The Gay Deception
The saying use to be Love the sinner but hate the sin! It
seems today that has been changed to Love the sinner and tolerate the sin! Many
Christians have been deluded into thinking toleration and acceptance is noble
and holy, yet this is far from what Jesus did or the early disciples. Jesus
confronted headlong hypocrisy and sin. Yes, he exhibited compassion and mercy to
the sinner but urged them to repent and “go sin no
more”.
It is bad enough for one to justify their sins but worse is
when they try to use the Word of God to justify their sins! The bible
says a person is cursed if he adds to the word or takes away from the word! (Revelation 22:18,19, Deuteronomy 4:2). This
includes adding to the meaning or taking away the meaning
of what God is saying in His word!
One of the new arguments for the justification of
Homosexuality is that the Greek word for homosexuality does not mean
homosexuality! So called gay Christians are trying to justify their lifestyle
by proposing that the Greek word used in the bible is a mistranslation. The
argument is that the Greek word does not mean homosexual but should properly
mean “A man of many beds” meaning promiscuity. They also argue that Paul could have
used twelve other Greek words for homosexuality, but he didn’t thus the whole anti-gay
position by Christians are based upon a mistranslation! Let’s look a little
further into this!
It is a dangerous
thing to isolate a sentence much less a single word to postulate a doctrine.
Proper exegesis (interpretation) of scripture require 3 simple things. Look
clearly at the original word (many Greek words have multiple meanings),
Secondly look at the context. You do not mere look at part of a sentence
or even a whole sentence but the paragraph and context of what is said before
and after. And thirdly you look at the totality of the use of the word or
phrase! The broadest scope of a word’s usage gives the clearest understanding. The
bible says in order to understand what it is saying you must gather other scriptures and
piece them together allowing one to confirm and broaden its meaning. We are to
lay “…precept must be upon precept, precept upon
precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” Isa.28:8.
But lets first look at the word
Homosexual used in the New testament:
“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, nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God. “ 1
Corinthians 6:9–10
The Greek word here is “arsenokoitai”. It is a
compound word: arseno is the word for “a male,” and koitai is
the word for “mat” or “bed.” “a male bed”—that is, a person who makes use
of a “male-only bed” or a “bed for males.” It is not just talking about a
physical bed. The Greek word her “koital” is where we get the English
word “coitus” meaning sexual
intercourse. It is referring to men in bed with other men. In the King
James Version, it doesn’t even use the word homosexuality it uses plain English
“nor men who have sex with men”. This
is proper interpretation of the word and that passage!
We
further see the interpretation when we look at the contexts. The argument that this is simply “promiscuity” falls apart when we see that if
a man is promiscuous the bible would simply call it adultery or fornication.
But the scripture here in Corinthian already makes use of these words in three distinctions:
“Sexually immoral, adulterers and homosexuality! Paul here us referring
to three different acts, sexuality immoral which is fornication (promiscuity), adultery which is sexual relations between one or two
partners who are married and homosexuality which is between a man and a
man (inclusive of lesbianism).
The New Testament translators (not paraphrase versions) were
all Greek scholars. I don’t think they all mistranslated this word. This
is evident by the list of usages of this word by these Bible translations:
- “Homosexual, Homosexuality” (AMP,
CEV, HCSB, ISV, NASV, WEB)
- “men who practice homosexuality”
(ESV)
- “Men who have sex with men” (KJV,
NCV))
- “males who have sex with males (CSB)
- “sodomites” (NSRV)
- sexual perverts (RSV)
- “both participants in same-sex
intercourse” (CEB)
- “effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with men” (ASV)
- “effeminate, nor sodomites” (YLT- Greek translation)
Again, Paul properly uses the word in this passage:
“Now we know that the
law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that
the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient,
for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike
their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men
who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever
else is contrary to sound doctrine,.”
1 Timothy 1:8-10 (ESV)
In this passage the words “men
who practice homosexuality” is
translated in the King James and other versions as “them
that defile themselves with mankind”. The
Greek word is again “Arsenokoitai”. How
can this possibly mean just a promiscuous man” or bed for males. Both Strong’s
Concordance and Thayer’s Greek Lexicon say this word means “one who
lies with a male as with a female, a sodomite”
A sodomite is a reference to the inhabitance of the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah whom God destroyed for their wickedness.
