Tertullian on Homosexuality

Revisiting a project I began many moons ago - refuting revisionist theology on homosexuality.
 

Looking now at the writings of select church fathers,in order to learn how they preached on the subject of human sexuality.

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus was born about 150 A.D. in Carthage, North Africa, the city considered second in importance only to Rome in his time. His father was the captain of a Roman legion and provided Tertullian with the education and training to become a lawyer. When he was about 40, Tertullian was converted to Christianity. He exuberantly embraced the gospel and ably used his legal skills to defend Christianity from pagan attackers. http://www.tertullian.org/chi.htm

He denounced homosexuality in De Corona chapter 6. 

"Yes, and also in the first chapter of [Romans] [Paul] authenticates nature, when he asserts that males and females changed among themselves the natural use of the creature into that which is unnatural, by way of penal retribution for their error."

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian04.html

Cyprian on Homosexuality

Revisiting a project I began many moons ago - refuting revisionist theology on homosexuality.

Looking now at the writings of select church fathers,in order to learn how they preached on the subject of human sexuality.

Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus (b.200AD - martyred September 14, 258), early Christian theologian and bishop of Carthage.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/148534/Saint-Cyprian

He denounced homosexuality in Ad Donatus, chapter 9.
"...if you should be able...to direct your eyes into secret places, to unfasten the locked doors of sleeping
chambers and to open these hidden recesses to the perception of sight, you would behold that being carried on by the unchaste which a chaste countenance could not behold; you would see what it is a crime even to see...Men with frenzied lusts rush against men.Things are done which cannot even give pleasure to those who do them."

http://www.ewtn.com/library/SOURCES/DONATUS.TXT

John Crysostom on Homosexuality

Revisiting a project I began many moons ago - refuting revisionist theology on homosexuality.

Looking now at the writings of select church fathers,in order to learn how they preached on the subject of human sexuality.

One of the greatest minds of the early church,
John Chrysostom (347-407),served as archbishop of Constantinople.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/pastorsandpreachers/chrysostom.html

He denounced homosexuality in his Homilies on Romans:

"...the desire of intercourse effected, and united the sexes to one another. This desire the devil having taken away, and having turned the course thereof into another fashion, he thus sundered the sexes from one another, and made the one to become two parts in opposition to the law of God."

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf111.vii.vi.html

Mamaditto's Annual Memorial Day Tribute

I've always had a problem with peacenik protesters. Even as a teen during the crazy '60s and the war in Vietnam. There are two reasons for this. First is the objective criteria which defines a just war. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was no pacifist, otherwise He would not have told His disciples to arm themselves. (Lk 22:36) The second is more personal. It's hearing the sound of Taps playing in my head as I type this and remember the remarkable men from my family who are listed below.

Uncles

Edward Kosinski (d. 2002) US Navy

Charles Schinnerer (d. 1983) US Marines

Lester Schinnerer (d. 1983) US Navy

Philip Schinnerer (d. 1977) US Army

Russell Schinnerer (d.1974) US Army

William Schinnerer (d. 1975) US Army Air Force

Martin Vareha (d. 1999) US Army

Cousin

Melvin Sorber (d. 2000) US Navy

Father

Thomas Vareha, Sr. ( d.1996) US Navy

I love you, Dad. I will never forget the trip we took to Wilmington, NC in 1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII aboard the battleship USS North Carolina. http://www.battleshipnc.com/AbouttheShip/CrewRoster

Little did I know the Lord would call you home only a year later.

And now, to honor them all - http://www.crosscards.com/cards/patriotic/patriots-breast.html

Warnings About Bad Behavior

Revisiting a project I began many moons ago - refuting revisionist theology on Bible verses regarding homosexuality.

The last verse in this series is 1 Ti 1:10.
Mamaditto speaks in blue.

