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Text -- 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NET)

Strongs On/Off
Context
15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Parallel   Cross Reference (TSK)   ITL  
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Robertson , Vincent , Wesley , JFB , Clarke , Calvin , Defender , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes , Geneva Bible

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Barclay , Constable , College , McGarvey , Lapide

Other
Critics Ask

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: 1Co 15:33 - -- Be not deceived ( mē planāsthe ). Do not be led astray (planaō ) by such a false philosophy of life.

Be not deceived ( mē planāsthe ).

Do not be led astray (planaō ) by such a false philosophy of life.

Robertson: 1Co 15:33 - -- Evil company ( homiliai kakai ). Evil companionships. Old word, homilia , from homilos (a crowd, gang, bunch). Only here in N.T. Good manners (ēt...

Evil company ( homiliai kakai ).

Evil companionships. Old word, homilia , from homilos (a crowd, gang, bunch). Only here in N.T. Good manners (ēthē ). Old word (kin to ethos ) custom, usage, morals. Good morals here. This line of poetry (iambic) occurs in Menander. It may be a current proverb. Paul could have gotten it from either source.

Vincent: 1Co 15:33 - -- Communications ( ὁμιλίαι ) Wrong. Lit., companionships . Rev., company .

Communications ( ὁμιλίαι )

Wrong. Lit., companionships . Rev., company .

Vincent: 1Co 15:33 - -- Manners ( ἤθη ) Only here in the New Testament. Originally ἦθος means an accustomed seat or haunt ; thence custom , usag...

Manners ( ἤθη )

Only here in the New Testament. Originally ἦθος means an accustomed seat or haunt ; thence custom , usage ; plural, manners , morals , character . The passage, " Evil company doth corrupt good manners," is an iambic line; either the repetition of a current proverb, or a citation of the same proverb from the poet Menander. Compare Aeschylus: " Alas for the ill-luck in mortals that brings this honest man into company with those who have less regard for religion. In every matter, indeed, nothing is worse than evil-fellowship" (ὁμιλίας ) (" Seven against Thebes," 593-595).

Wesley: 1Co 15:33 - -- By such pernicious counsels as this.

By such pernicious counsels as this.

Wesley: 1Co 15:33 - -- He opposes to the Epicurean saying, a well-known verse of the poet Menander.

He opposes to the Epicurean saying, a well-known verse of the poet Menander.

Wesley: 1Co 15:33 - -- Discourse contrary to faith, hope, or love, naturally tends to destroy all holiness.

Discourse contrary to faith, hope, or love, naturally tends to destroy all holiness.

JFB: 1Co 15:33 - -- A current saying, forming a verse in MENANDER, the comic poet, who probably took it from Euripides [SOCRATES, Ecclesiastical History, 3.16]. "Evil com...

A current saying, forming a verse in MENANDER, the comic poet, who probably took it from Euripides [SOCRATES, Ecclesiastical History, 3.16]. "Evil communications" refer to intercourse with those who deny the resurrection. Their notion seems to have been that the resurrection is merely spiritual, that sin has its seat solely in the body, and will be left behind when the soul leaves it, if, indeed, the soul survive death at all.

JFB: 1Co 15:33 - -- Not only good-natured, but pliant. Intimacy with the profligate society around was apt to corrupt the principles of the Corinthians.

Not only good-natured, but pliant. Intimacy with the profligate society around was apt to corrupt the principles of the Corinthians.

Clarke: 1Co 15:33 - -- Be not deceived - Do not impose on yourselves, and permit not others to do it

Be not deceived - Do not impose on yourselves, and permit not others to do it

Clarke: 1Co 15:33 - -- Evil communications corrupt good manners - There are many sayings like this among the Greek poets; but this of the apostle, and which according to t...

Evil communications corrupt good manners - There are many sayings like this among the Greek poets; but this of the apostle, and which according to the best MSS. makes an Iambic verse, is generally supposed to have been taken from Menander’ s lost comedy of Thais

Φθειρουσιν ηθη χρησθ ὁμιλιαι κακαι·

Bad company good morals doth corrupt

There is a proverb much like this among the rabbins

תרי אורי יכישי ותר רטיכא אוקרן יכישי לרטיכא

"There were two dry logs of wood, and one green log; but the dry logs burnt up the green log.

