THE APOSTLE PAUL and HOMOSEXUALITY A SOCIO-HISTORICAl STUDY Dr P H Botha BA, B.Th, MA,PGCE, Ph.D - - - - - - - --- - -- - - - - THE APOSTLE PAUL AND HOMOSEXUALITY: A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY Petrus Hendrik Botha, BA, BTh, MA, PGCE. Thesis for the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in New Testament of the North-West University Promoter: Professor Dr Fika J van Rensburg School of Biblical Studies and Bible Languages North-West University "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." 2 Peter3:14-16 This thesis is dedicated with gratitude to the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, in the hope that this Church in our day will be strengthened to the glory of God. Let us never fear faithfulness to God's Word. Today the clarity of God's Word must be proclaimed without wavering, lest we fail in the Great Commission given us by our Lord. P H Botha BIBLICAL BOOKS Books of the Old Testament Gn, Ex, Lv, Nu, Dt, Jos, Jdg, Ru, 1, 2 Sa. 1, 2 Ki, 1, 2 Ch, Ezr, Ne, Est, Jb, Ps, Pr, Ec, Ct, Is. Je, La, Ezk, Dn, Ho, Joel, Am, Ob, Jon, Mi, Na, Hab, Zp, Hg, Zc, Mal. Books of the New Testament Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn, Acts, Rom, 1, 2 Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil. Col, 1, 2 Thes, 1, 2 Tim, Tit, Phm, Heb, Jas, 1, 2 Pet, I,2, 3 Jn, Jude, Rev. Apocrypha Wis, Jdt, Sir Other Spec Laws On the special laws Philo Disc Discources Dio Chrysostorn EP Moral Epistles Seneca Paed Paedagogus Clement of Alexandria Ant Jewish Antiquities Josephus - - - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Like many other people I have thought about the biblical understanding of homosexuality. Because of my previous study on sexual purity before marriage and the exegetical work done on key biblical passages for that study, I thought I understood where the real issues lay regarding the subject of homosexuality. This study is an attempt to contribute to the current discussion in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa on the topic of homosexuality. In bringing this study to its final format I have received the indispensable help of others. First and foremost I wish to express my gratitude to my promoter, Professor Fika J van Rensburg. I am indebted to him beyond what mere words could convey in terms of gratitude. Our academic relationship spans five years and has developed into a warm friendship. It has been to my matchless benefit to be associated with him. I have profited much from his biblical knowledge, scholarly experience and overall passion and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I also want to thank Reverend Erlo Stegen of Mission Kwasizabantu for his support and spiritual guidance. It is very special to be associated with a person who preaches the Word of God unambiguously and who has given and dedicated his life to Christ and Christ alone. Through his dedication Mission Kwasizabantu had become a home to the spiritual homeless and a refuge for the spiritual weary. The Mission has also been my home since 1994. I would like to express appreciation to Dr Andre van Niekerk and the North-West University for the financial support to complete this study. It is my prayer that the critical reader of this thesis will acknowledge that the money was well invested. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to my friend, Reverend Frits van der Menve, for proofreading the manuscript. A special word of thanks to the personnel of the Ferdinand Postma and Jan Lion Cachet Libraries for their help and assistance. All my requests were always met with a smile and helpful attitude. All work done for me was executed in a spirit of kindness and benevolence. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Andra and my son Chris, whose lives are inextricably bound with my own and who shared in the sacrifices associated with this study. Andra typed the original manuscript, sometimes under much pressure time-wise and then again difficult circumstances at other times. Her perseverance, criticism, comments and editorial and stylistic advice meant much for the general improvement of the final product. To Chris a special word of thanks for understanding when there was little time for anything else but this thesis. His support and help with the laptop computer was vital to finish the work. To God and the Lord Jesus Christ be all the glory ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PREFACE CONDENSED INDEX INDEX CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2: The state of research on homosexuality in theological hermeneutics 11 CHAPTER 3: A socio-historical perspective of homosexuality in the first century AD 28 CHAPTER 4: