The word HOMOSEXUAL didn’t exist in the Bible UNTIL 1946…
So what Does this verse really mean???
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
…nor homosexuals…”1 Corinthians 6:9 (abbreviated)
How ‘Homosexual’ Entered the Bible: 1 Corinthians 6:9 Translation Timeline
1 Corinthians 6:9 is a verse from the New Testament in which the Apostle Paul lists categories of people who, he says, will not “inherit the kingdom of God.”
Here’s the verse in Greek and several key English translations, so you can see how it has evolved:
Origin of the Word “Homosexual”
The word “homosexual” was invented in 1869 by Karl-Maria Kertbeny, a Hungarian-German writer and early advocate for human rights. He introduced the term in a German-language pamphlet pushing back against Prussia’s anti-sodomy laws.
- Fuses Greek “homo-” (meaning “same”) and Latin “sexualis” (pertaining to sex)
- The concept of sexual orientation as an identity did not exist in ancient times
- This word reflects modern 19th-century thinking
- No biblical manuscripts, in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, contain this word or anything equivalent to it
- The word “homosexuals” was first inserted into an English Bible in 1946, in the Revised Standard Version (RSV)
- This marked the first time in history that “homosexual” was presented as a biblical term
Greek (Original Koine Text)
Ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι Θεοῦ βασιλείαν οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν; μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται…
Literal English translation: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor the soft/effeminate nor the male-bedders…”
What “Arsenokoitai” Really Means
Arsenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται) is a rare Greek word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10.
- arsenokoitai = male-bedders
- arsēn = male
- koitē = bed (with sexual connotation)
- Coined by Paul – appears nowhere in Greek literature prior to Paul
- Drawn from the Greek version of Leviticus 20:13
- Translates directly to “male-bedder” — referring to a sexual act, not a person’s identity
- No evidence this term referred to mutual, consensual same-sex relationships
- Scholars interpret it as referring to exploitative sexual activity such as pederasty, temple prostitution, or economic/coerced sex
King James Version (1611)
Key change: “nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind” — Avoids modern categories. Reflects early translators grappling with obscure Greek terms.
Revised Standard Version (1946)
Key change: “nor homosexuals” — First English Bible to use “homosexual.” This introduced modern identity language that didn’t exist in Paul’s time. Decision made by a translation committee, not based on ancient textual evidence.
RSV (1971 update)
Key change: “nor sexual perverts” — Changed from “homosexuals” after backlash from scholars and church leaders.
New International Version (1984)
Key change: “nor men who have sex with men” — Modernized and simplified. Criticized for flattening the original meaning.
New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Key change: “male prostitutes, sodomites” — Attempts to separate malakoi and arsenokoitai.
NRSV Updated Edition (2021)
Key change: “male prostitutes and men who engage in illicit sex” — Tries to reflect exploitative or transactional nature of the Greek word. Avoids modern identity language like “homosexual.”
Important Notes
- Paul’s list is not a precise legal code — it’s a warning framed in the context of his moral vision for Christian community.
- The Greek words malakoi and arsenokoitai are poorly understood, context-dependent, and their translation has dramatically shifted over the centuries.
- Ancient languages had no concept of sexual orientation or identity — only specific behaviors.
- No ancient term here means “gay” in the modern sense of loving, committed same-sex relationships.
- The Bible never directly addresses mutual, consensual same-sex relationships as we understand them today.
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