#arsenokoitai

[tenth-sentence]

These words, which carry a great deal of cultural baggage to do with ancient sexual practices, were over-simplified to make it sound like the Bible contains a sweeping condemnation of homosexuality.

"In/Out: A Scandalous Story of Falling Into Love and Out of the Church" - Steph Lentz

[oh-dear-so-queer]

The clincher was the discovery that the word 'homosexual' first appeared in the Bible (1 Corinthians 6 RSV) in 1946, following an error in the translation of the Greek words 'arsenokoitai' and 'malakos'.

"In/Out: A Scandalous Story of Falling Into Love and Out of the Church" - Steph Lentz

[brantheblessed]

Veteran of the tumblr arsenokoitai discourse.

Circa 2011 (colorized)

[dhddmods]

THE BIBLE IS NOT ANTI-QUEER!

We have been dying to make this post for a long time. What we'll be covering includes the following:

Firstly - mistranslations and out-of-context verses.

Secondly - genderqueerness in the Bible.

Thirdly - Jewish cultural genders.

(Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and genital mutilation.)

1st Corinthians 6:9 - 6:10

1st Corinthians 6:9 - 6:10 is mistranslated.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

"Effeminate" is a mistranslation of malakoi. Malakoi is a man who is weak or cowardly - not a man who is feminine. The mistranslation is based in misogyny, by turning "weak/cowardly" into a feminine trait.

"Homosexual" is a mistranslation of arsenokoitai. Arsenokoitai are men who assault other men - not just a gay man. Its absurd to mistranslate "gay rapist" into just "gay."

Leviticus 22

Leviticus 22 is out of context. Leviticus briefly mentions homosexuality, by stating “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination.”

However, the context of the original Hebrew text and the verses before this is very important. Before this verse, there was a discussion of incest and infidelity between men and women. But none of these texts ever clarified if the laws also applied to male-on-male incest and infidelity. The addition of Leviticus 22 is not to condemn homosexuality, but to clarify that the previously listed laws also apply to gay incest and gay infidelity.

In full context, the verses go as following:

None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. I am the LORD. The nakedness of thy father, and the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or the daughter of thy mother, whether born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover; for theirs is thine own nakedness. The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister; for she is thy mother's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law: she is thy son' wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; thou shalt not take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness: they are near kinswomen; it is lewdness. And thou shalt not take a woman to her sister, to be a rival to her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime. And thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness. And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to set them apart to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination.”

Eunuchs

The Bible discusses Eunuchs in many different chapters. “Eunuch” was a term used to describe three things:

A man whose penis was removed, due to slavery or a desire for abstinence. 

A person who was born with a male-appearance, but no penis; a type of male-appearing intersex person.

Or a person who removed their penis due to not identifying as a male; a transgender or altersex person, or an intersex person whose penis did not align with the rest of their experiences.

Each of these definitions can be seen in Mathew 19, Verse 12.

“For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”

Further evidence that some eunuchs are non-binary can be seen in Isaiah 56, Verse 4-5.

“For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”

Jewish cultural genders

In Jewish culture (which is where Jesus is from), there were eight recognized genders - Zachar, Nekevah, Aylonit Hamah, Aylonit Adam, Saris Hamah, Saris Adam, Androgynos, and Tumtum.

(Zuh-car) Zachar was the term for people who were born with male traits, and lived their life as a man. In modern terms, this is a cisgender man.

(Neck-eh-vuh) Nekevah were people who were born with female traits, and lived their life as a woman. This would be a cisgender woman.

(Eye-low-night Hah-maw) Aylonit Hamah were people who were born with female traits, but naturally developed male traits later in life. This describes people who were intersex, and had hormonal variations that caused male traits to develop.

(Eye-low-night Ah-dom) Aylonit Adam were people who were born with female traits, but developed male traits through human intervention. This describes trans-men or masculine non-binary people.

