I appreciate your willingness to answer with care. You always do. No, to me it’s not clear. I’ll do my best to give you legitimate reasons as to why I see it differently, so at least you know I’m not trying to make stuff up for the sole purpose to go against the grain.
Thank you too for your own thoughtful reply.
Let’s read it in the lexicon.
And the angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode He kept in eternal bonds for the judgement of the great day, Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they indulge in gross immorality and went after strange flesh as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
The Greek word used there for “gross immorality” is “
ekporneuō” it is used only once, and it carries the meaning of...
“to go a whoring”, "give one's self over to fornication"......
You can see that it is a form of the word “
porneia” which is used elsewhere in the Scriptures to indicate sexual immorality of any description.
The words “strange flesh” (“
heteros”) carry the meaning of...
- “another: i.e. one not of the same nature, form, class, kind, different”
So this is definitely conveying something that produced children, which can only mean sex.....and in this case the “strange flesh” was that of materialized angels mating with human women. Their offspring would therefore be the product of that “strange” union....and the Bible indicates that these children grew into gigantic bullies who terrorised the general population. It was their fathers who produced them by taking any woman for his own pleasure.
In other Scripture it is also used for “other” or “different”....so the “flesh” of the one committing the act is different to that of the women who were raped.....and it is why their offspring were grotesque.
Note we add that this is solely pertaining to sex. Sex isn’t there but added to define the ‘gross immorality’ which excludes (I think) the intended purpose. Instead “sex” guts the heart of what is to go after ‘strange flesh’. I could quote for you countless verses pertaining to strange flesh …including they go after their idols they make with their hands, offering things on the altar which shouldn’t be offered. Notice we reduced it too …having sex with ‘strange flesh’. If we can coin ‘since they indulge in gross immorality’ as pertaining to a sexual act then those indulging in gross immorality themselves, can exclude themselves as those who do those things. So let’s add “sex” so we can point to the homosexuals as those who go after ‘strange flesh’ defiling themselves among themselves. Even the women have sex with one another!
I don’t think “sex” was added, but in reference to Sodom and Gomorrah, the inhabitants of those cities were on God’s radar because of the grossness of their perversion. Any male that came into the city was fair game for gang rape....even angels. This is why Lot offered his daughters as a distraction....he knew that they were not interested in sex with women.
See…they carried on “unnatural” sex. This is the heart of why I think this is very misleading. Paul speaks of having only Timothy to send who is likeminded and will “naturally” care for their state. Then immediately speaks of their going after the way of Balaam when he defines it as “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. Philippians 2:20-21
God himself used sexual immorality to describe the unfaithfulness of his people. It was an infidelity that he could not abide, to see his nation go after the worship of foreign gods, none of which even existed or had done a single thing for them. It is a fitting illustration, but in the case of the angels who did not keep to their proper abode, we can take from that they left heaven to materialize on earth to enjoy what angels could not....the pleasures of the flesh, which still continue to undermine the human race.
Note we have taken it to say they carried on unnatural sex …instead of they carried on without natural affection among themselves …going after ‘strange flesh’ seeking their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. One is a far cry “unnatural sex” from: I have no one to send to you except Timothy who will “naturally care” for your state. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Are we to assume then that Sodom and Gomorrah were just treating others unkindly? That they had “no natural affection” for one another? Why then did God single them out for utter destruction, if they were just like all the other nations?
Why did God bring about a global flood to address what happened in Noah’s day? Pretty drastic measures to address something that was seen in every nation on earth that have ever existed.....
These were no ordinary events, but addressed extraordinary circumstances that arose out of the abuse of free will....both in heaven and on earth. God had to deal with this issue in both realms so that he could create precedents for the future......with that record established, showing his children the dire results of disobedience, he can then set the bar for the behavior of all his children in the future, so that a challenge to his Sovereignty can never happen again. What a wonderful guarantee!
How did Paul point to the way of Balaam by saying “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s in Philippians 2:20-21. Paul says the same as
It doesn’t harp on sex …but speaks of the unnatural way they don’t care for the things of Christ’s.
Infidelity doesn’t have to always mean literal sex.....but these false Christians were emulating the unfaithful ones of old. Paul was highlighting that what appeared on the surface, was not what was below the surface.
They had bad motives.....selfish ones and this same self-centeredness is at the heart of all sin, just as it was in the beginning. Self interest motivated all three rebels to disobey their God.
Even sexual sin is a form of selfishness.
God’s law to Israel detailed all the kinds of sexual sin that God abhorred. So sexual sin was a big issue because life itself was produced in that process....or it was meant to.....it was something sacred to the Creator.
Sex without reproduction was not sanctioned....meaning that same sex unions, or bestiality were a perversion that he would not tolerate. Scriptural marriage was to be honorable, between a man and a woman, with a view to producing their own family. That was the “natural” way he designed us.
I can’t stress enough what Paul said concerning “without natural affection” having no other to send who will naturally care for you is more significant to gross immorality that is unnatural. But as long as mankind points to unnatural sex as the intended topic from God, then they don’t have to ever acknowledge or examine what is it to indulge in gross immorality; without natural affection/ unnatural. I do think I could make a strong case for “going after strange flesh” is seeking not the things that are Jesus Christ.
Paul said.....
”But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away.” (2 Tim 3:1-5)
How true his words are, as we see all of the above, manifesting on a global scale!
Jesus said that in this time of the end, “the love of the greater number would grow cold”.....love of neighbor has almost disappeared in today’s world, along with love of God......the two greatest Commandments. But like the days of Noah, (Matt 24:37-39) violence and immorality are rife at a time in history that allows no room for such ignorant behavior. In civilized society, reason and intelligence should govern human conduct, but all we see is the same thing repeated time and again in every generation.
Humans have never learned what God has been trying to demonstrate to them all this time....that humans cannot rule other humans, because it always corrupts them. We are designed to be ruled by an incorruptible God, who will take his place again, when he has fulfilled his purpose to cleanse the earth of all who want to disobey him, and restore peace to all life upon it. (Rev 21:2-4)