Matthew 7:11 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
Wait a minute.. Is this saying that I'm evil? Why would He call me evil if I have never murdered or conspired to murder to raped or conspired to rape anyone? You know the things which the world calls 'evil'?
Because there is an 'evil side' in every human heart.
Also because:
Evil: 4190. ponéros ►
4190. ponéros ►
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
evil, grievous
From a derivative of ponos; hurtful, i.e. Evil (properly, in effect or influence, and thus differing from kakos, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from sapros, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively, calamitous; also (passively) ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners -- bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness). See also poneroteros.
Bible > Strong's > Greek > 4190
◄ 4190. ponéros ►
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4190: πονηρός
πονηρός (on the accent cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 3 Göttling, Lehre v., Accent, p. 304f; (Chandler §§ 404, 405); Lipsius, Grammat. Untersuch., p. 26), πονηρά, πονηρόν; comparitive πονηρότερος (Matthew 12:45; Luke 11:26); (πονέω, πόνος); from Hesiod (Homer (ep. 15, 20), Theog.) down; the Sept. often for רַע ;
1. full of labors, annoyances, hardships;
a. pressed and harassed by labors; thus Hercules is called πονηροτατος καί ἄριστος, Hesiod fragment 43, 5.
b. bringing toils, annoyances, perils: (καιρός, Sir. 51:12); ἡμέρα πονηρά, of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness, Ephesians 5:16; Ephesians 6:13 (so in the plural ἡμέραι πονηραί the Epistle of Barnabas 2, 1 [ET]); causing pain and trouble (A. V. grievous), ἕλκος, Revelation 16:2.
2. bad, of a bad nature or condition;
a. in a physical sense: ὀφθαλμός, diseased or blind, Matthew 6:23; Luke 11:34 (πονηρία ὀφθαλμῶν, Plato, Hipp., min., p. 374 d.; the Greeks use πονηρῶς ἔχειν or διακεῖσθαι of the sick; ἐκ γενετῆς πονηρούς ὑγιεῖς πεποιηκέναι, Justin Martyr, Apology 1, 22 ((cf. Otto's note); others take πονηρός in Matthew and Luke as above ethically; cf.
