Without an Empty Tomb - Himalayan Heights – June 11 Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 – Good Sense

 

1 Corinthians 15 - Our Risen Lord

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful, but there are some Scriptures that we can consider the Himalayan mountaintops of the Bible. In the next few months, we will be looking at a series of great texts that inspire and move us - the "Himalayan Heights" of God's Word.

Today's Reading:  1 Corinthians 15:29-34

1 Corinthians 15 explores the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I would encourage you to read the entire chapter daily, then to focus more closely on the selected text

Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I face death every day, as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Come to your senses and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.

NOTE:  This passage refers to being "Baptized for the dead," and is one of those passages that confuses commentators. Read 10 commentaries and you will likely find 12 opinions on what this means. A few observations.

• This is illustrative. Paul is emphasizing the importance of the resurrection here and using a practice they knew about to do so. 
• Nowhere does the Bible command or authorize being baptized for the dead. Each of us must come to God on our own and this verse is not telling us that we can be baptized to save others. 
• There is a principle of interpretation that is helpful. Interpret confusing and difficult passages in the light of clear passages. This difficult passage is not sufficient upon which to build a doctrine. 
• No other verse in the Bible mentions being baptized for the dead. 

Through the Bible Readings: 1 Chronicles 6-9, John 13:21–38, Psalm 72:11–20, Proverbs14:33–35

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Without an Empty Tomb    

Upon first glance, this paragraph seems to be an odd assortment of unrelated ideas. What do the strange idea of baptism for the dead, fighting wild beasts in Ephesus, eating and drinking, and hanging around with the wrong kind of people have in common? The text appears disjointed until you remember that the common thread running through all of 1 Corinthians 15 is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, that truth is the meaning behind everything else.

• While Paul is not endorsing the practice of baptism for the dead, he recognized that it was something practiced in Corinth. When the Corinthians came to Christ, they realized that their parents and grandparents and other loved ones had died without knowing Christ, so evidently they practiced baptism vicariously, in hopes that their baptisms would bring salvation to those who had gone on before. Paul's point was simple: if there is no resurrection of the dead, the practice is empty. He didn't command it or commend it, but he used it to illustrate the centrality of the resurrection. 
• Paul lived daily with the threat of death. Read 2 Corinthians 11 to be reminded of the suffering he went through in the name of Christ. He mentions battling wild beasts in Ephesus. Some take that literally while others believe the wild beasts refer to people who treated him badly. But he endured the suffering because the resurrection awaited him, because eternity would make it worth it. 
• The reference to eating and drinking is sarcastic. If there is no resurrection from the dead, if this life is all there is, if we do not stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give account, then we may as well enjoy all of life's pleasures, deny ourselves nothing, and just have fun. It is because of eternity that we sacrifice and practice self-denial. 
• His last statement showed some frustration. This verse has been used generally through the years. "Bad company corrupts good character" has been quoted to countless teens who are starting to hang out with the wrong crowd. Here, though, Paul is speaking about people who deny the resurrection. Don't let them in your church, don't listen to them, don't hang with them, because they will corrupt your character. There can be no Christian virtue apart from the resurrected Lord Jesus. 

Paul proclaimed the unity of the Body of Christ and constantly enjoined love and forgiveness and compassion and gentleness. Not here. On this doctrine - the resurrection of Jesus and of those who trust in him - Paul was anything but tolerant. This is the fundamental doctrine of our faith. "We serve a Risen Savior." 

On this doctrine, we brook no difference of opinion. Without an Empty Tomb, we have an empty faith.

Father, I thank you that Jesus rose up from the grave in power and glory and that because of him, I have hope and a future. 

Think and Pray:

Consider what difference the resurrection of Jesus Christ makes in your faith and in your life.