There is no difficulty in this saying; he who frequents the company of bad or corrupt men will soon be as they are. He may be sound in the faith, and have the life and power of godliness, and at first frequent their company only for the sake of their pleasing conversation, or their literary accomplishments: and he may think his faith proof against their infidelity; but he will soon find, by means of their glozing speeches, his faith weakened; and when once he gets under the empire of doubt, unbelief will soon prevail; his bad company will corrupt his morals; and the two dry logs will soon burn up the green one

The same sentiment in nearly the same words is found in several of the Greek writers; Aeschylus, Sept. Theb. ver. 605: Εν παντι πραγει δ εσθ ὁμιλιας κακης κακιον ουδεν· "In every matter there is nothing more deleterious than evil communication."- Diodorus Siculus, lib. xvi. cap. 54: Ταις πονηραις ὁμιλιαις διεφθειρε τα ηθη των ανθρωπων· "With these evil communications he corrupted the morals of men.

Ταυτα μεν οὑτως ισθι· κακοισι δε μη προσομιλο

Ανδρασιν, αλλ αιει των αγαθων εχεο·

Και μετα τοισιν πινε και εσθιε, και μετα τοισιν

Ἱζε, και ἁνδανε τοις, ὡν μεγαλη δυναμις.

Εσθλων μεν γαρ απ εσθλα μαθησεαι· ην δε κακοισι

Συμμιχθῃς, απολεις και τον εοντα νοον.

Theogn. Sent., ver. 31-36

Know this: Thou must not keep company with the wicked, but converse always with good men. With such eat, drink, and associate. Please those who have the greatest virtue. From good men thou mayest learn good things; but if thou keep company with the wicked, thou wilt lose even the intelligence which thou now possessest.

Calvin: 1Co 15:33 - -- 33.Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners As nothing is easier than to glide into profane speculation, under the pretext of inquir...

33.Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners As nothing is easier than to glide into profane speculation, under the pretext of inquiring, 91 he meets this danger, by warning them that evil communications have more effect than we might suppose, in polluting our minds and corrupting our morals. 92 To show this, he makes use of a quotation from the poet Menander, 93 as we are at liberty to borrow from every quarter everything that has come forth from God. And as all truth is from God, there is no doubt that the Lord has put into the mouth of the wicked themselves, whatever contains true and salutary doctrine. I prefer, however, that, for the handling of this subject, recourse should be had to Basil’s Oration to the Young. Paul, then, being aware that this proverb was in common use among the Greeks, chose rather to make use of it, that it might make its way into their minds more readily, than to express the same thing in his own words. For they would more readily receive what they had been accustomed to — as we have experience of in proverbs with which we are familiar.

Now it is a sentiment that is particularly worthy of attention, for Satan, when he cannot make a direct assault upon us, 94 deludes us under this pretext, that there is nothing wrong in our raising any kind of disputation with a view to the investigation of truth. Here, therefore, Paul in opposition to this, warns us that we must guard against evil communications, as we would against the most deadly poison, because, insinuating themselves secretly into our minds, they straightway corrupt our whole life. Let us, then, take notice, that nothing is more pestilential than corrupt doctrine and profane disputations, which draw us off, even in the smallest degree, from a right and simple faith; 95 for it is not without good reason that Paul exhorts us not to be deceived. 96

Defender: 1Co 15:33 - -- This might be paraphrased as a warning that false doctrine inevitably leads to wicked behavior. Denying a future accounting to God (implicit in denyin...

This might be paraphrased as a warning that false doctrine inevitably leads to wicked behavior. Denying a future accounting to God (implicit in denying the resurrection) leads to the philosophy of fatalistic eating, drinking and merry-making. Denying creation in favor of animalistic evolution leads to animalistic conduct, and so on."

TSK: 1Co 15:33 - -- Be : 1Co 6:9; Mat 24:4, Mat 24:11, Mat 24:24; Gal 6:7; Eph 5:6; 2Th 2:10; Rev 12:9, Rev 13:8-14 evil : 1Co 5:6; Pro 9:6, Pro 13:20; 2Ti 2:16-18; Heb 1...

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Co 15:33 - -- Be not deceived - By your false teachers, and by their smooth and plausible arguments. This is an exhortation. He had thus far been engaged in ...

Be not deceived - By your false teachers, and by their smooth and plausible arguments. This is an exhortation. He had thus far been engaged in an argument on the subject. He now entreats them to beware lest they be deceived - a danger to which they were very liable from their circumstances. There was, doubtless, much that was plausible in the objections to the doctrine of the resurrection; there was much subtilty and art in their teachers, who denied this doctrine; perhaps, there was something in the character of their own minds, accustomed to subtle and abstruse inquiry rather than to an examination of simple facts, that exposed them to this danger.

