Recently someone posted a thread about what wicked means. After pondering on it I concluded that for myself it is the ability (and/or extent applied) to lie to oneself - accept the lie and even prefer the lie - it is actually a preference for darkness. I think that's what Jesus thought wickedness was too. What say ye ?
RE: What is wicked
by A Paduan 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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pr_capone
I say I am wicked! :D
Kansas District Overbeer
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onacruse
Trench makes some interesting observations about this (Synonyms of the New Testament).
The Greeks distinguished between being "bad" and being "wicked."
"Bad (kakos)" meant simply to be 'out of alignment' with what is socially considered proper behavior; it could be purely accidental, almost like getting a speeding ticket (a misdemeanor).
"Wicked (porthos)" (not sure I spelled that correctly) is a pernicious condition, a willingness, and even desire, to deliberately work harm against another person (a felony).
The Hebrew words carry similar distinctions.
In that respect, "lying to oneself" is not wicked; stupid, maybe, but not wicked.
However, the consequences of lying to oneself may (and often does) result in inflicting damage on other people. Is that wicked? It would depend on whether you had already discovered within yourself that you were self-deceiving, and proceeded a-course anyway.
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FairMind
I concluded that for myself it is the ability (and/or extent applied) to lie to oneself - accept the lie and even prefer the lie - it is actually a preference for darkness. This sounds right to me. Since God is a God of truth, anything other than the truth (i.e. facts) would be false and the willful preference for non-truth would be wicked.
FairMind