One of the biggest arguments in the Church today surrounds the topic of homosexuality. Is it a sinful practice that ought to be repented of? Is it an innate identity that ought to be celebrated? Christians on both sides of the aisle passionately fight for what they believe is right, and the debates about this topic can get pretty heated.
As Christians, we should be getting our cues on cultural issues from the Bible, not from some activist or ideologue on Twitter or TikTok. And the Bible seems pretty clear and straightforward on where it stands. However, many “gay-affirming Christians” claim that the Bible does not prohibit homosexuality. In fact, they argue that the word “homosexuality” was actually added into Scripture. Is this true? Was “homosexuality” added to the Bible?
The focus verse for this argument is 1 Corinthians 6:9—
“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,” 1 Corinthians 6:9, ESV
As you can see, the Bible seems pretty clear on what it teaches about homosexuality. Those who practice homosexuality (and those who engage in a variety of other sexual sins) cannot enter the kingdom of God. But “gay-affirming Christians” contend that this is not what the original verse said or meant. They claim that the word “homosexuality” wasn’t added into Scripture until 1946. Before then, the verse was not referring to homosexuality in general. Rather, it referred to the practice of pederasty, where men would have sexual relations with their young boy slaves. This prohibition does not refer to loving, committed homosexual relationships. It instead refers to abusive, exploitative practices that were once common in ancient Greece.
But is this really what the verse is referring to? Let’s look at the original Greek. There are two words used in 1 Corinthians 6 to refer to “men who practice homosexuality” – malakoi and arsenokoitai. Malakoi translates to “soft” or “effeminate,” and it typically refers to the passive partner in the relationship. Arsenokoitai is actually a combination of two Greek words – arseno, which means “man,” and koitai, which means “bed” or “to lie with.” This word typically refers to the active partner in the relationship.
Nothing in these words proves that they refer to an exploitative practice. Paul could have used the Greek word paiderastes (which literally translates to pederasts), but he didn’t. Instead, he used the same words that are used in the Greek translation of Leviticus, which we can be sure refers to any type of homosexual practice-
“If a man lies with a male [arsenos] as with [koiten] a woman, both of them have committed an abomination;” Leviticus 20:13a
Can we be sure that 1 Corinthians 6:9 prohibits all homosexual relationships? Obviously, this prohibition of homosexuality agrees with Old Testament teaching (see also Leviticus 18:22). It also agrees with what Jesus taught in the New Testament. While He never said “homosexuality is a sin,” He did affirm that marriage is to be between one man and one woman and that any sexual acts outside of marriage are sinful (Matthew 15:19-20, 19:4-6). Additionally, this verse is in agreement with what Paul has written in other letters (Romans 1:26-27, 1 Timothy 1:9-10). Thousands of translators who have worked with the original Greek text agree that this verse refers to homosexuality in general. Even gay-affirming scholars have admitted that the Bible (and especially this verse in 1 Corinthians) views homosexuality as sin.
What about the claim that the word “homosexuality” was added to the Bible in 1946? This is actually true, but it’s not the gotcha that many “gay-affirming Christians” believe it is. The word didn’t exist in the English language until the late 1800s, and it wasn’t commonly used until the 1930s. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible was published in 1946, and it was the first translation published after “homosexuality” began to be more widely used in society.
The truth is that 1 Corinthians 6:9 and the Bible as a whole agree that homosexuality is sin that needs to be repented of. Whether it seems loving or abusive, homosexuality is contrary to God’s design for humanity. Our bodies were created by God and for God (1 Corinthians 6:13). As Christians, our bodies are members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, and we ought to glorify God in everything that we do with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19-20). And these beliefs aren’t because Christians are just mean towards or scared of people who identify as gay. As Tim Barnett said in an Instagram reel a few months ago-
“That’s not hate or homophobia. That’s just good hermeneutics.”[1]
However, there is hope. After Paul lists all the groups of sinners who will not inherit God’s kingdom, he says,
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
People who struggle with homosexual attractions and feelings are no worse than we once were. We were all sinners, under the wrath and judgment of God, destined for eternal punishment in hell. But Jesus saved us. He washed away our sins. He imputed His righteousness to us. And He is continually making us holy and more like Him. We are no longer destined for death, but we can look forward to eternal life in the presence of our Savior and Redeemer.
Those who engage in homosexual lifestyles can be saved, redeemed, and restored. They can be made holy and righteous in the sight of God, and they too can look forward to spending eternity in heaven. Now, this does not mean that every gay person who becomes a Christian will automatically be attracted to the opposite sex, get married, and have a lot of kids. This might happen, or it might not happen. They may lose all attraction to the same sex, or this may be a struggle for them until they enter glory. But every person, regardless of the sins they have committed in their past, can be saved and redeemed. All they have to do is repent and believe in Jesus.
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20
[1] Tim Barnett (@original_mrb), “‘Not THAT kind of homosexual behavior!’ – Here’s the question: what does 1 Corinthians 6:9 say about homosexual behavior…,” Instagram, reel, December 8, 2021, https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXO0-GwFB5B/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=.
