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  • From: Bob MacDonald <bobmacdonald AT shaw.ca>
  • To: 'Corpus-paul' <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Paul and homosexuality?
  • Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 21:33:45 -0700


stephen.finlan wrote
>>A negative view of sex is also present in the NT.

The views of a book are the views of its authors. If the author is God as
was assumed by the scholarly pietism of Robert Young (concordance intro:
Original scriptures (original in small caps) have "God for their Author,
Truth without admixture of Error for their Matter, and Salvation for their
End"), then God is imputed as having a negative view of part of His
creation. This will not stand against the Tov, tov, tov of the first chapter
of Genesis, nor against the 'Every created thing is good and to be received
with thanksgiving' of the Pastorals.

If the authors were 'only' human, then they would have put down a clearly
important part of all their beings, and I doubt if this human kingdom
divided against itself would have stood either.

>>Asceticism, and reasons for it, were very important to Paul, who can be
called a "model ascetic" (Roetzel), as we see in Romans:

Asceticism does not imply sexless being.

>>6:6 ... so that the sinful body might be destroyed
and many other texts up to
>> 8:6 to set the mind on the flesh is death.

flesh and sex are not synonymous in these contexts. What about 'if you by
the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body, you will live' or 'The
Spirit will give life to your mortal bodies'.

These speak of the love of God in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

>> Despite his very reasonable advice in 1 Cor 7, Paul's own attitude about
sexuality is quite dualistic, and passion is bad.

I would take 1 Cor 7:7 as I quoted in a prior post as referring to Paul's
own sexual experience. Is there anyone else out there who reads it this way?

This is to say nothing of the positive attitude towards incarnation
expressed by John in both gospel and epistle 1.

Bishop Stephen Neill (1940s) was asked what he would tell teenagers first
about sex - he replied teach them the meaning of the phrase: "Your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit". A lesson still to be learned, I guess.

This is a clear teaching from Paul in 1 Cor 6.

Very positive, I think

Bob

mailto::BobMacDonald AT shaw.ca
+ + + Victoria, B.C., Canada + + +

Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that make havoc of the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in flower. (Song 2.15)
http://bobmacdonald.gx.ca






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