Well, I am delighted to have this opportunity to be with you this morning.

Appreciate your willingness to come out to hear a theme like this.

It's a vitally important theme, as Dr. Nettle has just reminded us, showing us from God's word,

the absolute foundational nature of maleness as well as femaleness to what God has called us to be

and do in his world. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9 and 10, Paul warns us against being misled

regarding who will and who will not inherit the kingdom of God. And then he says it like this.

He says, don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.

Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers,

nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Now unfortunately, the ESV, together with many modern translations, takes those words right

at the end of verse 9, there are two words, and it conflates them into one statement

of description, as I just read it, men who practice homosexuality. That phrase covers two

specific Greek words. The King James Version is actually more literal here because it renders both words

separately as nor the effeminate nor the abusers of themselves with mankind. Two different

words. The word effeminate is the word malachoy and it means soft it's used elsewhere in the new testament for that

very purpose it speaks of being effeminate or delicate in matthew chapter 11 verse 8 when jesus is

talking about john the baptist and what people expected when they went out

to see him he says what then did you go out to see a man dressed in soft malacos clothing

behold those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses when this word malac, malacoy is used of men figuratively, it's describing

effeminacy or unmanliness or softness. Now there are three points I want to call to our attention

by way of introduction regarding Paul's use of this word in 1st Corinthians 6.

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