WHAT"S IN A NAME: HOMOSEXUAL IDENTITY IN BIBLICAL TIME PERIODS

In order to get to the truth about a people one must start at the beginning, and in starting at the beginning understand the context and content of what one reads.  Words have meaning and they are used to describe persons, places and things.  The meaning and definitions associated with words change from one period to the next.  Also, a word's meaning and definition can be entirely different when the word is translated from one language to another.   For example, the term "GAY" is used to define a sexual minority which exist in America and that Americans commonly use today to refer to a homosexual.  However, in the 1920s if one was to use the word "GAY" in a sentence then one would be referring to a person who is happily excited : merry gay mood>. 

BOY: "PAIS" ( e.g. Hebrew Translation):  Pais as used in scripture is a slang word which was uswd to identify a younger male lover within the time period that the Gospels of Mathew and Luke were written.   The term pais was a slang term of affection used in the Greek Language to identify a younger male lover.  The New Testament was written in the Roman Empire. The Romans occupied Israel at the time the Centurion and pais story occurred. Greek language and Roman and Greek cultural mores impacted the writing of the New Testament. Greek words like pais convey the flavor of Greek cultural influence. If Matthew and Luke intended to tell us the gay Centurion and pais story, we should at least be open to hearing that truth. For example, Centurion and Pais is described in scripture.  The word "pais" or boy when used by an adult male when referring to another adult male during the period the gospels were written was a slang term used by an adult male when referring to his male lover.  Sir Kenneth J. Dover, (a heterosexual), former President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, and Chancellor of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, from 1981 until his retirement in 2005 and noted authority on ancient Greece, in his book, Greek Homosexuality, tells us the younger partner in a homosexual relationship is called pais or paidika. This information impacts our Centurion and pais discussion.

“The pais in a homosexual relationship was often a youth who had attained full height.”  (p. 16).

“The Greeks often used the word paidika in the sense of ‘eromenos.’ ”[ e.g.  “the boy you are in love with]. (p. 16).

Paidika is the diminutive of pais.

“The junior partner in homosexual eros is called pais (or of course, paidika) even when he has reached adult height and hair has begun to grow on his face.” ( p. 85).

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, one faithful scriptural understanding of Matthew 8  of the New Testament is that God can and does bless loving homosexual relationships which are within the Biblical moral framework - committed, faithful, non-cultic.

EUNUCH:  BORN-EUNUCH - Eunuch is a name like many which have been used to identify those who were homosexuals.  Never-the-less, Mathew 19 describes three categories of eunuch.  Those "so born in their mothers' womb" refer to what the historical record describe as "Born Eunuchs".  This category is the appropriate and accurately accounts for the origin of all homosexual men and women, who are "so born" into a condition that "Castrates" us from sexual desire toward the opposite sex.  The term eunuch excludes lesbian women.  Historic references to lesbian women included virgin, maiden (e.g. Vestal Virgins).  Wisdom of Sirach, one of the apocryphal books included in the Catholic Bible, says that embracing a girl makes a eunuch groan with nausea [Wisdom of Sirach 30:20]. It also says that a eunuch has no more desire to have sex with a girl than a righteous man has to use violence [Wisdom of Sirach 30:20]. Some men by birth have a nature to turn away from women, and those who are subject to this natural constitution do well not to marry. These, they say, are the eunuchs by birth.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS

Today's blog offers two accounts in which homosexuals have been overlooked in scripture.  The historical and archival evidence in annotated form demonstrate a misapplication of words written in scripture to define homosexuals.  When considering the new information what conclusions and insight do you offer?  With your new knowledge of the words and the contextual meaning of these words each should revisit the numerous scriptural references from Acts, Isaiah, Luke and Mathew that describes and support a benevolent and positive attitude toward homosexuality.  For those who are lazy I offer one scripture from the Prophet Isaiah for each to ponder.

"Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.  Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.  Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off".