1 Thessalonians 5:22 (LSB)

Passage

abstain from every form of evil.

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 5:20 do not despise prophecies,

1 Thessalonians 5:21 but examine all things; hold fast to that which is good;

1 Thessalonians 5:22 abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "but examine all things hold fast to..." into verse 23's "Now may the God of peace Himself...", so "abstain" and "form" 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 "abstain" and "form" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.