to describe this sin.7 Furthermore, we know that arsenokoitēs most likely did not mean bestiality because κτηνοβάτης meant "one guilty of bestiality."8

What other sexual sins are we left with? Arsenokoitēs most likely did not refer to incest because several ancient Greek words existed which referred to this sin, such as μητρογαμία, μητρογάμος, μητροκοίτης, μητρομιξία, and θυγατρομιξία, all of which refer to incest and most which refer to incest with one's mother.9 Unfortunately, there is no ancient Greek word that translated as rape or rapist, even though rape definitely existed in ancient Greece. However, it is unlikely that arsenokoitēs referred to a rapist because no violent inference exists based on the roots of the word "arsen = man" and "koites = bed." Based on the word's roots, arsenokoitēs doesn't seem to describe a man who would rape a woman or a man. Likewise, arsenokoitēs most likely doesn't refer to pederasty, even though it was very common at that time period, because several other words existed which referred to pederasty, such as paiderastḗs or παιδεραστής, which meant "lover of boys;" paiderastéō or παιδεραστέω, which meant "love boys;" or paiderastíā or παιδεραστίᾱ, which meant "love of boys."10

The only other sexual sin that is left is the sin of homosexuality, and, thus, we must associate arsenokoitēs with "male homosexuality." This definition makes sense since Paul was the first person to ever use the word arsenokoitēs and we know that a word for "homosexuality" did not exist in the ancient Greek language before the use of arsenokoitēs.11

Leviticus and Arsenokoites
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin Homosexuality Is a Sin

Some people argue that Paul meant for the word arsenokoitēs to be translated as "male homosexual" because they believe that he based the word on his interpretation of Lev. 18:22"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" Lev. 18:22 ESV. and Lev. 20:13"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them" Lev. 20:13 ESV.. Unfortunately, there is no research, other than their pure speculation, that supports their beliefs, since Paul doesn't reference these specific passages in his writings. In fact, Paul states in his biblical writings that Christians are no longer under the rule of Mosaic law (see Rom. 6:14"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" Rom. 6:14 ESV., 7:4-7"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet'" Rom 7:4-7 ESV.
; Gal. 3:24-26"So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith" Gal. 3:24-26 ESV., 4:21"Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?" Gal. 4:21 ESV, 5:1-6"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love" Gal. 5:1-6 ESV.
, 5:13"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" Gal. 5:13 ESV.; and 2 Cor. 3:12-17"Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened.

For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.

But when one turns to the LORD, the veil is removed. Now the LORD is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom" 2 Cor. 3:12-17 ESV.
), except when it applies to sin, as he states in Rom 7:4-7"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet'" Rom 7:4-7 ESV.
.

Many of the Mosaic laws and "sins" do not apply to Christians today. So, how do Christians know what sins they must avoid in the Mosaic law? Through Jesus Christ's teachings! Jesus upholds all of the Ten Commandments in his teachings and, thus, a Christian can easily understand that the relevant Mosaic laws are the Ten Commandments.

As previously stated, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, defines ἀρσενοκοίτης as "lying with men."12 Notice that the definition of ἀρσενοκοίτης "lying with men" is similar to the Levitical condemnation of homosexuality in Lev. 18:22"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" Lev. 18:22 ESV. and Lev. 20:13"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them" Lev. 20:13 ESV..13 In both verses, a man who lies with another male as with a female is committing a sin, which will be punished harshly by God. Likewise, we know that the sin of arsenokoitēs will also be punished by God. Paul was well-versed with the Mosaic law. In fact, he often spoke of the Old Testament in his writings, such as in Rom. 5:14"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come" Rom. 5:14 KJV., Rom. 10:5"For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them" Rom. 10:5 KJV., 1 Cor. 9:9"For it is written in the Law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.' Is it for oxen that God is concerned?" 1 Cor. 9:9 ESV, and 1 Cor. 10:8"We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day" 1 Cor. 10:8 ESV.. Thus, it is no coincidence that Paul created a term to describe male-homosexuality that mirrors its Levitical condemnation in Lev. 18:22"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" Lev. 18:22 ESV. and Lev. 20:13"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them" Lev. 20:13 ESV..