(Saw-riss Hah-maw) Saris Hamah were people who were born with male traits, but naturally developed female traits later in life. This describes people who were intersex, and had hormonal variations that caused female traits to develop.

(Saw-riss Ah-dom) Saris Adam were people who were born with female traits, but developed female traits through human intervention. This describes trans-women or feminine non-binary people.

(And-draw-joe-naws) Androgynos were people who were born with a mix of female and male traits. This described intersex people who had ambiguous genitals, or otherwise appeared to have a mix of genitals. Modern Jews also use it to include non-binary and altersex people with androgynous identities.

(Pronounced exactly how it's spelled) Tumtum were people who were born lacking sex traits. This described intersex people who were on the agenital spectrum - people whose genitals were small or obscured. Modern Jews also use it to include non-binary and altersex people with neutral identities.

[anamericangirl]

I'm honestly really lost about something.

I've heard people claim that the Bible verse that said "A man lying with a man is an abomination" actually said "A man lying with a boy is an abomination" in the original language(s).

And since I don't speak any of these languages, I have no idea if this is true. To me, it's just as likely that there really was a mistranslation (if not a deliberate agenda) as it is that people are just trying to make the Bible more politically correct (since unlike homosexuality, an adult having sex with a kid is something that we can all agree is wrong).

Is there any, like, further debate on this, I guess? Like, you've got what we originally had and agreed on (that being that this Bible verse says being gay is wrong), and then you've got people saying "Oh, that's actually not true!" Do you know if anyone's made a response to that? And if someone made a response to that response, and so on and so forth?

Thank you in advance. This is tearing me apart...

It's very easy to get lost amongst those claims so I don't blame you and it's hard to know what the truth is if you don't know where to look.

That claim, however, is not true. It's a claim that's been around for a while and many biblical scholars and theologians have devoted their lives to studying that exact claim and they all always come to the same conclusion: that it's a direct condemnation of two grown men have sexual relations with each other.

In Corinthians, when Paul is talking about homosexuality, the word he uses is "arsenokoitai" which is actually a word he coined. He created a compound word with the words "arsenos" and "koiton".

"koiton" means to lie with or "bed" and "arsenos" means "a man" and was in fact the word used in the book of Leviticus for "a man." Paul knew what he was doing here and used that word specifically in his creation of the new word because the people he was speaking to at the time would have understood that to be a condemnation of two adult men sleeping together.

Jews who lived during the biblical time period considered homosexuality to be sinful because of that verse in Leviticus. No one who was living around that time interpreted that law as a condemnation of pedophilia or men sleeping with boys (although that absolutely is condemned in the Bible just not this particular verse), they all saw it as a condemnation of homosexuality. The idea that it's a mistranslation is a more modern take. But the fact that people of the time period understood it as a condemnation of homosexuality is a big hint that that's what it was.

Also, if you read the Bible and are looking to understand what it says about homosexuality, it's not insignificant that every time it's mentioned it's mentioned in a negative way. There is not a single positive reference to homosexuality anywhere in the Bible, which is another big hint that Leviticus is not a mistranslation.

And again, the idea has been debunked by scholars who have spent years studying it and you won't find a serious scholar who was able to conclude that Leviticus is talking about men taking advantage of boys and the debate is still only had by people who don't really understand the historical context and haven't done any real research into the topic. The claim has long been debunked by actual scholars.

Hope that was helpful and was able to provide at least a little insight into the issue for you!

[bymeraki]

While I am an atheist and do not agree with the condemnation of homosexuality, the idea that biblical condemnations of it are purely a misinterpretation isn’t accurate.

One misconception that has spread is that Leviticus 18:22, translated in English as “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” is actually meant to say “You shall not lie with a boy.” However, the original Hebrew phrase “mishkav zachar” (מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר), literally means “the lying of a male with a male.”

