Together for the Gospel (Part 49)

Together for the Gospel Part 49 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 November 8, 2020 Pastor Erik Meyers Introduction The point Paul has just made in the verses before ours today is: (15:20-28) Because Christ has been raised from the dead, Christians have hope in the life to come: We are certain that the risen Christ will (1) raise us from the dead, (2) destroy His enemies, and (3) restore the kingdom. Not all the Corinthians believed that. Here is the question Paul asks in our text today: If hope is confined to this life only (the dead are not raised), what is the purpose and benefit of surrendering this life to Christ? A rhetorical question. No point. But Christ has been raised. And so the point Paul makes by asking that question is: The hope we have in the life to come enables us to surrender this life to Christ. Luke 9:23-25 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? In those verses Jesus was telling his disciples what it meant to be a Christian. It meant denying self (things, wants, control of life). It meant taking up cross (commitment that will lead to rejection, even death). It meant following Jesus (imitating his example and obey his teaching). In a word, the Christian life means surrender - to relinquish control of your life to God. And that life of surrender is enabled by the resurrection of the dead. Let's pray before we begin. Father in heaven, by your Spirit and through Your holy Word - fill our minds with truth, and our hearts with love. We pray it in Jesus' name, Amen. Open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15. If you're using one of the Bibles in the seatback in front of you, you can find today's text on page 904. Outline: Three sections (v29, 30-32, 33-34) 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? Remember, in the verses just before, Paul's main point was that because Christ has been raised from the dead, Christians have hope in the life to come. And one of the things we're certain of is that Christ will raise us from the dead. And now v29 begins with the word "otherwise," which means that Paul is going to say something that would only make sense under circumstances other than those in vv20-28. I think the NIV is more clear with their translation: Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? In other words, if Christians will not be resurrected, what is the point of being baptized for the dead? Now that makes grammatical sense. But we have another obvious problem. What in the world is baptism for the dead? At the beginning of this past week I was clueless, so I got out the books and I studied hard, and by God's grace, by the end of the week, I was still clueless. But everyone is. This is one of those texts that would have been obvious to the Corinthians but it is obscured for us. All that said, let me give you my best guess as to what Paul is talking about: The most popular opinion is that the Corinthians were being baptized on behalf of believing friends or family members who had died before being baptized. You'd find that opinion pretty quickly. I think there's no way that is true - because knowing Paul, if that was going on, he wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to condemn it. It's more likely to me, based on texts like Romans 6:3-5 and Colossians 2:11-12, that Paul is speaking figuratively. We know that, through baptism, a Christian is united to Christ's death and resurrection. Water baptism, immersion, displays this; a Christian's (body and soul) has been united with the death and burial of Christ and His resurrection. Well, what is the point of that sign if our bodies will die and not be raised with Him? Baptism wouldn't actually be necessary, and wouldn't be telling the truth, it would be, figuratively speaking, a baptism of the dead - baptizing a body that will not be raised, but that will, one day, just die and disappear. I think that's what Paul probably means, but that's all the time I'm giving it - we should move on to the part of our text that is crystal clear. 15:30-32 Verse 30: 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." As true as his pride in the Corinthians, is the fact that Paul willingly suffered every day of his life. And what did he gain; what was the meaning, if he would not, one day, be raised from the dead? That is the point Paul makes in these three verses. To put it more succinctly: What is the point of a Christian's personal sacrifice (suffering) if there is no resurrection? Verse 30: Why are we in danger every hour? Paul was constantly in danger. People wanted him to disappear. People wanted him dead. The irreligious, especially the religious, Paul had enemies everywhere. He speaks figuratively in verse 32 and says "I fought with beasts at Ephesus." That is, "I had to fight against monsters - people who opposed God and opposed me and wanted to tear me limb from limb." Why are we in danger every hour? In other words, what is the point of keeping myself in harm's way? Verse 31: I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! As true as his pride in the Corinthians, which (despite issues) was significant: In 4:14-16 he calls them his "beloved children" and tells them that he thinks of himself as a spiritual father to them. So like a Dad who is proud of his kids, Paul takes pride in the Corinthians. And so, as true as his pride in the Corinthians, is the fact that Paul willingly suffered every single day of his life. In 2 Corinthians 1:8 we're told that Paul "despaired of life itself," and in chapter 11:23-28 he described his suffering in detail: He had been imprisoned, beaten with rods (many times almost near death), he had been stoned with rocks, shipwrecked three times, nearly died of exposure to cold weather. He frequently went without sleep or food or water. And he summarizes all that here in verse 31 by saying "I die every day!" And this all builds to his question in verse 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." So much of this suffering was self-inflicted in a sense. All he had to do was deny Christ. All he had to do was stop preaching the gospel. All he had to do was stop telling people they were sinners and start telling them they were good people. All he had to do was bow his knee to Caesar rather than God. Do you understand what Paul is saying? What is the point of personal sacrifice (surrender) if the dead are not raised? What is the point of living for Christ if there is nothing to gain in death? If this life is all there is; If there is no hope in a life to come; If we will not be raised; if Christ will not conquer his enemies and restore the kingdom, why don't we just eat and drink, for tomorrow we die? Why don't we just give ourselves to self-indulgence? He leaves that question, hanging in the air, and then closes this little section with a command - and the command is to the believing Corinthians, who have hope in the life to come, who believe in the resurrection - and the command is to distance themselves from professing Christians who were denying the resurrection. 15:33-34 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. Do not be deceived. You can't keep company with these people without their beliefs rubbing off on you. Who do you spend time with? Is that who you want to be like? What do you watch? What do you listen to? Is that what you believe? Don't be naïve and think that you can be friends with the things of the world with no consequence. Paul writes: "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 saying to the Corinthians: Distance yourselves from professing Christians who deny the resurrection and promote self-indulgence. Rather, Paul is implying, surround yourself with like-minded Christians who are seeking to live for the glory of God and the good of others. Conclusion So that's our text today. The hope we have in the life to come enables us to surrender this life to Christ. Now for the Corinthians, and certainly for Paul, there were many personal sacrifices. Living for Christ meant losing family relationships. It meant putting yourself into danger. It meant putting a target on your back. It meant being unwelcomed in many places. Paul gave up freedom, rights, comfort, possessions, security, body/health, reputation/position, control, agenda... And that's what it has meant for countless Christians throughout history, and even today: Martin Luther, John Rogers, Richard Wurmbrand, Christians today in Somolia or Yemen or Uzbekistan. What about you? Are you willing to suffer for Christ's sake? What have you given up for Christ's sake? What are you prepared to give up for Christ's sake? Your money? Your time? Your comfort? Your control? Your future? Your dreams? Your life? J.C. Ryle says that "many have a Christianity that they believe is enough; a cheap Christianity which offends nobody and requires no sacrifice; which costs nothing and is worth nothing." Here's how I process a quote like that. I ask myself, as honestly as I can, though it makes me very uncomfortable, "is that me?" Father in heaven, in response to your Word today, we're turning our attention now to the sacrificial death of your Son. May you be glorified as we remember and proclaim his sacrifice in our place so that we could be reconciled to you. In His name we pray, Amen.