Who This is For:

Anyone who’s been shown Romans 1 as a “case‑closed” proof that gays won’t be in Heaven and anyone who wants a careful, context‑rich read that takes Scripture and queer people seriously.
This post is long because different points connect with different people. Take what’s helpful, return to it later, and share your own insights with me any time.

The Verses in Question: 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The Traditional View:

Many evangelicals point to this passage as a direct and unshakable condemnation of “homosexuals.” They read Paul’s list of vices and conclude that anyone in a same-sex relationship is automatically excluded from God’s kingdom.
This view often leans on English translations like the ESV or NIV, which render two rare Greek words, malakoi and arsenokoitai, as “men who practice homosexuality” or “men who have sex with men.”
The problem? Those words are not straightforward, and their history is messy.

A Contextual Reading:

his passage is part of a vice list-a type of moral catalog common in Paul’s letters. His point is not to build an identity checklist of who’s in and who’s out, but to warn the church against behaviors that exploit, harm, or tear down community life.

And notice the main point Paul is making comes in verse 11: “That is what some of you were… but you were washed.”

Paul is reminding the Corinthians that they have been transformed, not shaming them for identities. The focus is leaving behind destructive patterns, not policing sexual orientation.

What Do These Greek Words Mean?

Malakoi (μαλακοί)

• Literally means “soft.” Elsewhere in the New Testament, it describes soft clothing (Matthew 11:8).
  
• In Greek culture, it could mean a man who was considered weak, lacking in self-control, or overly indulgent in luxury.
• Sometimes it was used insultingly for men who didn’t fit cultural gender norms, but it was more about social judgment than sexual orientation.
• In short: malakoi is a vague insult about character and behavior, not a technical word for “gay men.”

Arsenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται)

• Extremely rare. It only appears here and in 1 Timothy 1:10.
• Seems to be a mash-up of two Greek words: arsen (male) and koitē (bed).
• Likely drawn from the Greek translation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, but Paul doesn’t define it.
• Later usage suggests it often referred to exploitative sexual behavior — things like prostitution, pederasty (sex with boys), or economic exploitation tied to sex.
• David Bentley Hart translates it as “those who couple with catamites, and male prostitutes.”

Neither word clearly refers to mutual, loving, covenantal same-sex relationships. They are about exploitation, excess, and abuse.

The Sexual Economy of Corinth

Corinth was infamous for sexual exploitation. Men had routine access to enslaved people’s bodies, prostitution was normalized, and relationships of status (older men with adolescent boys) were common.
This is the world Paul was addressing. His concern is that followers of Jesus not live like the surrounding culture — using power, money, and status to take advantage of others.
To read malakoi and arsenokoitai as blanket condemnations of LGBTQ people today ignores this context completely.

The Struggle

Early interpreters didn’t agree on these words, which tells us they were not clear even in the centuries right after Paul. Some church fathers, like John Chrysostom, saw them as blanket condemnations of same-sex acts, while others framed them more generally as warnings against lust, indulgence, or exploitation. What’s important is that there was no single, consistent understanding.
That same lack of clarity shows up in the history of Bible translation. For centuries, translators wrestled with how to render malakoi and arsenokoitai, often choosing very different words depending on their own cultural assumptions. In fact, the word “homosexual” didn’t appear in any Bible until 1946, nearly 1,900 years after Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. That means for most of church history, readers never saw the word “homosexual” in their Bible at all.

Translation History

The way translators handle these words says a lot:

• KJV (1611): “effeminate… abusers of themselves with mankind.”
• Geneva Bible (1560) “Neither the whoremongers, neither idolaters, neither adulterers, neither wantons, neither buggerers…” (“wantons” = malakoi, “buggerers” = arsenokoitai.)
• NIV (1984): “male prostitutes… homosexual offenders.”

That’s quite a spread. When translations differ this widely, it’s a signal that the underlying words are not simple or universally agreed upon.

Focus on Context

Paul isn’t naming and excluding LGBTQ Christians. He’s calling out exploitation, greed, and self-indulgence in a culture that normalized the abuse of power.
This vice list sits between two important realities:
Corinth’s world: sexual exploitation and social inequality.

The church’s call: a transformed community shaped by grace.

And again, verse 11 is crucial: “That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified.” The message is transformation and belonging, not exclusion.

Takeaways

• Malakoi and arsenokoitai are rare, culturally bound, and debated words. They don’t map neatly onto modern ideas of sexual orientation.
• Paul is addressing exploitative practices, not loving LGBTQ relationships.
• The variety of translations shows how unsettled this debate really is.
• Paul’s focus is grace — calling the Corinthians to leave behind the culture of exploitation and live into their new identity in Christ.

Resources

• 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted a Culture (Documentary)
  Focuses specifically on how the word “homosexual” was first introduced into the Bible in the 1946.

• Dale Martin, Sex and the Single Savior (Book)
  Martin is a Yale scholar who unpacks how contested Greek terms like malakoi and arsenokoitai have been mistranslated and misunderstood, showing how cultural context shapes interpretation.

• David Bentley Hart, The New Testament: A Translation (Book)
  Hart’s fresh translation highlights how different word choices (like “catamites and male prostitutes” instead of “homosexuals”) can shift the meaning dramatically, reminding us that no translation is neutral.

• The Reformation Project: 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy address exploitation (Blog)
  This resource offers accessible explanations of key Greek terms in passages like 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, aimed at equipping LGBTQ Christians and allies with clear, faithful responses.

• Matthew Vines, “What Does the Bible Really Say About Homosexuality?” (YouTube)
  Vines’ lecture gives a thoughtful, approachable overview of the clobber passages, presenting scholarship in a way that’s easy to follow.

• Small Church Big Table (Organizaion)
  Resources for Church Leaders wrestling with LGBTQ questions:

This blog post is part of an ongoing project to explore difficult biblical texts with honesty, care, and curiosity. It will be updated over time with more resources and insights, so please bookmark.

If this helped you, consider sharing it with someone who’s wrestling with the same questions. You’re not alone.

Be well,
David

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Leviticus 18