The confusion around these terms stems mainly from a misunderstanding of terms malakoi and arsenokoitai in the context of ancient Greek. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, malakoi and arsenokoitai are listed among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. The term arsenokoitai is a compound Greek word made up of arsen (ἄρσην), meaning “male,” and koite (κοίτη), meaning “bed” or “sexual intercourse.” So, arsenokoitai literally translates to “those who lie with males” or “male bedders.”

Malakoi is being mistaken for meaning boy, but it is actually translated as “soft,” “effeminate,” or “passive,” and is not inherently linked to age. In ancient Greek, malakoi originally referred to softness or weakness, particularly in a physical or moral sense. It was used to describe people considered effeminate, weak, or passive in nature. The mistaken association with “boy” comes from the context of certain Greco-Roman cultural practices, where relationships often involved age and social status dynamics. For example, in pederastic relationships (which involved an older male and a younger male partner), the younger male was often the passive or malakos partner. This may have led some to erroneously associate malakoi with “boy.” However, malakoi itself does not mean “boy”—it refers to someone in a passive sexual role, regardless of their age

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 suggests that both malakoi (the passive partner) and arsenokoitai (the active partner) are held equally morally responsible. If the Bible was solely referring to pederasty—sexual activity involving a man and a boy—the passage would effectively be condemning both the adult perpetrator and the underage victim. This would imply victim-blaming, which would be inconsistent with biblical principles of justice and the protection of vulnerable individuals. For example, Matthew 18:6 states, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” This highlights the seriousness of harming children, not blaming them as morally responsible participants.

You are free to interpret it as you wish, of course, but I find it more likely that the condemnation of malakoi and arsenokoitai in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is addressing homosexuality, not pederasty. Specifically, with malakoi refering to the passive sexual partner (the “bottom”), and arsenokoitai refering to the active or dominant sexual partner (the “top”).

[she-is-loved]

jesus doesnt support homosexuality..?

Jesus makes no mention of homosexuality. The only type of sexual immortality He refers to during His ministry is adultery & lust (Matthew 5:27-32) I am not going to reference any verses from the Old Testament as we are no longer bound to it's laws.

The only use of the word "homosexual" is in 1 Corinthians 6:9. The two Greek words that are often translated into homosexual this verse are "arsenokoitē" and "malakos". The word "arsenokoitē" is also used in 1 Timothy. Malakos is a fairly easy word to translate as it's found in multiple times in the bible; it translates to "soft", "meek", or "weakling". This word was often used to describe those who were weak in battle or man who lived very pampered lives. Arsenokoitē is a bit more of a difficult word to translate because it's not found in any other Greek texts. It's very possible that this word was a created by Paul by combining the words "arsén" (male) and “koité” (bed). Through the 16th-20th century, this word was translated to "abusers of themselves with mankind" and "liers with mankind". In the 1940s, arsenokoitē began to be translated to homosexual despite the fact that the word homosexual or anything similar to it didn't exist during biblical times.

There is also Romans 1:26-27 which is a must longer breakdown of the translation that I don't have time for right now (I'll attach a website that breaks down the translation of these two verses)

My final, and most important point, is that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality but He DID say for us to love one another. In Matthew 5: 37-40 He says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Let me know if you have anymore questions. Lots of love and God bless you!

References:

https://www.believeoutloud.com/voices/article/clobbering-biblical-gay-bashing/

https://www.rwuc.org/2020/03/20/arsenokoitai/

https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.5.ESV

[anniflamma]

It always makes me laugh to think that the Apostle Paul's Hebrew name is Saul and his Roman name is Paul. Considering that Jesus healed the centurion's servant, he had no interest in homophobia, but considering that Paul left that infamous homophobic letter… Paul (Saul): I don't know why, but I feel like I lost my crown, which I never had, because of my gay son and bisexual son-in-law.

Hehe, I'm going to dump my knowledge of the Bible now! XD

I guess the 'infamous homophobic letter' you mentioned is the Corinthians, right?

