1 Corinthians 15:29-34 ~ 20150524 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

05/24 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 Suffering in Light of the Resurrection; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20150524_1cor15_29-34.mp3


1 Corinthians 15 [SBLGNT]

29 Ἐπεὶ τί ποιήσουσιν οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι ὑπὲρ τῶν νεκρῶν; εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν; 30 τί καὶ ἡμεῖς κινδυνεύομεν πᾶσαν ὥραν; 31 καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀποθνῄσκω, νὴ τὴν ὑμετέραν καύχησιν, ἣν ἔχω ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. 32 εἰ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐθηριομάχησα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, τί μοι τὸ ὄφελος; εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν. 33 μὴ πλανᾶσθε· φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί. 34 ἐκνήψατε δικαίως καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε, ἀγνωσίαν γὰρ θεοῦ τινες ἔχουσιν· πρὸς ἐντροπὴν ὑμῖν λαλῶ.


1 Corinthians 15 [ESV2011]

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

Paul is defending the resurrection. He asks the question:

1 Corinthians 15:12 ...how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

And this chapter is a careful and logical defense of the resurrection. In verses 1-7, he demonstrates that the resurrection is an essential part of the gospel message. In verses 8-11, he holds up himself up as a life radically transformed by God's resurrecting grace. In verses 12-19 he lays out devastating consequences on believers if the resurrection were not historical. In verses 20-28, he parallels Christ with Adam; where Adam brought death, Christ brings life. In verse 29 he points to the incoherence of baptism if there is no resurrection. In verses 30-32 he points to the incoherence of suffering in Christian service if there is no resurrection. In verses 32-34, he warns of the moral dangers of unbelief in the resurrection.

Baptism

That is where we are today in Paul's defense of the resurrection. Last week we looked in detail at verse 29, at what it can and cannot mean, but the main point is clear from the context. Baptism makes no sense if there is no resurrection. Baptism pictures and foreshadows the resurrection. And Christian baptism identifies you with a group who are known for their suffering.

In Danger Every Hour

In verses 30-32 Paul again holds himself and the other eyewitnesses up as examples. At the beginning of the chapter he lists Cephas, the twelve, the five hundred, James, all the apostles, and finally himself. Continuing to rebut their proposition 'if the dead are not raised at all', he answers 'Why are we in danger every hour?' If the dead are not raised, if we are not looking forward to a better future life, then 'why are we in danger every hour?' Paul is picking up the thought he expressed back in verse 19 and fleshing it out.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

If this life is all there is, if there is no physical existence beyond the grave, then why? Why are we in danger every hour? Certainly we could think of others more to be pitied than Paul and the other apostles. There are many people we can think of who subsist in very pitiable circumstances. Wouldn't they be more to be pitied than the followers of Jesus? Surely there are benefits to following Christ in this life, even if it turns out not to be true. But that is not the view of the apostle. He asks 'why?' “Why are we in danger every hour?”

This may sound like an exaggeration until we look at some of what we know about Paul's life.

2 Corinthians 11:23 ...—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

He says in Romans 8:

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” This was the experience of early believers.

Jesus said:

Luke 9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Jesus did not invite us to follow him into a life of comfort and ease. He invited us to a life of sacrifice for the sake of his name and for the gospel. He said we would embrace our means of execution daily.

Paul rebuked the Corinthians in chapter 4 because:

1 Corinthians 4:8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

Still True Today

Loved ones, nothing has changed. This is as true of followers of Jesus today as it was when Paul penned those words. Allow me to read a few current statistics:

Christian persecution reached historic levels in 2014, with approximately 100 million Christians around the world facing possible dire consequences for merely practicing their religion, according to the report. If current trends persist, many believe 2015 could be even worse.”

http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/2038782-155/persecution-of-christians-reached-historic-levels


4,344 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons between Dec. 1, 2013 and Nov. 30, 2014 – more than twice the number killed during the same period the previous year. ...those numbers are a low estimate, as the group only counts incidents in which the victim can be identified by name and an exact cause has been attributed.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/07/has-the-world-looked-the-other-way-while-christians-are-killed/


Each month 322 Christians are killed for their faith; 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed; 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians (such as beatings, abductions, rapes, arrests, and forced marriages).”

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/


nearly 75 percent of the world's population now lives in countries with high levels of social hostility involving religion”

more than 70 percent of Christians have left Iraq since 2003, and more than 700,000 Christians have fled from Syria since 2011.” In “North Korea,... up to 70,000 Christians are held in prison camps for their faith.”

http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/january/not-forgotten-top-50-countries-world-watch-list-open-doors.html


Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide. An average of at least 180 Christians around the world are killed each month for their faith. (Source: Open Doors USA)

Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Christ. (Source: U.S. Department of State)”

http://erlc.com/issues/quick-facts/persecution/


Islamic militants have eradicated virtually every trace of Christianity from Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. ...There are no Christians left in Mosul. ...They have all been driven out. They have been told to convert to Islam or die, or to leave.

