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Homosexuality
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I Corinthians 6:9 says the "effeminate" and
"homosexuals" will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The word used here for effeminate is malakos in Greek
and homosexual is arsenokoitai.
Some trying to explain away these words by pointing out that when malakos
is used as a phrase with
cloths means "soft cloths" and therefore has nothing to do with
homosexuality. That is like saying "gay" means happy and therefore has
nothing to do with homosexuality. (Not in this culture)
The following are secular references where the word malakos
is used of certain people (namely catamites) the description of which can be nothing
other than homosexuality.
Dionys. Hal. 7, 2, 4; Dio Chrys. 49[66], 25; Ptolem., PHib. 54,
11 [c.245 BC]
The following are secular references where the word arsenokoitai
is used of a male who practices homosexuality, pederast, sodomite.
Bardesanes in Euseb., Pr. Ev. 6, 10, 25 - Anth. Pal. 9, 686, 5
and Cat. Cod. Astr. VIII 4 p. 196, 6; 8; Sib. Or. 2,73
Romans 1:26,27 describes homosexuality as "degrading
their bodies" by "women exchanging the natural relations for unnatural
ones" and "men abandoning natural relations with women and were
inflamed with lust one for the other." "Men committed indecent acts
with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty of their
perversion." and this is called "degrading, unnatural, vile affection, indecent, depraved, and an
error."
Some try to say that this is a purity law out of the old
testament, and therefore does not apply to Christians. Anything Paul says is
sin in the new testament, whether it is in the old testament purity code or not,
it must be considered a moral sin, and therefore binding on Christians today.
Early Church Fathers:
The following first and second century church fathers described the sin of homosexuality.
- You shall not commit adultery; you shall not commit pederasty.
Didache 2.2 (c. 80-140).
- It is well that they should be cut off from the lusts of the world, since
“every lust wars against the spirit’ and “neither fornicators, nor
homosexual... will inherit the kingdom of God.” Clement
of Rome (c. 96), ECF 1.34.
- Some polluted themselves by lying with males.
Aristides (Syriac version) 8 (c. 125).
- The Greeks, O King, follow debased practices in intercourse with males, or
with mothers, sisters and daughters. Yet, they, in turn, impute their
monstrous impurity to the Christians. Aristides (Syriac
version) 17 (c. 125).
- Pederasty is condemned by the barbarians. However, by the Romans it is
honored with certain privileges. In fact, they try to collect herds of boys
like grazing horses. Tatian, Greeks 28 (c. 160).
- They do not abstain even from males, males with males committing shocking
abominations, outraging all the noblest and comeliest bodies in all sorts of
ways. Athenagoras (c. 175) ECF 2.143
- Show me yourself whether you are not an adulterer, a fornicator, a thief,
a robber. Show me that you do not corrupt boys. ...For God is not
manifest to those who do these things, Theophilus 1.2
(c. 180).
- Men play the part or women and women that of men, contrary to nature.
Women are at once both wives and husbands... O miserable spectacle! Horrible
conduct! Clement of Alexandria, Instructor 3.4 (c. 195).
- The whole earth has now become full of fornication and wickedness. I
admire the ancient legislators of the Romans. These men detested effeminacy of
conduct. The giving of the body to feminine purposes, contrary to the law of
nature, they judged worthy of the most extreme penalty.
Clement of Alexandria (c. 195) ECF 2.77
- The fate of the Sodomites was judgment to those who had done wrong, and
instruction to those who hear. The Sodomites had fallen into uncleanness
through much luxury. They practiced adultery shamelessly, and they burned with
insane love for boys. Clement of Alexandria, Instructor
3.10 (c.
195).
- The Christian man confines himself to the female sex.
Tertullian (c. 197) ECF 3.51.
- I find no dress cursed by God except a woman’s dress on a man. For he
says, “Cursed is every man who clothes himself in woman’s attire.”
Tertullian (c. 200) ECF 3.71.
- The coupling of two males is a very shameful thing.
Tertultian (c. 200) ECF 3.509.
- Such sins are committed by fornicators, adulterers, abusers of themselves
with men, effeminate men, idolaters, and murderers.
Origen, Commentary on Matthew 14.10 (c. 245).
In light of these facts, anyone who wants to argue that
homosexuality is OK, for Christians today, must begin to prove his statement by
finding a first century church father or secular historian that would use the
words to mean something other than homosexuality.
The burden of proof is on them.
All references NIV, unless otherwise noted.