1"arrhēn" & "arsēn." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 13, entry 730 &"koitē." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 50, entry 2845 Return

2see "ἄρρην." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 51, which refers to "ἄρσην." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 52 Return

3"arrhēn" & "arsēn." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 13, entry 730 & "κοίτη." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 188 Return

4"arrhēn" & "arsēn." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 13, entry 730; "ἄρρην." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 51, which refers to "ἄρσην." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 52; "ἄρσην." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940; "ἄρσην." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889; & "ἄρσην." Autenrieth, 1891 Return

5Danker (Ed.), 2000, p. 135. Note that A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature also cites many sources that state ἄρσην means either male or man, with the exception of one single cited source, Rom. 1:27, which pluralizes the word to mean "males." Return

6"The term sodomia originated in Medieval Latin about the year 1180 as a designation for the "crime against nature" that could be committed in one of three ways: (1) ratione modi, by obtaining vene­real pleasure with a member of the oppo­site sex, but in the wrong manner, e.g., by fellation; (2) latione sexus, with an indi­vidual having the genitalia of the same sex; or (3) ratione generis, with a brute animal" (Dynes (Ed.), p. 1231, 1990) Return

7Summers, 1950, p. 18 Return

8"δούλη." Autenrieth, 1891; "δουλικός." Autenrieth, 1891; Summers, 1950, p. 18; Colwell & Tune, 2001, p. 36 Return

9"The gender of nouns is grammatical (sic); that is, it is unrelated to sexual gender. For example, the Greek word for 'sea' is feminine, but 'river' is masculine; 'house' may be feminine or masculine, but 'door' is feminine; 'vineyard' is masculine, but 'grapevine' is feminine; 'teacher' is feminine, 'dogma' is neuter, and 'teacher' is masculine" Hewett, 2009, p. 39. Return

10Gerig, 2011, p. 1 Return

11"arsenokoitēs." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 13, entry 733 Return

12see King 15:12 ESV; "qâdêsh." Strong, Hebrew section p. 124, entry 6945 Return

13Introduction to 1 Corinthians, 2002 & MacArthur, 2010, p. 1681 Return

14Partridge, 1960, p. 59 Return

15Nissinen, 1998, p. 72 Return

16"At the opposite end from the voluntary relations . . . were the various forms of slave prostitution, in which boys would be forced to provide sexual services for their masters or master's friends. These boys would, of course, have become slaves by means of the usual ways: being born to a slave mother, captured in warfare or by pirates (and then sold), picked up as an exposed baby while still alive, being sold by one's family" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 38); Scroggs, 1983, p. 51 Return

17"There were brothel houses filled with boys for this purpose, although it is not clear that all brothel prostitutes were slaves" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 38). Return

18"I coin this term to compensate for the failure of the ancients to come up with one of their own (for them these people were simply prostitutes, pornoi). By 'call boy' I mean they were free (i.e., nonslaves) youths, or adults, who sold themselves to individuals for purposes of providing sexual gratification. With 'effeminate' I use the most common description of such persons in the texts themselves" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 40). Return

19"When such youths decided the practice was attractive and remunerative enough, they could essentially make their living this way, often by getting taken into someone's house as a 'mistress' for varying periods of time" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 41). Return

20"As they grew older, many of them gave added emphasis to the charge of effeminacy by trying to prolong their youthfulness and at times by imitating the toilette of women. Coiffured and perfumed hair, rouged face, careful removal of body hair, and feminine clothes are often part of the descriptions of such prostitutes" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 41). Return

21"Countryman (1998, 128) sees arsenkoitai as a link between adultery (pornoi) and theft (andrapodistai), referring to 'legacy hunters who used sexual attraction as a bait.' This interpretation is based on the Decalogue-pattern of 1 Tim. 1:10. Martin (1996, 118-23), on the basis of the contexts in which the word occurs in Sibylline Oracles 2:70-77 and Acts of John 36, concludes that the word refers to some kind of exploitation by means of sex-perhaps, but not necessarily homosexual sex" Nissinen, 1998, p. 177, fn. 69, citing Countryman, 1988, p. 128. Return

22"πόρνος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4205 & "ἀνδραποδιστής." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 7, entry 405. But see "πόρνος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, in which πόρνος has four different meanings: catamite, sodomite, fornicator, and idolater (male prostitute is not mentioned) and see "πόρνος." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 266. Nevertheless, πόρνη is the feminine form of πόρνος (see "πόρνη." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4204 & "πόρνος." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 266, which translates πόρνος as simply "prostitute"). Since πόρνη means "harlot, prostitute," πόρνος may also refer to a "whore," as translated by (Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4204). Return

