I have to be honest. I chose to look at this verse specifically because I heard it misapplied so many times and I misapplied so many times that I am ashamed for mishandling the word of God.
The basic idea years ago, and it may be in some ways today, is that if anything looks like it might be evil, abstain. That in and of itself is not a real problem. It’s the application that was the issue. The guy saying it, sadly including me for a while, then defined what ‘appears’ to be evil. Hippies word beards so beards looked like evil so we should not wear beards. If you went to mall and one of the entrances led to a multiplex cinema you should avoid that entrance because it might look like you were coming from the cinema and one of the films might have an R rating so it might appear that you were at that film (yes, really). You shouldn’t drink grape juice out of wine glass because someone might thing you were drinking.
I’m not making this up. People would tell you what looked like evil to them and you were supposed to conform your life to meet those standards.
It was all about control. This verse has nothing to do with that. It simple means that when evil appears abstain from is – its that simple. It’s like Joseph running from Potiphar’s wife.
We know what evil is – we don’t need someone telling us what looks like evil to them. All we need is the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If I had to worry about what someone might think about everything I do I would live in captivity to a strange sort of legalism. I should never, ever, ever to anything to cause a brother to stumble. I should never use my liberty as an occasion to serve my own flesh, but I can’t be held to the standards of a grace robber who would steal my liberty with man-made standards. As some of the newer translation put it - refrain from every sort of evil that comes our way.
Why complicate this verse. Just don’t do evil – full stop. Instead to good. We know the difference.
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