When we look at the above verse, we see the word “communications.” This word in the Greek carries two basic significant meanings. The word is “homilia." The first meaning is that of “speech or sermon.” We have all been in church and heard the sermon called the “homily.” The second meaning is that of “companionship or association.” It is the second definition which the Bible has in view here, that of companionship. The word “homilia” is used only once in the Bible and that usage is here in this verse. Can evil companionship really have a negative influence on the Christian? Let me give an analogy of someone who was not a Christian but lost his life associating with the criminal element.

Does the name Reinhart Schwimmer mean anything to you? If not, it will, after I tell you the story. It was February 14, 1929, a cold day in Chicago. Six members of the infamous North Side Gang were waiting at their headquarters on 2122 North Clark Street for a shipment of hijacked whiskey. A person phoned “Bugs” Moran and told him that he hijacked a truck of Old Log Cabin Whiskey from the Capone organization. That whiskey was to be delivered at 11:00 AM the next morning. At about 10:30 AM three men entered the garage dressed as police officers. They lined up all seven men against the wall and frisked them and took their guns away. The gangsters did not concern themselves with it because they thought it was just another roust for a quick pay off. After the North Siders were disarmed, two men then entered into the garage with Thompson Machine guns and sawed off shotguns. They began to fire until they brutally massacred all seven men in the worst gangland slaying in history. It came to be known as the St. Valentines Day Massacre which was engineered by Al Capone and associates. Reinhart Schwimmer was one of the seven that died that day. You see, he was not a gangster, but an Optometrist who enjoyed the company of gangsters. He befriended Bugs Moran and that association led to his death.

The St. Valentines Day Massacre happened on a Thursday morning. As an Optometrist, shouldn’t Dr. Schwimmer have been in his office treating patients? Now do you get the gist of the story? If Dr. Schwimmer did not associate with gangsters, he would not have been there and probably would have lived many years with a good income being an Optometrist. A major principle emerges in this story, whenever we enter the world of evil, there will always be serious consequences and that includes Christians. The doctor entered their world and their world was vicious and evil. Christians must know that whenever we build an association with unsaved people, we are entering their world, they are not entering ours. For them to enter our world, they must become saved. This is why God warns us in our opening verse that if we associate with evil, we will be affected by that association.

Many people like to be brazen and claim that Jesus ate with sinners. This is true, but He changed the sinners, they did not change Him, and that is the difference. Whenever a Christian forms an association with evil, they are not there to change the evil people, they are there to try and see how close to evil they can play without losing their Christian edge. When we look at the history of ancient Israel, especially in the times of the Judges, we see them making evil alliances by entering the world of the heathen. The heathen did not enter their world, they entered the heathen world and that can only be done by setting aside the laws of God for purity.

Is there a parallel today? There sure is. We see many Christians entering the world of skimpy fashions so they may entice the opposite sex, both men and women are guilty of this. Many Christians are entering the world of gambling by means of the lottery. I wonder how many believers bought tickets for that $200+ million dollar lottery last week? Many Christians are entering the world of sexual encounters, whether they are doing it in their minds or going to motel rooms does not matter, it is still entering the world of evil. Many Christians are entering the world of alcohol. They see nothing wrong with drinking alcohol, their lame claim is that Christ drank wine. Why don’t these same people volunteer to be nailed to a cross, after all, Christ did that too. There are so many things that God has delivered Christians from, yet, they still desire to go back to those things. When Israel came out of Egypt, they complained that they ate very well in Egypt but they forgot they were slaves. Christians today must realize that the things that they enjoyed in the old life enslaved them too.