Do the words malakos + arsenokoitēs combined refer to male homosexuality in 1 Timothy 1:10 and 1 Corinthians 6:9?
In 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV., the Bible translators combined malakos and arsenokoites to mean "men who practice homosexuality." The words malakos and arsenokoitēs should never be combined together in translations to mean "male homosexuality." This is a terrible way to translate the Greek language because each ancient Greek vice in 1 Cor. 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 (n)or thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Cor. 6:9-10 KJV. and 1 Tim. 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, (f)or 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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:9-10 KJV. is separated by a comma and, thus, has a distinct meaning. Some people have advocated pairing malakos and arsenokoitēs together to help determine the meaning of the words, which is logical, but some biblical translators actually combined the words to create a new phrase, which is not acceptable.
Each word in 1 Cor. 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 (n)or thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Cor. 6:9-10 KJV. and 1 Tim. 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, (f)or 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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:9-10 KJV. describes a different type of sinner when read separately, and, thus, the words should never be combined. For example, the sexual immoral are not the same as idolaters (although some people, especially in the past, sometimes use sex in their worship of idols); idolaters are not the same as adulterers; an adulterer is not the same as a thief (although one may "steal" someone else's spouse); a thief may or may not be a greedy person but a greedy person is not the same as a thief; drunkards are not the same as greedy people (although they overindulge in alcoholic beverages); drunkards are not the same as revilers (although drunkards can cause revelry and revilers are often drunk), and revilers are not the same as swindlers (and vice versa) (see 1 Cor. 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 (n)or thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Cor. 6:9-10 KJV.). As stated in the Old and New Testaments, we must be careful not add or take away words from the Bible or else God will condemn us (see Deut. 4:2"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you" Deut. 4:2 ESV., 12:32"Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it" Deut. 12:32 ESV.; Prov. 30:5-6"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar" Prov. 30:5-6 ESV.; Gal. 1:6-12"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ" Gal. 1:6-12 ESV.; & Rev. 22:18-19"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book" Rev. 22:18-19 ESV.). Thus, one must be wary of any biblical translations that pervert the original meaning of biblical verses.
In 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV., the Bible translators combined malakos and arsenokoitēs to mean "men who practice homosexuality." However, 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV"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 . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV. translates malakos separately as effeminate. It is no secret that the passive partner in a sexual relationship was viewed by society as "effeminate" because the partner was viewed as subordinate, weak, and "unmanly" for voluntarily assuming the role that was reserved for a woman.
Paul coined the term arsenkoitēs to refer to male homosexuals without an identifier. Malakos merely helps us to understand the true meaning behind the word. Likewise, the word πόρνος or pornos, which refers to the "sexually immorality" in 1 Tim. 1:10"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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV. and takes the place of malakos, also compliments arsenkoitēs.4 The ancient Greek word pornos further justifies that arsenkoitēs refers to male homosexuality. The vices of 1 Tim. 1:10"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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV. would be redundant if arsenkoitēs referred to sexual sins, in general, because pornos "denotes a man who indulges in fornication, a fornicator."5 Furthermore, some scholars have also come to the conclusion that malakos and arsenkoitēs mean homosexuality, such as the historian Bullough who stated, "These words (malakoi and arsenokoitai) tend to distinguish males who engage passively form those who engage actively in homosexual acts."6 Thus, the only logical conclusion is that malakos and arsenkoitēs, when read together, refer to male homosexuality, and Bible translations that combine the words to mean "men who practice homosexuality" are accurate.
The main reason why the King James Version of the Bible doesn't combine "effeminate" and "abusers" to refer to male homosexuality as the English Standard Version of the Bible does is because the term "homosexuality" wasn't in existence when the King James Version of the Bible was written.3 It is obvious that these terms complement each other. Moreover, even though 1 Tim. 1:10"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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV. also uses the word arsenkoitēs to describe male homosexuals and even though malakos is missing from that passage, the word malakos is not necessary to define arsenkoitēs. Based on the understanding that malakos referred to a "passive" partner and arsenkoitēs referred to an "active" partner in a homosexual relationship, it is perfectly logical for Bible translators to have combined malakos and arsenkoitēs to mean "men who practice homosexuality," as stated in 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 ESV. and 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV"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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:10 ESV..
