The Greek English Lexicons do NOT define the two words in question as homosexuals, or males in a loving relationship with each other. I'll give the full definitions, and the BDAG is the most modern and highly respected Lexicon.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition, BDAG. Copyright 2000c
From the Foreword: "
Extended definitions are given in bold roman and may be followed by one or more
formal equivalents in bold italics."
ἀρσενοκοίτης [
arsenokoites], ου, ὁ (ἄρσην ‘male’ + κοίτη ‘bed’; Bardesanes 719 fgm. 3b 10, 25 p. 653 Jac. [in Eus., PE 6, 10, 25]; Anth. Pal. 9, 686, 5 and Cat. Cod. Astr. VIII/4 p. 196, 6 and 8 have the sp. ἀρρενοκοίτης; Theoph. Ant. 1, 2 [p. 60, 27]; in a vice list—ἀρσενοκοιτεῖν SibOr 2, 73; AcJ 36 [Aa II/1, 169]; cp. the association of ἄρσην and κοίτη Lev 20:13, s. Soph. Lex.: ἀ.= ὁ μετὰ ἄρσενος κοιμώμενος κοίτην γυναικείαν=‘one who has intercourse w. a man as w. a woman’; cp. the formation of μητροκοίτης [μήτηρ + κοίτη] ‘one who has intercourse w. his mother’ Hipponax 15, 2 Diehl3 [=Degani 20, 2])
a male who engages in sexual activity w. a pers. of his own sex, pederast 1 Cor 6:9 (on the impropriety of RSV’s ‘homosexuals’ [altered to ‘sodomites’ NRSV] s. WPetersen, VigChr 40, ’86, 187–91; cp. DWright, ibid. 41, ’87, 396–98; REB’s rendering of μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται w. the single term ‘sexual pervert’ is lexically unacceptable), of one who assumes the dominant role in same-sex activity, opp. μαλακός (difft. DMartin, in Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality, ed. RBrawley, ’96, 117–36); 1 Ti 1:10; Pol 5:3. Cp. Ro 1:27. Romans forbade pederasty w. free boys in the Lex Scantinia, pre-Cicero (JBremmer, Arethusa 13, ’80, 288 and notes); Paul’s strictures against same-sex activity cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of alleged temple prostitution (on its rarity, but w. some evidence concerning women used for sacred prostitution at Corinth s. LWoodbury, TAPA 108, ’78, 290f, esp. note 18 [lit.]), or limited to contract w. boys for homoerotic service (s. Wright, VigChr 38, ’84, 125–53). For condemnation of the practice in the Euphrates region s. the ref. to Bardesanes above.—RBurton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, 1934, vol. 6, 3748–82, lit. reff. and anthropological data relating to a variety of Mediterranean cultures; DBailey, Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition, ’55; KDover, Greek Homosexuality ’78; RScroggs, The NT and Homosexuality ’83; JBoswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality ’80; JBremmer, Greek Pederasty, in JBremmer, ed. From Sappho to de Sade2 ’91, 1–14; ECantarella, Bisexuality in the Ancient World ’92.—Pauly-W. 8, 1333f; 1459–68. DELG s.v. ἄρσην. M-M.
Notice my underlined section: The RSV translation as "homosexuals" was as Merriam-Webster defines 'impropriety', "an improper or indecorous act or remark
especially: an unacceptable use of a word or of language"; so the single word definition of "sodomites" in the NRSV is acceptable. It is opposed to the Greek μαλακός [
if one accepts μαλακός as sexual conduct, which not all do].
!! It is clear the BDAG is okay with the NRSV translation as "sodomites", but the use of "homosexuals" is improper, unacceptable.
μαλακός [
malakos]
2 pert. to being passive in a same-sex relationship, effeminate esp. of catamites,
of men and boys who are sodomized by other males in such a relationship, opp. ἀρσενοκοίτης (Dionys. Hal. 7, 2, 4; Dio Chrys. 49 [66], 25; Ptolem., Apotel. 3, 15, 10; Vett. Val. 113, 22; Diog. L. 7, 173; PHib 54, 11 [c. 245 B.C.] may have this mng.: a musician called Zenobius ὁ μαλακός [prob. with a sideline, according to Dssm., LO 131, 4—LAE 164, 4]. S. also a Macedon. ins in LDuchesne and CBayet, Mémoire sur une Mission au Mont Athos 1876 no. 66 p. 46; Plautus, Miles 668 cinaedus [Gk. κίναιδος] malacus; cp. the atttack on the morality of submissive homoeroticism Aeschin. 1, 188; DCohen, Greece and Rome 23, ’76, 181f) 1 Cor 6:9 (‘male prostitutes’ NRSV is too narrow a rendering; ‘sexual pervert’ REB is too broad)=Pol 5:3.—S. lit. s.v. ἀρσενοκοίτης. B. 1065. DELG. M-M.
If as the underlined shows, if one accepts
malakos as sexual, like a catamite, the word is one
of men and boys who are sodomized by other males! So the BDAG sees the word meaning they were sodomized by the "sodomites", and to be sodomized is to be
subjected to an act of sodomy,
especially forcibly. Yet, the BDAG gives
effeminate as the formal equivalent.
Neither 'arsenokoites' or 'malakos' can be used to condemn a mutually acceptable, loving gay relationship,
PERIOD.
Not all Greek scholars even agree that malakos refers to a sexual relationship!
From the 1940 Liddell-Scott-Jones as can be read online, see -
The Greek of '
malakos' -
lsj.gr
*There is no ''catamite" or any sort of 'homosexual' in that huge definition!
The 19th Century Greek scholar Heinrich H Meyer:
"μαλακοί]
effeminates, commonly understood as
qui muliebria patiuntur, but with no sufficient evidence from the usage of the language (the passages in Wetstein and Kypke, even Dion. Hal. vii. 2, do not prove the point); moreover, such catamites (
molles) were called πόρνοι or κίναιδοι. One does not see, moreover, why precisely
this sin should be mentioned twice over in different aspects. Rather therefore:
effeminate luxurious livers. Comp Aristotle,
Eth. vii. 7 : μαλακὸς καὶ τρυφῶν, Xen.
Mem. ii. 1, 20, also μαλακῶς, iii. 11. 10 : τρυφὴ δὲ καὶ μαλθακία, Plato,
Rep. p. 590 B."
The Expositor's Greek Testament:
"μαλακοί , soft, voluptuous , appears in this connexion to signify general addiction to sins of the flesh; lexical ground is wanting for the sense of pathici , suggested to some interpreters by the following word and by the use of
molles in Latin."
1 Corinthians 6, The Expositor's Greek Testament, The Expositor's Greek Testament provides Christians deep insights via deep Greek analysis and historical context, enriching biblical understanding.
www.studylight.org
I've given the FULL definitions of the sources quoted, not just a particular line or sentence out of context! Take the time to read carefully, it sure did take me time to write this!
