Arsenkoites
Submitted by Jikety on October 05 2000 17:45:33
In reply to Ah, the ol' arsenokoitai debate submitted by Heather on September 08 2000 19:18:42
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arsenokoites is really pretty straightforward. It occurs twice in the NT, once in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and again in 1 Timothy 1:10. One describes them as 'not inheriting the kingdom of God', the other as 'contrary to sound doctrine' and those for whom the law was intended (those who are 'not righteous' and 'lawless and disobedient'). arsen means "man" in Greek. koite means "bed" or "couch". Where did Paul get this word? He lifted it straight out of Leviticus 20:13: If a man also lie with mankind, as with a woman a Scripture we all know well. The Greek translation of the Hebrew OT known as the Septuagint, to which Paul must have had access as a scholarly Pharisee of the 1st century, uses the word arsen for "man" in Leviticus 20:13, and uses the word koite for "lie". Simply put, an arsenokoites, according to Paul's Greek OT, was a man who lied with another man as described in Leviticus 20:13 - those who engage in homosexual intercourse. Pretty straightforward. Sexual acts between men are clearly condemned by Scripture. But there is freedom and forgiveness in Christ for those who will have it - 1 Corinthians 6:9 promises it. Those who used to be arsenokoites, that is, those who used to engage in male homosexual intercourse, can be washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God, just as those in Corinth were. The Bible is clear - we can be freed from guilt and condemnation for past sinful homosexual sex acts! Washed from them, set apart as special for God in spite of having committed them, and brought into right standing with God, holy in His eyes in spite of our past sins, because of what Jesus Christ did in dying for us, being raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit, alive even now as a mediator between us and God. His righteousness can be ours if we will turn away from doing what is sin, stop doing it, turn to God and through Christ have our sins wiped away - in order that we may receive refreshing from the very presence of God! |
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