23"πόρνη." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, stating that πόρνη is probably from "πέρνημι, because Greek prostitutes were commonly bought slaves;" "Exploitation of males owned or controlled by other males was widespread; it was both a common act of aggression against defeated foes to rape them, and a very ordinary use of slaves" (Boswell, 1994, p. 54); "Homosexual concubinage was perhaps less common than heterosexual, but by no means rare. From the evidence of Augustan poetry, one could conclude that Roman men of a certain status had a male slave called a concubinus whose specific function was to meet their sexual needs before marriage" (Boswell, 1994, p. 55); "Very large numbers of prostitutes were recruited from the lower classes and among foreigners and slaves" (Boswell, 1980, p. 77); "Owners of slaves could prostitute them or use them for their own sexual purposes. There is reason to believe that many Roman gentlemen customarily employed a particular male slave for sexual release prior to marriage, and the testimony of Latin literature makes clear that in the households of the wealthy, large numbers of slaves were frequently employed sexually" (Boswell, 1980, p. 78); "Instead, it was slave boys that the Romans were allowed to love" (Spencer, 1995, p. 69). Return

24"Manifestly, there was a group among the Corinthian Christians who advocated this practice, and their support of it seems to have appealed to the notion of Christian freedom" (Mauser, 1996, p. 5). Return

25"Slaves attached to temples also lived without individual owners because temple slaves belonged to the god of the sanctuary, for which they worked as servants. Female temple slaves at the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth served as sacred prostitutes, whose earnings helped support the sanctuary" (Martin, 1996, p. 67); "Paul may have been familiar with temple prostitution, both homosexual and heterosexual, and it is reasonable to conjecture that he is here warning the Romans against the immorality of the kadeshim" (Boswell, 1980, p. 108); "The city of Corinth, at the time, had at least twelve temples in which various deities were worshipped, and in some of the temples, particularly the temple of Aphrodite, the worshippers practiced religious prostitution" (Introduction to 1 Corinthians, 2012 & MacArthur, J., 2010, p. 1681); "πόρνη." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, stating that πόρνη is probably from "πέρνημι because Greek prostitutes were commonly bought slaves." Return

26Concerning the word μητροκοίτης, although μητρο does not stand alone as a word, it is a prefix to words that relate to mothers, as in μητρόθεν, which means "from the mother's side," μητροπάτωρ which means "one's mother's father," μητροπάτωρ, which means "mother-city, mother-country, mother-state, capital," and μητρῷος, which means "of a mother, maternal" (Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 213). Return

27"ἀκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889, "Βορβοροκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889, "δουλοκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, "δρυοκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889, "μητροκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, "παρακοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, "πεδοκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, & "ὑληκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return

28"ἀρσενοκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

29"lady-killer." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012; Boswell, 1980, p. 342. Return

30see Matt. 11:8 KJV"A man clothed in soft raiment? (B)ehold, they that wear soft clothing . . ." Matt. 11:8 KJV. and Luke 7:25 KJV"A man clothed in soft raiment?" Luke 7:25 KJV. in which malakos refers to "soft" clothing. In A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, part III, μαλακός means, in regards to a person, "soft, mild, gentle, faint-hearted, cowardly, morally weak, lacking in self control, weakly, sickly." It was used to mean "effeminate" in regards to music ("μαλακός." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, part III.2.b, III.2.c, III.2.e). See also Whol, 2002, p. 175, stating that malakos meant "unmanly." Return

31Glesne, 2004, p. 126; Waetjen, 1996, p. 109; "ἀρσενοκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889, stating that word was first used in the New Testament; Laymon, 1971, p. 1199, stating that Paul wrote in Koine Greek; Boswell, 1980, p. 341, stating, "Paul appears to have been the first author to use the word." Return

32Spencer, 1995, p. 57; "'Sodomy' had a different meaning in the Middle Ages, referring to anal penetration of either sex or two positions where the woman was on top of the man, or to copulation with an animal" (Spencer, 1995, p. 58). Return

