Jesus said nothing directly on the issue of
homosexuality. There are references to same-gender sexual behavior elsewhere in
the New Testament. The most important of these is Romans 1. But, as we have
seen, it is not clear that what Paul was concerned about in his context is the
same thing we are talking about in ours. There are two other New Testament
passages where Paul (or in the case of 1 Timothy, likely someone writing in the
spirit of Paul) refer to some sort of same-sex sexual behavior. They are 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10. A lot of scholarly ink has been spilled regarding just
what the Greek words in these verses mean. Rather than rehashing all that
myself, I refer you to this written by Evangelical theologian and ethicist,
David Gushee:
In 1 Corinthians 6:9
and 1 Timothy 1:10, Paul (in the second case, probably a pseudonymous “Paul”)
deploys two “vice lists” — a common enough rhetorical strategy in the
Greco-Roman world — to communicate to his readers condemnation of sinful
behavior. With regard to 1 Corinthians, most scholars agree that Paul is
dealing with an especially unruly congregation, some of whom have fallen prey
to moral laxity, including in sexuality. Paul writes to correct that, and to
make it perfectly clear that the salvation offered by grace does not also offer
an exemption from basic moral requirements. Then follow 10 types of people who,
Paul warns, will not “inherit the kingdom of God.” In 1 Timothy 1, the context
for the vice list is more obscure. It falls under a discussion of “the law,”
and the author’s concern about false teachers apparently focusing overmuch on
the law. Paul says that the law is mainly intended for the godless. Then follow
seven examples of such godlessness.
In both vice lists the
Greek word arsenokoitai is used. In
the first list, the word malakoi is
directly in front of it. A vast, highly contested scholarly literature exists
to parse out the meaning of these two odd little words.
Next: Sodom
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