Paul says that individuals who continue in sinful behavior will not attain heaven and among these 'sinners' were drunkards, people who bangs alot, and cheaters. He also references two Greek words that many translate and associate as expressions of same-sex behavior. These two words are malakoi and arsenokoitai.

Of course, these are the words throughout history that translators have had the worst time translating, and of course, homophobes change the meanings of what these words actually means.

Malakoi directly translates into 'soft,' and it was usually used to describe someone who lacks self-control and is weak, cowardly, and lazy.

Of course, people being sexist and all translate this word to 'effeminate' instead. Because women are lazy and cowards, I suppose... 🙄 Instead, the word doesn't really have anything to do with gay men, but it could have a connection when you use the word in a sexual context. However, that word is frequently used to describe men who were seen as lacking self-control in their love for... women.... For the past centuries, English translations used the word 'weaklings'. It's only in the past century that they connected the word with same-sex relationships instead.

Arsenokoitai comes from two Greek words: arsen (male) koites (bed). This is the word that makes many speculate that this term was used to condemn same-sex behavior. Alas again! CONTEXT 👏 ALWAYS 👏 MATTERS! 👏 The word likely relates to sexual or economic exploitation, due to in ancient literature, the word only appears in lists of vices. Some historians even think that this was about temple prostitution. So yeah, it probably relates to same-sex behavior, but not in a consensual way.

And then we have the whole deal that many people points out... The dude was a Roman who could speak Greek... Why didn't he just use the words Erastes and Eromenos if he wanted to be really clear to condemn same-sex behaviors? Malakoi and Arsenokoitai have never really been used as a pair by other ancient writers.

So again, why didn't Paul just use the already existing term that was associated with same-sex behaviors? Why not the latter? Hmmm... Mystery.... 😶

And I'm not going to talk about the Romans letters because there he just slut-shaming EVERYONE!

I'm definitely wanna/gonna talk about Paul's sexuality! But that will be later... I need to rest!

(ps. I don't really know if you even wanted to know this, but here we are... I also feel like I spiraled a bit… Sorry!)

[godlovesdykes]

but how does the gen z bible translate arsenokoitai

[ziggy-solarecreator]

The Bible and Homosexuality

Many Christians have heard that the Bible says “homosexuals” will not enter the kingdom of God. But the term “homosexual” wasn’t used in any translation of the Bible until 1946—and the head of the translation committee that first added it eventually admitted they had been wrong to do so. (Watch the video here to learn more: reformationproject.org/case/1-corinthians-and-1-timothy.)

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul warns that those who persist in sin will not inherit God’s kingdom. He lists thieves, adulterers, the greedy, and slanderers, and he uses two Greek words that began to be translated in the mid-20th century to refer specifically to gay men.

The first word—malakoi—literally means “soft,” and it was widely used to describe a lack of self-control, weakness, cowardice, and laziness. Although most uses of the term in ancient literature were not related to sexual behavior, men who were seen as taking the “passive” role in same-sex relations were sometimes called malakoi. But the term was also applied to men who were seen as lacking self-control in their overzealous pursuit of women, and most translations until recent decades were fairly generic: “weaklings,” “wantons,” and “debauchers.”

The second word—arsenokoitai—is a more likely reference to same-sex behavior, as it comes from two Greek words meaning “male” and “bed.” But the contexts of the word’s usage in ancient literature indicate that it likely related to sexual or economic exploitation. So while that may have involved forms of same-sex behavior, it would have been exploitative forms—nothing like most same-sex relationships today.

The word “homosexual” didn’t exist in any language until 1869, nor did the concept of sexual orientation itself. That’s why the head of the Revised Standard Version’s 1946 Bible translation committee later admitted their use of "homosexual" was an error. Unfortunately, their mistranslation had already been adopted by other Bible translators, and many parents continue to cite it to reject their children. But it isn't what those two Greek words actually mean, and it's imperative for translators today to correct the record.

Learn more: reformationproject.org/case/1-corinthians-and-1-timothy.

