1 Corinthians 15:29-34

Date: May 25, 2025

Title: Living in Light of the Resurrection

Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:29-34

Consider the implications the resurrection has on our lives.

INTRODUCTION

One of the blessings of preaching expositionally through books of the Bible is that it forces you to deal with passages you would otherwise, probably never feel inclined to preach on. We all have our favourite topics. We all enjoy exploring certain portions of scripture that resonate with our interests, and to a certain extent there’s nothing wrong with that.

Some really enjoy the study of creation. Others love to study issues relating to the end times. Some are more interested in figuring out the development of particular themes. Some find great delight in looking into the historical background. Others are more excited to learn about the practicalities of the Christian life and how God’s Word is to be applied to me today.

We all wired in a certain way, and while there’s nothing wrong with pursuing our particular interests in the study and application of God’s word, we still have to remember that if we ignore or set aside select portions of the Bible simply because they don’t pertain to what we deem to be important or necessary, then we can easily become imbalanced. We need to be on guard for that.

Brothers and sisters, never forget that God has given us 66 books - 1,189 chapters - 31,102 verses for a reason! It’s because we need it all! “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

And given that this is the effect all scripture has on us, this makes it absolutely incumbant upon us to allow the full counsel of God to shape our thinking and mold our practice. And the reason why i’ve begun my sermon this way is because throughout the course of my preaching ministry, never has it crossed my mind, where I’ve told myself, ‘man, I just can’t wait to preach on baptisms for the dead!’

That’s never happened to me before. It’s not that I’ve been against it; it’s just not necessarily my cup of tea.

But here we are… By moving verse by verse through a chapter that I absolutely love, I’m now forced to teach on a verse I have absolutely no idea how to interpret!

I’m only kidding.

That’s probably too much of an exaggeration!—I shouldn’t say I have no idea how to interpret this verse, because I actually do have a little bit of a hunch as to how 1 Corinthians 15:29 is to be understood, but even with that being the case, I would still acknolwledge that my best attempt to interpret this verse still leads me to be a lot less dogmatic than I would like to be.

This is a difficult one!

Now it’s here for our good and our growth in grace.

But it’s a difficult one.

It’s one of those verses where I suppose you could say I have more confidence as to what it doesn’t mean than what it does mean.

And that’s sometimes an okay position to be in.

Better to know what a text doesn’t mean than to run wild with a dubious interpretation that contradicts the clear teaching of scripture.

We don’t want to be guilty of doing what the Mormons do.

We don’t want to create new sects on the basis of one really obscure verse.

This is a principle of hermeneutics—the science of interpretation.

The unclear passages are to be interpreted through the lens of the clearer passages.

When you do that, when you interpret the unclear passages in light of the clearer passages, even if you’re not able to arrive at a settled conclusion over the specific meaning of a text, you’ll still be able to rule out many interpretations that couldn’t possibly be the true one.

That’s especially true whenever we’re studying passages that have no other corresponding verses in the Bible to compare it with, which is true of the verse before us today.

This is the only place in the Bible where any mention of baptisms for the dead appear, and given that it is it’s probably a wise move in such cases to be somewhat modest in the amount of weight we place in our interpretation.

But with all of that rightly in place, the text still needs to be interpreted.

We don’t want to cast it to the way side.

We still need to do our best to figure out what it’s about because it is here for our good.

So then, what then is Paul saying in 1 Corinthians 15:29?

Well, given it’s been estimated that there’s about 40 different ways of interpreting this verse, I really don’t think it’s going to be beneficial or edifying for me to stand up here and give you all the arguments and counterarguments for each position.

And to be quite frank with you, I don’t even understand all the positions anyways. So, we’re not going to go down that route. Instead, what I want to do is simply present to you what I deem to be the most likely interpretation of this verse.

Bearing that in mind, let’s now quickly take a look at it:

Baptisms for the Dead?

1 Cor 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?”

As I approach this verse, it appears to me that the most natural reading of it would have us believe that Paul is talking about proxy baptism. To be baptized by proxy is for another person—in this case a Christian person to be baptized on behalf of another Christian who has died.

