1 Thessalonians 5:22 (YLT)

Passage

from all appearance of evil abstain ye;

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 5:20 prophesyings despise not;

1 Thessalonians 5:21 all things prove; that which is good hold fast;

1 Thessalonians 5:22 from all appearance of evil abstain ye;

1 Thessalonians 5:23 and the God of the peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved unblameably in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ;

1 Thessalonians 5:24 stedfast is He who is calling you, who also will do <FI>it<Fi> .

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "all things prove that which is good..." into verse 23's "and the God of the peace Himself...", so "appearance" and "evil" 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 "appearance" and "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.