Abstain from all appearance of evil. (I Thessalonians 5:22, KJV)
“If in doubt about whether something is right or wrong, abstain from the appearance of evil” is a statement that we find in many church covenants, especially fundamentalist churches. What does this mean? In simple words, we are being taught to keep back from things that might look like sin. It is very simple, and we can use this principle to guide us in the difficult decisions of life. Or not.
The problem begins when we start defining what sin is. Instead of
disobedience against the clear commands of the Scriptures, sin becomes
anything that goes against a particular subculture and preferences.
When personal convictions have been successfully elevated to the
category of Bible doctrine, abstaining from the appearance of evil can
become interesting. Here’s an example. The Bible says that pre-marital
sexual relations (fornication) is a sin. The Bible does not say
that holding hands before marriage is a sin, although some people have a
conviction against it. Abstaining from the appearance of evil will now
mean that two people of the opposite sex should not let themselves be
seen alone in a library room. If a church (or institution) collectively
canonizes this conviction, abstaining from the appearance of evil
becomes ridiculous.There are many sick people in our churches. Unfortunately, some of them are in positions of leadership, others preach from the pulpit, and others even have their names on book covers. Paranoia has crept in the conservative Christian church, and it is justified with this false interpretation of abstaining from all appearance of evil. The truth is that this often-quoted verse teaches something completely different from what we’re used to hearing.
Like many words in the King James Version, the word “appearance” has changed its meaning throughout the years. The Greek word translated as “appearance” is εἴδους, which means form, kind or type. According to the Vincent’s Word Studies, this word “never has the sense of semblance.” Why? Anything could potentially be made to look like evil. Bible scholars have already sorted this out, and to avoid confusion, they have correctly translated this noun on modern Bibles. However, because fundamentalism at large still uses a version written in Elizabethan English, many have not realized this.
What does it mean to abstain from every form of evil? Two things to consider.
1. We are to avoid evil in any form it may take. Greed is a sin that we often overlook because it is not preached against in many conservative churches. It is, however, mentioned about 30 times in the Scriptures. What forms could greed take? It can mean not being content with your salary when you can afford to eat and have a roof over your head, memorizing all those verses only to win the Bible memory competition, charging excessive shipping costs on items you sell on eBay, lying on your IRS tax form, being dishonest about your credentials, not paying your employees what they have worked for, or not caring for the poor in developing countries.
2. We are to check our motives when we do something. The right thing done with the wrong motives is wrong for you. It may benefit others, but it will not benefit you. Take, for example, a young man asked to preach in his church. If he takes the offer as a means of promoting himself and showcasing his knowledge, his preaching will be a sin against the Almighty God whose Word he claims to proclaim. It may edify the hearers as far as the message is accurate, but as far as Heaven is concerned, this will be the preacher’s only reward. To abstain from every form of evil means to see beneath the surface and avoid the evil, no matter what form it may appear in.
Louis A.M.
