1 Thessalonians 5:22 (DBY)

Passage

hold aloof from every form of wickedness.

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 5:20 do not lightly esteem prophecies;

1 Thessalonians 5:21 but prove all things, hold fast the right;

1 Thessalonians 5:22 hold aloof from every form of wickedness.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly: and your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 He [is] faithful who calls you, who will also perform [it].

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hold", "aloof", "form", and "wickedness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hold" and "aloof", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "but prove all things hold fast the..." into verse 23's "Now the God of peace himself sanctify...", so "hold" and "aloof" belong inside that flow. In 1 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hold" and "aloof" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.