Orgies | A Bible Class on the Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit

Orgy is the next work of the flesh Paul listed. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19–21).

Sometimes I’m baffled by the words translators chose to use. This is certainly one of those times. When we hear the word “orgy,” we think of a sexually explicit party. The Greek term has nothing at all to do with sex. Instead, we should think of a drunken “block party.”

The Greek term kōmos means “a reveling.” Thayer (not the best Greek lexicon, but he gives a good, concise definition): “A nocturnal and riotous procession of half-drunken and frolicsome fellows who after supper parade through the streets with torches and music in honor of Bacchus or some other deity, and sing and play before the houses of their male and female friends; hence used generally, of feasts and drinking-parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry.”

The Greek term is only used three times in the New Testament.

• “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy” (Rom 13:13).
• Galatians 5:21.
• “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry” (1 Pet 4:3).

In what way(s) is carousing a work of the flesh?

How does carousing harm the cause of Christ?

Do you believe carousing is a problem in today’s church?

This Bible class was originally taught by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.