33"In fact, many men commit the sin of arsenokoitēs with their wives" (Boswell, 1980, p. 364 & Brentlinger, 2006-2012, citing John the Faster, Penitential, 575 AD: "In fact, many men even commit the sin of arsenokoitia with their wives)." In this passage, arsenokoitēs either means rape or sodomy, although the paragraph mostly refers to incest. Return

34Boswell, 1980, p. 364 includes the entire translated text of St. John the Faster's Penitential in his book. The relevant portion is, "Some even do it with their own mothers, and others with foster sisters or goddaughters. In fact, many men even commit the sin of ἀρσενοκοιτία with their wives." Return

35Boswell, 1980, p. 364 includes the entire translated text of St. John the Faster's Penitential in his book. The relevant portion is, "Likewise there are two types of masturbation [μαλακός]: one wherein he is aroused by his own hand and another by someone else's hand, which is unfortunate, since what the parties begin by themselves ends up also harming others to whom they teach the sin." Return

36Nissinen, 1998, p. 177, fn. 69. Return

37"As already shown, there was no Hebrew—or, for that matter, Aramaic—word for homosexuality" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 83); "There was, of course, no precise word in the ancient world in any of the languages - Greek, Syriac, Aramaic or Hebrew - which meant homosexual, substantial proof that the concept of a homosexual or homosexual behavior did not exist" (Spencer, 1995, p. 57). Return

1"arrhēn" & "arsēn." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 13, entry 730; "koitē." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 50, entry 2845; & "ἀρσενοκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return

2Glesne, 2004, p. 126 Return

3"arsenokoitēs." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 13, entry 733) Return

4"ἀρρενοκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, "ἀρσενοκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

5"πόρνος." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 266. Return

6"πόρνος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4205. But see "πόρνος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940, in which πόρνος has four different meanings: catamite, sodomite, fornicator, and idolater (male prostitute is not mentioned) and see "πόρνος." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 266. Nevertheless, πόρνη is the feminine form of πόρνος (see "πόρνη." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4204 & "πόρνος." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 266, which πόρνος translates as simply "prostitute"). Since πόρνη means "harlot, prostitute," πόρνος may also refer to a "whore," as translated by (Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4204). Return

7"μοιχός." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 (defined as "adulterer, paramour, general paramour of a sodomite, idolatrous person"); "μοιχός." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 (defined as "an adulterer, paramour, debaucher"); and "μοιχός." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 59, entry 3432 (defined as "Perhaps a primary word; a (male) paramour; figuratively apostate: - adulterer") Return

8"κτηνοβάτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return

9"μητρογαμία." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 (defined as "incest with one's mother"); "μητρογάμος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 (defined as "one guilty of such incest"); "μητροκοίτης." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 (defined as "incestuous person"); "μητρομιξία." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 (defined as "incest with one's mother"); "θυγατρομιξία." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 (defined as "incest with a daughter") Return

10(paiderastḗs) Glesne, 2004, p. 127; "παιδεραστής." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 239; "παιδεραστής." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940; "παιδεραστέω." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 239; "παιδεραστέω." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940; "παιδεραστίᾱ." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 239; & "παιδεραστίᾱ." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return

11Glesne, 2004, p. 126; "Arsenokoitai, on the other hand, is a word that appears to have no prior history in the Greek language and, as is generally surmised, may have been coined by the apostle himself . . . " (Waetjen, 1996, p. 109); "ἀρσενοκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889, stating that word was first used in the New Testament; Laymon, 1971, p. 1199, stating that Paul wrote in Koine Greek; "As already shown, there was no Hebrew—or, for that matter, Aramaic—word for homosexuality" (Scroggs, 1983, p. 83); "There was, of course, no precise word in the ancient world in any of the languages - Greek, Syriac, Aramaic or Hebrew - which meant homosexual, substantial proof that the concept of a homosexual or homosexual behavior did not exist" (Spencer, 1995, p. 57); Boswell, 1980, p. 341, stating, "Paul appears to have been the first author to use the word." Return

12"ἀρσενοκοίτης." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

13"Arsenokoitai, on the other hand, is a word that appears to have no prior history in the Greek language and, as is generally surmised, may have been coined by the apostle himself by combining arsen (male) and koitos (bed), two words that are contiguous in Lev. 18:22 and especially in 20:13" (Waetjen, 1996, p. 109) Return

