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1 Corinthians 15:34

in 1 Corinthians 15

Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame.

KJV

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

This verse in 1 Corinthians 15

Commentary

14 notes on this verse

A commentator

Clement of Alexandria

The Stromata Book 3 · Written before 215.

"Be sober as is right, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God," that is, those who sin. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers." But the rulers of darkness have power to tempt us. That is why concessions are made. Therefore also Paul says: "I buffet my body and bring it into subjection.

This site's exposition

Do not be deceived

on 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

Bad company corrupts good character quotes Menander's comedy Thais, homiliai kakai, a secular proverb aimed at the deniers whose company spread doubt. Verse 34 turns it into a command to sober up and stop sinning, and names the denial ignorance of God.

This site's exposition

Sober up as you ought

Sober up translates eknepsate, a word for waking out of drunkenness. Some at Corinth had stopped fearing sin, living out the slogan of verse 32. Paul says to their shame that a church proud of its knowledge was ignorant of God, as 8:1 warns.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on 1 Corinthians 40 · Written before 407.

proposed

"Awake up righteously and sin not." As if he were speaking to drunkards and madmen. For suddenly to cast every thing out of their hands, was the part of drunkards and madmen, in not seeing any longer what they saw nor believing what they had before confessed. But what is, "righteously?" with a view to what is profitable and useful. For it is possible to awake up unrighteously, when a man is thoroughly roused up to the injury of his own soul. And well did he add, "sin not," implying that hence were the sins of their unbelief. And in many places he covertly signifies this, that a corrupt life is the parent of evil doctrines; as when he saith, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, which some reaching after, have been led astray from the faith." Yea, and many of those who are conscious of wickedness and would fain not pay its penalty are by this fear damaged also in their faith concerning the resurrection: even as they who do very virtuously desire even daily to behold it. "For some have no knowledge of God; I speak this to move you to shame." See how again he transfers his accusations to others. For he said not, "Ye have no knowledge," but, "some have no knowledge." Because disbelieving the resurrection is the temper of one not fully aware that the power of God is irresistable and sufficient for all things. For if out of the things which are not He made the things that are, much more will He be able to raise again those which have been dissolved. And because he had touched them to the quick and exceedingly mocked them, accusing them of gluttony, of folly, of madness; mitigating those expressions, he saith, "I speak to move you to shame," that is, to set upright, to bring back, to make you better, by this shame of yours. For he feared lest if he cut too deep, he should cause them to start away.

A commentator

Didymus the Blind

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH · Written before 398.

proposed

The wise are on the lookout for wrongdoing and have awakened from the sleep of ignorance.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 1 Corinthians · Written before 1274.

proposed

963. – Then when he says: Come to your right mind and sin no more, he presents an admonition as to the perfect. For someone could say that from their conversations the weak should take care, because they are easily deceived; but the perfect cannot …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 1 Corinthians · Written before 1107.

proposed

As he speaks to drunkards: "become sober; as you ought," that is, for benefit; for one can be sober unrighteously as well, for example, for the commission of evil. "And do not sin," he says. It is from this that you do not believe in …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

To righteousness - Which flows from the true knowledge of God, and implies that your whole soul be broad awake. And sin not - That is, and ye will not sin. Sin supposes drowsiness of soul.
6 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glor

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v39-41

Awake to righteousness, and sin not,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

He answers an objection against this truth, and takes occasion thence to show what a vast change will be made in the bodies of believers at the resurrection,

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Awake to righteousness - Shake off your slumber; awake fully, thoroughly, δικαιως, as ye ought to do: so the word should be rendered; not awake to righteousness. Be in earnest; do not trifle with God, your souls, and eternity. Sin not - For this will lead to the destruction both of body and soul. Life is but a moment; improve it. Heaven has blessings without end. Some have not the knowledge of God - The original is very emphatic: αγνωσιαν γαρ Θεου τινες εχουσι, some have an ignorance of God; they do not acknowledge God.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The Greek expresses a continued state of abstinence from sin. Thus, Paul implies that they who live in sinful pleasures readily persuade themselves of what they wish, namely, that there is to be no resurrection. some--the same as in 1Co 15:12. have not the knowledge of God--and so know not His power in the resurrection (Mt 22:29).
Awake to righteousness - See the note on Rom 13:11. The word here translated “awake” denotes, properly, to awake up from a deep sleep or torpor; and is usually applied to those who awake, or become sober after drunkenness. The phrase “to righteousness” (δικαίως dikaiōs) may mean either “rouse to the ways of righteousness; to a holy life; to sound doctrine,” etc.; or it may mean “as it is right and just that you should do.” Probably the latter is the correct idea, and then the sense will be, “Arouse from stupidity on this subject; awake from your conscious security; be alarmed, as it is right and proper that you should do, for you are surrounded by dangers, and by those who would lead you into error and vice; rouse from such wild and delusive opinions as these persons have, and exercise a constant vigilance as becomes those who are the friends of God and the expectants of a blessed resurrection.” And sin not - Do not err; do not depart from the truth and from holiness; do not embrace a doctrine which is not only erroneous, but the tendency of which is to lead into sin. It is implied here, that if they suffered themselves to embrace a doctrine which was a denial of the resurrection, the effect would be that they would fall into sin or that a denial of that doctrine led to a life of self-indulgence and transgression. This truth is everywhere seen and against this effect Paul sought to, guard them. He did not regard the denial of the doctrine of the resurrection as a harmless speculation, but as leading to most dangerous consequences in regard to their manner of life or their conduct. For some have not - Some among you. […]

The words behind it

14 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Ephesians 5:14

    So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 60:1

      Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

    • Romans 13:11–12

      And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

    • Isaiah 26:19

      Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her…

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:6

      So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.

    • Isaiah 52:1

      Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you.

  • Through

    Romans 13:11

    And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

    it leads to

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:5–8

      For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

    • 1 Peter 4:7

      The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

    • Ephesians 5:14

      So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Corinthians

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, 1495 to 1498. Public domain.
The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, 1495 to 1498. Public domain.
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 3; Didymus the Blind, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 40; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.