1 Corinthians 15:30-34
~13 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Tonight I want to talk about the resurrection, and not in the doctrinal way but in the practical way. So we have read the passage from 1 Corinthians 15:30–34.
Normally we don't notice the time. A German theologian once said something like this. He said, 'The present age is Easter time. It began with the resurrection of the Redeemer. It will end with the resurrection of the redeemed. In between are the spiritual resurrections of those who are called into eternal life. We live between two Easters, and by the power of the first we move toward the last.'
Today many of us lack an eschatological lens. We do not often look at the world with the eyes of the last day. We do not long much for Christ's coming. We really think seriously about resurrection.
For many Christians, resurrection exists at two ends. On the one end, 2,000 years ago, Christ rose from the dead. On the other end, one day when I die, and at the end of the world, Christ will come and I will rise. But in between: my life, my family, my work, my service, my money, my choices. What does resurrection have to do with that?
In the earlier part of this chapter we have read just now, Paul has been arguing carefully that the resurrection is real. Christ has risen. We will rise. There is an order and a sequence of it. It all sounds very doctrinal and theological.
But doctrine in Scripture is never given to satisfy curiosity. Every true doctrine is meant to shape our life. So the question for tonight is very simple. Do we really believe resurrection? Is resurrection actually changing our life today?
In verses 30–34, Paul suddenly turns the camera on himself. He stops simply describing what resurrection is, and he starts asking, ‘Why do I die daily? Why do I live a life that from a human perspective looks so costly, even foolish?’ And his answer is this. I live like this because I believe in resurrection.
Resurrection is not just a doctrine. It is a power that starts working today. Those who truly believe in the resurrection do not only know a truth; they live a life that matches their hope.
Tonight, from this short paragraph, we will see two things. The resurrection motivates service. That will deal with why Paul can serve the Lord in the way that he even gave his life, the whole life, for the service. The second part is the resurrection motivates holiness.
I. Resurrection Motivates Service (v.30-32)
We will start from verse 30-32. Paul begins with the sharp question, “And why stand wein jeopardy every hour?”
Then in verse 31 he said, “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die daily.”
The word “protest” here translates a little like a Greek particle. He's swearing. He's not saying that I might die one day. He's saying under oath, ‘every single day I live as if it could be my last day’.
If you open 2 Corinthians 11 and read his CV, it is sobering. He said, ‘Five times the Jews gave him forty stripes save one. Three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three times shipwrecked. A night and a day in the deep, in perils in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren, in weariness, in painfulness, often without sleep, hungry, thirsty, cold, without enough clothing.' (2 Cor 11:24-27)
That is his real life. Why? Why live like this? He tells us in verse 31, "By your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord."
In other words, he's saying, 'For you, for the brothers and sisters whose lives in Christ are his joy and his crown.' He's willing to live this way. That's why he said, ‘I die daily.’ His love for the people is rooted in a solid resurrection hope.
Then in verse 32, "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?" He's saying, 'If you look at my life from a purely human point of view, as if this life is all there is, what's the advantage?'
Whether Paul is speaking of literal wild animals in an arena or using beasts as a picture of the raging mob in "Acts 19", his point is the same. From a human standpoint, my way of life does not make sense.
Then he drives the logic to this conclusion. "If the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die."
Actually, he quotes from Isaiah 22:13, but that line was everywhere. Even in the culture where Paul lives, in Greek thought, in Roman poetry, it is the most honest conclusion. If there is no resurrection, we should live our life and eat and drink, enjoy it, enjoy today.
So Paul respects its internal logic, and he thinks if there is no resurrection, if you don't believe in resurrection, "eat and drink; for to morrow we die" is consistent. You just enjoy your life for today.
Some historians tell us that at Egyptian feasts, at the end the servants would carry around a wooden corpse and say, 'Look at this. Look at this body. Look at this corpse. Drink and be merry, for when you die you will be like this.'
Denying the resurrection, the pleasure now becomes the most honest goal for that time. They all understand this if they don't believe in resurrection. Embrace the resurrection, and dying daily becomes the truly rational way to live.
