From: Ordinary Mind 
Subject: Re: Arsenokoitai; Oh My!
Date: 8 Jan 1996 05:15:56 GMT
Organization: Southwest Texas State University
Lines: 85
Message-ID: <4cq9ac$a59@central.server.swt.edu>
References: <4cp7g8$990@maureen.teleport.com>

[...]

Another related issue of translation sprang upon me while tracking the sources submitted by Paul S. and I would like y'alls assistance with this one as well. According to Paul Hallsel, there is some problem in the translation of the word RHAKA, as used in Matt 5, the Sermon on the Mount [Probably from Q Source]. Halsel stated that RHAKA, is almost completely lost now but that, because of etymological considerations, some lexicographers have suggested that it possibly is a denegrating term roughly equal to "faggot," such that Jesus was admonishing his audience NOT to denegrate homosexual people. In any case, Hallsel continued, the term translated as "fool" ("call no man fool") has other sexual conotations as well and has been established to be something equal to the Greek, "malikos," or effiminent or "sissy." So Jesus (or at least the writer of Matt <-- Mark <-- Aramaic Matt <-- Q Source) JUST MIGHT have been warning his followers not to denegrate RHAKA = Arsenokoitai and/or [Meltos?...or something..sorry I will go get the word] = malikos = effeminent men (whether men of luxuory with their legs up or otherwise).

So IT IS POSSIBLE that the denegration of gay/lesbian people is proscribed by Jesus, himself, in [the Q Source collections of] The Sermon on the Mount. Furthermore, if that IS the case, I suppose I owe Kevin Abrams an apology for insinuating that he is a "sissy."

Wouldn't THAT be an interesting twist. It would certainly have blow Paul's skirt, er....tunic. *:)

- cliff