S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Evil is what is morally wrong, sinful, or wicked. Evil is the result of bad actions stemming from a bad character. Biblically, evil is anything that contradicts the holy nature of God (see Psalm 51...

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July 01 2013 • 7 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

R K Supporter Eighty plus year old still growing disciple

Evil is first introduced simply as the opposite of good. The definition of good must be determined from its first usage and then its usage in Genesis chapter 1 & 2. First the definition of good:

The International Bible Dictionary provides several aspects of the word good and one of those is "beneficial". Something is considered beneficial when it satisfies a need. If you look at how God used the word good throughout the creation process He stated that each step (day) of the process was "good." When you consider what happened in each step (day) of the process you see that God was creating a perfect environment for human beings to live. That is, He was creating the satisfaction of human needs that would soon be created.

There is a whole study to be done on what this "need satisfying" creation says about the nature and character of God. It would take too long for this venue. But what it does say is that God is all about creating needs and then creating the satisfaction of those needs. Then as we move from the creation through today, we see both from scripture and our experience, He loves to meet our needs designed by Him in His designed ways. 

God did not want Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because He did not want them to experience any attempt of having their needs met by themselves or others in any way other than how He designed. When they did eat then the very purpose of why He created them was corrupted and was the most vile of sins. His goodness was rejected. 

Anytime we attempt to meet our God designed needs in anyway other than God's designed way it is an abomination because it flies right in the face of our GOOD Father. Any attempt to do so is EVIL. That is what evil is and means.

One last thing: When God looked at the final step of His creation, the creation of Eve and presenting her to Adam, God said it is "very" good. Meaning that the last thing that man needed to experience all of God's created life was to have someone to share it with and someone to meet the needs created in the other. He also said right before that it was not "good" (God designed needs unmet) for man to be alone. Meaning man could not express his created need to love, share, help another person because one did not yet exist. We are created to serve other. There had to be another.

There is so much more to explore on this subject but it seems that EVIL is simply the absence of good as defined by God Himself.

January 28 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What is the definition of evil?

Evil is usually thought of as morally wrong, sinful, or wicked; however, the word can also refer to anything that causes harm, with or without a moral dimension. The word is used both ways in the Bible. Anything that contradicts the holy nature of God is evil.

Evil behaviour includes sin committed against other people (murder, theft, adultery) and evil committed against God (unbelief, idolatry, blasphemy). From the disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) to the wickedness of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:2), the Bible speaks of the fact of evil, and man is held responsible for the evil he commits.

Essentially, evil is a lack of goodness. 

In the Bible, evil is broadly defined as anything contrary to God's will, including moral wrongdoing (sin), rebellion against God (like Satan's fall), and physical suffering or calamity, often seen as a consequence or manifestation of this opposition, essentially a privation or absence of good rather than a separate entity. It encompasses actions like murder, idolatry, and unbelief, as well as natural disasters, all stemming from humanity's rejection of God's goodness, beginning with the disobedience in Eden.

The core idea is anything that opposes God, His nature, and His intentions for creation, in contrast to God as the source of all good.

It includes sin, wickedness, breaking God's law, and harming others, stemming from a departure from God's good plan.

It originates in the spiritual realm through Satan's rebellion and enters the human world through Adam and Eve's disobedience.

In essence, the Bible presents evil as a deviation from God's intended good, manifested in human actions, spiritual rebellion, and natural suffering, all ultimately linked to rejecting God as the supreme good.

Evil and suffering. These began when one of God's angels rebelled. (John 8:​44) This angel, who, after his rebellion, was called "Satan" and "Devil," persuaded the first human couple to join him, and the consequences have been disastrous for their descendants. (Genesis 3:​1-6; Romans 5:​12) 

If you describe someone as evil, you mean they are evil by nature and take pleasure in doing things that harm other people.

An evil person is generally defined as someone profoundly immoral, wicked, and cruel, who intentionally causes suffering, harm, or distress to others, often taking pleasure in it or showing a severe lack of empathy, and who is characterised by manipulative, deceitful, and self-serving behaviour that disregards moral principles for personal gain. While concepts of evil vary, they centre on actions deeply contrary to the common good, encompassing active cruelty (sadism), passive indifference (apathy), or calculated malevolence (wicked schemes).

Rebellion against divine law or a "privation of good" (the absence of what should be there).

While definitions vary across philosophy, psychology, and religion, the concept typically centres on a deliberate choice or persistent disposition to cause suffering without remorse, Satan being the classic example of evil.

12 hours ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report