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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...KJV

πόρνοις,                ἀρσενοκοίταις,                                               

to fornicators,      to men lying w males,    

        ἀνδραποδισταῖς,                                                                                                           
         to catchers of male persons by the foot,
                                                                                                                                    

ψεύσταις,          ἐπιόρκοις,              καὶ     εἴ     τι                  ἕτερον
to liars,              to oathbreakers,    and    if     anything       different



 τῇ             ὑγιαινούσῃ          διδασκαλίᾳ                                                                                       

 to the          being healthful           teaching         


ἀντίκειται,
 is lying against.

The salient term here is again the Greek word ἀρσενοκοίταις, which has been discussed in the previous (3/3) post.

The Good News Bible has "sexual perverts" in its  translation.

The New American Standard has "homosexuals."

The New International Version has "perverts."

The Revised Standard Version has "sodomites."

In addition, this verse is incorporated into a list of conduct which the Apostle Paul describes as "not for the righteous" in vs.9 and "contrary to sound doctrine" in vs.10.

Unrighteous Bedfellows

Revisiting a project I began many moons ago - refuting revisionist theology on Bible verses regarding homosexuality. Below is the pitiful attempt to re-work 1 Cor 6:9.
Mamaditto speaks in blue.
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Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind... KJV

There are two words which appear to have been mistranslated. Malakee (effeminate) and arsenokeeteh (abusers of themselves with mankind). The Greek term malakee is used elsewhere in the Bible to mean someone who lacks discipline or one who is morally weak, and never is it used in reference to sexuality or gender. It wasn't until 1946 that malakee was given a sexual connotation when it was translated to mean "sexual perverts" in the Revised Standard Version.

                                                         
The second term arsenokeeteh literally means "male-active-bed". Unfortunately, arsenokeeteh has been interpreted by some to mean homosexual. The term arsenokeeteh is obscure, as evidenced by the variety of interpretations it has been assigned throughout history (including "people with infamous habits", and "child molesters"). If Paul was addressing male homosexuality why did he choose such an obscure word when there were Greek words that were more commonly used to describe homosexual behavior? Given Paul's concern with temple prostitution, wouldn't it make more sense to assume that "male-active-bed" was a reference to the male cult prostitution that was prevalent in Greco-Roman culture at that time?
     
  ἢ   οὐκ    οἴδατε                       ὅτι         ἄδικοι           θεοῦ   βασιλείαν   οὐ               

Or    not    have YOU known         that    unjust(ones)         of God   kingdom       not  
  
   κληρονομήσουσιν;
   they will inherit;


μὴ    πλανᾶσθε:     οὔτε      πόρνοι      οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ          οὔτε 
not  beYOU misled:  neither   fornicators   nor     idolators              nor     adulterers         nor
        

 μαλακοὶ   οὔτε  ἀρσενοκοῖται...
soft (men)    nor    liers with males...

For the record, the proper spelling is malakos, and it certainly is used in reference to sexuality. Thayer's Lexicon (p. 387) equates the meaning to "catamite" as does Strong's Concordance. Vine's Dictionary associates it with "sins of the flesh." All these were published prior to 1946. Furthermore, the RSV translation has "homosexuals," not "sexual perverts":

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God...RSV                                                      http://www2.mf.no/bibelprog/vines?word=¯t0000861

(Vine's ; pub.1940)

http://www.eliyah.com/cgi-bin/strongs.cgi?file=greeklexicon&isindex=malakos (Strong ; pub. 1890)
                      

http://bluehost.levendwater.org/books/Thayers%20Greek-English%20lexicon%20of%20the%20New%20Testament/index.htm                (Thayer, pp.75, 387; pub.1887)

Arsenokoitai (the proper spelling) refers to males who go to bed with other males. It is a compound of arseno (male) and koite (bed).
Thayer's (p.75, linked above)defines it as "sodomite" as does Strong's Concordance. The Gr. koite is the word for "bed" when intercourse is implied, whether illicit or marital.
(cf. Ro 13:13 ; Heb 13:4)

http://www.eliyah.com/cgi-bin/strongs.cgi?file=greeklexicon&isindex=733 (Strong's) 

