Evil Company Corrupts
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
If Paul hadn’t believed in the resurrection, he would likely have shared the common philosophy of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain: “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” (verse 32).
But Paul did believe in the resurrection, and he didn’t subscribe to the party mentality. He had warned the Corinthians to avoid those who practiced immorality, and here in verse 33 he did so again. This time he used a quote from the poet Menander to emphasize his point, “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
For more about how peer pressure and other temptations can corrupt our good intentions, see the article “Temptation.” For more on how to respond to peer pressure, see “Saying No.”
