Welcome & thank you for coming to our Open Study Series on Moral Issues of the Day Holiness vs. Lasciviousness

1. Welcome & thank you for coming to our Open Study Series on Moral Issues of the Day Holiness vs. Lasciviousness

2. Moral Issuesof the Day Basic Principles Revisited

3. Basis for All Holiness... The Holiness of God

4. Old Testament Background • Psa. 99:9 God is holy • Isaiah 5:16 God the Holy One • Psa. 71:22 Holy One of Israel • same title used repeated through the Psalms & Isaiah • Ezek. 39:7 No profaning name • Hab. 1:13 Purer eyes than to… • Isaiah 6:3 Absolute in holiness

5. Old Testament Appeal for Holiness of Man • Lev. 19:1-2 To be holy like God • Lev. 20:7-8 Be ye holy, for I… • v. 10Forbids adultery • v. 13Forbids homosexuality • v. 17fForbids uncover nakedness • Lev. 20:26 End with same point • Man cannot be holy while doing that which God forbids & abhors • 1 Pet. 1:15-16 Same demand NT

6. Christians Have a Higher Call as Examples • 1Thess. 5:21-22“prove all things” • Col. 3:17“do all in name of the Lord” • 1 Cor. 10:31“all to the glory of God” • 1 Pet. 2:11-15work to glorify God • Lk. 17:1-2not to be a stumblingblock • 1 Cor. 10:32no offense, but profit • 1 Pet. 3:15-17live beyond reproach • Matt. 5:13-16“let your light so shine” • Eph. 5:11no fellowship with darkness, “but rather even reprove them”

7. Holiness vs. Lasciviousness

8. Modern Setting for Issue • Our culture has seen an explosion of promiscuity & licentiousness • It has come in a wide variety of forms • Increasingly revealing clothing • Dancing has gone from dirty dancing to salsa to freak dancing • “How to” sex education in schools • Wide acceptance of nudity in movies • Open access to pornography on Internet • “Chat room” discussion for filthy talk • Growing tolerance of premarital sexual activity short of “going all the way”

9. Examples from Brethren • Video movies have brought indecent material into the homes of many • Ease & anonymity of the Internet has brought pornography into homes • Sexual discussion in “chat rooms” has led to breakup of several marriages • With extreme filth, other seems minor • Common to see prom pictures in attire for dance in many Christians’ homes • Many no longer opposing teenagers going to the school dances • Last year, “Church of Christ” in San Antonio, TX even sponsored a dance

11. Defining the Word Lasciviousness

12. Lasciviousness(aselgeia - aselgeia) • Word used ten times in N.T. Mark 7:22 1 Pet. 4:3 Rom. 13:13 2 Pet. 2:2 2 Cor. 12:21 2 Pet. 2:7 Gal. 5:19 2 Pet. 2:18 Eph. 4:19 Jude 4 • Let us examine the definition of the word from lexicographers

13. Arndt & Gingrich • A Greek-English Lexicon of the N.T. (trans. by Walter Bauer), pp. 114-115 • Cite numerous uses in non-biblical sources • Define as “licentiousness, debauchery, sensuality… follow the inclination to sensuality… Esp. of sexual excesses… indecent conduct… licentious desires”

14. Kittle’s Theological Dict. of the N.T. (Article by Otto Bauernfeind, I:490) In the NT only the older and sensual sense of “voluptuousness” or “debauchery” is relevant (Mk. 7:22). Man necessarily falls victim to this when cut off from God. It characterizes Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Pt. 2:7) and the pagan world generally (Eph. 4:19), also heresy and apostasy (Jd. 4; 2 Pt. 2:2,18). The special sense of sexual excess is probable in Gal. 5:19 and certain in Rom. 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:21; 2 Pt. 2:2,18….

15. W.E. Vine, Expository Dict. Of N.T. Words (II:310) ...denotes excess, licentiousness, absence of restraint, indecency, wantonness; “lasciviousness” in Mark 7:22, one of the evils that proceed from the heart; in 2 Cor. 12:21, one of the evils of which some in the church at Corinth had been guilty; in Gal. 5:19, classed among the works of the flesh; in Eph. 4:19, among the sins of the unregenerate who are “past feeling;” so in 1 Pet. 4:3; in Jude 4, of that into which the grace of God had been turned by ungodly men; it is translated “wantonness” in Rom. 13:13, one of the sins against which believers are warned; in 2 Pet. 2:2, according to the best mss., “lascivious (doings),” R.V. (the A.V. “pernicious ways” follows those texts which have apoleiais); in ver. 7, R.V., “lascivious (life),” A.V., “filthy (conversation),” of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah; in 2:18, R.V., “lasciviousness” (A.V., “wantonness”), practised by the same persons as mentioned in Jude. The prominent idea is shameless conduct.

16. Joseph Henry Thayer Greek-English Lexicon of the N.T., pp. 79-80 ...unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence… “wanton (acts or) manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females, etc.” (Fritzsche).

