Homosexuality in the New Testament

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Jesus teaching in the Temple, illustration from Standard Bible Story Readers, 1928

Since 1980, scholars have debated the translation and modern relevance of New Testament texts on homosexuality.[1] Three distinct passages – Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, 1 Timothy 1:9–10 and Jude 1:7 – have been taken to condemn same-sex intercourse, but each passage remains contested. Whether these passages refer to homosexuality hinges on whether the social context limits the references to a more specific form: they may prohibit male pederasty or prostitution rather than homosexuality per se, while other scholars hold the position that these passages forbid sex between men in general.[2][3][4] Another debate concerns the translation of key terms: arsenokoitēs (ἀρσενοκοίτης), malakos (μαλακός), and porneia (πορνεία).[5][6] Meanwhile, other passages in the New Testament, such as the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Centurion's Servant, and Jesus's teaching on divorce, may or may not refer to homosexuality.

  1. ^ Boswell, John (1980). Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century. University of Chicago Press. pp. 91–118. ISBN 9780226067148.
  2. ^ "The source and NT meaning of Arsenokoitai, with implications or Christian ethics and ministry James B. De Young" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  3. ^ "The Condemnation of Homosexuality in 1 Corinthians 6:9 David E. Malick" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-10-13. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  4. ^ "Homosexuality Revisited in Light of the Current Climate, by Calvin Smith" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-08-14. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  5. ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (2005). The secular Bible: why nonbelievers must take religion seriously. Cambridge University Press. p. 108.
  6. ^ Countryman, L. William (2007). Dirt, Greed, & Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today. Fortress Press. pp. 116–118. ISBN 9780800662240.