Evil company

Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. – 1 Corinthians 15v33-34

For many this passage has one simple meaning – “Apart from witnessing to lost people don’t have anything to do with them. They are going to corrupt you if you do.” That seals it, easy way out, the deal is done.

I don’t think that is what Paul is saying at all. Evil company will indeed corrupt good manners. That’s obvious. But that is no excuse to ignore lost people. Instead our solution is “awake to righteousness and sin not.” A simple knock on the door or chance encounter on the street may indeed see some one saved, God can do anything. Yet people are going to believe the gospel as they see it in us. It is not our job to ignore the lost and their corrupting influence, our job is to live righteously and not join in their sin.

Some don’t know God, that’s why they act the way they do. I am not sure what Paul meant by “I speak this to your shame.” Maybe he meant they should be ashamed because they had their lifestyles corrupted by the lost. Maybe it was because they should have been witnessed to. Either way the principle is clear. Live righteously and do not sin in the midst of this “crooked and perverse generation.”