1st Corinthians 6:9-10
1st Corinthians 6:9-10 in the King James Version (KJV) says:
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
“Effeminate” and “abusers of themselves with mankind” are the words we are looking at here.
Now let me stop for just a moment to make sure we are on the same page about some facts. I
acknowledge the fact that the Bible is supposed to be the word of God given to us humans so that we
can get to know Jesus as our savior, God as our creator, and God’s commandments so that we know
how to live our lives as we wait on Jesus’ second coming. Or as some people put it: The Bible, or B I B L E:
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. But we must also take into account that the original writings
were written by people inspired by the Spirit of God in older languages, such as Greek and
Hebrew/Aramaic. And that since then, other languages have developed. And as the years have gone by,
languages have slowly changed here and there based on human culture and interactions. And as new
words, especially compound words, are constantly being created in our modern world, the meanings of
older words, phrases, and sayings are either changed, forgotten, or lost. With that said, none of us are
perfect and there is only so much knowledge any one individual can contain (for only God knows all
things). And there are many different Bibles written in many different languages, translated in ways that
the translators current audience and culture can understand what is being conveyed. So modern day
translators are continuously having to modernize the Bible so that it can always be understood. For
example some KJVs are written in an older form of English and may use simple words like “thou” and
“doth” from that period. But since we don’t used those words in modern English, a translator with want
to “update” those words. But they also have to update many other words to help us in this present day
understand things better. The only problem with this is that when they go back to take an old word or
phrase that isn’t used or rarely used anymore, and especially in a language that they don’t know that
well, there can be a struggle and sometimes and educated guess has to be made.
Okay, so again, the words used in 1st Corinthians chapter 6, verse 9 (of the KJV) is “effeminate” and
“abusers of themselves with mankind.” This is where translation issues come in. Because in the New
King James Version (NKJV), the word used in the place of effeminate is “homosexuals” and the word
used in place of abusers of themselves with mankind is “sodomites.” And the Amplified Bible (AMP),
which I usually enjoy reading, didn’t even use two different words or phrases separated by commas.
It simply says “nor those who participate in homosexuality.” So how did it come down to just that?
Some would take the word effeminate and say that, since a lot of gay men are stereotypically
feminine, this must be talking about gay men and that “homosexual” is therefore placed correctly in
that spot. But there is a big problem with that. This list given in 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 is directed
towards people, not just men. So that particular word (effeminate) is also directed to both men and
women. So in order for it to mean to simply be feminine, that would mean that this would include
women that are feminine as well. So is it wrong for a woman to be feminine? That’s like saying,
“Feminine gay men and feminine straight women are wrong and sinful for being the way they are. But
masculine straight men and masculine gay women are okay with God!” Which doesn’t make sense.
That would just be God showing favoritism. So now what? Let’s check out the Greek word that
effeminate comes from:
Malakos (malakoi) has two meanings. This word not only means “soft,” in the context of soft
clothing/material, but in this case (1st Corinthians 6:9), it means (in a metaphorical sense) someone
who has “soft” or weak sexual morals. Or rather, a lack there of.
Now, the part of chapter 6, verse 9 that says “abusers of themselves with mankind” comes from a rare
Greek word called arsenokoites (aresenokoitai). It is a compound word created by the combination of
the prefix “arseno,” which means male, and the word “koites,” which means bed (or sometimes couch or
sleeping place). Arsenokoites is only used in the “Pauline” texts. And it is believed to be one of the first,
if not THE first time this Greek word was used because the Bible is the first Greek literature that the
word has been preserved in. So Paul of the Bible probably made arsenokoites up himself. So that makes
it even more important that we try to understand it how he meant it during his time and culture, rather
than how our present day minds may want to look at it.
Together, male (from arseno) and bed (from koites) make something along the lines of “male-bedder.”
This is thought to be a euphemism for some type of male sexual expression. But this is a bit vague
because there are a lot of sexual things a guy can do in or with a bed. We need something a little more
specific. Why don’t we look at a much earlier Bible translation of arsenokoites than our modern
translations. Because the further back in history we go, the more likely the translators are to understand
exactly what was being said by Paul. Especially when considering that scholars have identified only 73
times that the word arsenokoitai is used in the six centuries after Paul.