Sexual immorality defined 39 CHAPTER 5: A focused exegesis of Romans 1 :24-27 48 CHAPTER 6: A focused exegesis of ICorinthians 6:9-10 70 CHAPTER 7: A focused exegesis of 1Timothy 1:9-10 82 CHAPTER 8: Conclusion: Towards a Biblical Theology of homosexuality 89 ABSTRACT KEY PHRASES BBLlOGf?APHY 98 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PREFACE CONDENSED INDEX CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.1 BACKGROUND 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT 1.3 AIM AND OUTCOMES 1.4 CENTRAL THEORETICAL ARGUMENT 1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.6 SCHEMATIC SUMMARY 1.7 CHAPTER BREAKDOWN CHAPTER 2 The state of research on homosexuality in theological hermeneutics INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY CONSTRUCTION OF THE GENERAL CONTEXT FOR HOMOSEXUALITY OLD TESTAMENT SEXUAL MORALITY GRAECO-ROMAN SEXUAL MORALITY JUDAlSTlC SEXUAL MORALITY NEW TESTAMENT SEXUAL MORALITY CONTEMPORARY SEXUAL MORALITY SUMMARY Index CHAPTER 3 28 A socio-historical perspective of homosexuality in the first century AD 3.1 INTRODUCTION 3.2 GRAECO-ROMAN CULTURE 3.3 JUDAlSTlC CULTURE 3.4 THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CULTURE 3.5 SUMMARY CHAPTER 4 Sexual immorality defined 4.1 INTRODUCTION 4.2 THE CONCEPT aopvda 4.3 STATE OF RESEARCH 4.4 COMPONENTIAL ANALYSIS OF sropv~ia 4.5 SUMMARY CHAPTER 5 Exegesis of Romans 1 :18-32 5.1 INTRODUCTION 5.2 GENERAL BACKGROUND 5.3 TENTATIVE INTERPRETATION OF THE RELEVANT GREEK PHRASES 5.3.1 M~riXXaEavrjv c$vor~jv~pijorv ELS T~Vrapd c$ljorv 5.3.1.1 Introduction 5.3.1.2 Exegesis 5.3.1.3 Summary 5.3.2 'E&~~aljequaviv rj 6pit;~rafiriiv EIS d&jkovs 5.3.2.1 Introduction 5.3.2.2 Exegesis 5.3.2.3 Summary Index 5.3.3 "Apueves &V (ipU€UlV T~Vd~~llpo~hvqv K~T€~~~C~~EVOL 5.3.3.1 Introduction 5.3.3.2 Exegesis 5.3.3.3 Summary 5.4 CONCLUSION: ROMANS 1:26-27 AND BIBLICAL SEXUALIN CHAPTER 6 Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 6.1 INTRODUCTION 6.2 GENERAL BACKGROUND 6.3 TENTATIVE DEFINITION OF MEANING OF apuevo~oi~qsand paka~bs 6.3.1 Introduction 6.3.2 Componential analysis of apa€vouoi~q~~and~~a~a~6s 6.3.3 Exegesis 6.3.4 Summary 6.4 CONCLUSION: 1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10 AND BIBLICAL SEXUALITY CHAPTER 7 Exegesis of 1 Timothy 1:9-10 INTRODUCTION GENERAL BACKGROUND THE TENTATIVE DEFINITION OF MEANING OF &~OEVOKO~T~S Introduction Componential analysis of apuwo~oirqs Exegesis Summary CONCLUSION: 1 TIMOTHY 1:9-10 AND BIBLICAL SEXUALIN CHAPTER 8 Conclusion: Towards a Biblical Theology of Homosexuality ABSTRACT KEY PHRASES BIBLIOGRAPHY Chapter 1 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Overview: Background Problem statement Aim and outcomes Central theoretical argument Research methodology Schematic summary Chapter Breakdown BACKGROUND According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, homosexuality refers to the attraction of a person to another person of the same gender. Homosexuality is derived from 6p0 (Greek: the same) and not from homo (Latin: man). All the references to homosexuality in the New Testament are in the ~auline'corpus. These references, with one possible exception, refer to male homosexuality (1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:10, Rom 1:26-27). The one possible exception is Romans 1:26, which may refer to female homosexuality (lesbianism). It should be noted that there is no consensus among scholars in understanding and interpreting these passages of Scripture. ' I accept the Pauline authorship of the Pastorals. Modem higher critical scholarship casts more doubts on the authenticity of these epistles than on any of the others claiming authorship by Paul. According to the view that denies his authorship of the PasIorals, a pseudonymous writer uses the authority of Paul's name to combat rising Gnosticism in the 2d cennuy. Doubt about Paul's authorship also stems ~rimarilyfrom differences in vocabulary and grammatical style that appear when the Pastorals are c&npared with other Pauline Epistles. However, man; well-known biblical scholars reeard Paul to be the author of the Pastorals and reeard the above-mentioned reasons not a. suffment to douht ~au1ln.eauthorship (Gundr).. 19x1: Lalcgm, 1990; ~ol~fX1988; K~mmrl.1984: (mthnc. 19741 lhc earl\. church farhrr Clement of Komt wrole tnat Paul rrochrJdu, bmrrs 01 !he ups! I I Clcrn~.nt5:71 and called upon ~fmoth~to join him there. This suggests an early acceptance of P&I as authbr of the lettek to Timothy. I, therefore, accept in the light of the above the Pauline authorship ofthe Pastorals. Chapter I 2 Traditionally, main stream Afrikaans church denominations2 resisted homosexual relationships and practices strongly.