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From our days in Sunday school, many of us are familiar with the
Gospel story where Jesus healed the servant of a Roman centurion. This
story is recorded in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10. In Matthew, we are
told that the centurion came to Jesus to plead for the healing of his
servant. Jesus said he was willing to come to the centurion’s house,
but the centurion said there was no need for Jesus to do so — he
believed that if Jesus simply spoke the word, his servant would be
healed. Marveling at the man’s faith, Jesus pronounced the servant
healed. Luke tells a similar story.


Just another miracle story, right? Not on your life!


Note 18. K.J. Dover, Greek Homosexuality (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1978), page 16; Bernard Sergent, Homosexuality in Greek Myth (Beacon Press, Boston, 1986), page 10.


In the original language, the importance of this story for gay,
lesbian, and bisexual Christians is much clearer. The Greek word used
in Matthew’s account to refer to the servant of the centurion is pais.
In the language of the time, pais had three possible meanings
depending upon the context in which it was used. It could mean “son or
boy;” it could mean “servant,” or it could mean a particular type of
servant — one who was “his master’s male lover.” (See note 18.) Often
these lovers were younger than their masters, even teenagers.



Note 19. Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (Mercer University Press, Macon, 1994), page 554.


To our modern minds, the idea of buying a teen lover seems repugnant.
But we have to place this in the context of ancient cultural norms.
In ancient times, commercial transactions were the predominant means of
forming relationships. Under the law, the wife was viewed as the
property of the husband, with a status just above that of slave.
Moreover, in Jesus’ day, a boy or girl was considered of marriageable
age upon reaching his or her early teens. It was not uncommon for boys
and girls to marry at age 14 or 15. (See note 19.) Nor was it uncommon
for an older man to marry a young girl. Fortunately civilization has
advanced, but these were the norms in the culture of Jesus’ day.


In that culture, if you were a gay man who wanted a male “spouse,”
you achieved this, like your heterosexual counterparts, through a
commercial transaction — purchasing someone to serve that purpose. A
servant purchased to serve this purpose was often called a pais.


The word boy in English offers a rough comparison. Like pais, the
word boy can be used to refer to a male child. But in the slave South
in the nineteenth century, boy was also often used to refer to male
slaves. The term boy can also be used as a term of endearment. For
example, Jeff’s father often refers to his mother as “his girl.” He
doesn’t mean that she is a child, but rather that she is his “special
one.” The term boy can be used in the same way, as in “my boy” or “my
beau.” In ancient Greek, pais had a similar range of meanings.


Thus, when this term was used, the listener had to consider the
context of the statement to determine which meaning was intended. Some
modern Christians may be tempted to simply declare by fiat that the
Gospels could not possibly have used the term pais in the sense of male
lover, end of discussion. But that would be yielding to prejudice. We
must let the word of God speak for itself, even if it leads us to an
uncomfortable destination.


Is it possible the pais referred to in Matthew 8 and Luke 7 was the
Roman centurion’s male lover? Let’s look at the biblical evidence.


Note 20. For an excellent and thorough discussion
of the terms pais and entimos doulos in these two gospel accounts, see
Donald Mader’s article The Entimos Pais of Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10, (Source: Homosexuality and Religion and Philosophy, Harland Publishing, Inc., New York, 1998).


The Bible provides three key pieces of textual and circumstantial
evidence. First, in the Luke passage, several additional Greek words
are used to describe the one who is sick. Luke says this pais was the
centurion’s entimos doulos. The word doulos is a generic term
for slave, and was never used in ancient Greek to describe a son/boy.
Thus, Luke’s account rules out the possibility the sick person was the
centurion’s son; his use of doulos makes clear this was a slave.
However, Luke also takes care to indicate this was no ordinary slave.
The word entimos means “honored.” This was an “honored slave” (entimos
doulos) who was his master’s pais. Taken together, the three Greek
words preclude the possibility the sick person was either the
centurion’s son or an ordinary slave, leaving only one viable option —
he was his master’s male lover. (See note 20.)


A second piece of evidence is found in verse 9 of Matthew’s account.
In the course of expressing his faith in Jesus’ power to heal by simply
speaking, the centurion says, “When I tell my slave to do something, he
does it.” By extension, the centurion concludes that Jesus is also
able to issue a remote verbal command that must be carried out. When
speaking here of his slaves, the centurion uses the word doulos. But
when speaking of the one he is asking Jesus to heal, he uses only pais.
In other words, when he is quoted in Matthew, the centurion uses pais
only when referring to the sick person. He uses a different word,
doulos, when speaking of his other slaves, as if to draw a distinction.
(In Luke, it is others, not the centurion, who call the sick one an
entimos doulos.) Again, the clear implication is that the sick man was
no ordinary slave. And when pais was used to describe a servant who was
not an ordinary slave, it meant only one thing — a slave who was the
master’s male lover.


The third piece of evidence is circumstantial. In the Gospels, we
have many examples of people seeking healing for themselves or for
family members. But this story is the only example of someone seeking
healing for a slave. The actions described are made even more
remarkable by the fact that this was a proud Roman centurion (the
conqueror/oppressor) who was humbling himself and pleading with a Jewish
rabbi (the conquered/oppressed) to heal his slave. The extraordinary
lengths to which this man went to seek healing for his slave is much
more understandable, from a psychological perspective, if the slave was
his beloved companion.


Thus, all the textual and circumstantial evidence in the Gospels
points in one direction. For objective observers, the conclusion is
inescapable: In this story Jesus healed a man’s male lover. When
understood this way, the story takes on a whole new dimension.


