Often used to justify hatred, discrimination and condemnation of homosexuals:
"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." Rom 1:26-27
Wrong interpretation: Rom.1:26-27 is about homosexuals.
Correct interpretation: Rom. 1:26-27 is about heterosexuals.
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The 3 "gay" verses of the New Testament:
1.
Romans 1:26 & 27 - Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Romans 1:26-27 is not about homosexuality per se, but same-sex acts performed by heterosexuals.
That's why it talks about abandoning "natural relations." If you're gay, then same-sex is the natural thing for you; so if you engage in same-sex acts, you're abandoning nothing . But if you're heterosexual, then opposite-sex is the natural thing for you; so if you switch to same-sex, then you're abandoning what is natural to you.
Therefore, these verses are not about persons who had always been gay since their youth. The context shows that they are those who worshipped false gods, then continued sinking deeper and deeper into sexual depravity. They are about persons who were naturally heterosexual, but gave up their natural sexual orientation for homosexual lust.
What is likely is that Paul was referring to the pagan fertility cults of his time, where sex was an important part of the temple rituals. Notice that the prior verse 25 was talking about idol worship ("
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator..."), then proceeds to verses 26 & 27 to talk about abandoning natural relations.
http://geographer70.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/romans-126-27/ 2.
1 Corinthians 6:9 & 10 - 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.On this passage, the term "effeminate" is a translation from the Greek "malakoi;" and the phrase "abusers of themselves with mankind" is a translation of the Greek "arsenokoitai."
- Malakoi - There is no clear consensus as to how the word should be understood. The New International Version Bible translates it as "male prostitutes". In Matthew, where the word was also used in reference to clothing, it was translated as "soft". But here, it may mean a morally weak person.
- Arsenokoitai - Scholars speculate that this Greek word was coined by Paul, since they can't find any older written work that uses the same word. It's literally translated into "man-beds." The original meaning could be limited to abuse such as same-sex pedophilia, not necessarily referring to homosexuality in general.
https://www.gaykenya.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=245:the-word-arsenokoitai&catid=45:rev-major-kimindu&Itemid=953.
1 Timothy 1:9 & 10 -
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine...Here, the phrase, "them that defile themselves with mankind" is also a translation of the Greek "arsenokoitai."