...and they left empty handed. Militants confiscated all of their possessions, including homes, cars, clothes, 'and even their wedding rings, sometimes with the finger attached if it would not come off.'” (Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, July 23, 2014)

http://erlc.com/documents/pdf/20140803-SIS-FINAL.pdf

Paul asks, “if the dead are not raised... why? Why are we in danger every hour?' What is the point of sacrifice in following Jesus if there is no resurrection? As he has stated earlier, if there is no resurrection, then Christ is not raised, and if Christ is not raised, then our faith is worthless and we are still in our sins. Why risk everything for the sake of Christ if it is not true?

By My Pride In You

1 Corinthians 15:30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

The way Paul talks about this church might make us forget all the serious problems they had. So far in the letter he has addressed issues of division, issues if immorality, issues of idolatry, issues of pride and insistence on personal rights, doctrinal issues, and a serious lack of love. Here he makes them the subject of his boast. He began the letter by thanking God always for them. And here he swears by his boast in them that he has in Christ Jesus our Lord. Although this letter from start to finish is filled with severe rebukes and strong corrections, we sense that Paul had a deep love and fond affection for these people. He refers to them as brothers about 20 times through the course of this letter. He loves them enough to tell them the hard truth, to rebuke them, to correct them. Here he uses this strong oath to affirm that he dies daily.

Wild Beasts at Ephesus

He says “What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus?” Some think this is a reference to his being put in the arena, but this is unlikely because 1. Roman citizens were not normally subject to being fed to wild beasts, 2. He survived, which would be unusual, and 3. he doesn't mention this in any of the places where he lists his sufferings. But this wording is often used in a figurative sense, and that is most likely his meaning here. He mentions in chapter 16:

1 Corinthians 16:8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

There are many adversaries. Paul warns the Galatian believers:

Galatians 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

James says:

James 4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. ...

Paul shared in the sufferings of Christ. The Psalmist paints the portrait of Christ on the cross in Psalm 22.

Psalm 22:12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

But often the attacks of the enemy are nothing compared to the wounds inflicted by our brothers. Psalm 41 says:

Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

The deepest hurts come from those who are closest to us. In 2 Corinthians 11:26 he mentions 'danger from false brothers.' This may be what Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians. Hear his heart:

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.


2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Nobody likes to suffer. Nobody likes to be hurt. What is the point of suffering for the sake of Christ if the dead are not raised? What is the profit, what is the use? If the dead are not raised, if Christ was not raised, if Jesus was not who he claimed to be, we are of all people most to be pitied. We have wasted our lives.

Moral Consequences of Beliefs

1 Corinthians 15:32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

You hear a lot of people say 'it really doesn't matter what you believe'. Paul tells us that it very much matters what we believe. Our actions are rooted in our beliefs, and our beliefs will come out in our actions. That is why James says 'what good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works' (2:14). That is why John says “whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar” (1Jn.2:4). Jesus said:

Matthew 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Right belief will produce healthy fruit. A diseased root of belief will manifest itself in attitudes and behavior. The diseased root of disbelief in the resurrection will show itself in actions that take no account of eternity. In Isaiah 22, God is bringing enemies against Jerusalem, but they fail to respond with repentance by turning back to God.

Isaiah 22:11 ... But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago. 12 In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; 13 and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

If we believe there is nothing beyond the grave, no one to whom we will give an account, we will live for our pleasures. Many who claim to believe in God live as if he doesn't exist.

Bad Company

Paul is warning the Corinthians. They are in danger of being deceived. “Bad company corrupts good morals” was a well known saying in Paul's day, possibly from Meander. This is similar to what he said back in chapter 5:

1 Corinthians 5:6 ...Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

But we could take this the wrong way. We could assume that he meant never to associate with sinners or unbelievers. But he made it clear in chapter 5 that he did not mean that.

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

In chapter 5, the context was a person who claimed to be a believer who was refusing to turn from his sin. In chapter 15, the context is some who claims to believe the gospel but says there is no resurrection. Do not be deceived. Bad doctrine will bear bad fruit. It matters what you believe. Paul tells them to wake up from their drunken stupor and stop sinning. Unbelief will have moral consequences. Do not be deceived.

No Knowledge of God

Some have no knowledge of God. Paul is not talking here about unbelievers. Of course they have no knowledge of God! It is our privilege and responsibility to introduce them to him. Paul is talking about those in the church who claim to be believers, but who have bad doctrine and say there is no resurrection. The Corinthians prided themselves on their wisdom. To say they have no knowledge of God is a stinging rebuke. Paul's logic here follows Jesus own teaching. When the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, questioned Jesus, he answered them

Mark 12:24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?

You disbelieve the resurrection because you don't know God. Right doctrine comes ultimately from a right understanding of who God is as he has revealed himself in his word.

Those who know God, who truly follow Jesus, who believe he is who he claimed to be and will keep all his good promises, those people are willing to suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus. They are willing to be regarded as sheep to be slaughtered, they are willing to be in danger every hour, to die every day. They are willing to risk everything to bring the gospel to the nations, because they have a hope beyond the grave. Those who have confidence in the resurrection talk like this:

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Those who know Jesus talk like this:

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Christ is raised. He died for our sins and he is now alive. In him we find forgiveness and the strong assurance that we who are trusting in him will be with him forever. Because we are confident of our resurrection, if we know Jesus, if we really know him, we can fearlessly take up our cross daily and follow him.


Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org