Topical Encyclopedia
Perversion, in a biblical context, refers to the distortion or corruption of what is considered morally right and true according to God's standards. It involves turning away from the intended purpose or design established by God, often leading to sinful behavior and moral decay. The Bible addresses various forms of perversion, emphasizing the importance of adhering to God's commandments and the consequences of deviating from His path.
Old Testament ReferencesIn the Old Testament, perversion is often associated with the corruption of justice and the distortion of truth.
Proverbs 17:23 states, "A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice." This highlights the moral decay that occurs when individuals prioritize personal gain over righteousness. Similarly,
Isaiah 5:20 warns, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter." This verse underscores the danger of moral relativism and the perversion of ethical standards.
The concept of perversion is also linked to idolatry and the worship of false gods. In
Deuteronomy 32:5, the Israelites are described as having "acted corruptly toward Him; to their shame they are no longer His children, but a warped and crooked generation." This passage illustrates how turning away from the worship of the one true God leads to a perversion of their identity and purpose.
New Testament ReferencesIn the New Testament, perversion is addressed in the context of false teachings and moral corruption. The Apostle Paul warns against those who distort the gospel message. In
Galatians 1:7, he writes, "which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ." Here, perversion is seen as a serious threat to the integrity of the Christian faith.
Sexual immorality is another form of perversion addressed in the New Testament.
Romans 1:26-27 speaks of God giving people over to "dishonorable passions," resulting in unnatural relations. This passage highlights the consequences of rejecting God's design for human sexuality and the resulting moral degradation.
Moral and Spiritual ImplicationsPerversion, as depicted in the Bible, is not merely a deviation from societal norms but a fundamental departure from God's divine order. It is often characterized by a willful rejection of God's truth and a pursuit of self-serving desires. The Bible consistently calls believers to uphold righteousness and resist the temptation to pervert justice, truth, and morality.
The spiritual implications of perversion are profound, as it leads to separation from God and the breakdown of community and personal integrity. The call to repentance and restoration is a recurring theme, as seen in passages like
2 Chronicles 7:14, which urges God's people to "humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways."
ConclusionWhile the Bible acknowledges the reality of perversion in a fallen world, it also offers hope for redemption and transformation through faith in Jesus Christ. Believers are encouraged to live in accordance with God's truth, resisting the perversion of His commandments and striving to reflect His holiness in their lives.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) A turning from truth or right; a diverting from the true intent or purpose; a change to something worse; a turning or applying to a wrong end or use.
Strong's Hebrew
4297. mutteh -- that which is perverted, perverted justice... 4296, 4297. mutteh. 4298 . that which is perverted, perverted justice.
Transliteration: mutteh Phonetic Spelling: (moot-teh') Short Definition:
perversion.
...5558. seleph -- crookedness, crooked dealing
... crookedness. Word Origin from salaph Definition crookedness, crooked dealing
NASB Word Usage crookedness (1),perversion (1). perverseness....
7078. qenets -- a snare, net
... hunt* (1). end. From an unused root probably meaning to wrench;perversion --
end. 7077, 7078. qenets. 7079 . Strong's Numbers.
8397. tebel -- confusion
... Definition: incest. Word Origin appar. from balal Definition confusion NASB
Word Usage incest (1),perversion (1). Tabor. Apparently...
Library
Evil Arises not from a Substance, but from thePerversion of the...
... Book VII. Chapter XVI."Evil Arises Not from a Substance, But from the
Perversion of the Will. 22. And I discerned and found it...
The Gods of the Different Nations Varro's Gentile Class. Their...
... Class. Their Inferiority. A Good Deal of This Perverse Theology Taken from
Scripture. Serapis aPerversion of Joseph. There remains...
Truth First, Falsehood Afterwards, as ItsPerversion Christ's...
... Chapter XXXI."Truth First, Falsehood Afterwards, as ItsPerversion Christ's Parable
Puts the Sowing of the Good Seed Before the Useless Tares....
The Theory of the Church, and the History of ItsPerversion.
... SECTION III. THE WORSHIP AND CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH. CHAPTER XIII. THE THEORY
OF THE CHURCH, AND THE HISTORY OF ITSPERVERSION. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS....
What Corruption Affects and what it Is.
... In the case of a thing changing for the better, the change is not from continuance,
but fromperversion to the worse, that is, from falling away from essence...
Perseverance of Saints.
... state really believe the doctrine, and therefore it is not the tendency of the doctrine
when believed that harms him, but a gross abuse andperversion of it....
Perishing or Being Saved
... in the sweeping away of all of these, whether the sin itself, or the fatal facility
with which we yield to it, or the desolation andperversion which it brings...
The Sacrament of Living
...Perversion, misuse and abuse of our human powers should give us cause enough to
be ashamed.... Let us, however, assume thatperversion and abuse are not present....
Religion and Amusement.
... particular amusement is, on this ground, shut up to the necessity of proving that
what he approves and practices is absolutely pure, and incapable ofperversion...
Chapter xxxviii
... But in addition to these two faults there was palpably involved the sin of a complete
perversion of the purpose of marriage, that divine institution....
Thesaurus
Perversion (13 Occurrences)... applying to a wrong end or use. Multi-Version Concordance
Perversion (13
Occurrences). Romans 1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving
...Beelzebub (7 Occurrences)
... It may have been an accident of popular pronunciation, or a consciousperversion
(Beelzebul in Syriac = "lord of dung"), or Old Testament zebhubh may have been...
Baptist (16 Occurrences)
... 6. Baptismal Regeneration: (For the doctrine of baptismal regeneration see Justin
Martyr, First Apology, 61.) Out of thisperversion of the symbolism of...
Interpretation (45 Occurrences)
... 6. Baptismal Regeneration: (For the doctrine of baptismal regeneration see Justin
Martyr, First Apology, 61.) Out of thisperversion of the symbolism of...
Perverseness (46 Occurrences)
Wrest (8 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To tune with a wrest, or key. 4. (n.) The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent
twist; hence, distortion;perversion. 5. (n.) Active or moving power....
Intercourse (6 Occurrences)
... 18:23 "'You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it; neither shall
any woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is aperversion...
Iniquity (299 Occurrences)
... awon is derived from the latter, and consequently expresses the idea of error,
deviation from the right path, rather than that ofperversion (Driver, Notes on...
Incest (1 Occurrence)
... Leviticus 20:12 "'If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely
be put to death: they have committed aperversion; their blood shall be...
Fraud (15 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) An intentionalperversion of truth for the purpose of obtaining some valuable
thing or promise from another. 3. (n.) A trap or snare....
Resources
What does the Bible mean when it refers to something as a perversion? | GotQuestions.orgPremarital sex ' What does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the exception clause? | GotQuestions.orgPerversion: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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