Some people think that malakos referred to the passive partner in a sexual relationship because in Greek and Roman society "taking the woman's position" during sex was seen as a sign of weakness and submission.1 However, it must be stressed that malakos never referred exclusively to a man who takes the "passive role" in a homosexual relationship in any ancient Greek writings. Grecian and Roman society did not strictly view gay men as "effeminate," unless they possessed feminine characteristics, which were regarded as weak, gentle, or cowardly.2 In fact, many ancient Greek writers refer to heterosexual men as "effeminate."3
If malakos is ever mentioned in a sexual context, which is extremely rare, it is only ever used to describe the passive boy in a pederastic (man-boy) relationship, and only when the boy is considered a "sissy" or a weakling.4 The ancient Greek word known as ευρυπρωκτος or euruprōktos meant "wide-arsed, bugger," and this word referred to men who took the passive role in a relationship.5 Thus, we must examine malakos, meaning morally weak, cowardly, and unmanly, separately from arsenokoitēs. Moreover, in 1 Tim. 1:10"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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV., malakos is not listed before or after the word arsenokoitēs. Thus, as shown in 1 Tim. 1:10"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 . . ." 1 Tim. 1:10 KJV., the word malakos is not a necessary identifier for arsenokoitēs, which means that it most likely does not relate to arsenokoitēs. Therefore, in 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV"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 . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV., malakos must be a understood its own separate vice.
Bible commentaries have supported the understanding that malakos referred to the passive partner in a homosexual relationship. For example, concerning malakos or μαλακός, The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament states, "Here it is used substantively to mean effeminate ones, the passive partners in homosexual intercourse."1 Likewise, historians Hindson and Mitchell state, "'Effeminate' means 'soft' and refers to the male who plays the female role in a homosexual relationship. 'Abusers' (Greek, arsenkoitēs; "man-bed") seem to refer to homosexual acts."2 Thus, the "abusers" that are referred to in 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV"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 . . ." 1 Cor. 6:9 KJV. are the "active" male partners of the malakos, who are described as a vice in the passage immediately before their "active" partners, and it makes sense for bible translators to have combine malakos and arsenkoitēs in 1 Cor. 6:9 to mean "male homosexuality."
1"In classical Athens, then, sexual partners came in two different kinds – not male and female but active and passive, dominant and submissive. The relevant features of a sexual object were not so much determined by a physical typology of genders as by the social articulation of power. That is why the current fashionable distinction between homosexuality and heterosexuality had no meaning for the classical Athenians: There were not, so far as they knew, two different kinds of 'sexuality,' to differently structured psychosexual state or modes of affection orientation, but a single form of sexual experience, which all free adult males shared – making due allowance for variations in individual taste, as one might make for individual palates" (Halperin, 1989, p. 50-51); "This is certainly not to imply that there were no sexual prejudices or taboos in Roman society but simply that none was directly related to homosexual relations as a class. A very strong bias appears to have existed against passive sexual behavior on the part of an adult male citizen. Noncitizen adults (e.g., foreigners, slaves) could engage in such behavior without loss of status, as could Roman youths, provided the relationship was voluntary and non-mercenary. Such persons might in fact considerably improve their position in life through liaisons of this type. But if an adult citizen openly indulged in such behavior, he was viewed with scorn" (Boswell, 1980, p. 74). Return
2Boswell, 1980, p. 339, "(G)ender-related concepts of decorum and behavior work were, as in most cultures, dependent on cultural and temporal variables. New styles of clothing wear derogated as 'effeminate,' as were habits of grooming which were novel or extravagant. Such charges were leveled at obviously heterosexual persons as well as apparently gay ones, and it is clear that the stigma had no relation to sexual preference" (Boswell, 1980, p. 76). Return
3"Many heterosexual males were called 'effeminate' by ancient writers, and there is no essential connection between inappropriate gender behavior and sexual preference in any ancient literature. Patristic sources do not in any case use 'μαλακός' for 'effeminate' but, rather, employ terms like 'θηλυδρίας' (citing Tatian Adversus Graecos, p. 29; Clement Paedagogus 3.3.76), 'ἀνδρόγυνος' (citing Justin Martyr 1 Apology 27; Tatian Adversus Graecos, p. 29; Clement Paedagogus 3.2.4I (cf. 45)), or 'τῶν ἀνδρῶν οί γυναικώδεις,' (citing Clement Paedagogus 2.10 (PG, 8:536); also 'μαλθακώτεροϛ,' 3.3.56, cf. 'γυνίδας,' and 'τεθηλυμμένη,' ibid), since 'μαλακός' was associated with masturbation or general moral laxity" Boswell, 1980, p. 339. Return
4Nissinen, 1998, p. 117. Return
5"ευρυπρωκτος." Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 145 Return
1The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament, 1994, p. 596 Return
2Hindson & Mitchell, 2010, p. 465 Return
3The King James Version of the Bible was written approximately in 1611 and updated in 1769 with the authorized Oxford edition. However, the term "homosexuality" entered into the English language in 1892, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2012). Return
4"πόρνος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 73, entry 4205 & "πόρνος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return
5Vine, 1997, p. 349 Return
6Bullough, 1976, p. 179 Return
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