[kaitykat20]

Hello folks! After a hiatus on making my own posts (that went for almost 5 years apparently wHOOPS😂) I’ve come back with one that is very important to my heart: the case for homosexuality in the Christian religion.

I was raised in the church, specifically the Southern Baptist denomination, and my love for Jesus hasn’t swayed in all 22 years of my life. Not even when I believed homosexuality was ok and realized I myself fall halfway into that boat as a bisexual (technically biromantic asexual but close enough)

That being said, I fully intend to post my studies on various mistranslations and such to share with you all, starting with 1 Corinthians 6:9!

If the forgetfulness with my mental issues kicks in please know I’m sorry and genuinely did want to post more verses as I was writing this😅

Lastly, please know that no matter who you love or what gender(s) you identify with, Jesus loves you and would apologize for any Christians who have hurt you in His name!

[janusfranc15]

John Boswell’s book is Excellent, and delves a little into WHY Homophobia became Normalized within the Church.

(With the answer being more complex than ‘The Old Testament’ as the verses used to support Homophobia were often interpreted differently early-on. (Sodom and Gomorrah was interpreted as more of a Why You Don’t Violate Guest Right than a specific condemnation of Gay Sex, with Jesus himself alluding to this interpretation. Paul’s letters condemning Gay Sex- if it was even written by him, and not a later writer doing so under his name- uses a word -Arsenokoitai- that does not correspond to the usual ones used to describe Homosexuality at the time.)

What article would you recommend to someone just getting into queer history?

It would really depend on the person and what they are looking for in terms of queer history, but how about we do a choose-your-own-adventure type answer!

Are you looking for a look at how we got to where we are today in terms of queer history?

Read: Magnus Hirschfeld or Maryam Khatoon Molkara

Are you looking to find comfort in the fact that queerness has existed throughout history?

Read: Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum or Sir Ewan Forbes 

Are you looking to have some of your preconceived notions about queer history to be challenged?

Read: The Golden Orchid Society or Rotimi Fani-Kayode

Does queer history intimidate you because you are afraid of it being a list of tragedies?

Read: The Ladies of Llangollen or Jackie Shane

Do you want to learn about the intersection of queer and disability history?

Read: Lou Sullivan or Victoria Arellano 

Do you want queerness that resonates with lesser-known/discussed identities?

Read: Kristina King of Sweden or Zinaida Gippius 

Are you looking for more information about names you already recognize?

Read: Sappho or Langston Hughes

Are you looking to be pulled into a rabbit hole of queer history?

Read: Edward Carpenter or Xulhaz Mannan 

Are you looking for someone within your region?

Read: Making Queer History by country

Just searching for an odd little slice of queer history to wet your appetite?

Read: Elmyr de Hory or Salim Halali 

Just want to know something new?

Read: Bajazid Doda or Geoffrey Bawa

Just looking for a story to grip you emotionally?

Read: Emmeline Freda Du Faur or Zdeněk Koubek 

I hope you find something in this list that helps!

[bradleymarshall]

The term ‘homosexuality’ wasn’t in the Bible until the 1940s-1960’s. ‘Arsenokoitai’ was the word in question.

One of the reasons why people believe it was intended to mean pedophilia is because other translations translated arsenokoitai as pederasty.

ped·er·as·ty /ˈpedəˌrastē/ noun

sexual activity involving a man and a boy.

There was, however, another Greek term that did mean homosexual relations between two men:

“Although the word in English Bibles is interpreted as referring to homosexuals, we can be fairly certain that this is not the meaning that Paul wanted to convey. If he had, he would have used the word "paiderasste." That was the standard Greek term at the time for sexual activity between males.”

HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL VIEWS

The following person did a lot of research with international and older translations:

Has “Homosexual” always been in the Bible? — forge

They use the word knabenschander. Knaben is boy, schander is molester. This word “boy molesters” for the most part carried through the next several centuries of German Bible translations. Knabenschander is also in 1 Timothy 1:10.

