Is Dancing A Work Of The Flesh?
Each year there seems to arise the need to give scriptural teaching concerning dancing and its evils. Parents must meet the questions of their young people. Young people must have answers for themselves and their friends on the subject.
It is very important that we know what the works of the flesh are, as well as "such like" things mentioned in God's Word, because the words "world" and "flesh" are often used in the Bible to mean evil or worldliness, as in Galatians 5:19-21.
Is dancing a work of the flesh? The list of words that show us the works of the flesh are in Galatians 5:19-21 and directly apply to dancing are: Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, and Revellings. There are other words descriptive of sins and depravity, but these apply directly to the subject of dancing.
1. "Uncleanness" is from the Greek word akatharsiea, which is defined: "lewdness; impurity of motive; the impurity of lustful luxurious, profligate living." This work is also found in Romans 1:24; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 4:19; and 1 Thessalonians 4:7 (Thayers Lexicon).
2. "Lasciviousness" is from the Greek word aselgeia, which is defined: "Intemperance, lasciviousness, licentiousness, wantoness, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females" (Thayers Lexicon).
3. "Revellings" from the Greek work komoi, is defined: "A jovial feast with music and dancing, a carousal; a festive, lascivious feasting" (Liddle and Scott Greek Lexicon).
We should not need scholars to explain to us that the modern dance is included in the three words defined above. We can see also that the "such like" of Galatians 5:21 does include the dance. No Christian striving to please his Heavenly Father should participate or allow those under his care and guidance to participate in the modern dance. The Bible condemns it as wrong and as an evil work.
Yet, if there were no such book as the Bible, it seems one should be convinced of the destructive and dangerous nature of the dance simply by studying the reports of sociologists on the evil results of dancing. The fondling and embrace in dancing is proven to do great damage. Certainly no good thought or noble things has come from dancing.
Christians cannot dance and abstaining from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) for dancing is evil! Neither can we keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27) and dance, for dancing in worldliness. Christians cannot dance and deny ungodliness and worldly lust (Titus 2:11-12), for ungodliness and worldly lust are found in the dance. The dance belongs to the world. The Christian belongs to Christ. The world knows that "Christians don't dance!" Let us not then jeopardize our own soul's salvation, or that of those we might influence, by participating in the modern dance. May God help us to live so that Heaven may be our home.
From Our Archives, 1988
By Gary Colley