“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’ Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:34)
The church at Corinth was troubled by the toleration of different interpretations of the truth as well as the acceptance of blatant sexual immorality. Paul preached to the Corinthians about the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and the certain hope of the resurrection of the believer, one of the truths some in his audience denied in whole or in part. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead means that our sins are forgiven. It also means that we too will share in that resurrection and are assured of eternal life. Paul asserted that those who taught that the resurrection of Jesus was not real were spreading lies. Many in the church at Corinth were commending that teaching as well as their open toleration of differing views or interpretations of the truth. They had adapted some of their former pagan ideas as well as those of the pagan culture in which they lived.
Sounds like many Christian denominations, churches and individuals today who interpret the words of scripture in the light of contemporary mores and values. Paul’s advice to the Corinthians was these teachers of false tolerance be chastised and avoided for they were corrupting other believers. We would do well to heed such advice. We Christians must awaken from our drunken stupor and cease from following the teaching and values of the world as communicated through the media and academia. The Church is not to be molded into the image of the world and what it values. The church is to be conformed into the image of Christ Jesus. And in that process we are to love those who do not love us or the Lord for He Himself died for those who rejected and hated Him.