On Mon 25 Sep 2000 (13:00:32), jwest wrote: > following is some thoughts i have on the word above... i would > appreciate any input you have. With all due respect, Jim, your post reads like special pleading. In the Sibylline Oracles 2, 73 ARSENOKOITHS and ARSENOKOITEIN unambiguously refer to male homosexuals. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Antiq 7:2 has ARSENOKOITAI as synonymous with PAIDERASTAI. Is it not possible that Paul is using ARSENOKOITHS as a euphemism to avoid offence by blatantly spelling it all out? Scripture is never gratuitously crude or coarse; compare the euphemism SKEUOS for the male sexual organ in 1 Thessalonians 4:4. Do you really think that ARSENOKOITHS merely means what we might call a "couch potato"? a gentleman of leisure? ERRWSQE, Ben -- Revd Ben Crick, BA CF 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK) http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm --- B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu