When I first studied the Bible, I was told debauchery means doing anything in excess, like overeating, drinking, sleeping, etc. I still hear disciples defining it this way. However, when I looked up the Greek definition, it seems to relate primarily to sexual sin (prurience, salaciousness, lasciviousness, etc). It does mention excessiveness, but once again, in reference to sensuality. The aforementioned definition of excess seems to be more in line with orgiastic behavior. Do you see the need to address this as incorrectly handling the word of truth? I want to call sin what it is and not mislead others.
Well put. In Galatians 5:19 (NIV), debauchery appears in the triad: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery. This triad is followed by a semicolon. The translators are trying to show that the three are connected. They are all sexual in nature. Similarly, in verse 20, idolatry and witchcraft are connected. In some places, the New Testament does seem to spiritualize idolatry (2 Corinthians 11:3-4 and the last verse of 1 John come to mind). And yet I tend to think Paul is warning about literal idolatry, and about debauchery in its non-metaphorical sense.
There are other verses which teach moderation (such as the encouragement to overseers in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, as well as many passages in Ecclesiastes). Maybe it is best not to use Galatians 5:19 to teach against addiction to video games -- though the point may be well intended, it does not come from this passage. How about 2 Peter 2:19 -- "a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him"?
Even if I have spiritualized the passage on debauchery in some of my previous writings -- however well-meaning I may have been -- I need to exercise greater care to stick to the text. Thanks for the encouragement.
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