A Call for the Acceptance of Homosexuals within the Christian Community
the kingdom of God. It doesn’t seem like many people are going to make it. We will all be doomed by the sinful nature within us. Is this really the case though? When we read the verse that follows those listed above, Paul goes on to say that “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” You see, it isn’t God’s desire that any man should perish. He created man to fellowship with him. We may disappoint God at times due to the sinful nature within us; but we must realize that each of us shares in that sin nature, not solely homosexuals. Perhaps not one of us really deserves to inherit the kingdom of God; but he loves us so much that he provided atonement through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus, to provide a way.
Webber 6
To further the discussion on I Corinthians, reference must also be made to the inadequacy of present-day translations. The term “Homosexuality” wasn’t coined until the 1900’s, so the authors of the Bible did not share the same meaning of the word that society does today. In the original text, the words “arsenokoitai” and “malakoi” are used to describe what the Bible now terms as homosexuality. According to an article by Evangelists Concerned Western Region, Inc., “The Fundamentalist Journal admits, ‘These words are difficult to translate’” (3). Walter Wink doesn’t even consider this particular passage of scripture because of its ambiguity. The original meaning is believed to be referring to feminine “call boys” who were expected to maintain sexual relations with elder men of the town. “In short, it is unclear whether the issue is homosexuality, or promiscuity and ‘sex-for-hire’” (2).
With each of the Biblical passages used against homosexuality, a refutation can be made. There are personal biases and cultural norms that have influenced how the Scriptures have been translated into modern text. It is also difficult to produce the words in English that match the meaning behind the author’s actual words in Hebrew and Greek (Homosexuality 1). It seems as though “preachers go to great lengths to explain the history and cultures of the time in other areas of the Bible when it suits their purpose, but not with regard to these particular scriptures. This is a double standard” (ECWR 4). For instance, the Bible makes reference to the following: the practice of polygamy, the expectation for widows to engage in intercourse with their husband’s brothers until she bore a male heir, and the regard of slavery as a necessary norm. “The Bible permitted behaviors that we today condemn: polygamy, levirate marriage, sex with slaves, concubinage, treatment of women as property, and very early marriage” (Wink 5). Would anyone recommend that our society retreat to the way it was during the time the Bible was written? Doubtful. Then why do people insist on picking and choosing which lifestyle choices are acceptable or [next page]