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The true meaning of I Corinthians 6:9-11
Haven't there been numerous discussions of gay ex-JW's who try to justify their homosexuality and misinterpret the truth behind the Scriptures? For example, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he mentioned homosexual acts as something that bars one from inheriting God's Kingdom. Some say, "Oh, he was only referring to high officials and older men who kept young boys around for sex, and not making a blanket statement about homosexuality."
But here's an interesting point about what Paul wrote. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: "Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."
Consider the original Greek text concerning I Corinthians 6:9-11.
"Or οὐκ not οἴδατε have YOU known ὅτι that ἄδικοι unjust (ones) θεοῦ of God βασιλείαν kingdom οὐ not κληρονομήσουσιν; they will inherit? Μὴ Not πλανᾶσθε· be YOU being misled; οὔτε neither πόρνοι fornicators οὔτε nor εἰδωλολάτραι idolaters οὔτε nor μοιχοὶ adulterer sοὔτε nor μαλακοὶ soft [men] οὔτε nor ἀρσενοκοῖται liers with males1οὔτε nor κλέπται thieves οὔτε nor πλεονέκται, covetous (ones), οὐ not μέθυσοι, drunkards, οὐ not λοίδοροι, revilers, οὐχ not ἅρπαγες snatchers βασιλείαν kingdom θεοῦ of God κληρονομήσουσιν. they will inherit.11 Καὶ And ταῦτά these (things) τινες some ἦτε· YOU were; ἀλλὰ but ἀπελούσασθε, YOU were washed off, ἀλλὰbutἡγιάσθητε, YOU were sanctified, ἀλλὰ but ἐδικαιώθητε YOU were justified ἐν in τῷ the ὀνόματι name τοῦ of the κυρίου Lord ἡμῶν of us Ἰησοῦ of Jesus Χριστοῦ Christ καὶ and ἐν in τῷ the πνεύματι spirit τοῦ of the θεοῦ God ἡμῶν."
{When YOU is capitalized, it is the plural form of you, more than one person, like in English "you guys" or "you all".}
Notice the two expressions Paul used in reference to homosexuals. The first refers to "soft [men]" and the second "liers with men" those who "lie with men." Soft men (feminized men) has reference to those men who allow themselves to be used sexually by another man, be it to give oral or anal sex or allow themselves to masturbate the other male, like a female (a soft one) plays a more submissive role (hence, a feminized male).
The second refers to the male who is more dominant in the sexual union, using other men by having another male give them oral sex, or who do anal sex on another male, or who allow themselves to be masturbated by the other male. How fitting Paul's words are today! Currently in the gay community, how often do we hear gay men being asked, "Are you a top [a lier with men] or a bottom [a soft man]?"!
Again, many gays today contend that Paul was making reference only to high officials keeping young boys around for sex, or even any older men having sex with younger boys, which such pederasty, no doubt, was a common practice, especially in ancient Greece. But as you can see in this art relic depiction, it still involves males having sex with other males, younger or older. See the references that follow this image.
Thomas Hubbard writes in his book,
Historical Views of Homosexuality: Ancient Greece
"Ancient Greece featured at least five different varieties of same-sex relations: (a) pederastic relations, typically between adolescent boys and adult men who were not yet married; (b) relations between male youths of approximately the same age; less frequently (c) homosexual relations between fully adult men; (d) age-differentiated relations between females; and (e) relations between adult females." Click on the book title to read a summary of the author's views on this subject.