Level 2
Statement Against Same-Sex Marriage
I Corinthians 6:9-10 All Same-Sex Erotic Acts Are Prohibited
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, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (ESV)
Note: to use this verse in any manner against another person is to use this verse in a destructive manner. All Scripture has been given to be a light on our path (Psalm 119:105), to lead us to life so that we might live more abundantly (John 10:10).
Two words in I Corinthians 6:9 cover all instances of same-sex erotic acts. With two terms which span all same-sex erotic acts being found in a vice list, all same-sex erotic acts are prohibited.
The two terms are malakoi and arsenokoitai. These two terms are combined in the ESV in the translation “practice homosexuality.” The term malakoi carries the meaning of the passive partners in same-sex erotic acts. The term arsenokoitai literally means a male who takes another male to bed.
Malakai
Malakai were the passive partners in homosexual intercourse (Gagnon page 306).
Some claim this word simply refers to a person who has a “limp wrist.” This term is more serious in that Paul states that it is sufficient to exclude a person from God’s kingdom. (Gagnon page 308.)
In this passage the term malakoi is sandwiched between adulterers and arsenokoitai. “Immoral sexual intercourse, then, would appear to be an identifying mark of the malakoi.” (Gagnon, page 308.)
Philo (20 BC – AD 50) twice uses malakoi in his discussion of homosexual behavior to refer to passive homosexual partners. (Gagnon, page 308.)
The definition of malakoi as given in the Greek lexicon of New Testament Greek is “2. of persons soft, effeminate, especially of catamites, men and boys who allow themselves to be misused homosexually.” (Page 489.) As is the practice, BAGD lists several ancient texts that use the term in this sense.
Arsenokoitai
The word literally means “bedders of males, those [men] who take [other] males to bed,” “men who sleep or lie with males.” (Gagnon, page 312.)
David F. Wright is cited as having built a case that arsenokoitais was probably coined by Hellenistic Jews. It is formed by joining two words into the compound, two words that appear in Lev. 18:22 and 20:13. The Greek word for “male” and “bed” have been combined into that term and therefore carry the meaning of a “male who takes another male to bed.” This is significant because Lev. 18 and 20 contain very clear, all-encompassing prohibition of same-sex acts (Gagnon page 315).
BAGD defines the term as “a male who practices homosexuality, pederast, sodomite.” (Page 109.) This lexicon includes “pederasty,” which some theologians claim is the only thing the passage prohibits. However, it also includes “homosexuality” which then broadens the meaning to include all forms of same-sex erotic acts.
Thoughts On Responses
Brownson claims the passage only prohibits excessive, or violent acts. However, there is no term in the scriptural passage that contains the meaning of excess or violence. Vines claims the passage only forbids “lack of self-control” and “economic exploitation.” As he does this, he utilizes approaches that probably have not been utilized prior to the advent of the current movement to be in favor of same-sex marriage. Both of these authors make their claims in spite of the fact that the literal translation of the key Greek term here is “a male who takes a male to bed.”
These responses are provided in greater detail in Level 4.
Conclusion
This passage refers to same-sex erotic acts in a way that is inclusive of all forms. It includes passive forms as well as active. In the absence of any qualifier specifying exploitative or excessive traits, this passage encompasses all forms of same-sex acts. By then stating specifically that those who do them will not inherit the Kingdom of God is to indicate that these acts are sinful, and they separate a person from God. Therefore, the church must not give its blessing to same-sex marriages.