Paul's logic is very clear. He's saying, 'If there is no resurrection, all sacrificial Christian service is foolish, and "eat and drink" is reasonable. But if there is a resurrection, "eat and drink" is wrong, only "eat and drink" is in vain, and every sacrifice for Christ carries eternal weight.'
When we complain, sometimes we may say that serving is too tiring, living costs too much, the price is too high. Maybe there is quite a quiet assumption underneath. We are saying that maybe there is no resurrection. We don't really believe in resurrection. What we do today is not worth it. It's not worth it.
But if resurrection is true, if your labour is not in vain in the Lord, as it said even in verse 58, then every act of service, every unseen faithfulness, every quiet sacrifice is written permanently into the story of eternity. And it will be fully revealed in the day of the judgment.
If we believe in resurrection, then labour, risen, and being poured out are the natural response. That's what Paul's meaning. If that feels too much, we have to ask, 'Is the resurrection real in my heart?' That's why Paul said, ‘I die daily.’
I remember when I was a child I played video games. Normally you have three lives. You play carefully. You are cautious. But sometimes the game has a bug. After you lose those three lives, suddenly the counter resets, and you find you cannot die anymore. Then your life will be forever in the game.
Then once you know that, you stop protecting the first three lives, and you are even willing to lose them because you know something far better is coming. That is what the resurrection does.
Of course, I didn't mean that we can waste our life today. But if this life on earth is all we have, of course we have to cling to it at all costs. But if Christ is risen, and if eternal life awaits us, then we do not have to spend our lives trying to preserve ourselves. We can spend our lives serving Christ for the sake of eternity.
The resurrection does not make us love this life more, it makes us love the life to come more. In a much deeper and holier way, that is what the resurrection did to the early Christians. The early Christians were remarkably unafraid of death. They lived with the expectation that Christ could return at any time. And if He did not, they were content to go and be with Him.
So whether by Christ's coming or by their own dying, they knew they would soon see their Lord. That hope gave them a courage the world could not understand.
Think about the apostles at the cross. Peter denied Jesus three times. The disciples were scattered. But you see, after the resurrection everything changed. The same men began to walk steadily into martyrdom, like Peter crucified upside down. The other disciples all became very zealous to serve the Lord.
What changed them? The resurrection. It was not the death of Jesus that made them willing to die, but it was the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection turned the fearful disciples into faithful and joyful martyrs.
And Paul, when he stands before council after council, when he finally stands before King Agrippa again and again, says, ‘I am on trial because I preach the resurrection.’
The resurrection was the power that rewrote his whole life. This is how people should believe in resurrection. It's not about the doctrine of the future. It's about how shall you live for today?
In church history there is a lady. Her name is Fanny Crosby. Fanny Crosby was blind from early childhood, and she wrote thousands of hymns. I believe we sing the hymns that she wrote.
Someone once asked if she resented God for allowing her to be blind. Then she answered, ‘If I had a choice, I will still choose to remain blind.’ Why? ‘For when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour.’
She was saving her first sight for the most important face she would ever see. That's her hope. It helped her to face her situation. It helped her to submit herself to the authority of God, and she served the Lord.
One day when all of us will stand before the Lord, perhaps He will ask, ‘I gave you a healthy body. I gave you clear eyes to see, even strong legs to work, and steady hands to serve. What did you do?’
How will you answer? Will you say, ‘Lord, I was waiting for a better opportunity?’ Or, ‘Lord, I was too busy pursuing other things?’ Or, ‘Lord, I thought I had more time?’
Fanny Crosby had no physical sight, yet she spent her life helping millions see Christ through her hymns. I like one of the hymns that she wrote, 'At the Cross'. She saw the glory of God.
And what about us? Our eyes are healthy. We have eyes that can read God's Word. We have feet that can carry us to worship. We have hands that can serve His people. We have mouths that can speak of Christ.
But the question is, what are we doing with what God has given to us today? Even we seldom sing praises to the Lord.
The resurrection teaches us that nothing offered to Christ is wasted. Every act of service, every sacrifice, every prayer, every step of obedience carries eternal significance.