Evil communications - The word rendered "communications"means, properly, a being together; companionship; close contact; converse. It refers not to discourse only, but to contact, or companionship. Paul quotes these words from Menander (in Sentent. Comicor. Greek p. 248, ed. Steph.), a Greek poet. He thus shows that he was, in some degree at least, familiar with the Greek writers; compare the note on Act 17:28. Menander was a celebrated comic poet of Athens, educated under Theophrastus. His writings were replete with elegance, refined wit, and judicious observations. Of one hundred and eight comedies which he wrote, nothing remains but a few fragments. He is said to have drowned himself, in the 52nd year of his age, 293 b.c., because the compositions of his rival Philemon obtained more applause than his own. Patti quoted this sentiment from a Greek poet, perhaps, because it might be supposed to have weight with the Greeks. It was a sentiment of one of their own writers, and here was an occasion in which it was exactly applicable. It is implied in this, that there were some persons who were endeavoring to corrupt their minds from the simplicity of the gospel. The sentiment of the passage is, that the contact of evil-minded men, or that the close friendship and conversation of those who hold erroneous opinions, or who are impure in their lives, tends to corrupt the morals, the heart, the sentiments of others. The particular thing to which Paul here applies it is the subject of the resurrection. Such contact would tend to corrupt the simplicity of their faith, and pervert their views of the truth of the gospel, and thus corrupt their lives. It is always true that such contact has a pernicious effect on the mind and the heart. It is done:

(1) By their direct effort to corrupt the opinions, and to lead others into sin.

\caps1 (2) b\caps0 y the secret, silent influence of their words, and conversation, and example. We have less horror at vice by becoming familiar with it; we look with less alarm on error when we hear it often expressed; we become less watchful and cautious when we are constantly with the frivilous, the worldly, the unprincipled, and the vicious. Hence, Christ sought that there should be a pure society, and that his people should principally seek the friendship and conversation of each other, and withdraw from the world. It is in the way that Paul here refers to, that Christians embrace false doctrines; that they lose their spirituality, love of prayer, fervor of piety, and devotion to God. It is in this way that the simple are beguiled, the young corrupted, and that vice, and crime, and infidelity spread over the world.

Poole: 1Co 15:33 - -- Do not suffer yourselves to be abused with evil and corrupt discourses of those philosophers amongst whom you converse, who argue from innate princi...

Do not suffer yourselves to be abused with evil and corrupt discourses of those philosophers amongst whom you converse, who argue from innate principles of reason against articles of faith; though you may judge that they talk but for discourse sake, yet their communication or discourse is naught, and will influence men as to things of practice, and debauch men in their morals. It is a verse or saying taken out of, or at least found in, one of the pagan poets; but containing in it much truth.

Haydock: 1Co 15:33 - -- Evil communications (or discourses) corrupt good manners. He hints that this error against the resurrection, and the other faults into which they ...

Evil communications (or discourses) corrupt good manners. He hints that this error against the resurrection, and the other faults into which they had fallen, were occasioned by the heathen philosophers and other vain teachers among them. (Witham)

Gill: 1Co 15:33 - -- Be not deceived,.... By such as deny the doctrine of the resurrection, and by their reasonings about it; or by such libertines who go into the denial ...

Be not deceived,.... By such as deny the doctrine of the resurrection, and by their reasonings about it; or by such libertines who go into the denial of it, and argue from thence in favour of their licentious course of life:

evil communications corrupt good manners. This is a sentence taken out of Menander, an Heathen poet, showing how dangerous is the conversation of evil men, and what an influence bad principles communicated and imbibed, have on the lives and practices of men. This the apostle cites not out of ostentation, or to show his reading, learning, and acquaintance with such sort of writers; but partly to observe, that this was a truth obvious by the light of nature, and partly because such a testimony might be more regarded by the Corinthians, who might be fond of such authors, and what was said by them; just as when he was at Athens among the philosophers there, he cites a passage out of Aratus, Act 17:28 as he does another out of Epimenides concerning the Cretians, Tit 1:12.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Co 15:33 A quotation from the poet Menander, Thais 218, which Paul uses in a proverbial sense.

Geneva Bible: 1Co 15:33 ( 19 ) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. ( 19 ) The conclusion with a sharp exhortation, that they take heed of the wicked c...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Co 15:1-58 - --1 By Christ's resurrection,12 he proves the necessity of our resurrection, against all such as deny the resurrection of the body.21 The fruit,35 and t...

MHCC: 1Co 15:20-34 - --All that are by faith united to Christ, are by his resurrection assured of their own. As through the sin of the first Adam, all men became mortal, bec...

