Good Shepherd Community of Faith

An American Baptist and United Church of Christ

Welcoming and Affirming Congregation

In The Bible

Leviticus and toevah:

The Leviticus reference to toevah has nothing to do with homosexuality:  The word toevah is used throughout the OT to designate Jewish concepts which involve ethnic contamination or idolatry and frequently occur as part of the stock phrase "toevah ha-goyim" "the uncleanness of the Gentiles" (e.g., 2 (4) Kings 16:3).

Another Hebrew word, zimah, could have been used - if that was what the authors intended.  Zimah means not what is objectionable for religious or cultural reasons but what is wrong in itself.  Zimah means an injustice, a sin.  Leviticus could have used zimah; it uses toevah.  This conclusion finds further support where toevah is translated with the Greek word bdelygma.  Once again, other Greek words were available, like anomia, meaning a violation of law or a wrong or a sin.  Early Greek translators could have used anomia; they used bdelygma.

-from: Liberated Christians

 

 

 

The Roman Centurion and pais – Matt 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10

 

For many centuries before Matthew and Luke wrote their Gospels, the Greek word pais was commonly used to refer to the younger partner in a same sex relationship.  As an important part of the Roman Empire, Israel was exposed to Roman culture, with its Greek language and Greek sexual mores.

 

Both Matthew and Luke use the Greek word pais to describe the Centurion’s relationship with his “servant”.  They used the word pais at a time when that word had definite same sex meaning when used as they used it.

 

Because the Centurion used the word pais to describe the servant he so highly valued, because Jesus commended the faith of the Centurion and because Jesus did not condemn the sexual relationship implicit in the Centurion’s use of the word pais, we conclude that God can and does bless loving homosexual relationships which are within the Biblical moral framework – committed, faithful, noncultic.

 

-from: GayChristians101

 

 

 

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