I think the point is that Paul didn't necessarily communicate the connection well. I could look it up, but I'm being lazy, so, what word did the Septuagint use for the verse in Leviticus? Because if Paul intended the connection, surely that would have been the natural word to use.
Indeed, and that’s basically the word he used, if we take a look at the Greek:
Leviticus 18:22 καὶ μετὰ
ἄρσενος οὐ κοιμηθήσῃ
κοίτην γυναικός βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστιν.
Leviticus 20:13 καὶ ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ
ἄρσενος κοίτην γυναικός, βδέλυγμα ἐποίησαν ἀμφότεροι·θανατούσθωσαν, ἔνοχοί εἰσιν.
More interesting than arsenokoitai is malakoi, which appears to have the effect of associating sinfulness with homosexuality regardless of the nature of participation in arsenokoitia. This is certainly the context we get if we read the ancient canon law of the early church, which precluded both sodomites and those who had experienced such conduct from receiving Holt Orders. Of course these canons can be waved using oikonomia, and there is grounds for doing so, since the same canons also speak of being “destroyed” by arsenokoitia. If a bishop were to deem the postulant had not been destroyed, they could be admitted to Holy Orders according to the Greek approach of reading canon law.
The Latin or should I say, Roman Catholic, approach on the other hand requires canons be interpreted in a strict way, which is probably why the RCC jettisoned the severe canons of the early church which were intended to provide guidance which would be followed literally only when required, in favor of a new set of canons which could be applied consistently and at all times. This is probably why Orthodox theologians commonly accuse the Roman church of being legalistic, insofar as the Code of Canon Law is to be strictly followed, and also there is anger over Rome unilaterally setting aside the ancient canons including those adopted at the Ecumenical council.
Of course, Roman Catholic theology of the Papacy runs into problems with Canons 6 and 7 of Nicaea, and also, Roman liturgy seems inconsistent with Canon 20. In all fairness to Rome, neither the Pope nor any of his bishops were present at Nicaea, indeed, the entirety of representation consisted of two legates.
Later, Rome rejected the canons adopted by the Quinisext council, and went so far in protesting canon 82 as to insert, in the reign of Pope Sergius II, the hymn
Agnus Dei into the mass (canon 82 prohibits depictions of our Lord as a lamb, as are common in the Western Church, although as some of you will know the Greek refer to what the Romans call the Eucharistic Host (
hostia) as a Lamb.
