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 Jesus said to him, Get behind me Satan; for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
and bring us not into trial, but deliver us from evil.
And when he had come to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no man could pass that way.
When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and takes away the seed sown in his heart. This is he that received seed by the way.
the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the consummation of the world; and the reapers are angels.
Then shall he say to those on his left hand, Depart from me accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Then shall he say to those on his left hand, Depart from me accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
And these are those where the word is sown by the way; and when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word which was sown upon them.
And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, behold, eighteen years, to be released from this bond on the sabbath?
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired you, to sift like wheat;
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and stood not by the truth; for truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own; for he is a liar, and the father of him [that lies].
There is now a judgment of this world; the ruler of this world shall now be cast out;
And after the mouthful, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, What you do, do quickly.
FOR the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and wickedness of men who hold the truth in wickedness, because what can be known of God is manifest among them; for God has manifested [himself] to them. read more. For his invisible [attributes] are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being perceived by the things which are made, even his eternal power and deity, so that they have no defense, because having known God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings and their ignorant mind was darkened.
For if when enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more having become reconciled we shall be saved in his life.
For I think that the sufferings of the present time are of no account in comparison with the glory to be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the revelation of the sons of God. read more. For the creation was subjected to a perishable condition, not willingly, but by him that subjected it, in hope that the same creation will be delivered from the servitude of destruction and [brought] into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. For we know that all the creation groans and is in pain till now; and not only it, but we ourselves also who have the first fruit of the Spirit, even ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For we are saved by hope; but a hope that is seen is not a hope; for why does one hope for what he sees? but if we hope for what we see not, we wait for it with patience.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [his] purpose.
But in all these things we more than conquer, through him who 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 creation, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You will say to me then, Why then does he yet find fault? for who has resisted his will? Yes indeed, O man, who are you that reply against God? Shall the work say to him that made it, Why did you make me thus? read more. or has not the potter a right, in respect to the clay, to make of the same mass one vessel to honor and another to dishonor? But if God wishing to show his wrath and to make known his power endured with much long suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he before prepared for glory, whom he also called, us not of the Jews only but also of the gentiles,
But what the gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not wish you to be partakers with demons.
For now we see by a mirror darkly, but then we shall see face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully as I also am known.
but I fear lest as the serpent deceived Eve with his craftiness, so also your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [worlds] in Christ, as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him, read more. having predestinated us in love to an adoption through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he bestowed upon us in the beloved, in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he bestowed on us abundantly with all wisdom and knowledge making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself in respect to the dispensation of the fullness of times, to bring all things into one in Christ, the things which are in heaven and the things which are on earth, in him in whom also we have been called, having been predestinated according to the purpose of him who works out all things according to the counsel of his will, that we should be for a praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ; in whom also you, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also you having believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is a pledge of our inheritance for the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.
neither give place to the devil.
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil;
[and] having subjugated principalities and powers, he made a public exhibition of them, leading them in triumph by it.
And you have forgotten the exhortation which says to you as to sons, My son, despise not the correction of the Lord and faint not when rebuked by him, for the Lord corrects those whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. read more. If you endure correction, God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not correct?
If you endure correction, God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not correct? But if you are without correction of which all are partakers, then you are of foreign birth, and not sons.
But if you are without correction of which all are partakers, then you are of foreign birth, and not sons. Moreover, we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
Moreover, we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they for a few days corrected us as seemed good to them, but he for the best, that we may partake of his holiness.
For they for a few days corrected us as seemed good to them, but he for the best, that we may partake of his holiness. And no correction seems to be joyful for the present but painful, but afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it.
And no correction seems to be joyful for the present but painful, but afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it.
Let no tempted one say, I am tempted by God; for God is not subject to temptation by evils, and he tempts no one.
Be subject therefore to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you;
Behold, we account them blessed who are patient. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you know the purpose of the Lord, that he is very merciful and compassionate.
Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour;
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but plunging them into Tartarus delivered them up in chains to be kept in darkness till the judgment,
and the angels who kept not their own province, but left their habitation, he has kept under darkness in eternal chains, for the judgment of the great day;
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and change your minds.
And the fifth angel sounded; and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth, and there was given him the key of the pit of the abyss. And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there arose up a smoke from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. read more. And from the smoke went out locusts on the earth, and power was given them like the power which scorpions of the earth have. And it was told them not to injure the grass of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but the men who had not the seal of God on their foreheads. And it was given them not to kill them, but to sting them five months; and their sting was like the sting of a scorpion, when he strikes a man. And in those days men shall seek death and not find it, and shall desire to die and death flee from them. And the forms of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle, and upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men, and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like [those] of lions, and they had cuirasses like steel cuirasses, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle. And they had tails like scorpions and stings, and in their tails was their power to injure men five months. They had over them a king, an angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek he is called Apollyon.
And the great dragon, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, and who deceives all the world, was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast [to the earth] with him.
Therefore rejoice, heavens, and those who dwell in them; woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short time.
And he took the dragon, which is the old serpent, who 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 sulphur, where also the beast and the false prophet [were cast], and they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.