Epistles of Paul 48

Well, good evening, brethren. Paul in 1 Corinthians is addressing the importance of the hope of the resurrection. Indeed, he emphasizes it so much that he wants us to, at the conclusion of this chapter, he wants us to reach a point that when we fully understand this hope of the resurrection and what it means, we would become immovable in the way of life. So that is the purpose of this chapter of 1 Corinthians 15. And he brought the subject up because there were some people saying that there is no resurrection. So in verse 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians, he makes emphasis of the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God, which is made possible by Jesus Christ, by him giving of his life, dying for us, and resurrecting according to the scriptures. And that is the hope of the resurrection that we do have, which Paul taught. And it is therefore due to Christ's resurrection, or through which, or by which, we are saved, as it says there in 1 Corinthians 15.

Now, in verse 4, he says this was prophesied. And then in verse 5 through 8, he emphasizes that there were many witnesses to this event of Christ's resurrection. So it is a clear fact by so many witnesses, including Paul himself. And then in verse 17, he says if Christ is not risen, if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile. In other words, our hope is absolutely in vain.

And so again, the theme of this book is the hope, or rather of this chapter, is the hope of the resurrection. In verse 20, he says Christ is the first of those that have died, that have resurrected. He is the first. Therefore, we use the term the first fruits, first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. And then from verse 21 and 22, he says just like through Adam, every human being has died through Jesus Christ, we all will be made alive. We all will be resurrected. But as we see in verse 23, each one in his order. And then he says in verse 26, the last in enemy that will be destroyed is death. Death through the resurrection, of course.

And then in verse 28, he says that the human race is basically elevated to the family of God, to his nature, to his way of life, to his way of thinking, because he says God will be in us all. So we all will have the same character or characteristics of our coming, of being a person of God-like character, of God-like image. And that's basically where we stopped in the previous study. Let's go on now today by reading verse 29. 29 says otherwise, and I understand, understand by the way, that the theme so far of this chapter is the hope of the resurrection, which is what Paul has taught that Christ is resurrected, and he's a great hope. And so he says otherwise, verse 29, what will they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? Now, there are certain, there is a certain group that states that you can baptize, you can be baptized, and rebaptized, and rebaptized for the dead person or that dead person, so that this or that person will be in God's kingdom. Now, that obviously is not correct, and we can easily disprove that. Let's just first disprove that by looking at a few points in the Bible, because understand, when a scripture is difficult to understand, we got to read at the whole chapter, and in fact, the whole biblical context, and we're going to say, does it fit the biblical context? This possible interpretation that people are putting onto it, because the scripture might not be very clear. So, let's first look at Philippians chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2, and we're going to look at verse 12 and 13. Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 and 13. All right, here we read, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, for his good pleasure. We got to work out our own salvation.

So, how can a dead person work out their own salvation? Or how can you be baptized for a person that is dead, and therefore, because of that, they'll be in God's kingdom?

That is not working out your own salvation. So, that doesn't fit. Let's look at another example. Acts 2 verse 38. Acts 2 verse 38. And this is a well-known section about baptism that Peter gave in his sermon on the day of Pentecost. And he says, then Peter said, Repent. Then let every one of you be baptized. How can you repent? And what can you repent of if you're dead? Because you're not conscious. You're dead. Therefore, you and I have to be cautious to repent and then be baptized so your sins can be forgiven and then receive God's Holy Spirit. And again, why is it important to receive God's Holy Spirit? So that we, with God's help, with God's Spirit, with his helper, as it's called in John, that we can overcome, we can grow, grow in God's character. And so that God's character is developed in us with the help of God's Holy Spirit. And that's what it meant in Philippians 2 verse 12, that we've got to work out our own salvation. And so that is part of us overcoming. And speaking about overcoming, in Romans, a big part of Revelation chapter 2, Revelation chapter 2 verse 26, and not just just 2 verse 26 and many others, but let's just use Revelation chapter 2 verse 26. He says, He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, He who overcomes, I'll give him power of the nations. So a person must be alive, must be living to be overcoming. And then we have a scripture like 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18, it says, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How can we grow in this grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? If you did, we must be alive. So that explanation that some give, that people can just be baptized and be baptized, baptized for this person, baptized so, so they start having genealogical records and find the antecedents and great, great, great parents and start being baptized for these great, great, great parents that are deceased so that they can be in God's kingdom. That explanation clearly is wrong. So what is Paul referring to? And so again, we've got to understand that when we have a difficult scripture, we got to look at the context and we got to look at the whole Bible. Does it fit within the big picture? So what is the context?

