FIRM FOUNDATION--MARCH 11, 1986

IS DANCING A SIN?

Can Biblical authority

be found that allows dancing?

by Robert R. Stephenson

TIME and time again, the young people of the Lord's body are faced with the question "Is dancing right or wrong?" I believe that many of our Junior and Senior high teachers do not properly understand why dancing is wrong. Many of our young people try to justify their belief through the scriptures, but in all actuality they have to close their eyes to what the Bible says. When this is the case we need to firmly point out the words of our Lord, "He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has one who judges him at the last day" (John 12:48). We cannot have that glorious crown in heaven if we reject what the Bible has to say about dancing or any other subject.

I am deeply aware that this subject has been approached in the wrong way by many who wanted to show its dangers, but the best method to show that dancing is wrong is the "back into the Bible" concept. We need to find Biblical authority that allows dancing. Although the Bible does not come out and say "Thou shalt not dance," it does condemn dancing. Notice the following:

In all the places where dancing is mentioned in the Bible with the exception of Exodus 32:15-24; 1 Samuel 30:16,17; and Mark 6:18-26, we can draw these conclusions: (1) The dancing done was not a regular established practice but something participated in on extraordinary occasions. (2) It occurred at times of signal favors, great deliverances, great trumphs, specially wrought by God's hand, such as the Red Sea. (3) The dancing was done in open daylight. (4) The men and women danced alone--NO MIXED DANCING. (5) The dancing was not amusement, pleasure, or hilarity; not for healthful exercise, relaxation, or diversion; not for entertainment, art, or gratefulness; not to show how accurately they could step to the music. (6) This dancing was a religious exercise, a part of their devotions, in expressions of great joy; gratitude and thanksgiving and practiced on occasions of extraordinary interference of the Lord in their behalf, and in honor and praise of God, accompanied by sundry instruments of music; was practiced before the giving of the Law, and also under the Law; but no such religious exercise is found in our service to our Lord. (James Meadows, God Speaks to Today’s Teenagers; p. 24.)

In the scriptures we find no support to justify the claim that dancing is acceptable in the sight of God. There is even no support for the modern dance in the scriptures. There are some similarities to the modern dance, but God's wrath fell on those that practiced such. In Exodus 32:19-21, 31 we see an account similar to the modern day dance:

"And it came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it. Then Moses said to Aaron, 'What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?'...Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, 'Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves.'"

We can learn several things about the dance that the children of Israel did at the time of the golden calf: (1) This was a religious dance in the presence of an idol--the golden calf. (2) This was no devotion to God, but senseless idolatry. (3) The wrath of God fell on their 'dancing and playing.' No support for the dance. (James Meadows, God Speaks to Today’s Teenagers, p. 24). In 1 Samuel 30:16,17 we read, "And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spreading and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. And David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. Again Meadows points out, "This was a regular revelling of a group of soldiers who had just burned a city and had the captive women in their camp. God's destruction came upon their dancing."

Concerning Job 21:11-14 we find: "They send forth their little ones like the flock, and their children skip about. They sing to the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity, and suddenly they go down to Sheol. And they say to God, Depart from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of thy ways." Meadows also made this comment concerning Job 21:11-14. "The whole context is a description of the wicked as Job 21:7 reveals. It was the dancing of the rich and wicked for pleasure and amusement. The modern dancers can find a description of themselves here.

When we examine the New Testament, we again find no support for dancing. In Mark 6:18-26 (cf. Matt. 14:3-6) we find, as was the case of the passages cited above, the consequences of dancing. In the context we see the affect that dancing has on a male. Now this is not always the case, but nine times out of ten it is. The affect was that Herod was so aroused by watching the daughter of Herodias dance, that he promised her, "Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom" (Mark 6:23).

There are many factors that need to be considered concerning dancing, and using the reference of Mark 6:18-26 (cf. Matt. 14:3-6) we can begin to get to the heart of the matter. When Herod was aroused by the dance, he promised the daughter of Herodias anything up to the point of half his kingdom. He lost control over his own mind. The same outcome can, and all too often does, happen today. When confronted with such a situation it is hard to "abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22).

Now if the Bible does not teach that dancing is wrong, which it does as we will examine in the course of our study, we can clearly see from the account of Herod along with the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 that the fruits of dancing are evil. It was our Lord that spoke these precious words, "You shall know a tree by its fruits" (Matt. 7:16). The fruit of the dance tree is evil, and corruption often follows those who participate in it.