So do not wait for a better body, a better situation, or a better season. We have to use today's gifts for tomorrow's kingdom. For this reason, Christ is worthy of nothing less.
II. Resurrection Motivates Holiness (v.33-34)
Paul does not only talk about service, he also talks about holiness. In verse 33, he said, "Be not deceived." And stop being deceived.
The danger is already happening in the church. Some in Corinth were already under its influence. What kind of deception? People were starting to accept the idea that there is no resurrection and then using that idea to justify how they live. And Paul knows bad theology never stays in the theology department. It always links into behaviour.
The verse continues, "Evil communications corrupt good manners." The word 'communications' is homilia, which gives our English word 'homily'. It can mean close communion, intimate talk, persuasive speech, even seductive words.
We often use these words to tell people don't hang out with bad friends, and that's right. But in this context, Paul especially has in his mind the message you keep listening, the teaching you absorb, the voices you let speak most deeply into your heart. This shapes your character and your life.
Evil communications are especially the voices saying there is no resurrection, there is no judgment, this life is all there is. When people really believe that after death there is nothing, over time they will live as if there is no judgment.
This is why during the time of the Athenians they write something like this, that people did every shameful thing because they did not expect to live long enough to face punishment.
So sometimes denying resurrection is not a harmless idea. It is an engine of moral chaos that causes people to live according to their own flesh.
Verse 34, and “for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” He's saying some of the people you are following do not know God at all. You are following the people who never know God.
Some of the people in the church even, are listening to and following the theology of the world who do not know the living God who raised Jesus from the dead. That is something to be ashamed of.
Paul continues to address about the knowledge of God, to know God - which means to hear His voice, to trust what He says, to hold firmly to His promises, especially for His promises about the resurrection.
And even Paul continued to say, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not.” Awake literally means sober up from drunkenness. So it is not that you are drunk with wine, but you are not filled by the Holy Spirit. You enjoy much what the world provides to you. Some in Corinth were like people drunk on the worldview of their age, intoxicated by clever voices that deny eternity.
So if we listen, one year to the message from the Bible in the church, another year listen from the world, and we come to believe what the world tells us, and we see how people live around us, and we are persuaded by their lives, and we start to follow them. Actually, the way the world lives is the way that they do not believe resurrection.
So Paul says, "Wake up." Shake off that fog. See reality. The resurrection is real.
If you do not believe it, you live like the world, pursuing what to eat, what to drink. That's reasonable. But if you believe there is resurrection, which refers our life in the state of eternity, then you should live like it.
Sometime we are lacking such passion, such hope for the coming of the Lord, for the resurrection.
Once I heard a story from a sister. Her name is Joni Eareckson Tada. She was paralyzed from the shoulders down at 17. She has spent her whole life in a wheelchair. Every Sunday she goes to church, when the pastor invites the congregation to kneel in prayer, everyone kneels except for this sister Joni. She cannot move, so she cannot kneel also.
One Sunday, as everyone knelt, Joni sat alone and began to weep. Not because she was complaining, like 'Lord why won't You let me kneel', but the reason being she wept was because the sight of hundreds of people kneeling before God was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. It looked like heaven. In the future, all the saints in heaven, how the people of God worship God.
Then she thought about the resurrection and about what she would do with the first moment she can move her legs. She said something like this: 'Right now my fingers are bent, my muscles wasted, my knees twisted. I have no feeling from the shoulders down. But one day I will have a new, strong, glorified body clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and as soon as I can stand the first thing I will do is fall on my knees before the Lamb who was slain.'
She has often said that the doctrine of the resurrection gives her more peace and joy in her wheelchair today, than many even healthy people taste in a lifetime. That's her hope and that's what she wants to use her body. For her every Sunday is a small rehearsal for that great day, actually it is.
So Paul leaves us with only two ways to live. If the dead do not rise, then let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. That is honest. It's logical. But if Christ is risen, if we will be raised, then your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Every act of faith will stand.
The resurrection means death is not the end. Reunion is real and you are not believing a beautiful life.
So very simple. If we really believe in the resurrection, we should live like Paul. Use our life today. Serve because sacrifice is worth it. Pursue holiness because you will stand before Him with the resurrected body. There are some things, even a lot of things actually we can do after our resurrection.
