The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:33 Explained

1 Corinthians 15:33

KJV: Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

YLT: Be not led astray; evil communications corrupt good manners;

Darby: Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

ASV: Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Be  not  deceived:  evil  communications  corrupt  good  manners. 

What does 1 Corinthians 15:33 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This quotation, contained in a comedy by Menander titled Thais, but perhaps dating back to Euripides, [1] had become proverbial. The Greeks generally recognized it as encapsulating a wise thought. Therefore Paul used it to warn his readers that if they kept company with people who denied the resurrection their character would eventually suffer.

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 15:29-41 - This Body The Seed Of A Glorious One
The anticipation of the final resurrection enabled the early Christians to endure incredible sufferings. As one rank fell martyred, another was ready to step into its place; and the catechumens, or young believers, took the names of the martyrs, so as to perpetuate their testimony. With this hope in his heart Paul himself had confronted at Ephesus the tumult of the infuriated mob, Acts 19:1-41. Belief in this sublime undoing of the last effects of sin was one of the chief features in the conquering power of Christianity.
In every seed there is the germ of a new and beautiful growth, more elaborate and yet identical; so in each of us there is something which has the capacity and potentiality of furnishing another body, through which the emancipated spirit will be able to express itself more perfectly than it can in this body, which is composed of coarser materials. It is not difficult to believe in this, when we have seen the caterpillar become the butterfly. The world is full of wonderful and beautiful things. God's inventiveness reveals itself in a myriad differing organisms. It is by His will that the golden head of wheat is fairer than the little brown seed cast into the furrow; so it is His pleasure that the body which is to be shall surpass the present in glory. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 15

1  By Christ's resurrection,
12  he proves the necessity of our resurrection,
16  against all such as deny the resurrection of the body
21  The fruit,
35  and the manner thereof;
51  and of the resurrection of those who shall be found alive at the last day

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 15:33

Be not deceived [μη πλαναστε]
Do not be led astray (πλαναω — planaō) by such a false philosophy of life. [source]
Evil company [ομιλιαι κακαι]
Evil companionships. Old word, ομιλια — homilia from ομιλος — homilos (a crowd, gang, bunch). Only here in N.T. Good manners Old word (kin to ετος — 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. [source]
Communications [ὁμιλίαι]
Wrong. Lit., companionships. Rev., company. [source]
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). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 15:33

Acts 16:21 Customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans [ετη α ουκ εστιν ημιν παραδεχεσται ουδε ποιειν ωμαιοις ουσιν]
Note the sharp contrast between “being Jews” in Acts 16:20 and “being Romans” here. This pose of patriotism is all sound and fury. It is love of money that moves these “masters” far more than zeal for Rome. As Roman citizens in a colony they make full use of all their rights of protest. Judaism was a religio licita in the Roman empire, only they were not allowed to make proselytes of the Romans themselves. No Roman magistrate would pass on abstract theological questions (Acts 18:15), but only if a breach of the peace was made (εκταρασσουσιν ημων την πολιν — ektarassousin hēmōn tēn polin) or the formation of secret sects and organizations. Evidently both of these last points are involved by the charges of “unlawful customs” by the masters who are silent about their real ground of grievance against Paul and Silas. Ετος — Ethos (kin to ητος — ēthos 1 Corinthians 15:33) is from ετω — ethō to be accustomed or used to a thing. The Romans granted toleration to conquered nations to follow their religious customs provided they did not try to win the Romans. But the Jews had made great headway to favour (the God-fearers) with increasing hatred also. Emperor worship had in store grave peril for both Jews and Christians. The Romans will care more for this than for the old gods and goddesses. It will combine patriotism and piety. [source]
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived [μὴ πλανᾶσθε]
For the phrase see 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:33; James 1:16. Deceive is a secondary sense; the primary meaning being lead astray. See on Mark 12:24. The connection of the exhortation may be with the entire section from Galatians 6:1(Eadie and Sieffert), but is more probably with Galatians 6:6. The Galatians are not to think that it is a matter of no consequence whether their fellowship be with their Christian teachers who preach the word of truth, or with the Judaising innovators who would bring them under bondage to the law. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 15:33 mean?

Not be misled Do corrupt morals good companionships bad
Μὴ πλανᾶσθε Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί

πλανᾶσθε  be  misled 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: πλανάω  
Sense: to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way.
Φθείρουσιν  Do  corrupt 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: φθείρω  
Sense: to corrupt, to destroy.
ἤθη  morals 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἦθος  
Sense: a customary abode, dwelling place, haunt, customary state.
χρηστὰ  good 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: χρηστός  
Sense: fit, fit for use, useful.
ὁμιλίαι  companionships 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ὁμιλία  
Sense: companionship, intercourse, communion.
κακαί  bad 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: κακός  
Sense: of a bad nature.