There are others who testify of the evil affects of dancing. The matron of a home for fallen women in Los Angeles says: "Seven-tenths of the girls received here have fallen through dancing and its influence." J. Edgar Hoover said: "Most juvenile crimes had their inception in the dance hall, either public or private." And according to an associated press dispatch from Hollywood, Ginger Rogers said of the twist: "The twist is ungraceful, vulgar, and exhibitionism personified. I think it's a scandal. It is the most obscene dance I've ever seen, worse than that of the shimmy." And the Medical Review of Reviews printed this: "There can scarcely be any doubt but that dancing came about as an adjunct of sexual stimulation. We have hard enough times beating down and controlling the baser appetites of thc flesh without encouraging them as the dance without a doubt does...No doubt many a girl has been insulted, raped, and abused, after hours of dancing, who would not have been subjected to such had she refrained from the dance." (Foy Smith, The Days of Thy Youth, p. 85,86).

But is dancing condemned by God's word? The answer is YES!!! Roy Deaver said:

In Romans 8 Paul discusses the 'mind of the flesh' as contrasted with the 'mind of the spirit.' The 'mind of the flesh' is that attitude of disposition out of which one seeks to bring about satisfaction of unlawful desires of the flesh. It is that attitude which produces the 'works of the flesh' (Gal. 5:19-21). Paul explains that the 'mind of flesh is death.' This is spiritual death. He stresses that the 'mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God.' Paul says, '...and they that are in the flesh' (that is, those who have the mind of the flesh) 'cannot please God.' Anything and everything which appeals to the unlawful desires of the flesh is sin. The Christian cannot and will not participate in such. ("On Dancing" Spiritual Sword, Vol. 9, No. 4, July, 1978, p. 34).

Dancing is then a work of the flesh, and therefore condemned by God. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul discusses the works of the flesh. In this discussion we will concentrate on the words "lasciviousness." "revellings," and the phrase "and such like." There are others but we will primarily deal with these three. One important note that we should keep in our minds--just because our society does not use these words in our language today, does not change God's word. If they were wrong in the days of Paul when he penned through inspiration the book of Galatians, then they are still wrong in the sight of God today!

The Greek word for "lasciviousness" is aselgia and "denotes excess licentiousness (which also applies to the dancing issue and is defined as morally unrestrained, RRS), absence of restraint, indecency, wantonness" (W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words, p. 650). Arndt and Gingrich define lasciviousness as, "licentiousness, debauchery, sensuality, give oneself over to debauchery...follow the inclination to sensuality especially of sexual excesses, indecent conduct, licentious desires. The word was used to describe the activities which produces lustful thoughts or emotions, and it is "used in connection with sexual sins or activities of a lustful nature." (Maurice W. Lusk, III, "Lasciviousness" Spiritual Sword, Vol. 9, No. 4, July, 1978, p. 15).

The next Greek word is komos. "Also condemned as sinful in Galatians 5:19 this word is rendered into English by the words revellings (KJV and ASV) and carousing (RSV). The basic meaning of the word relates to excessive feasting and carousing. Liddell and Scott note its close relationship 'with music and dancing.' The New Testament usage connects it with alcoholic excesses and it could be the result of such excesses." (Jackie M. Stearsman, "Dancing" Spiritual Sword, Vol. 9, No. 4, July, 1978, p. 35). The word primarily means, "all night festivals in which men and women were drinking, dancing, and carrying on as they do today at our night clubs, dance halls, and road houses." (James Meadows). The true meaning of the word would include all such acts that would excite to unlawful desires of passion of those participating.

Kai ta omoia toutois which is translated "and such like," covers whatever "lasciviousness" and "revellings" left out. This expression shows us that Paul was not just limiting the works of the flesh to all the words in that very context.

The individual who persists in dancing manifests a perverted interest in himself. (Jackie M. Stearsman). Paul said, "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another" (Gal. 5:24-26).

Those who continue to dance, after knowing what God has to say on it, show lack of respect and interest in his word. They will "have one who will judge him at the last day" (John 12:48), and can in no way follow Christ because he said, "If you love me keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The true dedicated child of God will not dance because he loves God more than himself.

Yes, dancing is a sin, and must be avoided.

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