Let’s look into the Wycliffe Bible. This is one of the earliest English translations of the Bible and was
around way before the King James Bible hit it big in 1611. The Wycliffe translation translated arsenokoites
as “synn (sin) of Sodom.” So the author’s interpretation of arsenokoites was that it had something to do
with the story of Sodom. Well, we already know that there were many sins in Sodom, mainly inhospitality.
But what was the sin that had to do specifically with sex with emphasis being on the male? Rape seems to
be the obvious answer. But can we get even more specific? Sodomite (with a capital S) is a person from the
city of Sodom. Before our modern day prejudices got in the way of how we interpret things, originally,
sodomite (with a lowercase s), means: a male devoted to idolatry through prostitution. Also, Deuteronomy
23:17 says: “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.” So
this verse is comparing female whores to male sodomites. In other words, regardless of if you’re a female
or a male, prostituting yourself (especially to worship false gods) or having “soft” sexual morals by having
multiple sexual partners is not good.
So what it all comes down to is this: the verse that says “nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind,” goes back to “malakos (malakoi) and arsenokoites (arsenokoitai).” And all this is referring to the
cultic male prostitutes and the men who sexually abused them during idol worship. So even though this is technically a homosexual act, for the simple fact that it involves two males, it is based on male prostitution
and sexually abusive idolatry (which may explain why the New International Version (NIV) renders the
phrase “homosexual offenders,” possibly meaning someone who offends or abuses in a homosexual act).
Thus, it is not condoning loving, committed, homosexual relationships. Therefore, this should not be used
against gays.
A bible translation called the Jerusalem Bible puts the word “catamite” in place of effeminate for malakoi.
So let’s look into this word. It’s definition is “a boy kept for homosexual purposes.” Another definition is “a
boy or youth who is in a sexual relationship with a man.” So basically, a catamite can be a boy who is forced
into sexual abuse or who has been manipulated and taught that it is normal to indulge in such sexual activity
by a male that he probably looks up to for guidance.
The Greek word for catamite is the name “Ganymedes” or “Ganymede.” The book “The Children Are Free”
sheds a little light on this person. And while talking about the rare times the word “arsenokoitai” is used in
Greek literature after Paul coined it, the book says this:
“In one instance, a Greek author uses the term when cataloguing the sins of the Greek gods. In this context,
the term is probably intended to refer to the time Zeus abducted and raped a young boy, Ganymede.
Arsenokoitai is also used in an ancient [mythological] legend in which the snake in the Garden of Eden is said
to have become a Satanic figure named Naas. Naas uses a variety of means (including sleeping with both
Adam and Eve) to gain power over and destroy them. In this story, Naas is said to have gone to Adam and had
him like a boy. Naas’ sin is called arsenokoitai. These examples suggest that arsenokoitai refers to instances
when one male uses his superior power or position to take sexual advantage of another.”
Also, take into consideration that the word “catamite” is taken from Ganymede’s is Latin name, Catamitus.
The point of all that is this: The fact that we can trace the word “catamite” back to the Latin name Catamitus,
then trace that back to the Greek name Ganymede shows an obvious link between “catamite” and “Ganymede.”
And since Ganymede was taken, kept, and molested as a child by an older and more powerful Zeus, this shows
that the definition of catamite is “a boy kept for homosexual purposes” and NOT “a homosexual.”
You may ask, “what is the difference?” Well, you must keep in mind that in the definition “a boy kept for
homosexual purposes,” the word “homosexual” is being used as an adjective to describe the purposes, NOT the
people. The point is that you don’t necessarily have to be gay to commit a “homosexual purpose.” In fact, during
male child molestation, neither the male adult or the male child are gay the majority of the time. In other words,
a catamite is a boy that is used and abused sexually by an older male.
With that said, let’s recall the fact that the Jerusalem Bible chose to use “catamites” in place of “effeminate.” And
from the old Greek literature and Greek mythology, Ganymede (which is where we get “catamite”) was molested
by Zeus, making Zeus’ sin against him “arsenokoitai.” This shows that there is a connection between effeminates
and catamites and that can both be sodomized by someone committing arsenokoites. In clearer terms, it is wrong
to sexually abuse and take advantage of adults who prostitute themselves AND children (regardless of if it’s by
force or manipulation).
