According to Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle, the notion of homosexual activity being sinful found it’s way into the Bible accidentally: it’s a mistranslation by a group 22 white men. Had they been blessed with more melanin in their skin, I’m sure they would not have made this silly mistake.
Read the whole thing here (Page 8)
RECENTLY I had the opportunity to watch the documentary 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture. This movie follows the stories of three individuals whose life experiences lead them to struggle with questions about whether one could be a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and Christian. This search brings these three individuals together and ultimately leads to this project. A key part of this journey was to explore how homoexuality found its way into the Bible. As it happens, the first time the word appears is in the 1946 English translation of the Revised Standard Version (RSV). In developing this edition, the group of 22 white men, chose to combine two words from the original Greek, malakoi and arsinoskoitai, found in 1 Corinthains 6:9-10, to become ‘homosexuality’.
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The word may not have been there, but the concept certainly was. The Geneva Bible of 1560 translates malakoi as wantons and arsenoikoites (which is how it should be transliterated) as buggerers (with a slightly variant spelling). You only see what you want to see.
Yes. Just one point. You have quoted the singular form ἀρσενοκοίτης in transliteration. arsenokoitai is right, being nominative plural here like malakoi.
homoexuality and arsinoskoitai are misspellings.
Fundamental is the fact that we actually need no texts to think about homosex as the Lord Jesus and His Apostles did. Stage One is to have eyes in our head and brains between our ears, like the vast majority of people in all times and places.
However, this piece shows that some extraordinary ideas may develop in ‘Christian’ circles when people read no biblical languages and know nothing about how modern translation is done.
It gets worse when sub-educated people are determined to rationalise their wrong behaviour or that of people they care for.
The μαλακοί and ἀρσενοκοῖται in I Cor. 6:9-10 have been known to denote the ‘passive’ and ‘active’, or ‘female’ and ‘male’, partners in same-sex physical intimacy at least ever since these words were penned in 54 AD. As with the case of incest, St. Paul was addressing actual sin. See especially my book Holy Homosex?: This and That (CreateSpace) A set of theological papers, including one by James I. Packer, presented in original chronological order, a thorough technical discussion
SC 5.5×8.5: ISBN 9781482347869 [pp. 9-14].
The whole book should be read, and in addition this homily: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mt-527-32-dr-priscilla-turner/ by anyone who expects a response from me in this space. If one knows no biblical languages, one can skip the Greek and Hebrew, and will find that the argument is still accessible to any honest person.
My authority is that after a very long relevant education (1957-1962 University of Cambridge, BA Hons Classics, MA Theology, Old Testament Studies with Hebrew.
1964-70, 1995-1996 University of Oxford, DPhil Septuagint Studies.) I have perforce become one of a tiny handful of people still living who understand the issues.