The resurrection is central to the Christian faith and without the resurrection of the dead, we have no hope. One of the many problems in the church at Corinth was the problem of believing in the resurrection of the dead. We would ask, is there life after death? A popular Greek belief 2000 years ago and today was/is when you die, that is all there is? The popular opinion is that at death, you disintegrate into nothing.
After all, we have been falsely taught for years we are the result of some cosmic accident. We evolved from the some primordial soup. A belief in a Creator and life after death, seems so archaic.
Life after death. The resurrection of the dead seemed un-believable. Not only today, but 2000 years ago as well. Chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians was Paul’s argument against that that mindset.
1 Corinthians 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
But the good news is and our Christian Hope is:
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
In our passage today, Paul tells us about the mindset of those who have been given the gospel, who welcomed the good news, but were under the influence of false teachers, resulting in their doubting the resurrection of the dead. Paul continue to argue against doubt and unbelief and warnings are given about those who would lead them astray.
1 Corinthians 15:29–34
We are going to look at today’s passage in reverse.
The last line of today’s focal passage is
1 Corinthians 15:34c I speak this to your shame.
I imagine that did not sit well the Corinthians. This isn’t the first or the only time Paul says this to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 11:17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.
In context this was concerning the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Some were having a party while others were left hungry. It demonstrated their ignorance.
1 Corinthians 6:5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,
In context, Paul was refuting those who took fellow believers to the civil court rather than exercise judgment among themselves within the church to solve their differences. Paul said:
1 Corinthians 15:34b “for some have no knowledge of God.”
By their very actions it was obvious they had no or very limited knowledge of God. We have folks who proudly proclaim, “I know all about God” and “I’ve read the whole Bible,” yet they live like the devil himself. Most show their lack of knowledge by their clear demonstration of their ignorance. They were acting ignorantly. As Paul had to remind them to:
1 Corinthians 15:34a Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning.
You would think that that would go without saying, yet Paul had to say it. Yet as Christians we will be held accountable for our actions at the judgment seat of Christ (as described in 2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul was saying all these things to their shame. They knew better, yet there was a problem of those false teachers. Paul was warning them, again.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Paul was repeating a well-known quote from the Greek poet, Menander. This closely parallels the saying: “You are known by the company you keep.”
As much as we need to evangelize the world, we need to be careful of those whose will drag us down. We are not to associate with them. The Bible is quite clear on those we call a “brother” of fellow believer. If they bring false teachings, we are not to associate with them.
2 Corinthians 6:14–15 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
We often refer to this verse when we counsel those believers who desire to marry a non-believer. We warn them to not be “unequally yoked” (KJV). Whether in marriage or business partnership, we need to be joined to other believers. Yet these Corinthians believe the slick talkers and others who corrupted gospel that Paul had given to them.
Paul had explained the tragic consequences if there was no resurrection from the dead (verses 12-19). Yet there were those who claim to be Christian and doubt the resurrection.
Perhaps what was happening is that there were those who tried mixing some of the popular local pagan beliefs with Christianity. This happens today around the world and over the past centuries. We see this in many places in the world. We saw it Indonesia on the Island of Timor where the people claimed to be Christian but their beliefs had a mixture of Catholicism and local pagan animistic beliefs. We see this here with those in this postmodernism and post-Christianism culture with various Burger King, “Have it your way” beliefs. People will pick and choose from the various belief systems, the things they like and discard the things they do not like, then they pass their perverted beliefs on to others. Unfortunately, many of these people can be found inside the church. Paul makes the warning: “Do not be deceived.” One of the top battle grounds for the truth today is inside the church. Paul says earlier in this letter:
1 Corinthians 5:11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
But this has been a problem for the church in Corinth. Someone was planting seeds of doubt about the resurrection. We are to be certain about those who teach and lead in our midst.
So let go back and look at the beginning verses of today’s focal passage. As we had discussed last week in verses 20-28, that Christ indeed had risen from the dead (vs 20) and that the last enemy that will be abolished is death (vs 26).
1 Corinthians 15:29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
This is arguably one of the toughest verse in the whole Bible to properly understand. But to keep from getting too far off track from our message today, let us understand the context of this verse is the line “If the dead are not raised at all.” This is a rhetorical question in the sense that if the dead is not raised, this whole question is meaningless.
