Don't avoid the appearance of evil. You may miss out.

 The KJV does a terrible job when translating 1Th 5:22, rendering it:

Abstain from all appearance of evil (1Th 5:22, KJV)

This is so bad, virtually every other translation, even the NKJV, corrects the mistake and renders the verse something like:

Abstain from every form of evil. (1Th 5:22, NKJV)

 

The King James Version is so ingrained in our cultural psyche, that many probably assume that’s what they would find if they opened their bible, independent of the translation. 

 

The KJV rendering has the aroma of greater piety. After all, it must be that encouraging the believer to avoid even the appearance of evil is an upgrade over mererly avoiding actual evil, is it not? In math we would say it’s a super set. If the set is good, the super set has to be an improvement.

 

Not so. We have to remember that the bible also warns against calling what is calling good, evil. And that is the risk that inheres with the overzealous application of the erroneous KJV version.

 

This usually shows up when a man, typically a pastor, refuses to be alone, either professionally or socially (innocently), with a woman who is not his wife. If they were to be seen having a coffee together, it would be scandalous! It is somewhat admirable, and perhaps justified on practical, legal, and safety considerations, but it is not biblical. 

 

The bottom line is that any two people who are alone can engage in evil, regardless of their sexes. If you are a Christian and certain situations are too much of a temptation, avoid them. If they are not, and if something good and productive can come from it, such as much needed shepherding or theological clarification or just helpful listening (in either or both directions), there is no need for avoidance. To do so is to deny the truth that he who is in you is stronger than he who is in the world.