📖 Biblical Definition
Homosexual sexual acts and certain other unnatural sexual practices. Scripture's prohibition is comprehensive across both testaments: Leviticus 18:22 (Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination), Leviticus 20:13 (capital), Romans 1:26-27 (the central NT passage naming both male and female homosexual acts as against nature), 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:10 (kingdom-exclusion lists naming arsenokoites). The category is named to'evah (abomination) in the OT and excluded-from-the-kingdom in the NT. The modern church has been catastrophically divided on this, with progressive denominations effecting a generational reversal of two thousand years of Christian consensus. The MOOP Dictionary holds the historic biblical position with no embarrassment and no equivocation.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Homosexual sexual acts; Lev 18:22 abomination, Lev 20:13 capital, 1 Cor 6:9 kingdom-exclusion; the historic Christian position.
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SODOMY, n. From the city of Sodom, destroyed in Genesis 19 for sexual sin. The biblical-English term for homosexual acts and certain related unnatural sexual practices. Hebrew underlying expressions: mishkav zakhar (lying with a male; Lev 18:22; 20:13). Greek NT: arsenokoites (1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10) — literally male-bedder, compound of arsen + koite; this exact compound was constructed from the Septuagint of Lev 18:22 and 20:13, making the NT prohibition a direct citation of the OT. Romans 1:26-27 names both male and female homosexual acts as against nature and lists them among the manifestations of God's judicial handing-over of a society to its desires.
📖 Key Scripture
Leviticus 18:22 — "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
Leviticus 20:13 — "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination."
Romans 1:26-27 — "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another."
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 — "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Timothy 1:9-10 — "...whoremongers, them that defile themselves with mankind, menstealers, liars, perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Two thousand years of unbroken Christian consensus reversed in a single generation by progressive denominations under cultural pressure; the biblical text refuses the reversal at every point.
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The progressive reinterpretation of these passages claims (variously) that Paul did not know about committed same-sex relationships, that arsenokoites means only abuse-relationships, that Leviticus's prohibitions are holiness-code only and not moral, and that Romans 1 refers only to pagan ritual prostitution. Every one of these readings collapses on contact with the text. Arsenokoites is constructed directly from the Septuagint of Lev 18:22 — Paul is citing Moses. Romans 1's against nature language refers to the Creator's design (the immediately prior verses), not to cultural deviation. 1 Cor 6:9 and 1 Tim 1:10 list the category alongside theft, adultery, and drunkenness — categories no one claims are ritual only.
The biblical posture toward those caught in this sin is the same as the posture toward anyone caught in any of the categories named in 1 Cor 6:9-10: and such were some of you. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11). Repentance, washing, sanctification — the gospel works on every sin in the list. What it does not do is bless the sin while leaving the sinner in it. The MOOP Dictionary holds historic Christianity's position: Christ rescues out of, not into, the practice.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
From Genesis 19's Sodom; Hebrew mishkav zakhar; Greek arsenokoites (direct LXX citation from Lev 18:22).
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['Hebrew', 'H4904', 'mishkav', 'bed, lying-together']
['Greek', 'G733', 'arsenokoites', 'male-bedder; compound from Lev 18:22 LXX']
['Hebrew', 'H8441', "to'evah", 'abomination (Lev 18:22)']
Usage
"Two thousand years of Christian consensus; one generation of denominational reversal."
"Arsenokoites is Paul citing the Greek translation of Lev 18:22 directly."
"1 Cor 6:9-11: such were some of you — the gospel washes, not blesses."