Minister's Notebook - "Abstain from all appearance of evil"

"Abstain from all appearance of evil"...immersion into its meaning

1 Thessalonians 5:22 seems simple enough a scripture, coming in Paul's closing comments of a letter sent to church members living in Macedonia. In actual fact, the verse is mistranslated, misapplied and therefore, often misunderstood. As I often preach, the Word of God is limitless in its depth and breadth and demands a high level of study and contemplation or what I call, "full immersion". I will begin by offering a better rendering of the verse.

Key word: "Appearance"

A more accurate rendering of this verse is, "abstain from every form of evil." The key word, "appearance" is the Greek word, eidos or Strong's word, 1491

NT:1491
eidos (i'-dos); from NT:1492; a view, i.e. form (literally or figuratively):

Most Bible translations render the verse this way. Notice:

1. Stay away from every form of evil (Jewish New Testament)
2. Abstain from every form of evil (New American Standard)
3. Avoid every kind of evil (New International Version)
4. Keep away from every kind of evil (Living Bible)
5. Abstain from evil—shrink from it and keep aloof from it—in whatever form or whatever kind it may be (Amplified Bible)

Notice these now from The Wycliffe Commentary and Vine's Expository Dictionary

Paul's negative command is actually: Abstain from every kind of evil. Eidos (appearance,, AV) is often used in the papyri of the Greco-Roman period to denote "class," "sort," "kind." It has frequently been noted that while "the good" in verse 21 is singular, evil is said to take many different forms. The wording recalls Job 1:1,8; 2:3. –(from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)

APPEARANCE

1. eidos NT:1491, properly "that which strikes the eye, that which is exposed to view," signifies the "external appearance, form, or shape," and in this sense is used of the Holy Spirit in taking bodily form, as a dove, Luke 3:22; of Christ, 9:29, "the fashion of His countenance."

It has a somewhat different significance in 1 Thess 5:22, in the exhortation, "Abstain from every form of evil," i. e., every sort or kind of evil (not "appearance," KJV). This meaning was common in the papyri, the Greek writings of the closing centuries, B. C., and the New Testament era. –(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)

I will quote I Thessalonians 5, verse 22 from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) first and then from the Nestle-Anland, as these are the "closer to" the original text than what we read of in the KJV.

Textus Receptus
vs. 22 from every form of evil, hold back

Nestle-Anland
vs. 22 abstain from every form of evil.

What "form of evil" means

The word eidos (i'-dos) is used four times in the New Testament [Luke 3:22 (shape), Luke 9:29 (fashion), II Cor 5:7 (sight) and I Thess 5:22 (appearance/form)]. In each case these words relate not the real thing but to a type, form or fashion of the real thing. This is significant as we search to know what "form of evil" means.

One commentary I found spoke to the idea of the firstfruit not approaching the area of the sin....not pushing the envelope.......not approaching the demarcation line or border where one might enter into the area of sin. So clearly "form of evil" means both the evil itself and any form or type of that evil, best described as any process and/or action that moves us toward or near such evil.

Evil and/or the committing of sin does not just happen. Everything is a process. There is a process of salvation as well as a process of sin. Verse 22 is an encouragement not to begin or even get near the early stages of the sin process. We check ourselves and examine ourselves for anything that might even be part of a process toward the evil or the committing of sin.

Key Point

In all this description of "form of evil" it is important to understand that there MUST be an evil. All forms of evil must link to a known and established evil identified in the Word of God. One cannot define what is evil and then declare certain actions as forms of that supposed evil.

This Verse is Personal

1 Thessalonians 5:22 is an admonition from Paul to the lone individual in the Salvation Process. Only the individual firstfruit can make these judgments about evil, sin and his or her approach towards it. The individual has to decide what he or she is going to do regarding his proximity to evil.

Verse 22 clearly cannot be used by third party firstfruits or other individuals to declare what is the apparent evil in the firstfruit's life. This is the problem with the misapplied word "appearance" rather than "form". The moment one utters, "Abstain from all appearance of evil", the picture is one of third parties, looking at the firstfruit and his or her life. Carnal nature loves to judge the other person. Doing so gives one self-justification. This verse must remain out of the hands of third parties. It is admonition specific to the person in his or her own Salvation Process.

Misuse of this Scripture by Would-be Judges

The primary problem of third parties using this verse to judge other people is that THEY become the ones to define "appearance of evil" in the congregation. If this was allowed as common practice, we would all be forced to remain home for the duration of our lives. In my 35 years in the church, my experience is that third party judges name virtually EVERYTHING as being an appearance, form or type of evil. This was true in the first century of this church.

Consider the cases of...

Jesus making so much wine at the wedding.

Jesus fellowshipping with wind bibbers, prostitutes and tax collectors.
Jesus picking corn on the Sabbath.

Paul walking among idols in Athens.

Most of these instances were seen as being evil and/or inappropriate by third parties of the day. In these modern times, we have had instances of members looking for every appearance of evil and others fearing anything they do as being possible appearances of evil. This is why this verse needs to be taken out of third party hands.

Being Spring-loaded to the Negative

There is a situation I call, "happenstance appearance of evil". This is the case where a third party stumbles into a situation which unexpectedly and sudden unfolds and the third party concludes evil. Two examples:

1) Third party member is walking down the street and happens to look into a cafe window. He sees two married members, a man and a woman. Problem is, they are not married to each other. Assumption: Adultery or at least the appearance of evil.

Truth: It was a double date. The mates were in the restroom.

2) Third party member is walking down the street and encounters another member and his precocious 6-year-old daughter. As they stand talking, the daughter reaches into her dad's coat and pulls out two marijuana cigarettes. Assumption: The member uses drugs.

Truth: The dad had taken those from his brother days before and forgot about them being in the jacket.

Both of these were explained to the third party as I recall, but the point is that no third party should assume evil in another member unless it can be fully demonstrated and confirmed. It should never be assumed by a single viewed happenstance.

Casting of Stumbling Blocks a Separate Issue

The principle of casting stumbling blocks before a brother is actually a separate issue. Again, this admonition against doing so is one for the firstfruit and not third party individuals. In other words, the casting of a stumbling block is not appearance of evil....it is a specific act. Further, a stumbling block is not necessarily evil or sin, in and of itself.

Keeping to Design

Every word of God is given by His inspiration (2 Tim 3:16) and each scripture has specific purpose and design. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 is a specific tool for the firstfruit in his or her own Salvation Process. Do all you can to keep it there.