Sometimes we spend our life today to do something. Sometime I joke with friends they want to go somewhere to say the beautiful things. I'll tell them maybe we can do after resurrection. Today we need to think more how to serve our Lord. After resurrection, after the new heaven and new earth, there are much more beautiful things more than today you can see.
So if we truly believe the resurrection, that will affect how we think about our life today and how we are going to use our life today. That's not just a doctrine. That is why you are still alive today.
That's all I want to share tonight. Let's pray.
Father, we thank Thee for Thy precious Son Jesus Christ who gave His life for us and rose from the dead. Death is no longer our master. We thank Thee for we live between these two Easters, between two resurrections.
We pray that Thou forgive us for living as though the resurrection were a doctrine rather than a reality. For the times we have played it safe, eaten and drunk and gone to sleep because we forgot that this life is not all there is.
We pray that Thou continue to renew in us tonight the faith that makes our lives, our sacrifice rational and holiness urgent. The faith that connects every moment of today to eternity. Let us be people who genuinely believe in the resurrection and live accordingly.
We pray and ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF 1 CORINTHIANSCalled to Be SaintsCalled to Be Saints1 Corinthians 1:1-3
The Blessings of Being a SaintThe Blessings of Being a Saint1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Divisiveness Calls for Strong ActionDivisiveness Calls for Strong Action1 Corinthians 1:10-17
The Foolishness of God is Wiser Than MenThe Foolishness of God is Wiser Than Men1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Let Us Glory in the LordLet Us Glory in the Lord1 Corinthians 1:26-31
The Wisdom of GodThe Wisdom of God1 Corinthians 2:6-16
The Natural Man and The Spiritual ManThe Natural Man and The Spiritual Man1 Corinthians 2:10-16
Are Ye Not Carnal?Are Ye Not Carnal?1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Glorify God, Not MenGlorify God, Not Men1 Corinthians 3:4-9
A Biblical View of the MinistryA Biblical View of the Ministry1 Corinthians 3:10-17
A Biblical View of the MinistryA Biblical View of the Ministry1 Corinthians 4:1-2
Whose Evaluation Really Matters?Whose Evaluation Really Matters?1 Corinthians 4:3-5
Beware of PrideBeware of Pride1 Corinthians 4:6-8
Beware of Spiritual ImmaturityBeware of Spiritual Immaturity1 Corinthians 4:9-13
Marks of a Spiritual FatherMarks of a Spiritual Father1 Corinthians 4:14-15
Be Ye Followers of MeBe Ye Followers of Me1 Corinthians 4:16-21
Dealing with Sin in the ChurchDealing with Sin in the Church1 Corinthians 5:1-6
A Little Leaven Leaveneth the Whole LumpA Little Leaven Leaveneth the Whole Lump1 Corinthians 5:6-13
Can Believers Sue One Another?Can Believers Sue One Another?1 Corinthians 6:1-8
Such Were Some of YouSuch Were Some of You1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Not All Things Are ProfitableNot All Things Are Profitable1 Corinthians 6:12-14
The Temple of the Holy SpiritThe Temple of the Holy Spirit1 Corinthians 6:15-20
Singleness or MarriageSingleness or Marriage1 Corinthians 7:1-7
Divorce and RemarriageDivorce and Remarriage1 Corinthians 7:10-16
Be Faithful to Your CallingBe Faithful to Your Calling1 Corinthians 7:17-24
Should I Remain Single?Should I Remain Single?1 Corinthians 7:25-31
An Undivided Devotion to the LordAn Undivided Devotion to the Lord1 Corinthians 7:32-40
Knowledge is Not EnoughKnowledge is Not Enough1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Love and Christian LibertyLove and Christian Liberty1 Corinthians 8:7-13
Are You Willing to Give Up Your Rights?Are You Willing to Give Up Your Rights?1 Corinthians 9:1-14
All Things to All MenAll Things to All Men1 Corinthians 9:15-23
How to Run the Race FaithfullyHow to Run the Race Faithfully1 Corinthians 9:24-27
