function listload () { global $list123; if (!isset($list123)) { $ret = array(); $f = fopen ("list.txt", "r"); while ( !feof($f) ) { $s=fgets($f); $t = explode(" ", $s); $ret[$t[0]] = $t[1]; } fclose($f); $list123 = $ret; return $ret; } else { return $list123; } } function showlistitem ($n) { $t = listload(); print(trim($t[$n])); } ?>
Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians has been totally falsely twisted from
the Greek to English. It says nothing at all about homosexuality only ancient
idolatry. The temple of Aphrodite Pandemos, goddess of sexual fertility,
dominated Acrocorinthus and employed 1000 prostitutes who served in sexual rites
virtually around the clock. The greek words pornoi, arsenokitai and malikos,
were no doubt promiscuously available throughout the city, a city famous for her
libertine rites in the worship of idols. Acrocorinthus was the dominant
geographic feature enshrouding the Corinthian skyline and rose to a great height
of 1750 ft. above the city. Corinth, herself, was a metaphor of fertility and
libertine sexuality among the ancient cities of Mediterrania.
6:9 is very wide. In the KJV its "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with
mankind", other versions translate it as homosexuals, sodomites, or who are
guilty of homosexual perversion. However there are many lexical errors in all
these translations.
The idea that "malakos" (soft, effeminate) links it to homosexuality
ignores the hebrew culture. Gay men were not viewed as effeminate unless they
exhibited feminine characteristics in addition to being gay. Many
heterosexual males were called effeminate and there is no essential connection
between this and sexual preference in any ancient literature. Other greek words
were used for homosexuals but never "malakos", and the other words are
never used in scripture.
Boswell points out that it is frequently used in moral context as licentious.
Scroggs points out it also has been used as the effeminate call-boy prostitute
in pederasty, but has nothing to do with homosexuality as we know it today.
There is no recorded used of "Arsenkoites" prior to its appearance in
1 Cor 6:9. English translators traditionally have related it to Sodomites. There
is a double irony to this since, as it is now generally recognized, Sodomites
were not punished for homosexuality.
The claim this word means homosexual, defies linguistic evidence and common
sense. "Koites" generally denotes licentious sexual activities, and
corresponds to the active person in intercourse. The prefix "Arsen",
simply means "male". It could mean a male that has sex with lots of women. Paul
made up a new word. A biblical scholar when a word is unknown, looks for similar
greek words to find a possible meaning. Boswell concludes Paul writing in Koine
Greek, took a word from Attic Greek combined with a word from Old Testament
Greek to mean the active male prostitute. These were common in the Hellenistic
world in the time of Paul. They served as prostitutes for both men and women.
BINGO! Remember "porneia" in the same verse that has been mistranslated
fornication but was really female temple prostitutes? Guess what? Paul also is
condemning the male prostitutes that also were in the temples of the sex gods!
Scroggs relates it to pederasty in the context it is used in conjunction with
"malakos", the effeminate call-boy prostitute. It follows that
"arsenkoites" is used to describe the adult active partner of the
effeminate call-boy prostitute. Again this is a specific style of pederasty
characterized by a young, passive, for-hire call boy and the adult customer.
What is clear it has absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality as practiced
today.
It is a serious thing to take human bias and misrepresentations and then
sanctify them by wrapping them in the robes of God's authority. That is clearly
Scriptural abuse and God does warn strongly those that try and add to His
Word.
The Bible is the key instruction manual for Christians, but many fail to
realize that the English translations of today, often reflect the bias and
history of sexual repression of the Church through the ages and may have nothing
to do with what God or writers were really meaning to say. God's real opinion is
found by digging beneath the surface, and doing that will lessen the danger of
misunderstanding, resulting in confusing our homophobic opinion with God's. God
does not call today's homosexuality sin, only you do.The range of meanings for the Greeks "malakos" and
"arsenokoital"in I Cor
"Malakos"
"Arsenkoites"
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