The Greek noun arsenokoitēs is a compound of arrēn ('male') and koitē ('bed, lying with'). It refers to a man who engages in sexual relations with another man. Paul coined or adopted this term, likely drawing on the Septuagint's language in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, where the same two Greek root words appear.
Paul lists arsenokoitēs among behaviors that exclude from the kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 and in the catalog of 'lawbreakers' in 1 Timothy 1:10. The term reflects the consistent biblical witness — rooted in the creation order of Genesis 1–2 — that sexual union is designed by God for one man and one woman within marriage.
Crucially, 1 Corinthians 6:11 follows the list with 'And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.' The gospel offers forgiveness and transformation to all who repent and trust in Christ, without exception.