Reference: Evil
Hastings
EVIL is an older form of the word 'ill'; used, both as substantive and adjective, to tr various synonyms and ranging in meaning from physical unfitness to moral wickedness. The former is archaic, but occurs in Ge 28:8 (Authorized Version margin), Ex 21:8 (Authorized Version margin), Jer 24:3 (AV), and Mt 7:18, though the two last passages are not without an ethical tinge. But the word almost invariably connotes what is either morally corrupt (see Sin) or injurious to life and happiness.
1. In the OT the two meanings are at first scarcely differentiated. Whatever comes to man from without is, to begin with, attributed simply to God (Am 3:6; La 3:38; Eze 14:9; Isa 45:7). Destruction is wrought by His angels (Ex 12:23; 2Sa 24:16; Ps 78:49). Moral temptations come from Him (2Sa 24:1; 1Ki 22:23), though there is a tendency to embody them in beings which, though belonging to the host of heaven, are spoken of as evil or lying spirits (1Sa 16:14; Jg 9:23; 1Ki 22:22). The serpent of the Fall narrative cannot be pressed to mean more than a symbol of temptation, though the form which the temptation takes suggests hostility to the will of God external to the spirit of the woman (2Co 11:3, cf. Ge 3:1-3). Then later we have the figure of the Adversary or Satan, who, though still dependent on the will of God, is nevertheless so identified with evil that he is represented as taking the initiative in seduction (Zec 3:1; 1Ch 21:1, but cf. 2Sa 24:1). This marks the growth of the sense of God's holiness (De 32:4 etc.), the purity which cannot behold evil (Hab 1:13); and correspondingly sharpens the problem. Heathen gods are now identified with demons opposed to the God of Israel (De 32:17; Ps 106:37; cf. 1Co 10:20). This tendency, increased perhaps by Persian influence, becomes dominant in apocryphal literature (2Pe 2:4 and Jude 1:6 are based on the Book of Enoch), where the fallen angels are a kingdom at war with the Kingdom of God.
2. In the NT moral evil is never ascribed to God (Jas 1:13), being essentially hostile to His mind and will (Ro 1:18-21; 5:10; 1Jo 1:5-7; 2:16,29; 3:4,9); but to the Evil One (Mt 6:13; 13:19; 1Jo 5:19), an active and personal being identical with the Devil (Mt 13:39; Joh 8:44) or Satan (Mt 4:10; Mr 4:15; Lu 22:31; Joh 13:27), who with his angels (Mt 25:41) is cast down from heaven (Re 12:9, cf. Lu 10:18), goes to and fro in the earth as the universal adversary (1Pe 5:8; Eph 4:27; 6:11; Jas 4:7), and will be finally imprisoned with his ministering spirits (Re 20:2,10, cf. Mt 25:41). Pain and suffering are ascribed sometimes to God (Re 3:19; 1Th 3:3; Heb 12:5-11), inasmuch as all things work together for good to those that love Him (Ro 8:28); sometimes to Satan (Lu 13:16; 2Co 12:7) and the demons (Mt 8:28 etc.), who are suffered to hurt the earth for a season (Re 9:1-11; 12:12).
The speculative question of the origin of evil is not resolved in Holy Scripture, being one of those things of which we are not competent judges (see Butler's Analogy, i. 7, cf. 1Co 13:12). Pain is justified by the redemption of the body (Ro 8:18-25; 1Pe 4:13), punishment by the peaceable fruits of righteousness (Heb 12:7-11), and the permission of moral evil by the victory of the Cross (Joh 12:31; Ro 8:37-39; Col 2:15; 1Co 15:24-28). Accept the facts and look to the end is the teaching of the Bible as a guide to practical religion (Jas 5:11). Beyond this we enter the region of that high theology which comprehensive thinkers like Aquinas or Calvin have not shrunk from formulating, but which, so far as it is dealt with in the NT, appears rather as a by-product of evangelical thought, than as the direct purpose of revelation (as, e.g., in Ro 9, where God's elective choice is stated only as the logical presupposition of grace). St. Paul is content to throw the responsibility for the moral facts of the universe upon God (Ro 9:19-24; cf. Job 33:12; Ec 5:2; Isa 29:16), who, however, is not defined as capricious and arbitrary power, but revealed as the Father, who loves the creatures of His hand, and has foreordained all things to a perfect consummation in Christ the Beloved (Eph 1:3-14 etc.).