Now contrary to Mormon belief which advocates for people to continue doing this today, I would submit to you that they are missing the entire point of Paul’s argument. Paul’s not arguing in favor of this practice, but rather he’s simply recognizing that this was an existent practice in his own time.

Remember, just because something is in the Bible doesn’t mean we should practice it. Adultery is in the Bible, witchcraft is in the Bible, there’s many things in the Bible we don’t practice and should not practice, and the same holds true with respect to baptisms for the dead. This was an early practice that probably came into being as a result of a false understanding of what baptism accomplishes. There were probably some people in the Corinthian church who believed in a kind of baptismal regeneration—that baptism washes away sins and imparts newness of life.

And think about it - if that were true, then it’s a pretty big deal if someone dies without having been baptized, isn’t it? ‘So what do we do? Well maybe we get baptized for them.

Maybe Jimmy over there (a well-established Greco-Roman name)—maybe Jimmy, whose been walking with the Lord for decades now can get baptized on behalf of our dear sister, Emma, who just passed away a couple of weeks ago.

Maybe this will contribute to her salvation. Maybe it’ll grant her the life she needs to release her from the pangs of death.’

(Note) It’s not unlikely that a belief like this would have developped in the first century, because this same type of belief is one that also developped in the third century.

Some of the followers of Marcion, for example, who was himself an early heretical teacher who taught some very strange things that I’m not going to get into now—some of his followers performed vicarious baptisms for the dead.

Now it should be noted that when this practice had emerged, it was universally condemned by the early church fathers: Tertuillion spoke against it; John Chrysostom spoke against it, Epiphanius spoke against it; and many others spoke against it.

It was not received as a valid biblical practice. But even though it wasn’t, it was still practiced by some, and I think the same thing was going on in the first-century setting. The practice of baptizing by proxy was a superstitious belief that emerged due to a misguided hope that it would cause their dead loved ones to live.

Now, true, Paul doesn’t outright condemn the practice here, but he also doesn’t endorse it either. Instead what he does is something that we often see him do, which is to expose the fatal flaw in someone’s argument.

That’s what Paul is doing in this verse. He’s saying look, ‘if it is true that there is no resurrection of the dead, then why on earth are some people out there (whose teachings you’re being influenced by), baptizing on behalf of the dead?’ Do you not see the implications? If you honestly think it’s okay for people to be baptized on behalf of the dead in the hopes that it might have the effect of giving them life, than doesn’t that practice presuppose that there is indeed a resurrection for the dead?’

You see, at this point in 1 Cor 15 Paul’s main concern wasn’t so much to condemn an unbiblical practice inasmuch as it was to show how there was an obvious disconnect with what they professed to believe and what was being practiced.

Because while their doctrine was saying one thing, their practice was saying another, and Paul’s trying to show them the inconsistency of it all so that they’ll ultimately come to see how their practice argues in favor of Paul’s position.

This was just one, among many, of the tactics Paul used to expose false doctrine. He didn’t always feel it was necessary to outright condemn a false belief right out of the gate, but instead he would sometimes find there to be great wisdom in just bringing in an argument or two (maybe a question) to demonstrate the incoherence of someone’s position so that they, themselves, would come to see how their position couldn’t possibly be true.

Sometimes we have to make these decisions, too. There are many tactical means we can employ in the defense of the truth. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, ‘the Bible doesn’t teach that; it teaches this. Let me show you.’

But at other times, depending on the nature of the situation, it might be more conducive to what we’re trying to accomplish to simply ask some meaningful questions that are designed to expose some of the internal flaws and inconsistencies of someone’s position, without necessarily feeling obliged to outright deny or affirm what their contending for, at least not right away.

This in effect is what we see Paul doing here. Yes, he doesn’t condemn the practice of baptisms for the dead, but he also doesn’t affirm it or endorse it. Now, that doesn’t mean he was neutral on the issue, because in light of everything the Bible teaches about baptism and salvation, there’s no doubt this practice would have been one Paul strongly disagreed with!

But since he could see how even an outlandish practice like this one still entailed a hope in a future resurrection, which is precisely what he was contending for in this chapter, that’s why he chose to appeal to this practice. It was to demonstrate to the Corinthians how incongruous it is to believe in baptisms for the dead without also believing in the resurrection of the dead, because the former entails the latter.

