The concept of “doing wrong” in the New Testament is expressed by a term that conveys a sense of a lack of moral or physical goodness. Unlike ponēros (πονηρός), which emphasizes the active, malignant spreading of corrupt conduct, κακός (kakos) conveys a lack in character or doing harm.
In some of the parables, Jesus uses the word “wrong” to describe the characters of those who are acting in an unrighteous manner. In the parable of the landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it out to vinedresser, their conduct towards the owner was wrong (Matthew 21:33). The owner sent his servants to collect the wine, but the vinedressers beat, killed, and stoned them (Matthew 21:35). When the son of the land owner came, they decided to kill him so they could take possession of the vineyard (Matthew 21:38). These men who are were morally corrupt in their conduct would face the wrath of the land owner (Matthew 21:40–41).
A lack of moral character comes from the heart of a man. Wrong reasonings, malignant wrong, theft, senseless slaughter, adulteries, fornications, and all manner of malignant character come from within (Mark 7:21–23).
When the Jews (leaders of Israel) sought to condemn Christ to death, they turned Him over to Pilate, for they were not permitted to put a man to death. Out of envy, just as the parable of the landowner expresses, the leaders of Israel betrayed Christ. Pilate examined Christ, but found no wrong in Him. Wishing to release Jesus, Pilate followed the tradition of releasing a prisoner just before the Passover. He brought a very wicked man who was involved in murder and insurrection, desiring that the people would choose Jesus over Barabbas. Three times, Pilate asked the crowd concerning what wrong Jesus had done, but their cries prevailed, so he condemned an innocent man to death (Luke 23:22).
Wrong may also be used to describe harm to a person. In Philippians, where Paul and Silas were illegally thrown into prison, during the night while they were singing to God, the prison doors swung open. The prison warden saw this and assumed all the prisoners had escaped. Knowing he would face the wrath of the leaders of the city and be killed for their escape, he drew his sword to end his life. However, Paul called with a loud voice telling him not to harm himself, for no one had fled (Acts 16:28). When Ananias was instructed by the Lord to go to Saul, he expressed his concerning for he had heard of all the harm Saul had done to the saints (Acts 9:13). While on the island of Malta after a shipwreck, Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake while gathering wood. He shook off the snake and suffered no harm (Acts 28:5).
In the Christian life, doing wrong is to be rejected because it does not relate to the new life we now have in Christ. It is an absurdly slanderous saying to do wrong so that good may come (Romans 3:8). When it comes to wrong done to the saints, he is not to respond in kind. Rather, he is not to give wrong for wrong (Romans 12:17). Instead, he is to overcome wrong with what is proper (Romans 12:21). Love will not do wrong to another person (Romans 13:10). Even under the Mosaic law, if the Jews loved their neighbor as themselves, they would not do wrong to them. The grace believer is to express God’s quality of love towards other believers by being filled with the Holy Spirit (John 13:34). Since doing wrong does not relate to the life of saints, we are to separate our members from the things that relate to the old man in how we conduct our lives—fornication, uncleanness, passions, wrong desires, covetousness, which is idolatry— by clothing ourselves with Christ. (Colossians 3:5). This is a mental process in which we set the frame of our mind on the things above, recognizing that we are in a new man—the Christ—who is renewed in the full experiential knowledge of the one who created him (Colossians 3:10).
Keeping company with those who do wrong corrupts useful habits (1 Corinthians 15:33). We are to beware of dogs and workers of wrong. These are those who return to their sins and mutilate themselves to appear righteous before men (Philippians 3:2). Even the fondness of money is a root of wrong (1 Timothy 6:10).
There are many people in this world who desire to do wrong. Some even use religion as a means to spread their immoral character. Since the grace believer has been given all things pertaining to life and godliness, he is to train his senses to discern what is wrong from that which is proper. This training enables him to be skillful in the word of righteousness, so that he rejects what is wrong (Hebrews 5:14).