So we went to 1 Corinthians to see how they translated arsenokoitai (original Greek word) and instead of homosexuals it said, “Boy molesters will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

She said, “It says boy abusers, boy molesters.” It turns out that the ancient world condoned and encouraged a system whereby young boys (8-12 years old) were coupled by older men. Ancient Greek documents show us how even parents utilized this abusive system to help their sons advance in society. So for most of history, most translations thought these verses were obviously referring the pederasty, not homosexuality!

You also need to consider the following: why only specify “men who lay with men” if Paul was referring to homosexuality and not “men who abuse boys”?

Further to the point, ‘sodomite’ is mistakenly used in reference to homosexuals because of the story of Sodom & Gomorrah. I say “mistakenly�� because Sodom & Gomorrah wasn’t about homosexuality.

[Ezekiel 16:49] “Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.”

”But what about when Sodom’s citizens wanted to rape the male angels?” you may ask.

God had already decided to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah before sending his angels. There was “an outcry” over their sins.

Jude 1:7 also mentions Sodom & Gomorrah, yet doesn’t specify same sex relations. Each translation differs slightly but describes:

sexual immorality and perversion

immorality and every kind of sexual perversion

fornication and pursuing ‘strange/other flesh’

Is there anything listed that cannot also describe heterosexual behaviour? “Sexual immorality” also includes sex outside marriage.

Perversion can certainly describe pederasty/pedophilia and beastiality.

Strange or other flesh can likewise describe beastiality, as well as pursuing alien or angel flesh. Divine beings are not human after all

[automatismoateo]

"Hateful homophobic christians are just a tiny minority the bible isn't homophobic actually" via /r/atheism

"Hateful homophobic christians are just a tiny minority, the bible isn't homophobic actually" In the past few years I've seen this statement get popularized with 'progressive' christians. Personally, I feel gaslit. A couple of decades ago (and that's stretching it, it's more recent) there were literal 'family values' christian politicians getting elected just because they opposed gay marriage. It wasn't a tiny minority, it wasn't 'some weird sect' within christianity, it was the popular school of thought. Every time I see progressive christian be like "ummm... actually, christianity isn't hateful, it's just a tiny minority of bigots using christianity as a bludgeon". They can't even acknowledge that, actually, progressive branches of christianity are the minority. Also who the hell cares if the 'arsenokoitai' passage of the bible is about pedophiles (it isn't) or not? from decades on now it has been used to justify violence against queer men. Submitted January 13, 2024 at 05:19AM by dumbocolgate (From Reddit https://ift.tt/VQBE1RG)

[jwood718]

Sure to be at the top of many lists of films to see or abhor, 1946 documents the search for The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture.

The documentary posits that a huge portion of our current "culture wars" center on a word in the Bible that only first showed up in a 1946 translation: homosexual.

"...in an apparent mistranslation of the ancient Greek words malakoi – defined as someone effeminate who gives themselves up to a soft, decadent, lazy and indolent way of living – and arsenokoitai – a compound word that roughly translates to 'male bed.' While people could take it to mean man bedding man, within the context of the time, scholars believed that arsenokoitai alluded more to abusive, predatory behavior and pederasty than it does homosexuality."

Full story by Vivian Ho for The Guardian

[the-oddest-inkling]

I love how when in a debate about Homosexuality, Christians are always like: Yeah, we don't follow most rules from the old testament anyways, but Homosexuality? That rule is still valid, because reasons.

There's only like three quotes from the new testament that deal with homosexuality and the greek words used in that context don't even specificially mean "Homosexual Practices".

People still debate about the meaning of arsenokoitai and if it really means "homosexuals" or rather prostitues/pedophiles etc.

It's interesting how Christians always say how important biblically accurate interpretation is, but then disregard historical and cultural context completely. Like, make it make sense my dudes.

I also heavily doubt that ancient cultures really knew about consensual same-sex relationships. We know for a fact that that was only starting to be more common in the late 19th Century.