Bible on Homosexuality 8: 1 Corinth and 1 Timothy

I continue the series on the Bible and homosexuality with two supposed references to homosexuality in the New Testament, in 1 Corinth and 1 Timothy.
A reading of some translations would suggest a clear condemnation of homosexuality

1 Co 6:9-10 (1989 NRSV)
Do not be deceived: neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:9-10 (1989 NRSV)
The law is laid down .. For the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching…

But even in these translations, the verse does not condemn homosexuality as a single act, but as a lifestyle. Indeed, it is enumerated among other lifestyles and unrelenting sinful behaviours. It does not condemn occasional drunkenness or anyone who has ever taken something that does not belong to him or her. Rather stealing has become the defining trait of the thief, drinking is the typical manner of a drunkard. These verses talk about people who have seriously compromised their God-given identity.

There is another fundamental problem with the anti-homosexual reading of these verses. The original Greek text allows for many intepretations. I do not read Greek myself, so I will rely on Daniel Helminiak*, a Catholic priest and an authority on homosexuality and the church. The above translation ‘homosexuals’ is an interpretation of the Greek original: Oute malakoi oute arsenokoitai (Helminiak: 106). Interestingly, these words have been interpreted in many ways. Helminiak observes that: “as prejudices changed, so have translations of the Bible.” For example ‘malakoi’ has been translated as self-indulgent (1985 New Jerusalem Bible), masturbators (until the 16th century in the Roman Catholic Church), abusers of themselves with men (KJV, ASV) and male prostitute (e.g. ‘schandknaap’ in the Dutch NBV). The root meaning of malakoi is: soft, woman-like. Woman-like does not necessarily to refer to sexual penetration, rather it could also refer to the preservation of youthful looks to attract women, self-indulgence. Given this original meaning self-indulgence seems to be a more precise translation.

Arsenokoitai is also subject to diverging interpretations and translations. It has even been translated as ‘practising homosexuals’, a very unlikely understanding of the original text since the theological distinction between practising and non-practising is a recent Catholic teaching. A much more likely interpretation would be: a man who has sex with other men or with others (any one). Theologian James Boswell suggests ‘male prostitutes’ as the correct interpretation. The objection does not apply to homosexual relations per se, but to a specific form of male prostitution. Indeed, the ancient Greeks institutionalised sexual relations between older men and boys to exchange pleasure for material and education favours. Such relations, by our standards, are often abusive (since older men’s power and resources were instruments to influence younger boys). Given the age difference such relations could even be characterised as paedophile.

The translation of ‘Arsenokoitai’ and ‘Malakoi’ as ‘homosexuals’, reflects the opinion of translators and church authorities here and now, rather than the definitive understanding of the original Greek texts. Sadly enough, the dubitable translation as ‘homosexuals’ allows for the condemnation and the exclusion of homosexuals from the Christian fellowship.
The arguments for such unloving condemnations are quite a stretch from the original texts. For instance, the condemnation of lesbian relations cannot be legitimised on the basis of the reference to ‘arsenokoitai’, which clearly refers to acts by men, not women. Still, texts are (wilfully) interpreted as such. Indeed, in many instances condemnation of homosexuality in Churches is more a sign of rampant homophobia or hetero-arrogance rather than Biblical orthodoxy.

* Helminiak, Daniel A. (2000) What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality. Millennium Edition. Alamo Square Press, New Mexico, USA.

homosexuality,Bible,homophobia,Corinth,Timothy