1 Thess 5:22

Heh, you obviously don't live in the South

That's what I have always heard it as until just this week. Then I looked it up and found that I might not be so.

</font>[/QUOTE]I grew up in the South, went to TTU and my "home" church is in Huntsville, AL. I am as Southern as they come. I am sure I came across that interpretation at some point, but gave it so little merit that it never "stuck" . In fact, I do remember something now about one of the reasons for not attending cinema.

Good question and debate topic. If this is unclear to folks it sure should be clarified.

 

1 Thess. 5:22
Abstain from all suspicious things (Tyndale's,
1535 Coverdale's, 1537 Matthew's, 1539 Taverner's)
Abstain from all kind of evil (1557 Whittingham's)
Abstain from all appearance of evil (1560 Geneva, KJV, KJ21)
Abstain from every form of evil (1866 American Bible Union Version, 1912 Improved Edition by American Baptist Publication Society)
Keep back from every form of evil (1971 KJII)

An old Spanish Bible has "especie de mal" [species or kind of evil].

The 1543 Enzinas Spanish New Testament has "genero de mal" [kind or class of evil].

 

The idea here IMO is not that of the contemporary misquotation of this passage "abstain from even the appearance of evil" but the paraphrase "When evil makes an appearance, avoid it".

Or stronger passages :

1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

HankD

 

oops going back over this thread I see I am just reiterating what DocT has already said.

I will revise my paraphase as well...

Whenever evil makes an appearance, avoid it.


HankD

 

Doc, taking the verse in context, I would have to agree with you.

 

If I "appear" to be doing evil, and that "appearance" is due to my conscious action, then I'd be in reality actually committing evil. And much of this is based upon what your neighbors regard as sin. If I frequent the local bar, but w/o taking a drink of alcohol, telling a dirty joke, taking a hooker upstairs, etc. I still APPEAR to be sinning. Knowing what my neighbors think, If they see me go into the bar, they will believe I'm sinning, and If I go in despite my knowledge of my neighbors' opinions, then I'm sinning.

 

taking a hooker DOWNSTAIRS, on the other hand, is just fine.

 

I have heard one person say this verse means "Avoid evil, no matter how it may appear."

 

If we always avoid evil, no matter what, who witnesses to evil people?

Are they automatically damned?

 

I don't think that "evil" in this verse is referring to people. And I don't think that this verse means we can't witness to people. It's talking about participating in evil or associating with people doing evil in an approving fashion.

 

Matt 11:18-19
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
------
It seems like some people thought Christ was sinning, yet he persisted anyway (and in full knowledge of their thoughts).

Did Christ sin?

 

Bible Versions/Translations
1 Thess 5:22

1 Thess 5:22 (HCSB = Christian Standard Bible /Holman, 2003/ ):
Stay away from every form of evil.

1 Thess 5:22 (KJV1769 Edition):
Abstain from all appearance of evil.

In 1769 'Abstain from all appearance of evil.' means
the same thing this means in 2006: 'Stay away from every form of evil'.

However in 1769 'Abstain from all appearance of evil'
does not mean the same thing as
'abstain from all appearance of evil.' means in 2006.

This is one of my entries in my writing:
Misunderstandings of the KJV1769 Edition which
are used to justify poor doctrine in the 21st century.