J. G. Simpson.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then saith Jesus to him, Be gone, Satan! for it is written, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor call a bad tree bear good fruit.
And when he had come to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two men possessed by demons, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass by that way.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, the Evil One cometh, and snatcheth away that which was sown in his heart; this man is what was sown by the wayside.
the enemy that sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.
Then will he say also to those on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Then will he say also to those on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.
And these are they by the wayside, those where the word is sown, and when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in them.
And he said to them, I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo! for eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the sabbathday?
Simon, Simon, lo! Satan hath asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
Ye are of your father the Devil, and what your father desireth ye are ready to do. He was a murderer from the beginning; and he abideth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the prince of this world be cast out;
And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus therefore saith to him, What thou doest, do quickly.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, who keep down the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest within them; for God made it manifest to them. read more. For, ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, even his eternal power and divinity, being perceived from his works, are clearly seen, so that they might be without excuse. Because though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were they thankful to him; but became perverse in their reasonings, and their senseless minds were darkened;
For if while enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more having been reconciled shall we be saved by his life;
For I esteem the sufferings of the present time as of no account, when compared with the glory which is about to be revealed to us. For the earnest expectation of the creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. read more. For the creation was brought into subjection to vanity not of its own will, but by reason of him who put it into subjection, in hope that even the creation itself will be set free from the bondage of corruption and brought into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation is together groaning and suffering the pains of labor, up to this time; and not only so, but even we ourselves also, though having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption as sons, for the redemption of our body. For we were saved only in hope. But hope which is seen is not hope; how can a man hope for that which he seeth? But if we hope for that which we do not see, then do we with patience wait for it.
We know moreover that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, read more. nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God for us, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hence thou wilt say to me, Why then doth he still find fault? for who resisteth his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that makest answer to God? Shall the thing that is wrought say to the workman, Why hast thou made me thus? read more. Hath not the potter a right out of the same lump of clay to make one vessel for an honorable use, and another for a dishonorable? What if God endured with much patience vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, purposing to manifest his wrath and to make known his power; purposing also to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory, whom he also called, even us, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the gentiles?
Nay, but that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have communion with demons.
For now we see in a mirror, obscurely; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall fully know even as I also am fully known.
but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from singleheartedness toward Christ.
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly regions in Christ; according as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him; read more. having in love predestinated us for himself to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved; in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us, in all wisdom and understanding; having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself in reference to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to gather for himself into one all things in Christ, the things which are in the heavens, and the things on the earth; even in him, in whom we also obtained the inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who have before placed our hope in the Messiah; in whom ye also, after having heard the word of truth, the glad tidings of your salvation, in whom, I say, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit that was promised, which is a pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.
and do not give place to the Devil.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil;
and having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public show of them, and led them captive in triumph in him.
and ye have forgotten the exhortation, which reasoneth with you as with sons: "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." read more. It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he, whom the father chasteneth not?
It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he, whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.
But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we were chastened by the fathers of our flesh, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
Furthermore, we were chastened by the fathers of our flesh, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us, according as it seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
For they indeed for a few days chastened us, according as it seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now all chastening for the present indeed seemeth to be not joyous, but grievous; but afterward it yieldeth the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.
Now all chastening for the present indeed seemeth to be not joyous, but grievous; but afterward it yieldeth the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.
Let no one when he is tempted, say, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he tempteth no one.
Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Behold, we count those happy who have endured. Ye have heard of the patience of Job; behold also the end of the Lord, that he is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;
For if God spared not angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them over to chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
and the angels which kept not their principality, but left their own dwellingplace, he hath kept in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day;
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen out of heaven to the earth, and to him was given the key of the pit of the abyss; and he opened the pit of the abyss. And there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. read more. And out of the smoke went forth locusts upon the earth, and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power; and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only those men who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads; and it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it hath struck a man. And in those days men will seek death, and shall not find it; and will desire to die, and death will flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men; and they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months. They have over them a king, the angel of the abyss, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek he hath for his name Apollyon.
And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea! for the Devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
And he laid hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
And the Devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.