There are some new verses which are now being used against
homosexuals. The problem with the use of these verses against homosexuals is that those who use them come to the text already
under the presumption that being homosexual is a sin. They then use these unrelated verses to support their presumption. Let’s
look at these verses.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
-Colossians 3:5-7
There are five sins listed here, which Paul equates
to idolatry, and calls those who practice these sins “the children of disobedience” whom God’s wrath will
fall upon. But do any of these sins specifically refer to homosexuality? Let’s look at these five sins:
1) FORNICATION (in Greek, porneyan): this is the sin of sexual activity with anyone you
are not married to. All sexual sin falls under this category. Sexual orientation is irrelevant here.
2) UNCLEANNESS (in Greek, akatharsian): this covers a wide variety of things, such as a
woman’s period, touching a dead body, having leprosy, eating or drinking specific foods, “wet dreams”, and
“professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptable God into an image
made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things; wherefore God also gave them up to unncleaness
through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.” Sexual orientation is
irrelevant here.
3) INORDINATE AFFECTION (in Greek, pathos): notice that the English translation uses two words to
translate the single Greek word 'pathos' (from which we get the term pathological, meaning being such
to a degree that is extreme or excessive according to Merriam-Webster.com). Nothing wrong with this two
word translation at all – except that English speakers have chosen to apply their own personal interpretation by insisting
that the English words inordinate affection means homosexuality. Really?
From three different
independent Greek dictionary sources, the Greek word pathos means:
· “ardency, passion” - from
Kypros.com
· “pity, compassion, enthusiasm, emotion” -from Babylon.com
· “suffering, a passion (especially concupiscence), (inordinate) affection, lust,
from the Greek “paskho” meaning to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful), feel, passion, suffer,
vex” -from Strong’s Concordance of the Bible
I don’t know
about you, but I don’t see anything here that singles out homosexuals. Sexual orientation is irrelevant here.
4) EVIL CONCUPISCENCE (in Greek, epithumian kakayn): kakayn is a basic Greek word for evil
or bad (from which we get "kaka doodoo"). Epithumian is a Greek word referring to an intense craving, lust, longing,
desire, coveting, for something you can’t have (remember the 10th commandment… “thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor’s wife”). “Strong desire; especially sexual desire”, according to Merriam-Webster
Dictionary. Once again, sexual orientation is irrelevant here.
5) COVETOUSNESS (in Greek, pleonedzian): literally meaning to be greedy or deeply desirous
of that which is not yours or that which you cannot have, which echoes the previous four sins. Sexual orientation is irrelevant
here.
While all of these words apply to everyone, in none of these
words is there any reference to homosexuality. In other words, both heterosexuals and homosexuals are held to this charge
without a bias to one or the other. Adultery, fornication, sexual lust, covetous lust, rape, pedophilia, whore-mongering,
bestiality, etc, are sins committed by HUMANS; these verses do not single out homosexuals over heterosexuals.
While not targeting homosexuals specifically, these verses
are speaking of something extremely serious that all of us need to pay heed to, especially men, who seem to have a more difficult
time tackling the issue of lust then women. It is vital, as Christians, that we get lust under control in our lives.
We have no business looking at other people lustfully, or going to strip clubs or porn shops or any place that glorifies sex
and sexuality. Sex is between you and your mate, which you do in private, just as required of heterosexuals.