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
“Effeminate” and “abusers of themselves with mankind” are the words we are looking at here.
Now let me stop for just a moment to make sure we are on the same page about some facts. I
acknowledge the fact that the Bible is supposed to be the word of God given to us humans so that we
can get to know Jesus as our savior, God as our creator, and God’s commandments so that we know
how to live our lives as we wait on Jesus’ second coming. Or as some people put it: The Bible, or B I B L E:
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. But we must also take into account that the original writings
were written by people inspired by the Spirit of God in older languages, such as Greek and
Hebrew/Aramaic. And that since then, other languages have developed. And as the years have gone by,
languages have slowly changed here and there based on human culture and interactions. And as new
words, especially compound words, are constantly being created in our modern world, the meanings of
older words, phrases, and sayings are either changed, forgotten, or lost. With that said, none of us are
perfect and there is only so much knowledge any one individual can contain (for only God knows all
things). And there are many different Bibles written in many different languages, translated in ways that
the translators current audience and culture can understand what is being conveyed. So modern day
translators are continuously having to modernize the Bible so that it can always be understood. For
example some KJVs are written in an older form of English and may use simple words like “thou” and
“doth” from that period. But since we don’t used those words in modern English, a translator with want
to “update” those words. But they also have to update many other words to help us in this present day
understand things better. The only problem with this is that when they go back to take an old word or
phrase that isn’t used or rarely used anymore, and especially in a language that they don’t know that
well, there can be a struggle and sometimes and educated guess has to be made.
Okay, so again, the words used in 1st Corinthians chapter 6, verse 9 (of the KJV) is “effeminate” and
“abusers of themselves with mankind.” This is where translation issues come in. Because in the New
King James Version (NKJV), the word used in the place of effeminate is “homosexuals” and the word
used in place of abusers of themselves with mankind is “sodomites.” And the Amplified Bible (AMP),
which I usually enjoy reading, didn’t even use two different words or phrases separated by commas.
It simply says “nor those who participate in homosexuality.” So how did it come down to just that?
Some would take the word effeminate and say that, since a lot of gay men are stereotypically
feminine, this must be talking about gay men and that “homosexual” is therefore placed correctly in
that spot. But there is a big problem with that. This list given in 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 is directed
towards people, not just men. So that particular word (effeminate) is also directed to both men and
women. So in order for it to mean to simply be feminine, that would mean that this would include
women that are feminine as well. So is it wrong for a woman to be feminine? That’s like saying,
“Feminine gay men and feminine straight women are wrong and sinful for being the way they are. But
masculine straight men and masculine gay women are okay with God!” Which doesn’t make sense.
That would just be God showing favoritism. So now what? Let’s check out the Greek word that
effeminate comes from:
Malakos (malakoi) has two meanings. This word not only means “soft,” in the context of soft
clothing/material, but in this case (1st Corinthians 6:9), it means (in a metaphorical sense) someone
who has “soft” or weak sexual morals. Or rather, a lack there of.
Now, the part of chapter 6, verse 9 that says “abusers of themselves with mankind” comes from a rare
Greek word called arsenokoites (aresenokoitai). It is a compound word created by the combination of
the prefix “arseno,” which means male, and the word “koites,” which means bed (or sometimes couch or
sleeping place). Arsenokoites is only used in the “Pauline” texts. And it is believed to be one of the first,
if not THE first time this Greek word was used because the Bible is the first Greek literature that the
word has been preserved in. So Paul of the Bible probably made arsenokoites up himself. So that makes
it even more important that we try to understand it how he meant it during his time and culture, rather
than how our present day minds may want to look at it.
Together, male (from arseno) and bed (from koites) make something along the lines of “male-bedder.”
This is thought to be a euphemism for some type of male sexual expression. But this is a bit vague
because there are a lot of sexual things a guy can do in or with a bed. We need something a little more
specific. Why don’t we look at a much earlier Bible translation of arsenokoites than our modern
translations. Because the further back in history we go, the more likely the translators are to understand
exactly what was being said by Paul. Especially when considering that scholars have identified only 73
times that the word arsenokoitai is used in the six centuries after Paul.
