“Do you not know
That wrongdoers
Will not inherit
The kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived!
Neither will
Fornicators,
Idolaters,
Adulterers,
Male prostitutes,
Nor sodomites.”
ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι Θεοῦ βασιλείαν οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν; μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται
Paul then asked them. “Do you not know (ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε) that wrongdoers (ὅτι ἄδικοι) will not inherit (οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν) the kingdom of God (Θεοῦ βασιλείαν)? They were not to be deceived (μὴ πλανᾶσθε)! Neither would fornicators (οὔτε πόρνοι), idolaters (οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι), adulterers (οὔτε μοιχοὶ), male prostitutes (οὔτε μαλακοὶ), or sodomites (οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται).” Only the Pauline letters used this word πόρνοι, that means a fornicator, a man who prostitutes himself, and the word εἰδωλολάτραι, that means an image or idol worshiper, the word μαλακοὶ, a sodomite, a male engaging in same-gender sexual activity or a pederast, and the word ἀρσενοκοῖται, that means a sodomite or a male engaging in same-gender sexual activity. Paul insisted that unrighteous wrongdoers would not inherit the kingdom of God. They should not deceive themselves by pleading ignorance. He then went on to uniquely list all the bad behaviors that kept people from the kingdom of God. He hit very strongly on idolaters and wrongful sexual activity such as fornicators, adulterers, prostitutes, and sodomites. They were not to be tolerated within the Christian communities. Do you have sinful people in your Christian communities?