But let’s ask the question about “baptism for the dead” for a moment. There have been over 200 different interpretations of this verse. For now I will only deal with the top few.
The plain reading of this verse (without knowing any of the background) seems to indicate that there was a practice of vicarious baptism for someone else who had died. This is a practice done today by the Mormons. Baptism by proxy – first. this would mean that baptism as requirement for salvation, and if we baptize by proxy, we do so to save those who have already died – wrong on so many different levels.
First off, there is no place else in all of Scripture or in early church history to support this. Not only that, this would also seem to indicate by itself that baptism is required for salvation, again, this is not supported by the whole of Scripture either.
Some of the other more likely theories are (based on some background we do not know):
(1) new Christians were baptized to take the place of dead Christians (those who have died due to being martyrs or other reasons);
(2) new converts were baptized because of their respect for a dead loved one (like a dying mother requesting her child be save so to see them in heaven);
(3) persons in catechism, who having died before being baptized were proxy baptized by living Christians; and
(4) new converts were baptized over the graves of great Christians. [1]
We need to remember that we do not build an entire doctrine over a single verse whose exact meaning is uncertain. But let us not miss the emphasis of this verse either. If the dead is not raised, there is no purpose for any baptism.
Perhaps Paul is focused on the false teachers by his use of the pronouns of “those,” they,” and “them” speaking perhaps of the unsaved false teachers when compared the “we” of the next verse.
As we have discussed previously, baptism is a picture of us being buried with Christ followed by being raised with Christ, as a result of our conversion. The whole picture of Baptism is that of death and resurrection. The going under the water is the picture of our death with Christ and the raising up, out of from the water, is the very picture of being raised from the dead.
Romans 6:3–4 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then when we are baptized we go under and do not come back up! So whatever Paul meant by this “baptism of the dead,” it is all meaningless if the dead do not rise. So Paul goes on and makes the argument:
1 Corinthians 15:30–31 Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Hanging around Paul could prove hazardous to one’s health. Paul had, at so many times, have been in fear for his own life because of the gospel he proclaimed If there is no resurrection, why does Paul spend his time risking life and limb? God had plans for Paul and it included much suffering.
Acts 9:16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
All around the world, Christians endanger themselves –imprisonment, beatings, stoning, and murdered, for the sake of the gospel. Why? If there is no resurrection of the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.
Paul fighting beasts in Ephesus is an obvious metaphor for the human opposition. As a Roman citizen he would have never been subject to being fed to the lions. Paul is referring to the wicked men in Ephesus who tried unsuccessfully to take him out (note Acts 19).
Why is Paul putting up with all of this if the dead do not rise? Paul is quoting from Isaiah.
Isaiah 22:12–13 12 Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. 13 Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
The context of this passage in Isaiah is the people’s reaction to facing the grime prospect of being overrun and destroyed. Instead of repenting, they decide to party like there is no tomorrow. This is the very height of human depravity. Without hope and without God. Kind of sounds like today. It obvious: we are heading to self-destruction as fast as we can, so why not party? Jesus illustrated this very mindset, of people who sees only the here and now and does not see eternity.
Luke 12:19–20 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
Isn’t this the lifestyle we have today? Look no further than the beer commercials on TV: "Go for the Gusto." Right on the heels of this, look at what Paul says:
1 Corinthians 15:33a Do not be deceived …
The world wants to convince you to party like there is no tomorrow. Do whatever you want, anything goes! Think about it. We have a culture where quite literally anything goes.
How well Isaiah spoke of this day when he said “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet.” (Isaiah 5:20). Paul said do not be deceived.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Where do you stand on the resurrection?
It is the resurrection that gives us eternal hope. This earthly life is not all there is. James tells us that our life is just a vapor, it here and its gone (James 4:14), but all eternity rest in the hands of Him who has been raised for the dead.
We have so much to live for, our eternity rest on what we believe and how we live out that belief now.
Do you know Jesus? Do you know the risen Lord?
(Next Sunday, Palm Sunday, we answer the question, how does rising from the dead work?)
[1] Robert James Utley, Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians, vol. Volume 6, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2002), 179.