Let’s look into the Wycliffe Bible. This is one of the earliest English translations of the Bible and was
around way before the King James Bible hit it big in 1611. The Wycliffe translation translated arsenokoites
as “synn (sin) of Sodom.” So the author’s interpretation of arsenokoites was that it had something to do
with the story of Sodom. Well, we already know that there were many sins in Sodom, mainly inhospitality.
But what was the sin that had to do specifically with sex with emphasis being on the male? Rape seems to
be the obvious answer. But can we get even more specific? Sodomite (with a capital S) is a person from the
city of Sodom. Before our modern day prejudices got in the way of how we interpret things, originally,
sodomite (with a lowercase s), means: a male devoted to idolatry through prostitution. Also, Deuteronomy
23:17 says: “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.” So
this verse is comparing female whores to male sodomites. In other words, regardless of if you’re a female
or a male, prostituting yourself (especially to worship false gods) or having “soft” sexual morals by having
multiple sexual partners is not good.
So what it all comes down to is this: the verse that says “nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind,” goes back to “malakos (malakoi) and arsenokoites (arsenokoitai).” And all this is referring to the
cultic male prostitutes and the men who sexually abused them during idol worship. So even though this is technically a homosexual act, for the simple fact that it involves two males, it is based on male prostitution
and sexually abusive idolatry (which may explain why the New International Version (NIV) renders the
phrase “homosexual offenders,” possibly meaning someone who offends or abuses in a homosexual act).
Thus, it is not condoning loving, committed, homosexual relationships. Therefore, this should not be used
against gays.
A bible translation called the Jerusalem Bible puts the word “catamite” in place of effeminate for malakoi.
So let’s look into this word. It’s definition is “a boy kept for homosexual purposes.” Another definition is “a
boy or youth who is in a sexual relationship with a man.” So basically, a catamite can be a boy who is forced
into sexual abuse or who has been manipulated and taught that it is normal to indulge in such sexual activity
by a male that he probably looks up to for guidance.
The Greek word for catamite is the name “Ganymedes” or “Ganymede.” The book “The Children Are Free”
sheds a little light on this person. And while talking about the rare times the word “arsenokoitai” is used in
Greek literature after Paul coined it, the book says this:
“In one instance, a Greek author uses the term when cataloguing the sins of the Greek gods. In this context,
the term is probably intended to refer to the time Zeus abducted and raped a young boy, Ganymede.
Arsenokoitai is also used in an ancient [mythological] legend in which the snake in the Garden of Eden is said
to have become a Satanic figure named Naas. Naas uses a variety of means (including sleeping with both
Adam and Eve) to gain power over and destroy them. In this story, Naas is said to have gone to Adam and had
him like a boy. Naas’ sin is called arsenokoitai. These examples suggest that arsenokoitai refers to instances
when one male uses his superior power or position to take sexual advantage of another.”
Also, take into consideration that the word “catamite” is taken from Ganymede’s is Latin name, Catamitus.
The point of all that is this: The fact that we can trace the word “catamite” back to the Latin name Catamitus,
then trace that back to the Greek name Ganymede shows an obvious link between “catamite” and “Ganymede.”
And since Ganymede was taken, kept, and molested as a child by an older and more powerful Zeus, this shows
that the definition of catamite is “a boy kept for homosexual purposes” and NOT “a homosexual.”
You may ask, “what is the difference?” Well, you must keep in mind that in the definition “a boy kept for
homosexual purposes,” the word “homosexual” is being used as an adjective to describe the purposes, NOT the
people. The point is that you don’t necessarily have to be gay to commit a “homosexual purpose.” In fact, during
male child molestation, neither the male adult or the male child are gay the majority of the time. In other words,
a catamite is a boy that is used and abused sexually by an older male.
With that said, let’s recall the fact that the Jerusalem Bible chose to use “catamites” in place of “effeminate.” And
from the old Greek literature and Greek mythology, Ganymede (which is where we get “catamite”) was molested
by Zeus, making Zeus’ sin against him “arsenokoitai.” This shows that there is a connection between effeminates
and catamites and that can both be sodomized by someone committing arsenokoites. In clearer terms, it is wrong
to sexually abuse and take advantage of adults who prostitute themselves AND children (regardless of if it’s by
force or manipulation).