1 Thessalonians 5:22 (WEB)

Passage

Abstain from every form of evil.

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 5:20 Don’t despise prophesies.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

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

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

1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who will also 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 "Test all things and hold firmly that..." into verse 23's "May the God of peace himself sanctify...", 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.