I Corinthians 6:9-10 states in the King James Version, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

In this verse, “effeminate” is translated from “malakos.” This means, “fine clothing, soft, effeminate.” Many versions have translated this word to mean “homosexual.” That is not what the original Greek transcript stated. This word has absolutely no sexual connotation. This is the same word used by Jesus for “soft clothing.” This word clearly denotes someone who is soft in their ways . . . someone morally weak and lax.

I Timothy 1:9-10 states, “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 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.”

In Timothy’s time, it was common for older leaders (men) in the synagogue or the church to have young boys move in with them, and the leaders would raise them in the synagogue or the church and mentor them. It was also common at that time (and don’t get me started on the recent media coverage of the Catholic church . . . why don’t we allow priests to marry [either a man or a woman . . . whichever is natural for the particular priest] so they can have a healthy relationship in which to take care of their God-given sexual appetite) for men to use these boys for sexual pleasures. This was an abomination to God . . . to make any child do such a preposterous act should still be punishable by death in my mind. This practice would continue until the boy was 21 years old, when he could then leave the relationship. This is the practice that Timothy was addressing in verse 10 above.

Romans 1:26 – 27, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

Paul is addressing here idolatry, worshipping the created order rather than the Creator (see verses 20 – 23 for the context of the verses that then follow). He then proceeds to state what would happen to these people . . . they would become gossipers, envious of others, proud, disobedient to parents, unforgiving, unmerciful. The context of the verses 26 and 27 state that individuals will “exchange the natural use for what is against nature.” For lesbians, their natural affection is a woman with a woman, and for gay men, their natural affection is a man with a man.

Of all the passages used against gays and lesbians from the Bible, this is the most obscure. Paul stated a number of things that we no longer live by in the church, because he spoke from his time period. He stated that women should be quiet in the church. He agreed with and encouraged slavery. This is possibly ONE obscure passage in the entire Bible that Paul wrote along with the many other do's and don'ts of his time – not a central theme of the Bible. Jesus only spoke of love and never condemned a loving gay or lesbian relationship.