Imagine how it may have happened. While stationed in Palestine, the
centurion’s pais becomes ill — experiencing some type of
life-threatening paralysis. The centurion will stop at nothing to save
him. Perhaps a friend tells him of rumors of Jesus’ healing powers.
Perhaps this friend also tells him Jesus is unusually open to
foreigners, teaching his followers that they should love their enemies,
even Roman soldiers. So the centurion decides to take a chance. Jesus
was his only hope.


As he made his way to Jesus, he probably worried about the
possibility that Jesus, like other Jewish rabbis, would take a dim view
of his homosexual relationship. Perhaps he even considered lying. He
could simply use the word duolos. That would have been accurate, as far
as it went. But the centurion probably figured if Jesus was powerful
enough to heal his lover, he was also powerful enough to see through any
half-truths.


So the centurion approaches Jesus and bows before him. “Rabbi, my . .
. ,” the word gets caught in his throat. This is it — the moment of
truth. Either Jesus will turn away in disgust, or something wonderful
will happen. So, the centurion clears his throat and speaks again.
“Rabbi, my pais — yes, my pais lies at home sick unto death.” Then he
pauses and waits for a second that must have seemed like an eternity.
The crowd of good, God-fearing people surrounding Jesus probably became
tense. This was like a gay man asking a televangelist to heal his
lover. What would Jesus do?


Without hesitation, Jesus says, “Then I will come and heal him.”


It’s that simple! Jesus didn’t say, “Are you kidding? I’m not going
to heal your pais so you can go on living in sin!” Nor did he say,
“Well, it shouldn’t surprise you that your pais is sick; this is God’s
judgment on your relationship.”


Instead, Jesus’ words are simple, clear, and liberating for all who
have worried about what God thinks of gay relationships. “I will come
and heal him.”


At this point, the centurion says there is no need for Jesus to
travel to his home. He has faith that Jesus’ word is sufficient. Jesus
then turns to the good people standing around him — those who were
already dumbfounded that he was willing to heal this man’s male lover.
To them, Jesus says in verse 10 of Matthew’s account, “I have not found
faith this great anywhere in Israel.” In other words, Jesus holds up
this gay centurion as an example of the type of faith others should
aspire to.


Jesus didn’t just tolerate this gay centurion. He said he was an example of faith — someone we all should strive to be like.


Then, just so the good, God-fearing people wouldn’t miss his point,
Jesus speaks again in verse 11: “I tell you, many will come from the
east and the west [i.e., beyond the borders of Israel] to find a seat in
the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs [i.e., those considered likely
to inherit heaven] will be thrown into outer darkness.” By this
statement Jesus affirmed that many others like this gay centurion —
those who come from beyond the assumed boundaries of God’s grace — are
going to be admitted to the kingdom of heaven. And he also warned that
many who think themselves the most likely to be admitted will be left
out.


In this story, Jesus restores a gay relationship by a miracle of
healing and then holds up a gay man as an example of faith for all to
follow. So consider carefully: Who is Lord — Jesus or cultural
prejudice?




For Further Study


Books



The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships by Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley
"Short, clear, and amazingly easy to read, this book does
much more than offering loopholes or excuses with regards to the Bible.
Instead, the authors combine careful research with a tremendous respect
for God's Word, using humor, personal stories, and Biblical examples to
make their case." --review from GayChristian.net. Most of the text on
this site is from The Children Are Free.

The Good Book by Rev. Peter Gomes
Some people idolize the Bible, and others discount it. Rev.
Gomes does neither. This thoughtful book describes the nature of Bible
abuse in the church throughout history, and proposes a way to read the
Bible without neglecting either its Divine inspiration or its cultural
context.

Holy Homosexuals : The Truth About Being Gay or Lesbian and Christian by Rev. Michael S. Piazza
Rev. Piazza makes his case elequently in a book suitible for
lay people and clergy alike. Piazza shows a deep respect for scripture,
while educating the reader on context in both Hebrew and and Greek
society.

Is It a Choice? Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Gay & Lesbian People, Third Edition by Eric Marcus

Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? A Positive Christian Response by Letha Scanzoni and Virginia Mollenkott
This compasionate book examines the meanings and intents of
Scripture, but also speaks of real people's lives, and challenges
Christians (gay and not) to re-examine their attitudes toward gay and
lesbian people.

Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church by Jack Rogers
Evangelical theologian and former Moderator of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Jack Rogers observes that today's church is
led by many of those who were once cast out: people of color, women,
and divorced and remarried people, and he argues that we must interpret
the Bible through the lens of Jesus' redemptive life and ministry.

Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible by Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson (This title is out of print, but Amazon usually has used copies available.)
Our Tribe is the anecdotal, scripture-citing, and
very funny memoir of the ministry of Rev. Wilson, Moderator of the
Metropolitan Community Churches.

The Queer Bible Commentary by Deryn Guest, Robert E. Goss, Mona West, Thomas Bohache

Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America by Rev. Dr. Mel White
Rev. White details his twenty-five years of being counseled,
exorcised, electric-shocked, and nearly driven to suicide because his
church said homosexuality was wrong. His story is powerful and
uplifting.

Virtually Normal by Andrew Sullivan
Writer, blogger, and gay Catholic, Andrew Sullivan analyzes
the politics of the homosexuality debate. His ideas are sure to give
both sides something to think about.

What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality by Daniel A. Helminiak
An examination of all of the Biblical passages that are
commonly used to condemn gay people and gay behavior. The methods of
Biblical interpretation, and their validity, are explained well.