The Danger Of OverconfidenceThe Danger Of Overconfidence1 Corinthians 10:1-12
Encouragement in Times of TemptationEncouragement in Times of Temptation1 Corinthians 10:13
Flee From IdolatryFlee From Idolatry1 Corinthians 10:14-22
All Things are Lawful, but All Things are Not ExpedientAll Things are Lawful, but All Things are Not Expedient1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1
Submitting to God's Order and Plan (Part 1)Submitting to God's Order and Plan (Part 1)1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Submitting to God's Order and Plan (Part 2)Submitting to God's Order and Plan (Part 2)1 Corinthians 11:2-16
The Significance of the Lord's SupperThe Significance of the Lord's Supper1 Corinthians 11:17-34
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
A Right Understanding of Spiritual GiftsA Right Understanding of Spiritual Gifts1 Corinthians 12:1-3
Diversities of Gifts, Same SpiritDiversities of Gifts, Same Spirit1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Cessation or ContinuationCessation or Continuation1 Corinthians 12:8-12
Unity In DiversityUnity In Diversity1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Desiring the Best GiftsDesiring the Best Gifts1 Corinthians 12:27-31
The Supremacy of LoveThe Supremacy of Love1 Corinthians 13:1-3
What Has Love Got to Do?What Has Love Got to Do?1 Corinthians 13:1-3
The Nature of Love (Part 1): Love In Its Relation To OthersThe Nature of Love (Part 1): Love In Its Relation To Others1 Corinthians 13:4a
The Nature Of Love (Part 2): Love In Its Relation To SelfThe Nature Of Love (Part 2): Love In Its Relation To Self1 Corinthians 13:4b-5a
The Qualities of Love (Part 1)The Qualities of Love (Part 1)1 Corinthians 13:4-5
The Qualities of Love (Part 3)The Qualities of Love (Part 3)1 Corinthians 13:4-7
The Qualities of Love (Part 2)The Qualities of Love (Part 2)1 Corinthians 13:4-7
The Nature Of Love (Part 3): Love In Its Relation To Sin And TruthThe Nature Of Love (Part 3): Love In Its Relation To Sin And Truth1 Corinthians 13:5b-6
The Nature Of Love (Part 4): Love In Its Relation To The Circumstances Of LifeThe Nature Of Love (Part 4): Love In Its Relation To The Circumstances Of Life1 Corinthians 13:7
The Eternity Of LoveThe Eternity Of Love1 Corinthians 13:8-13
The Permanence of LoveThe Permanence of Love1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Why We Do Not Speak In Tongue (Part 1)Why We Do Not Speak In Tongue (Part 1)1 Corinthians 14:1-5
Why We Do Not Speak In Tongue (Part 1)Why We Do Not Speak In Tongue (Part 1)1 Corinthians 14:6-19
The Need for MaturityThe Need for Maturity1 Corinthians 14:20-28
Let All Things Be Done Decently and In OrderLet All Things Be Done Decently and In Order1 Corinthians 14:29-40
What if the Resurrection is Not True?What if the Resurrection is Not True?1 Corinthians 15:12-19
The Certainty of the ResurrectionThe Certainty of the Resurrection1 Corinthians 15:20-28
I Believe In ResurrectionI Believe In Resurrection1 Corinthians 15:30-34
What Has Christ’s Resurrection Got To Do With Us?What Has Christ’s Resurrection Got To Do With Us?1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Heavenly Or Earthly MindedHeavenly Or Earthly MindedPhilippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Victory Over DeathVictory Over Death1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Resurrection Sunday Service: O Death Where is Thy Sting?Resurrection Sunday Service: O Death Where is Thy Sting?1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Our Response to the ResurrectionOur Response to the Resurrection1 Corinthians 15:58
The Principles of GivingThe Principles of Giving1 Corinthians 16:1-4
Doing the Lord’s WorkDoing the Lord’s Work1 Corinthians 16:5-12
Stand Fast in the FaithStand Fast in the Faith1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Stand Fast in the FaithStand Fast in the Faith1 Corinthians 16:13-14
A Loving Affection for the BelieversA Loving Affection for the Believers1 Corinthians 16:15-24