The Ten Commandments in the New Testament: The first commandment listed in Exod. 20:3 ESV, "You shall have no other gods before me," is repeated by Jesus in Matt. 4:10"Then Jesus said to him, 'Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve"'" Matt. 4:10 ESV., 22:37-38"And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment'" Matt. 22:37-38 ESV., and Luke 4:8"And Jesus answered him, 'It is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve"'" Luke 4:8 ESV.. The second commandment listed in Exod. 20:4"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" Exod. 20:4 ESV., which states that the Israelites shall not create and worship idols, is upheld by Jesus in Luke 16:13"No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" Luke 16:13 ESV. and Matt. 6:24"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" Matt. 6:24 ESV. and Paul in Acts 15:19-20"Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood" Acts 15:19-20 ESV., 17:29"Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man" Acts 17:29 ESV.; 1 Cor. 10:7"Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play'" 1 Cor. 10:7 ESV., 10:14"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" 1 Cor. 10:14 ESV., 10:19-20"What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons" 1 Cor. 10:19-20 ESV., 12:2"You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led" 1 Cor. 12:2 ESV.; 2 Cor. 6:16"What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people'" 2 Cor. 6:16 ESV.; Eph. 5:5"For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" Eph. 5:5 ESV.; Col. 3:5"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" Col. 3:5 ESV.; and 1 Thess. 1:9"For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" 1 Thess. 1:9 ESV.. The third commandment listed in Exod. 20:7 ESV, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain," is cited by Jesus in Matt. 5:33-34"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God" Matt. 5:33-34 ESV. and Paul in 1 Tim. 6:1"Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled" 1 Tim. 6:1 ESV.. The fourth commandment listed in Exod. 20:8 ESV, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," is upheld by Jesus in Matt. 12:8"For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" Matt. 12:8 ESV. and Mark 2:27-28"And he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath'" Mark 2:27-28 ESV.. The fifth commandment listed in Exod. 20:12 ESV, "Honor your father and mother," is upheld by Jesus in Matt. 15:4"For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die'" Matt. 15:4 ESV., 19:19"Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself" Matt. 19:19 ESV., Mark 7:10"For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die'" Mark 7:10 ESV., 10:19"You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother'" Mark 10:19 ESV., and Luke 18:20"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" Luke 18:20 ESV.. The sixth commandment listed in Exod. 20:13 ESV, "You shall not commit murder," is upheld by Jesus in Matt. 5:21-22"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire" Matt. 5:21-22 ESV., 19:18"He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness . . .'" Matt. 19:18 ESV., Mark 10:19"You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother'" Mark 10:19 ESV., and Luke 18:20"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" Luke 18:20 ESV.. The seventh commandment listed in Exod. 20:14 ESV, "You shall not commit adultery," is upheld by Jesus in Matt. 19:18"He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness . . .'" Matt. 19:18 ESV., Mark 10:19"You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother'" Mark 10:19 ESV., 10:11-12"And he said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery'" Mark 10:11-12 ESV., and Luke 18:20"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" Luke 18:20 ESV.. The eighth commandment listed in Exod. 20:15 ESV, "You shall not steal," is upheld by Jesus in Matt. 19:18"He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness . . .'" Matt. 19:18 ESV., Mark 10:19"You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother'" Mark 10:19 ESV., and Luke 18:20"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" Luke 18:20 ESV.. The ninth commandment listed in Exod. 20:16 ESV, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," is upheld by Jesus in Matt. 19:18"He said to him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness . . .'" Matt. 19:18 ESV., Mark 10:19"You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother'" Mark 10:19 ESV., and Luke 18:20"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" Luke 18:20 ESV.. The tenth commandment listed in Exod. 20:17 ESV, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's," is upheld by Jesus in Mark 7:21-22"For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness" Mark 7:21-22 ESV. and Luke 12:15"And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions'" Luke 12:15 ESV.. Even Jesus' second greatest commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39 ESV), can be found in the Torah, "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev. 19:18 ESV).

Top

1 Tim. 1:10 & 1 Cor. 6:9 Home

Copyright 2012-2015 http://www.thegreatbiblicalgaydebate.com

By: L. Jelle