Earlier this week, a friend challenged me to study the original language of I Thessalonians 5:22 and meditate on it. After spending a couple days studying it, meditating upon it, and comparing it with other Scriptures, I came to a powerful Biblical conclusion that was not only refreshing but liberating.
Many people today exegete this verse to command abstinence from anything that might "appear" to be evil, because after all isn't that what the King James Version Bible says? As if to say, that the word "appear" is a synonym of the word "hint," reading Abstain from all hint of evil.
From this premise, arguments like "You should never eat in a restaurant that serves alcohol because you don't know if someone may think your soda is vodka" or "You should never go into movie theatres because someone might not know what you are about to view is good or bad" or "If you parents are not Christians, you must be placed under my (the pastor's) authority until you are married" or "I believe that it is God's will for you to marry this person or go to this college" come into play. Are these statements really Biblical? The following is an honest study into this issue. I pray it will be helpful to you and that it will bring clarity.
A Search into the Original Language. As always, when doing a word study, it is important to go back to the original language and compare it to other Scriptures and sometimes even contemporary secular writings to fully grasp how a word is used. Because sometimes meaning is lost in translation or because sometimes words translators used have changed definitions over time, this is a vital tool. In Koine Greek, it is written and literally translated this way:
"ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε."
(from) (all) (form) (of evil) (you, plural, abstain.)
The word in question transliterated is "eidous (eigh-deuce)" which is the genitive singular of the neuter noun "eidos." Below, the word in question is highlighted in both English and Greek. The word eidon is used five times in the New Testament:
1) Luke 3:22
"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
"καὶ καταβῆναι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον σωματικῷ εἴδει ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν ἐπ' αὐτόν καὶ φωνὴν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ γενέσθαι λέγουσαν, Σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός ἐν σοὶ ἠυδόκησα"
2) Luke 9:29
"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering."
"καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι αὐτὸν τὸ εἶδος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἕτερον καὶ ὁ ἱματισμὸς αὐτοῦ λευκὸς ἐξαστράπτων"
3) John 5:37
"And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape."
"καὶ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ αὐτὸς μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ ἐμοῦ οὔτε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκηκόατε πώποτε οὔτε εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκατε"
4) II Corinthians 5:7
"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"
"διὰ πίστεως γὰρ περιπατοῦμεν οὐ διὰ εἴδους·"
5) I Thessalonians 5:22
"Abstain from all appearance of evil."
"ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε"
As you can see above, the word eidos is translated into different words throughout the KJV Bible.
A Search into the Context of the Verse. Another wise practice when doing a word study is to look at the context surrounding the verse. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul is reminding the Christians in Thessalonika about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in I Thessalonians 5:12-27 Paul is giving instructions to the Christians in Thessalonika to do while they wait for the Lord's return; and in I Thessalonians 5:28 is the benediction of the epistle. The specific section we are focusing on is the middle section in light of the Lord's return, vs. 21-23:
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The imperative command is to prove (put to the test) all things, firmly grasp things that are good, abstain from evil things. Notice that we are commanded to test all things, and when we do prove things, hold firmly to good things and from anything evil abstain. The passage ends with how God can sanctify (cleanse us) and that every part of us can be blameless (without fault or defect) when the Lord returns.
Conclusion of the Study. With these things being stated, I want to bring out some powerful conclusions.
1.Evil and good are not subjective, they are objective. In other words, Evil and good is not defined by what we think is right or wrong, but by the Scriptures. They are both clearly defined throughout Scriptures. Morality should not be based on how we feel or even what other others may believe is moral, even if they may be a godly person (story of the two prophets, I Kings 13). This is why we are to prove all things by the Scriptures.
2.To follow the supposed definition of “appearance” by some today has serious doctrinal implications.
The word study is directly connected to each Person the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is mentioned in Luke 3:22, Jesus Christ is mentioned in Luke 9:29, and God the Father in John 5:37. So if "appearance" is a "hint" of something, then was it only a portion of the Holy Spirit that descended upon Christ or was it the form of the Holy Spirit? While praying, was Christ's face fully transfigured or did it just appeared to be altered? Was God's form something perceivable or was it just speculation? Regarding II Corinthians 5:7, we walk by faith and not by sight, because it is affirming we don't live our Christian lives by cold rituals but by faith, it completely eradicates any argument based on speculation or suggestion.
3. Christ was speculated of doing evil, but in reality He wasn't.
In Matthew 12:1-8, Christ and His disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath because they were eating corn from a field. They had not broken the Law God had given to Moses, which is God's Word, but they had broken tradition that had been developed in addition to God's Word. The same applies for the situation in Luke 11:37 to Jesus not having washed himself after being invited to one of the Pharisees homes for a meal. The Pharisee was astonished at it - how could he break the law? In truth, there was no law in God's Word about it. And then, a very clear example is found in Luke 7:36-39, when Mary came and poured ointment on Christ and washed and wiped his feet with her tears and hair. Simon (the Pharisee who invited Christ to his house) "spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner (vs.39)." It might have appeared to be something wrong for a woman of ill repute to touch a man; but little did Simon realize that this lady was sorrowful for her sin and had no evil intentions.
4. When the Word of God is our judge, then all of man’s opinions are stripped of their power. I find it ironic when a new Christian, who has been freed from the bondage of sin, will then subject himself to bondage that is not spiritual. We must always remember that we are Christ's servants first and then from that servitude become ministers to others. I believe this occurs for several reasons. One, a gratitude towards the person that led them to the Lord that turns into false loyalty; two, an ignorance of Scripture because an emphasis has never been placed on it; three, a misunderstanding of the roles of pastors and ministers leading to an unbiblical false glorification; four, a reliance on others that exceeds Biblical counseling for direction in life instead of a cultivated relationship with the Lord; five, selfishness on the part of religious leaders to control and manipulate to humanly exalt their ministries.
In the end, it needs to be stated that this article is in no way abdicating sin. It is just an article to help properly understand Scripture and help Christians understand that they do have liberty in Christ, and that liberty is found in His Word, not in the beliefs of others outside of the Scriptures. After all, I cannot abstain from people's speculation of my intentions, but I can most assuredly through the Lord's power abstain from evil, in whatever form it my take. This is what strips power from individuals and places it where it should always be, the inerrant Word of God.
In Christ,
Pastor Jon
Phil.2:15
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