And so in the end, Paul’s argument stands: the believing dead will one day be raised!

So, there you have it. That’s how I think this issue of baptisms for the dead is to be understood.

But there is more. In V. 30, Paul posits another question that if thought through carefully, should lead us to believe in the resurrection of the dead.

What do I Gain?

V. 30-32, “Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 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.”

Paul’s asking a very reasonable question that comes in the form of a protest: he’s saying, ‘Why would I give up so much if it delivers nothing in return? Why die every day if there’s no life to come? What’s the point of enduring hardship if there’s no future delight? Why the risk? Why am I giving up my life every day, subjecting myself to danger every hour, and fighting with beasts at Ephesus if there’s no hope for the body beyond the grave!??

What gain is there in any of that? If the dead are not raised, then let’s just party! Let’s go through the motions of life as though this is the only life to live. Let’s eat, drink, relax, and be merry for tomorrow we die!

Through this series of questions, Paul is showing the Corinthians how destructive it is to deny the bodily resurrection of the dead, in the hopes that it would force them to re-evaluate their position.

Because insofar as it stands, their present position completely undercuts the future hope of the Christian, and basically leaves us looking no further than what meets the eye. It’s an earthly, carnal, gospel-less way of approaching the Christian life. It doesn’t get our minds focusing on things above, it’s gets us thinking about things below. It doesn’t direct our gaze towards the future, but instead it moves us to create as much comfort in this life as we can!

No wonder the Corinthian church had so many problems. They were earth-bound. Their false theology got them thinking more about this world than the world to come; got them thinking more about this creation than the new creation; got them thinking more about this body than the new body.

But you what…? to some degree that’s understandable because if there is no resurrection of the dead, than let’s face it: why wouldn’t you have this approach to life?

If the prospect of our future hope is nothing more than some kind of ethereal, mystical, non-physical, non-sensory soulish existence way out there in a strange, spiritual nether world, then is it really worth it to open myself up to present danger? Is it really worth talking to that angry guy over there about Jesus if it’s potentially going to result in me being thrown over to the beasts?

‘I think not… Now I hope the best for him, but I value my life too much. I value my body too much. I want to preserve it for as long as I possibly can because after this life, there is no more bodily existence! So please, by all means give me all the supplements you have, because if there’s anything I can do to preserve my life, my body, my comfort, my existence in this present world, then i’ll take it!’

And what does Jesus say? “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will keep it.”

The Corinthians had everything backwards, and it was a great hindrance to their faith. By losing sight of the future resurrection of the dead, the future became dead to them, and it greatly affected them, because once the thrill and joy and glory of their future hope was reduced to much less than what it really was, there wasn’t much for them to look forward to…

And so their desire to live for the city to come just kind of fizzled out: the things of this world became much more important, the pleasures of this world more desirable, the comforts of this world more satisfying, and the people of this world more fun to hang around.

But the Corinthians desperately needed to be waken up! They needed to experience a personal awakening because on a spiritual level, they were not in a good spot at all, which is why in V. 33-34, we see Paul warn them, exhort them, and rebuke them!

1 - Warning

V. 33, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 

This is a basic principle of life. Proverbs 13:20, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” If you enjoy being in the company of lawless people, don’t be surprised if you become lawless youself! You’re not immovable—no one is, which means you can be negatively or positively affected by others. Good company enhances good morals; bad company ruins good morals. So exercise wisdom in how you interact with people who have bad morals, and also in how much time you spend with people who have bad morals. This is important! And we got to think through this carefully.

Now, it’s not that’s we need to completely disassociate ourselves from the people of this world otherwise we would have to abandon the world altogether; Paul spoke to this in 1 Corinthians 5:9-12, where he made it clear that we are only under obligation to disassociate ourselves from an unrepentant member of the church who bears the name of a brother—but not at all meaning the unrepentant people of this world. Those are the people we’re to reach with the gospel and to some extent that’s going to require us to spend some time with them and even befriend them.