Matthew Henry: 1Co 15:20-34 - -- In this passage the apostle establishes the truth of the resurrection of the dead, the holy dead, the dead in Christ, I. On the resurrection of Chri...

Barclay: 1Co 15:29-34 - --Once again this passage begins with a very difficult section. People have always been puzzled about what being baptized for the dead means, and even...

Constable: 1Co 7:1--16:13 - --III. Questions asked of Paul 7:1--16:12 The remainder of the body of this epistle deals with questions the Corin...

Constable: 1Co 15:1-58 - --F. The resurrection of believers ch. 15 The Apostle Paul did not introduce the instruction on the resurr...

Constable: 1Co 15:12-34 - --2. The certainty of resurrection 15:12-34 In the preceding paragraph Paul firmly established tha...

Constable: 1Co 15:29-34 - --Other arguments for resurrection 15:29-34 Paul turned from Christ's career to the Christian's experience to argue ad hominem for the resurrection.377 ...

College: 1Co 15:1-58 - --1 CORINTHIANS 15 VIII. MISUNDERSTANDING OF BELIEVERS' RESURRECTION (15:1-58) A. THE GOSPEL PAUL PREACHED (15:1-11) 1. Relation of the Corinthians ...

McGarvey: 1Co 15:33 - --Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals .

Lapide: 1Co 15:1-58 - --CHAPTER 15 SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTER He proves the resurrection of the dead against the false teachers who denied it:— i. From the fact of Christ'...

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Commentary -- Other

Critics Ask: 1Co 15:33 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33 —By quoting a pagan poet as part of Scripture, doesn’t Paul thereby pronounce this pagan writing a part of Scripture? (See...

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Introduction / Outline

Robertson: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) First Corinthians From Ephesus a.d. 54 Or 55 By Way of Introduction It would be a hard-boiled critic today who would dare deny the genuineness o...

JFB: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) The AUTHENTICITY of this Epistle is attested by CLEMENT OF ROME [First Epistle to the Corinthians, 47], POLYCARP [Epistle to the Philippians, 11], and...

JFB: 1 Corinthians (Outline) THE INSCRIPTION; THANKSGIVING FOR THE SPIRITUAL STATE OF THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH; REPROOF OF PARTY DIVISIONS: HIS OWN METHOD OF PREACHING ONLY CHRIST. ...

TSK: 1 Corinthians 15 (Chapter Introduction) Overview 1Co 15:1, By Christ’s resurrection, 1Co 15:12. he proves the necessity of our resurrection, against all such as deny the resurrection o...

Poole: 1 Corinthians 15 (Chapter Introduction) CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15

MHCC: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) The Corinthian church contained some Jews, but more Gentiles, and the apostle had to contend with the superstition of the one, and the sinful conduct ...

MHCC: 1 Corinthians 15 (Chapter Introduction) (1Co 15:1-11) The apostle proves the resurrection of Christ from the dead. (1Co 15:12-19) Those answered who deny the resurrection of the body. (1Co...

Matthew Henry: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians Corinth was a principal city of Greece, in that partic...

Matthew Henry: 1 Corinthians 15 (Chapter Introduction) In this chapter the apostle treats of that great article of Christianity - the resurrection of the dead. I. He establishes the certainty of our Sa...

Barclay: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL The Letters Of Paul There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letter...

Barclay: 1 Corinthians 15 (Chapter Introduction) Jesus' Resurrection And Ours (1Cor 15) 1Cor 15 is both one of the greatest and one of the most difficult chapters in the New Testament. Not only is...

Constable: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) Introduction Historical Background Corinth had a long history stretching back into the...

Constable: 1 Corinthians (Outline) Outline I. Introduction 1:1-9 A. Salutation 1:1-3 B. Thanksgiving 1:4-9 ...

Constable: 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians Bibliography Adams, Jay. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presb...

Haydock: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE CORINTHIANS. INTRODUCTION. Corinth was the capital of Achaia, a very rich and populous city...

Gill: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS This was not the first epistle that was written by the apostle to the Corinthians, for we read in this of his having ...

Gill: 1 Corinthians 15 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 15 The apostle, in this chapter, recommends the Gospel, and gives a summary of it, proves the resurrection of Christ,...

College: 1 Corinthians (Book Introduction) FOREWORD Since the past few decades have seen an explosion in the number of books, articles, and commentaries on First Corinthians, a brief word to t...

College: 1 Corinthians (Outline) OUTLINE I. INTRODUCTION - 1:1-9 A. Salutation - 1:1-3 B. Thanksgiving - 1:4-9 II. DISUNITY AND COMMUNITY FRAGMENTATION - 1:10-4:21 A. ...

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