after life — Faves of Dave - Bible Study

1Cor. 15:29 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.

Clearly, this is a continuation of Paul’s defense of the resurrection of Christians at the end of time. We begin this next segment of his argument with what may be one of the most debated and confusing statements in the New Testament. In verse 29, Paul asks, “what do people mean be being baptized on behalf of the dead?” There are two points I’d like to make about Paul’s question that should be obvious. The first is that there were people being baptized on behalf of the dead. The second is that Paul is NOT advocating Christians do this or that it has some spiritual efficacious power. Paul is using a practice by some to make a point for his argument. The point is that people who are being baptized on behalf of the dead obviously believe in a resurrection from the dead. Otherwise, they wouldn’t bother. As far as I know, there is no Biblical instruction that shines light on this issue. So, the safe thing to do is simply recognize this as a cultural practice by some that Paul uses to support his argument. It should not be taken as a mandate or even a suggestion that Christians can or should be baptized for the dead.

What does Paul mean when he follows with the question, “Why are we in danger every hour?” (v. 30) The context of verses 31-32 indicates that he’s saying, “Why would I be enduring persecution and willing to die for this gospel if there is no resurrection?” (My interpretive paraphrase) His point is that if there is no resurrection, then this life is all there is, and I (Paul) would be a fool to be willing to put my life on the line every day to preach a resurrection in Christ. That is the big point in verse 32, “If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” In short, Paul is saying the Christian faith is a waste of time, energy, and pleasure if there is no resurrection.

Verses 33-34 reveal something very important that we should not look over. Paul’s point in verse 33 is to stop listening to people teaching things contrary to what Paul and other apostles have taught them. They need wisdom, and they need to be faithful to the truths they have been taught. The important point is “do not go on sinning.” (v. 34) We all sin. Paul makes that very clear in Romans 3:23. But Paul later explains in Romans 8 that Christians are to “walk by means of the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh.” The idea is that we should not be complacent in our day-to-day life and excuse our sins. We should desire and pursue learning God’s word and letting the Holy Spirit lead us into a life of obedience to the truths God has revealed through the Scriptures. Unfortunately, people come along occasionally and lead people away from what God has revealed, and that is the sin Paul is addressing here. Some of these believers were listening to others say that there is no resurrection. Paul says their willingness to abandon the resurrection is sin. It’s shameful, Paul says when Christians refuse to believe in an important truth as the resurrection because there is a conflict between what is essentially Christian and how they are living.

May we not sin. May we hold fast to Jesus’ promise to raise us from the dead in the end times. May our worship express our faith in this awesome hope God has given us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.