This chapter is an excerpt from the book "God Is Not a Homophobe - An Unbiased Look at Homosexuality in the Bible" By Philo Thelos
© Copyright 2004 Philo Thelos. All
rights reserved. Trafford Publishing www.trafford.com
(Please note: This work is copyrighted, as indicated above. I do not own the rights to this work.)
(Please note: This work is copyrighted, as indicated above. I do not own the rights to this work.)
1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
This text says the, “sexually immoral… adulteresses… malakoi nor arsenokoitai…will not inherit God’s kingdom,” 1 Cor. 6:9.
From the immediate context of this statement, it is clear that Paul is attacking certain practices he had heard were occurring in the Corinthian church. He lists three: (1) a man is living with his mother in law, (5:1-5); (2) saints are suing saints in civil courts rather than in ecclesiastical courts, (6:1-8); (3) male saints are having sex with female cult prostitutes, (6:12-20). Whatever sexual sins are under consideration, they are heterosexual in nature. However, the nature of the specific sins is not primarily significant. Underlying Paul’s concern is the spiritual purity of the fellowship. The specific sins become an issue because they stain the purity of the church.
This concern indicates what is the function of the sin catalogs in the context. Notice how the three lists build upon each other: The italicized words are the new ones in each list.
1 Cor. 5:10 1 Cor. 5:11 1 Cor. 6:9-10
immoral immoral immoral
greedy greedy greedy
robbers robbers robbers
idolaters idolaters idolaters
revilers revilers
drunkards drunkards
adulterers
malakoi
arsenokoitai
thieves
The first observation we make is that as the list grows in length the size of the club increases. Paul is building toward a rhetorical climax in which he emphasizes that such deeds exclude one from participation in God’s kingdom. This, we will simply note in passing, does not equate with eternal damnation. Being saved and going to Heaven does not equal participation in God’s kingdom. The latter has to do with exercising the power, anointing and authority that enables one to be fully productive in God’s kingdom. One may be saved and go to Heaven yet fail to experience the fullness of the earth-bound side of the reign of God. But that is a topic we cannot discuss in fullness here. It must suffice here to say that to “inherit the kingdom of God” has nothing essential to do with being saved or lost. It has to do with participating in the privileges and blessings of God's rule. Just as one might live in the USA, yet live as an outcast, homeless, poor, etc. so one may live in God's kingdom though never benefit from all that is possible therein. Paul's point then is that Christians can live in such fashion as to become disqualified for true “kingdom living. ”
The second observation is also clear: Paul is not concerned especially about any one item in his lists. There is no indication that he desired to emphasize either malakoi or arsenokoitai in his third list. If any of the sins were of special importance it would probably be the four that appear in all three lists. But this is not provable. And the conclusions might be appropriate that because malakoi and arsenokoitai appear in only one list, that they are not considered as significant as the rest. This too is not provable, but it should be considered. Paul is aware that he is writing to former pagans. It is likely that he is therefore listing sins that are especially associated with pagan life. Thus it is important to observe that he includes “idolaters” in all three lists and that malakoi and arsenokoitai were especially known in that culture as expressions of idol worship.
Interestingly, Paul’s lists take the same form as traditional lists already existing in Hellenistic Judaism. Paul’s third list, which is his full compilation, is bracketed by the phrase “kingdom of God” in a way that is common in Hellenistic literature, suggesting that Paul is borrowing from Hellenistic Jewish tradition for rhetorical
purposes.
