Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5:22

"abstain from every form of evil." — 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (ASV)

Abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Not only from evil itself, but from that which seems to be wrong. There are many things which are known to be wrong. They are positively forbidden by the laws of heaven, and the world concurs in the sentiment that they are wicked.

But there are also many things about which there may be some reasonable doubt. It is not quite easy to determine in such cases what is right or wrong. The subject may not have been fully examined, or the question of its morality may be so difficult to settle, that the mind is nearly or completely balanced regarding it.

There are many things which, in themselves, may not appear to us to be positively wrong, but which are considered so by large and respectable portions of the community; and for us to do them would be regarded as inconsistent and improper.

There are also many things about which there is a great variety of sentiment among humankind—where one portion would regard them as proper, and another as improper. There are things, too, where, whatever our motive, we may be certain that our conduct will be regarded as improper.

A great variety of subjects, such as those pertaining to dress, amusements, the opera, the ballroom, games of chance and hazard, and various practices in business transactions, fall into this general class. Even if these things cannot be proven to be positively wrong or forbidden in themselves, they have much the appearance of evil and will be interpreted as such by others.

The safe and proper rule is to lean always to the side of virtue. In these instances, it is certain that no sin will be committed by abstaining; sin may be committed by indulgence. No command of God, or of propriety, will be violated if we refrain from these customs. On the other hand, we may wound the cause of religion by yielding to what is possibly a mere temptation.

No one ever does injury or wrong by abstaining from the pleasures of the ballroom, the theater, or a glass of wine. For who can indulge in them without, in the view of large and respectable portions of the community, doing that which has at least the appearance of evil?