Post by ZealFire on Mar 23, 2015 21:42:31 GMT -6
The KJV says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." There are many who take this verse to mean that Christians should do their best to avoid actions that may be construed as evil. This verse does not teach teach that and the misconception of its meaning is due to the KJV's antiquated wording. The verse is render as, " Abstain from every form of evil" in most modern translations.
Apologetics Press states:
A more in depth explanation is provided by Leon Morris in the Tyndale Commentary:
Conclusion:
The verse does not mean abstain from everything that looks like you might possibly, just maybe, ever so slightly be committing evil. The verse does mean to avoid evil of every kind or form whether it be as stated above as lying, stealing, murdering, etc.
Apologetics Press states:
God chose to employ human language—words—to communicate His will to people. Even though this medium of conveyance is quite adequate to achieve such an objective, misunderstanding sometimes can occur. One example of confusion is seen in Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonian Christians: “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This verse frequently is used to assert that Christians should avoid engaging in actions that appear to be improper or sinful—even though those actions may not actually be sinful. However, the 1611 translators of the King James Version were attempting to convey the idea that one should abstain from evil in whatever form it may appear. Newer translations help to clarify the underlying Greek text by translating the verse, “Abstain from every form of evil” (NKJV). The verse is banning the practice of sin/evil in whatever form it occurs—whether lying, stealing, murdering, etc. -Dave Miller, Ph.D. (https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=437)
The positive injunction is followed by the negative. The form employed is a strong one with thepreposition apo (as in iv. 3) used to emphasize the complete separation of the believer from evil. There is some doubt as to the meaning of the word eidous rendered appearance… as in AV [another abbreviation for KJV]…. The word eidos means the outward appearance of form (Lk. iii. 22, ‘shape’), without any notion of unreality. It is also used in the sense ‘sort, species, kind’. AV takes it in a third sense, ‘semblance’ as opposed to reality, but this does not seem to be attested elsewhere, and it is unlikely that the apostle would be concerned only with outward appearance (there is no word ‘even’ here to give the meaning, ‘even from the appearance of evil’). Our choice seems to be between ‘every visible form of evil’ (with no notion of unreality), and ‘every kind of evil’. The use of the word elsewhere in the New Testament favours the former; but there are enough examples of the term meaning ‘kind’ in the papyri to make the second quite possible. And in view of the context I am inclined to accept it. Paul is urging his friends to eschew evil of every kind.
The verse does not mean abstain from everything that looks like you might possibly, just maybe, ever so slightly be committing evil. The verse does mean to avoid evil of every kind or form whether it be as stated above as lying, stealing, murdering, etc.