But the key there, friends, is in the word “some.” To be a witness to the world, you do need to spend some time with them, but you don’t need to spend all your time with them. In fact, if you spend too much time around godless people, there’s a good chance that eventually it’s going to rub off on you such that you no longer serve as any good witness to anyone!

So there is a need for balance here. On the one hand, we don’t want to isolate ourselves from the world. We don’t create our own little Christian communes just so that we can avoid the broader societal structures of the world. No! We need to learn how to carry ourselves and conduct ourselves in the midst of an evil world, and as we interact with the many non-saved folk around us, we need to learn how to do so in a Christlike way. So that’s principle # 1.

But on the other hand, we also recognize that, though, we live in the world, we are not to be of the world! That’s principle # 2. And if we’re going to adequately fulfill that injunction, it’s going to mean seperating ourselves from participating in certain activities and spending time around certain people.

There’s just no way around it: if we do not care about whose company we choose to entertain, then there’s a good chance we’ll become pretty careless about the Christian life. Like the Corinthians, we’ll slide into a loose way of living without realizing how carnal we are.

So, this is something we need to think through carefully. Now that’s doesn’t mean we’re always going to reach the same conclusions, but these two principles are the ones we need to hold tension as we seek to live out the Christian life in a corrupt world.

And I simply flag that because in case you haven’t figured it out yet, the fact of the matter is, even Christians don’t always see eye-to-eye over how much is too much when it comes to various issues, or what does it really mean and look like to be - in the world but not of the world. And we have different convictions over some of these things…

But you know, that’s why it’s so good and helpful to be part of a good church family that cares deeply about the Bible and cares deeply for one another; this way we can sharpen one another on some of these things, talk them through, wrestle through the scriptures together, get each other’s perspective, and try to understand each other’s situation.

And even though we still may not totally agree over every issue, it’s amazing how much common ground we often discover we do have.

But in any case, the main point of Paul’s warning is that we would be on guard not to allow corrupt company to corrupt us.

Well, after warning them about this; he then goes on to exhort and rebuke them:

2 - Exhortation / 3 - Rebuke:

V. 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.”

The Corinthians were in really bad shape. They needed to be awakened from their druken stuper. To their shame, some of them didn’t even have any knowledge of God, which highlights just how ignorant they were. And when you read this rebuke in light of the way the Corinthians thought of themselves, you realize just how stinging of a rebuke this was, because throughout this epistle we see the Corinthians constantly priding themselves over just how intellectually superior they were than everyone else.

The Corinthians were puffed up with knowledge! But in response, Paul tells them they need to wake up from their stuper, stop sinning, and come to their senses because the truth is, their unbelief in the resurrection reflected a lack of knowledge for which they should feel ashamed.

They prided themselves on how much they knew when they knew so little.

They thought they were adults when they were just children.

They were ignorant.

Spiritually speaking, they were in trouble; sirons were going off and they couldn’t hear it; they were walking in the flesh; they were making light of sin; they were trusting in themselves and their own abilities, and Paul’s saying, stop it! Stop sinning! Stop heading in this direction! Stop making so much of yourself and just sit down and listen for change! This shameful behaviour has got to stop, and this rotten theology of yours has got to go! So get rid of it. Wake up, get up, and go put your clothes on. And when you do, make sure to put on the clothes you’re supposed to be wearing: put on the clothes that reflect the gospel—that reflects the certainty of God’s promise that the believing dead will one day be raised to life eternal.

CONCLUSION

Brethren, I hope that that’s your hope today. I hope you’re not losing sight of the resurrection of the dead, because as we’ve seen from our passage today, believing in the resurrection of the dead isn’t just some kind of inconsequential doctrinal truth to affirm, but it’s a truth that shapes ours beliefs and actions today!

It affects the way we think about life. It affects the way we think about our position in the world. It affects the willingness we have to endure through pain and suffering. To some extent, it even affects how weak or how strong our grip on the things of this world will be.

So I ask you, where, then, does your hope lie today? And what is it that you cherish the most? Is it your present body that’s been sown in weakness? Or is it in the new creation body that will be raised in power at the resurrection of the dead?

I pray it’s the latter.

More on that next week!

Prayer