Every

DEVOTION
1 THESSALONIANS
EVERY
1 Thess 5:22
22 Avoid every kind of evil.
NIV
Another zinner, short and to the point. I had to check out the Greek to make sure I was not thinking in terms of what I have heard other men teach on this verse. They have used this verse for that teaching I think is based on the original Greek word here also used in the Gospel of John for the appearance of God or the form of God. But that is the exact case here, to abstain from every form of evil, not the appearance of it, but every kind, every form, every type of evil. What good would it be if I were to engage in evil as long as I did not appear to? That is if I did evil in the private away from the watchful eyes of other believers. No, I think this means to abstain from it, not just avoid it or the appearance of it, not just go around it but keep away from it. The question of course I have to ask myself is if I spend any time defining for myself exactly what is evil and what is not. Do I look for the line and see how close I can get to it without actually crossing over to the wrong side? Evil is always there tempting me to get closer and closer. That is how I could view this verse but if I connect it with the whole of holding onto that which is good and avoiding that which is bad, then it hands out another meaning. If I test whatever I hear from the mouths of men and gather to myself that which is good and agrees with the word of God, but throw out that bad teaching which does not agree with the word of God than I am complying with this verse. I am avoiding every kind of bad theology, bad doctrine, bad teaching, for I have tested it against the word. Now should I avoid evil, of course, but keeping this in context the evil is those bad men using the word for their own gain, their own evil purposes of exerting power and authority over others. They lift themselves up as someone special striving to gather as large a crowd of followers as possible as a goal. This to me is as evil as it gets, to use God for one’s own selfish ambitions. Yet I am also to test everything as to its good or evil in the sense of behaviors and attitudes of my heart. I am to hold onto the goodness which God brings into my being and throw off the bad, or evil which fights to cling to my heart. Either way it is a battle. I cannot listen to the bad teaching of those who are evil and I cannot allow evil to penetrate or dominate my being. Knowing the word of God gives me the opportunity to distinguish between what is good and what is bad. I think the key word in this verse is every.