17. New Testament Uses of this Word...

18. Mark 7:21-23 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: 23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man. (ASV) [sensuality - NAS; lewdness - NKJ & NIV]

19. Mark 7:21-23 • Jesus says it started from within (out of the heart) • originates as a thought • proceeds to defile one • Just before “an evil eye” in this list • Clearly condemned, though not specifically defined

20. Romans 13:12-14 12 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. [lust - NKJ; sensuality - NAS; debauchery - NIV]

21. Romans 13:12-14 • With “chambering” (koite - “bed”) • euphemism for sexual relations as in Luke 11:7 & Hebrews 13:4 • note euphemisms in Bible to avoid crude bluntness; helps avoid sin • Lascivious conduct pictured as cause for effect of chambering • Note verse 14 • provision for sexual relations made by lasciviousness • no right to start if not lawfully continue • only lawful place for either is marriage (Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 7:1-5)

22. 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 20 For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; 21 lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed. [lewdness - NKJ; sensuality - NAS; debauchery - NIV]

23. 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 • Lasciviousness said to be sinful itself, thus, requiring repentance • Coupled with uncleanness & fornication in this text • lasciviousness clearly has sense of sensualism in this text • obvious contrast to man of 1 Cor. 5 who had repented (2 Cor. 2:5-8) • must leave the lustful preparation for fornication to truly repent

24. Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. [lewdness - NKJ; sensuality - NAS; debauchery - NIV]

25. Galatians 5:19-21 • Listed among the “works of the flesh” • Coupled with “fornication” & “uncleanness” • suggests sense of sensualism involved in meaning • “idolatry” which follows involved sensual acts in ancient practice • Cannot inherit kingdom of God

26. Ephesians 4:17-19 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; 19 who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. [lewdness - NKJ; sensuality - NAS & NIV]

27. Ephesians 4:17-19 • Committed by one of evil mind: • vanity of mind (empty of good) • darkened in understanding • alienated from the life of God • because of ignorance • hardened of heart • being past feeling • Antidote to this evil given in verse 20:“Learn Christ”

28. 1 Peter 4:3-4 3 For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries: 4 wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. [lewdness - NKJ; sensuality - NAS; debauchery - NIV]

29. 1 Peter 4:3-4 • Committed by one with “desire of the Gentiles” • Coupled here with “lusts” • Gk. epithumia - “strong or violent desire; intense passion; object of desire; what kindles desire” • Christians to have such desire for spiritual realm (Phil. 1:23) • Leads to the “excess of riot” in verse 4

30. 2 Peter 2:2, 6-8, 18-19 2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings[pernicious ways - KJV]; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.... 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious[filthy - KJV] life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds)... 18 For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness[wantonness - KJV], those who are just escaping from them that live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.

31. Use in 2 Peter 2 • Associated with those in apostasy • Describes the life of wicked in Sodom & Gomorrah • their debauchery noted in Gen. 19 • sought evil pictured in mind even after they were blinded • Involves purposing & picturing of evil here also • having eyes full of adultery (14) • they entice in lust of flesh (18) • think on & plan unclean actions

32. Jude 3-4 3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. [lewdness - NKJ; licentiousness - NAS; a license for immorality - NIV]

33. Jude 3-4 • Parallel context to 2 Peter 2 • Pervert the grace of God into lasciviousness • may be done by seeking to justify evil acts by perverting truth • may be done by turning souls from grace by perverting them to sin • Nature of such summed in v. 19: These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.

34. Applications of Lasciviousness

35. Modern Dancing • Curt Sach, World History of the Dance wrote on purpose of dance • said whole range of modern dance designed to express “love-making” • Ballroom dancing noted for close contact of bodies • Rock dances - suggestive moves • Dirty dancing - like it says • Salsa - closer & “dirtier” still • Freak dancing - ultimate in filth

36. Bill O’Reilly (6/23/01): “... we have ‘freak dancing’ going on. This is basically ‘lap dancing.’ Somehow what they do in the strip clubs has been adopted by some of America's children, and all over the country, teen dance clubs and school proms have turned into ‘Playboy After Dark.’ You think I'm exaggerating, don't you? Well, I'm not. Kids from coast to coast are grinding and simulating sexual acts on the dance floor.” Cindy Kranz from The Cincinnati Enquirer: “Teenagers bump and grind on the dance floor, rubbing their bodies together in undulating rhythm. Front-to-front. Front-to-back. Girls bend over while boys thrust their hips into the girls' backsides or faces. They straddle each other on the floor. It's freak dancing — the latest version of dirty dancing — and it's wildly popular with teens.”

37. Unchaste Touching • Salacious activity in the Clinton White House brought out publicly • Some argue no sin short of sexual intercourse • Such activity is “lasciviousness” • Other N.T. principles as well: • Matt. 5:28 No looking to lust • 1 Cor. 6:18 Flee fornication • 2 Tim. 2:22 Flee youthful lusts • 1 Tim. 5:2 Dealings “in all purity”

38. Pornography & Movies • Sexually suggestive material has no place in the life of Christians • whether pictures in magazines or on the Internet • or movies (at home or in theater) • or in print (sexual stories, novels…) • or in personal conversation (jokes) • or in Internet “chat rooms” • Matthew 5:28 may be prevented by Job 31:1-4 & Ephesians 5:3-12