The most important thing to remember is that this entire verse is a list of behaviors which are "unrighteous" - ἄδικοι. Thus, homosexuality is one of several sexual sins which, if left unconfessed, will preclude inclusion in God's kingdom.  

http://www2.mf.no/bibelprog/vines?word=¯t0003163
 

The Downward Spiral

Revisiting a project I began many moons ago - refuting revisionist theology on Bible verses regarding homosexuality. Below is the ineffectual attempt to
re-work Ro 1:26.
Mamaditto speaks in blue.

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Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural (physin) relations for unnatural (paraphysin) ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural (physin) relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Romans 1:26

In the preceding passage the Greek words physin and paraphysin have been translated to mean natural and unnatural respectively. Contrary to popular belief, the word paraphysin does not mean "to go against the laws of nature", but rather implies action which is uncharacteristic for that person. An example of the word paraphysin is used in Romans 11:24, where God acts in an uncharacteristic (paraphysin) way to accept the Gentiles. When the Scripture is understood correctly, it seems to imply that it would be unnatural for heterosexuals to live as homosexuals and for homosexuals to live as heterosexuals.


διὰ           τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς    εἰς    πάθη         ἀτιμίας:
Through this      gave beside them    the God  into passions      of dishonor 

 αἵ   τε    γὰρ    θήλειαι   αὐτῶν   μετήλλαξαν τὴν   φυσικὴν 
 the and for      females     of them  exchanged     the    natural

χρῆσιν εἰς    τὴν           παρὰ   φύσιν            
use        into   the(one) beside   nature

This is an attempt to reason that homosexuality is wrong only when heterosexuals experiment with it and vice versa.
This approach is flawed for the following reasons:
(1)It presupposes that the Apostle Paul & his 1st century contemporaries had a 20th century politically-correct Western mindset. (It should be noted there are no words for "homosexual", "gay", "lesbian", or "sexual orientation" in Greek or Hebrew. The ancient world did not label people according to sexual proclivity.)

(2)Romans 1 deals with idolatry and the behaviors which stem from it due to the reprobate nature of the practitioners. The term "inflamed with lust" hardly describes someone merely participating in homosexuality for ceremony, ritual or convenience.

(3) The salient features of the Greek construction of this verse are the two words παρέδωκεν and εἰς. The former connotes the idea of giving up on something ; the latter of moving into a particular result. http://www2.mf.no/bibelprog/vines?ord=¯t0001194 ;
http://concordances.org/greek/1519.htm

(4) The Greek word ἀτιμίας literally means "negative honor"                                                           http://www2.mf.no/bibelprog/vines?word=¯t0000761

So, just from the first sentence of this verse, the Apostle Paul is presenting homosexuality as an illustration of behavior which results from the rejection of God's divine authority - despite the fact that He has revealed Himself in the minds of men and in the physical world. God, therefore, acquiesced, and let sin run its course.
   First century extra-biblical history supports this view. For example,the hellenist Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (20BC - 50AD) wrote of Sodom & Gomorrah thus: "... for not only did they go mad after women and defile the marriage bed of others, but also those who were men lusted after one another, doing unseemly things, and not regarding or respecting their common nature... the men became accustomed to be treated like women..."
On Abraham (commentary on the biblical texts of Moses) http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book22.html

Another hellenist Jewish historian, Josephus ( 37-100AD), wrote of homosexuality: "But, then, what are our laws about marriage? That law owns no other mixture of sexes but that which nature hath appointed, of a man with his wife, and that this be used only for the procreation of children. But it abhors the mixture of a male with a male; and if any one do that, death is its punishment.
 Against Apion an apology of Judaism. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=J.+Ap.+2.25&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0216

So, the modern-day revisionists are wrong. Both the literal Greek construction and first century secular history  defend the traditional view that homosexual conduct is morally reprehensible.