Lexical Summary éthos: Custom, habit, manner, character Original Word: ἦθος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance manners. A strengthened form of ethos; usage, i.e. (plural) moral habits -- manners. see GREEK ethos HELPS Word-studies 2239 ēthos (from 1485 /éthos, "habit, custom") – "familiar morals," referring to daily life-style (moral habits, behavioral patterns). 2239 /ēthos ("habits, morally regarded") only occurs in 1 Cor 15:33. [The English term "ethics" is derived from 2239 /ēthos.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprol. form of ethos Definition custom NASB Translation morals (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2239: ἦθοςἦθος, ᾔθεος (ἐθους), τό (akin to ἔθος, probably from ἘΩ, whence ἧμαι, έ῾ζω (cf. Vanicek, p. 379)); 1. a customary abode, dwelling-place, haunt, customary state (Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus, others). 2. custom, usage (cf. German Sitzen,Sitte); plural τά ἤθη morals, character (Latinmores) 1 Corinthians 15:33 from Menander; cf. Menander fragment, Meineke edition, p. 75. (Sir. 20:26 (25); 4 Macc. 1:29; 2:7, 21.) The word translated “morals” in 1 Corinthians 15:33 appears nowhere else in the New Testament, yet its single use is strategic. Paul quotes a well-known Greek maxim, “Bad company corrupts good morals”, to expose the corrosive effect of false teaching that denied bodily resurrection. The term denotes the settled moral habits or ethical character that shape a person’s life, underscoring that the gospel reaches beyond mental assent to form the very patterns of daily behavior. Greco-Roman Background In classical literature ἤθη often referred to the ethical fabric of a citizen or city. Philosophers such as Aristotle linked it to virtue formation through repeated practice. Paul imports the word, not to baptize pagan ethics, but to contrast the church’s distinctively Christian ethos with the corrupting influence of worldly associations. By borrowing the proverb, he acknowledges the cultural insight that conduct is contagious while simultaneously re-orienting it under the lordship of Christ. Theological Significance 1. Human nature and sanctification: Scripture teaches that believers receive a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) yet must “put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:24). The term in 1 Corinthians 15:33 captures this tension—new creation life must crystallize into steadfast habits. Old Testament Parallels Proverbs repeatedly links companionship and character: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). The covenant people were warned, “Do not follow the practices of the nation I am driving out before you” (Leviticus 18:3). These texts anticipate Paul’s use of ἤθη—God’s people are to cultivate distinct moral habits grounded in covenant fidelity. Practical Ministry Applications • Discipleship: Pastors and mentors should aim not only at doctrinal accuracy but at fostering gospel-shaped habits—prayer, generosity, purity, truth-telling—that embody resurrection life. Summary Though ἤθη appears only once, it crystallizes a biblical principle: moral character is forged in community and must align with the resurrection reality. The church, grounded in the gospel, is called to embody an ethos that reflects the life of the Risen Christ and resists corruption by falsehood and ungodly alliances. |
    |