Is Dancing Lawful?

[Reformed Covenanter]

Ecclesiastes 3.1-4:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

There is a time to dance, therefore dancing (of some description) is lawful.

Readers may be interested to know that Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster requires ministers to swear, upon their ordination, that they "will oppose all dancing".

Daniel, on what scriptual grounds? Obviouslt not a "Thus says the Lord"... Not arguing, just do not know what those who base their assesment on dancing rests upon...

They argue that dancing provokes lust, therefore the minister must vow to oppose it. He also has to swear that he will oppose "all drinking" as well. I'm sure they have a couple of verses (taken out of context) to back this up.

 

[Amazing Grace]

There is a time to dance, therefore dancing (of some description) is lawful.

Readers may be interested to know that Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster requires ministers to swear, upon their ordination, that they "will oppose all dancing".

Daniel, on what scriptual grounds? Obviouslt not a "Thus says the Lord"... Not arguing, just do not know what those who base their assesment on dancing rests upon...

They argue that dancing provokes lust, therefore the minister must vow to oppose it. He also has to swear that he will oppose "all drinking" as well. I'm sure they have a couple of verses (taken out of context) to back this up.

I better send back the case of TULLAMORE DEW and cancel my tango lessons

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I better send back the case of TULLAMORE DEW and cancel my tango lessons

You do that!!!

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Well, here is what we have:

Good dancing:

NKJ Exodus 15:20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

NKJ Judges 11:34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

NKJ 1 Samuel 18:6 Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
7 So the women sang as they danced, and said: "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

NKJ 1 Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"

NKJ Job 21:11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

NKJ Psalm 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

NKJ Psalm 149:3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

NKJ Psalm 150:4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

NKJ Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

NKJ Song of Solomon 6:13 Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you! THE SHULAMITE What would you see in the Shulamite -- As it were, the dance of the two camps? THE BELOVED

NKJ Jeremiah 31:4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.

NKJ Lamentations 5:15 The joy of our heart has ceased; Our dance has turned into mourning.

NKJ Matthew 11:17 "and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.'

NKJ Luke 7:32 "They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.'

NKJ Luke 15:25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.


Bad dancing (or at least bad circumstances around dancing):

NKJ Exodus 32:19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

NKJ Judges 21:21 "and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin. 23 And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.

NKJ 1 Samuel 30:16 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

NKJ Job 41:22 Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.

NKJ Matthew 14:6 But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.

NKJ Mark 6:22 And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."

I think there is much more around 1) the logical necessity of having a "time to dance", 2) as well as having the RPW which regulates whether we dance corproately or not (not), but then 3) we have to have a theology of dancing in order to justify the nature of the "dancing" that occured outside the solemn assembly of corproate worship. David dances, the Shulamite talks of dancing, the Israelites danced at victory, etc.

 

[JBaldwin]

When I was a missionary working with a small church in rural France, we met one Saturday a month for a church & family folk dance night. Christians from all over the region (county) met for fellowship, food, folk-dancing and some time in prayer and in the Word. Since the churches were small, and the believers spread out, it gave us a time to get together for clean fun and everyone could participate. I couldn't imagine Christians in the States doing that.

 

[Quickened]

After reading through this thread i thought about a couple of things.

1. What is the cause for the dancing?

2. What are the effects of the dancing?

3. What was thought in the past?

4. What is meant by dancing?

Starting with number 4. I think this question should really well be thought about. There is a difference between me choosing to breakdance by myself and two people "grinding" on a dance floor.

The way i see things is that there is dance that is used as celebration. There is dance that is used for romance. There is dance that is used for lust. The word "dance" is almost too vague. While one individual might think of a waltz another might think of something seen on MTV.

Why did Ryle think as He did? What did he associate with dancing? What could we associate with dancing? Is it different when two of God's elect dance then when two who arent chosen dance?

I think there are too many factors within this question to come to a conclusion. While one may think of simple dancing like between a father and a daughter at a wedding (mentioned by our brother earlier) we see innocence or furthermore a heartfelt and touching moment.

I think that if we take a look at more Worldly dancing then we will see more seduction, skin, lust, pride, ego. And perhaps more of the things that Ryle discussed.

I think dancing is a coin with two sides. It can be glorifying to the Lord and it can be good and free of such worldly things. Or it can be a testiment to one's bondage to sin as often seen nowadays.

I think to properly answer this question we need to make this distinction

 

[Quickened]

Another thing that came to mid is that over the course of time the face of dancing as a whole has changed. But what Ryle describes

This is an amusement which involves very late hours, extravagant dressing, and an immense amount of frivolity, vanity, jealousy, unhealthy excitement, and vain conversation.

to me shows a worldly picture of it. What would we think entering a posh downtown club filled with numerous unsaved 20 somethings. What would we hear? What would we see? Would any of it be glorifying to God?

Thats just something i wanted to add to think about. My mind often tangents as you will learn as you get to know me