“Just as Sodom and Gomorrah
and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality
and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a
punishment of eternal fire.” Jude 1:7
God sent angels in to remove Lot before the destruction and
the men of the city banged on Lots door so they could have sex with the angels!
The angels blinded them in order to get Lot’s family to safety.
“But before they lay down,
the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to
the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, “Where are the men
who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.”” Genesis 19:4-5
The word know in Hebrew is “Yadah” means to
know carnally. Interestingly, the Bible says Sodom and Gomorrah were
also overthrown for their pride. The Gay community is known for flaunting its lifestyle
with Gay Pride parades across the country!
Some say Paul could have used 12 other Greek words for homosexual.
There are actually 17 Greek slang words for homosexuality or lesbianism. I can
easily name 17 English slang words for gays and many are just plain demeaning
but have been used (dyke, fag, queer, butch, Bugger, faggot, fairy, flamer,
pansy, queen, Sod (for sodomy), sissy, Poof, Mary, Twink, Shemale and Tranny,) just to name a few. But the common use is homosexual. Paul used the correct
common word and dozens of Greek scholars over hundreds of years consistently translated
it the same! So, this argument is moot.
If we look further at other scriptures, we get a broader
picture and greater understanding of where the scripture stands on
homosexuality. The old testament (no Greek here) clear defines
homosexuality as a sin:
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Leviticus 18:22 (ESV)
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” (NIV) Leviticus 20:13
This is pretty clear that it is talking about homosexuality
even though it does not use the word. Notice that God calls it an abomination.
This is the Hebrew word “toebah” and describes how God feels
about this practice (not the person). It literally means “Loathsome and
detestable” and is used in the old testament with things like idolatry,
witchcraft, and wickedness. How can people then say this lifestyle is now
acceptable with God? Paul in his writings seems to agree with the old testament
and the writings of Moses. He clearly says it is wrong and not acceptable.
It
is interesting that in the first passage that we mentioned concerning homosexuality in Corinthians 6 that he starts off by saying concerning sexual immorality and homosexuality: “Do not be deceived”
There are three great deceptions in the lifestyle of
the LGBTQ communities! The first is that gays are born that way!
Yet the science has proven that there are only two sets of genes between man
and woman and they are entirely different from another. Either you have male chromosome
or female chromosome. No operation can change a man’s genetic nature. We are all
born sinners, but you are not born gay! We all must repent of sins and turn
away from them or die in our sins and then be judged for them afterwards.
The second
deception is that there are many genders. This is purely a modern
concept and the Bible in Genesis clearly shows that God only made two genders
man and woman! Jesus himself confirmed this when he said:
“Have you not read that He
who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and
said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What
therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Matthew 19:4-6
This eliminates the issue of transgender, pansexual, agender,
bigender and other made up identities.
The third deception is the excuse by many so-called Christian
gays that God is Love and if I have love and affection for the same sex and physical
love is apart of it, then it must be okay. Well it is true that gays can
have affection in this manner to each other, however the bible calls
this kind of affection “unnatural affection”
“Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour
their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into
a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed forever. Amen. 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. And even as they did not like to retain God in
their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things
which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without
understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but
have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:24-32
Here we see not normal affection between a man and a woman
but rather “vile affection” and “Unnatural affection”. This scripture clearly
defines homosexuality and lesbianism as defiling and dishonoring their bodies.
It says they are leaving their natural use into that which is against nature
and they burn in lust to one another and sadly no longer fear the
judgement of God! This is the most dangerous deception, thinking that this is
okay with God!
Times may have changed but not God’s word. What is legal is
not necessarily moral. Homosexuality was commonplace in early Greek culture and
Paul certainly would have addressed it in a way that was not confusing but
plain to the hearers. As the emissary of God, he was compelled to warned them:
“For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due
us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Cor.
5:10
We started off with the scripture of Paul in I Cor 6
concerning homosexuality, but he went on tosay in the very next verse:
“And such were some of you:
but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” I Cor. 6:11
Some in the church of Corinth were former homosexuals but they
repented, got saved, washed in the blood of the lamb, sanctified by the spirit
and justified before God. We do not need to judge sinners for they will be
judged by their own sins. But we must show that through true repentance God is able to change their hearts, their nature, their proclivities and lifestyle when they are willing to give up deception for the truth! All we can do is pray!
