Dead Man Walking

Dead Man Walking

Words of Faith 8-3-17

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

1 Corinthians 15

   [29] Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? [30] And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? [31] I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. [32] If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." [33] Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." [34] Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame.

       For Paul there was something compelling about the resurrection that was beyond the theology and even the witnesses who attested to its truth. To deny the resurrection just made no sense at all! Paul drew on both Corinthian practice and also on his own way of life to make the argument that is an essential tenet of Christian belief.

       Okay. Yes, you read that verse 29 correctly. You don't have to read it a third time. Verse 29 is puzzling to say the least. Up to 200 explanations have been given for this verse! Apparently some of the Corinthians had practiced a ritual of baptism in the place of dead people and while Paul did not endorse this practice he used it to make his point.

         Baptism for the dead was never part of any orthodox Christian practice. It was probably a false teaching and superstition that arose from the influence of a mystery religion on the Greek isle of Eleusis. The Mormon religion (which is not Christian) uses this verse to justify members being baptized for their deceased relatives and ancestors.

       All we know for sure is that some Corinthians practiced baptism for the dead and that Paul used this as an argument for belief in the Resurrection without endorsing it. The argument is this-- If there is no resurrection, why are some of you baptized for the dead? What would be the point in that?

       Paul went on in a much more forceful way to declare his personal conviction about the certainty of the Resurrection as it related to his own life. If there is no resurrection-- Why would we endanger ourselves? Why would we live like we do? Why would we face wild beasts? Paul died every day in the sense that he wholly gave himself to the Lord for the sake of the Gospel. Why face all that if this life were all there is? The Epicureans would be right-- pursue pleasure and avoid pain. But Paul knew there was more, and his life testified to that fact.

         Paul's concluding advice concerning those who continued to deny the Resurrection was like his earlier counsel concerning immoral people in the church-- don't associate with them. Previously he had compared immorality in the church to yeast in bread. Here he quoted the pagan writer Menander to the same effect: Bad company corrupts good character. False teachers should be avoided because though they claimed great knowledge they were in fact ignorant of God.

         Paul argued with extreme force for this essential point of faith. This was the heart cry of in his day to day life-- "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philip. 3:10-11).

       This was the day to day surrender of Paul as an Apostle and disciple. He was a "dead man walking" in the sense that gave his life totally the Lord each day in hope of the resurrection. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). "I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord."

         It makes no sense to live the way we do, commit our lives the way that we do and follow the way we do, if there is no resurrection.

       Father God, I rejoice in the truth of resurrection. May I be a dead man walking-- wholly surrendered to You. I give thanks for the resurrection of Jesus who is the firstfruits of the great harvest. I live today as part of the Resurrection people. I live as one of those identified with Christ, surrendered to His will, and captivated by this hope. In Jesus' Name.