Evil-What is it?

Satan worship? Any disobedience to the Ten Commandments? Anything against God?

Evil is a word that I have often overlooked. I think that I only associate it with ‘bad’ sins…like murder, stealing, hurting others on purpose; or, I associate it with the devil or demons. But, when we are admonished in 1st Thessalonians 5 to abstain from evil in every form, I realize that this letter was addressed to Christians…born again believers…like me. So, today, in this society, in my life…what is evil so that I may stay away from it? More importantly, what is the Biblical definition of evil?

The best general Biblical definition that I can find is “not such as it ought to be”; referring primarily to the nature of someone or something as opposed to its effects.

In the New Testament, there are at least three different translations for evil.

“kakos” frequently means evil rather negatively, referring to the absence of the qualities which constitute a person or thing what it should be or what it claims to be. It is also used meaning evil in a moral sense. (Every verse with 'kakos')

**Does my heart truly match what I claim to be or project on the outside?

“poneros” is a word stronger and more active, it means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. kakos describes the quality according to its nature, poneros, according to its effects. (Every verse with 'poneros')

**Do the effects of my actions injure others in any way? Sometimes, the only way that I can see if there is hidden evil in my heart, is to look at the effects of my actions.

“phaulos” is the bad chiefly as the worthless, the good for nothing.”
(Every verse with 'phaulos')