Hatred is evil, because it continually abideth with lying, speaking against the truth; and it maketh small things to be great, and giveth heed to darkness as to light, and calleth the sweet bitter, and teacheth slander, and war, and violence, and every excess of evil; and it filleth the heart with devilish poison. And these things I say to you from experience, my children, that ye may flee hatred, and cleave to the love of the Lord. Righteousness casteth out hatred, humility destroyeth hatred. For he that is just and humble is ashamed to do wrong, being reproved not of another, but of his own heart, because the Lord vieweth his intent: he speaketh not against any man, because the fear of the Most High overcometh hatred… (Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol. 8, page 29)
Scholars believe the author of above was a Jew who was converted to Christianity. This unknown writer sought to convince his fellow Jewish countrymen to become Christians. This writing is placed about A.D. 192 or earlier.
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity” (Psalms 5:5). “These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discard among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19). “That there is nothing evil in ‘hate’ per se should be evident from the fact that even God is represented as ‘hating’ in a certain way” (Wayne Jackson. Is It Always Wrong to “Hate”?). “O you who love Jehovah, hate evil!” (Psalms 97:10).
I am thankful that we can change our character by following our Lord. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Understand also, we should have “a right feeling of aversion from what is evil” (Vine’s).
