Jumpstarter 2 of 10

Direct Answer The transcript suggests Christians must direct strong moral disgust toward evil itself—sin—while refusing hatred toward people, even persecutors. Loathing sin is meant to help us “cling to what is good,” not to create a proud, hostile posture toward others.

Support from Transcript:

• Bercot notes Paul’s “Abhor what is evil,” using *apostagio*, “an even stronger word than hate,” meaning to “utterly detest, loathe, abominate.”
• He clarifies: “Normally, we do not think of hate as being a Christian virtue,” and “Christians are not to hate others, even their persecutors” (Matthew 5:44).
• The point of abhorring evil is practical and moral: “For it is only through such abhorrence that we will be able to cling to what is good.”
• Chrysostom is quoted: Paul doesn’t merely say refrain from evil, but “utterly abhoring it.”
• The transcript later reinforces a non-hostile stance toward people: “Bless those who persecute you… We bless… by praying for them and doing whatever good we can for them.”