What do people mean by
being baptized on behalf of the dead?
If the dead are not
raised why are people baptized on their behalf?
Why are we in danger
every hour?
What do I gain if I
fought with beasts at Ephesus?
If the dead are not
raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die
The first section of I Corinthians 15 concludes with these
statements. Having carefully reasoned
from Scripture and his apostolic authority (15:3-28), Paul shifts the focus of his
discourse from rational argumentation to experiential persuasion (15:29-32).
From his own experience, Paul begs a question: What’s the point? If there is no hope in experiencing a
future resurrected state, then Why Bother? Without the resurrection of the dead, our
sole recourse would be the pursuit of temporal pleasure - to eat and drink, for tomorrow we die
(15:32). Yet, as Paul will contend, it
is precisely because there is a
future resurrection that we should be
motivated to act.
To establish his point, Paul offers two case studies. The first appears to be a small religious
sect the second is Paul himself.
The Sect (15:29):
The perplexing nature of verse 29 makes this passage one of
controversy. The simple reading of the
text shows that certain people were practicing vicarious baptism for the dead
[1]. While inquiring minds might want to
know more, there simply aren’t any 1st century biblical or extra
biblical writings to give us a clue. All
that can be known is found in 15:29.
Paul’s point is clear.
The sect’s belief in a future resurrection correctly motivated them to
action. Paul neither condones nor
condemns the action they chose; he simply observes the consistent behavior that
one’s belief must motivate to some manner of action. Conviction without action is inexcusable complacency.
It was their belief in the future resurrection of the dead that led them
to institute a nuanced baptismal rite.
Right or wrong, they acted. This
impassioned connection of conviction-motivation-action drew Paul’s attention
[2].
The Apostle Paul
(15:30-32):
Paul’s own conviction spurred him to action. The grounded assurance that he would join
Jesus in His victorious, resurrected state motivated Paul .
A casual reading of Acts and the Pauline epistles reveals that
martyrdom was part of Paul’s routine. Living
on the edge of death he asked, “What do I gain…if the dead are not
raised?” What’s the point in risking my life?
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then why order life
accordingly? If there is no future
benefit to living a consistent life – why bother? Why not eat, drink, and be merry if tomorrow
we die? Epitomize the essence of
hedonistic living. Dive headlong into the
“best” this world has to offer.
What exactly is the point?
Paul uses his life as a tutorial (15:30-32). He encourages his fellow followers of Christ
to “do as I do” (4:16-17; 11:1, 15:29-32) and “follow me as I follow Christ”. Paul
champions consistent living, a life governed and ordered by true convictions. If we are convinced of the resurrection of
the dead, then we must act like it.
Conviction without action is inexcusable. Faith without works is dead. With two
imperatives, Paul confidently calls the church to imitate him:
·
Do not be
deceived. Bad company corrupts good
morals. While this charge could be
applied to many situations, textually it deals solely with the expectation of a
future resurrection. Do those we spend
significant time with heighten or dampen our resolve to live in hope of the
resurrection? Do they inspire us to see
the risen Lord?
·
Wake up. Get in the game! Stop sinning and start sharing the good news
of Christ. The deceitful nature of sin
will ensnare even the most passionate soul if it is not kept vigilant. Stop sinning and live missionally. Get your head up and get involved in the work
of His kingdom.
Next Sunday is Easter weekend. With Paul, let’s reflect upon the passion and
the mission of our lives, prayerfully considering his charge in I Corinthians
15:29-34. Let’s walk, live, love, think,
speak, feel, work, and act in a manner worthy of our calling. Worthy of the resurrected glory that is
imminent for us who are called heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Grace and Peace
[1] A standard rule for interpreting scripture is that the
simple reading of the text is usually the preferred reading of the text. If one’s interpretation relies heavily upon
lexical coaxing and speculation beyond the author’s written words, chances are
the interpretation is stretching to fit a predetermined idea.
[2] If asked, Paul would most certainly condemn the notion
that the living could mystically transfer future benefit to the dead via
baptism. If prevalent within the church
he likely would have expounded on the topic.
Nevertheless, he seemingly chose to reflect on their consistent behavior:
conviction of future resurrection led them to action. For a different perspective on verse 29: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/04/22/baptism-for-the-dead
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