Perversities, in a biblical context, refer to actions, thoughts, or behaviors that deviate from what is considered morally right or acceptable according to the teachings of Scripture. The Bible addresses various forms of perversity, often highlighting the consequences of such actions and urging believers to pursue righteousness and holiness.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, perversity is frequently associated with a departure from God's commandments and a turning towards wickedness. Proverbs 11:3 states, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them" . This verse contrasts the guidance that comes from integrity with the destructive nature of perversity, emphasizing the moral decay that results from treacherous behavior.

The book of Isaiah also addresses perversity, particularly in the context of Israel's rebellion against God. Isaiah 59:3-4 declares, "For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity" . Here, perversity is linked with injustice, deceit, and the failure to uphold truth and righteousness.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, perversity is often associated with moral corruption and the rejection of God's truth. Romans 1:28-29 describes the consequences of turning away from God: "Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity" . This passage highlights the spiritual and moral decline that results from rejecting God's authority and truth.

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently warns against perverse teachings and behaviors that can infiltrate the church. In Philippians 2:14-15, he exhorts believers, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world" . Paul encourages Christians to stand out as examples of purity and righteousness amidst a world characterized by moral perversity.

Moral and Spiritual Implications

Perversities are not merely external actions but are deeply rooted in the human heart. Jesus, in Matthew 15:19, teaches, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" . This underscores the biblical understanding that perversity originates from within and must be addressed at the heart level.

The Bible calls believers to a life of holiness, urging them to reject perversity and embrace the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs, "You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" . This passage emphasizes the need for a renewed mind and a commitment to living in accordance with God's standards.

Conclusion

While the Bible acknowledges the reality of perversities in the world, it consistently calls believers to a higher standard of conduct, rooted in the character and holiness of God. Through the guidance of Scripture and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Christians are equipped to resist the temptations of perversity and to live lives that reflect the righteousness and purity of Christ.

Marriage Good: Celibacy Preferable.
... Let them see to that, who, among the rest of their perversities, teach the disjoining
of the "one flesh in twain;" [361] denying Him who, after borrowing the ...
/.../tertullian/to his wife/chapter iii marriage good celibacy preferable.htm

Psalm CXXIX.
... The Church was in his brother's son, Lot, alone, and in his house, in Sodom, and
he endured the iniquities and perversities of Sodom, until God freed him from ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxix.htm

Hebrew and Greek Text.
... what a recent and competent writer (Dr. Salmon, of Trinity College, Dublin) considers
to be the difficulties and anomalies and apparent perversities in the ...
/.../address iii hebrew and greek.htm

The Prayer of Prayers
... these wild passions of ours, this obstinate gravitating of tastes and desires towards
earth, these animal necessities, these spiritual perversities, which make ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the prayer of prayers.htm

Three Homilies. On Our Lord.
... Pharisee? He spoke the parable to him tenderly, that he, though froward,
might unawares be enticed to correct his perversities. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/three homilies on our lord.htm

On the Opinion of Dionysius.
... as though here too he has Dionysius as his partisan;"look at the faith of Dionysius
on these points also, how he contradicts these perversities of Arius. ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/on the opinion of dionysius.htm

On the Life and Poetic Genius of Edward Young.
... The author, amid his elaborate ingenuities, and wilful though minor perversities,
never ceases to love and to honour truth; in pursuit of renown, he is never ...
//christianbookshelf.org/young/youngs night thoughts/on the life and poetic.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... But as, even apart from your perversities, some minds are of themselves disturbed
when comparing the life of the prophets in the Old Testament with that of the ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Perversities (2 Occurrences)
...Perversities (2 Occurrences). Psalms 55:11 Perversities are in the midst thereof;
and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets. (DBY). ...
/p/perversities.htm - 6k

Perversion (13 Occurrences)

/p/perversion.htm - 11k

Perversity (23 Occurrences)

/p/perversity.htm - 13k

Winks (3 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV NIV). Proverbs 16:30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil. (WEB NAS RSV NIV). ...
/w/winks.htm - 7k

Principality (3 Occurrences)
... The perversities of human conduct, in particular, thwarting, as was thought, the
simple, intelligible divine plan, were held to be subject to rebellious powers ...
/p/principality.htm - 12k

Compresses (1 Occurrence)
... Compresses (1 Occurrence). Proverbs 16:30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil. (WEB NAS RSV). ...
/c/compresses.htm - 6k

Plot (53 Occurrences)
... good. (WEB NIV). Proverbs 16:30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil. (WEB NIV). ...
/p/plot.htm - 22k

Bent (107 Occurrences)
... upright. (BBE). Proverbs 16:30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil. (WEB NIV). ...
/b/bent.htm - 36k

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