The context of what Paul is writing here in 1 Corinthians 15 is about the good news of the kingdom of God, which is made possible by Jesus Christ giving his life. He died and resurrecting according to the scriptures. That is the hope of the resurrection. This is what Paul is emphasizing in this chapter. And then he says, due to Christ's resurrection, we are saved. And he says, and if he did not resurrect, our hope is in vain. So what is he talking about? He's talking about our hope of the resurrection. So the explanation therefore must fit the rest of the Bible and the context. In the church, the explanation has always been in the context that he's talking about. We baptized for the hope of the dead because this is the context. We are baptized therefore for the remission of sins and the hope of the dead, which is that when we die we're going to resurrect. It's the hope of the resurrection. Now look at another section in the Bible, which is Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6 that explains the meaning or the symbolism of baptism. In Romans chapter 6 verse 1 and 2 says, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that Christ may abound? Certain in lot. How shall we who have died to sin live any longer in it? So spiritually speaking, we are dead. We are dead to sin. Because of sin. We spiritually dead because of sin. We are condemned to death. We have died. And our only hope, because we're condemned to death because of sin, we are dead to sin. We literally not yet dead, but basically we are dead if we don't change, if we don't repent, and if we don't accept the sacrifice of Christ. And so what hope do we have, therefore, without Christ's death and resurrection? And then he continues in verse 3. Well, do you not know that as many of us as we're baptized into Jesus Christ, we're baptized into his death? In other words, our old man must die. Our carnal mind must die. And then in verse 4 he says, therefore, we were buried within through baptism into death. And so, therefore, now that Christ was raised, but just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life. So we need to walk in a new life as a new man. We need to walk in a new life. So read also verse 5 and 6. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified within, and that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Our old man was crucified. Our old self must be dead. This is important for us to remember that we gotta put that old man away every day. Every day. Look at verse 7 and 8.

For he who has died has been freed from sin. It was from both sins. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. You see, that's our hope we have. That's our hope we have. So what is our hope? Our hope is that we shall live with him, because otherwise we are as good as dead.

And look at verse 11. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin. So our life must not be anymore a life of sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We need to be alive in a new life to God in Christ Jesus. So the symbolism of baptism emphasizes that we baptized because we are dead spiritually. We baptized for the hope that we have beyond death. We are baptized, in other words, for what is beyond death. Now the word beyond is an interesting one. Now let's go back to 1 Corinthians 15 verse 29. There it says, we are baptized for the dead. The word for is the Greek word 5228, whooper, which can be translated as on behalf of, for the sake of, over, or beyond. So baptism points beyond death. In other words, we are baptized beyond to what it points for the hope beyond death, which is the resurrection. Therefore, our understanding that we have had in the church for many years is a correct understanding based on the context and on the entire meaning as described and as explained and as prophesied of Christ's death and resurrection. So if there is no resurrection, therefore, then why be baptized?

If there's no resurrection from the dead, why be baptized? Because it symbolizes the older man dying and us coming alive as a new man. So when you baptize, when I baptize or anybody's baptized, the minister that baptizes you brings you back up out of the water. And at that moment, there are many, quote-unquote, hopes or several hopes that we could refer to. In fact, there are more assurances of hope, which in Hebrews 11 verse 1 refers it as faith, assurances of hope. One, you have the assurance of the hope that your sins have been forgiven.

As the lands are laid on you in second place, you have the assurance of the hope of receiving God's Holy Spirit. Thirdly, indeed, you have the faith in Jesus Christ's sacrifice that He forgives your sins, that you receive the help of the Holy Spirit, and if you overcome till the end, you and I, if we overcome till the end, if we put on the new man, we, you and I, will ultimately receive entry into the family of God. This is our hope. That's what we baptized for, for what is beyond death, which is the resurrection. If there's no resurrection, and if there's no life after death, then why come to Christ and be baptized? It's because you and I have the hope to live again.

That is the hope we have. Say, for instance, we are just about dying at the deathbed, and brethren close to God, I have seen they're dying peacefully because they have a hope.

The hope that one day, they, you and I have, will come out of the grave, be resurrected, and that is baptized for what is beyond death. Again, it is a difficult scripture. Some people say that it's probably one of the most difficult scriptures in the New Testament, but the explanation, as we've seen, must fit the rest of the Bible in the context, and the explanation that we have, that we were baptized for the hope, that is the hope of the resurrection beyond death, that is a good, clear explanation. So, verse 29. Baptism pictures a resurrection, as we saw in Romans 6. Therefore, the hope of the dead fits the meaning of baptism and the context of what Paul is talking about. So, let's now read verse 30. And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?

You know, Paul was going through often when he preached. He was putting his life at risk. And he says, why am I going through this if I don't have a hope, a genuine hope?

And therefore he's saying, because of this hope, we, Paul in this case, puts his life on the line every day. And so, why the struggle? Obviously, because there is a resurrection, there is a hope.

Verse 31. I affirm by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. I reaffirm. I reaffirm this hope. I reaffirm this daily by boasting about your commitment to Christ. And therefore, I, Paul, die every day.

In other words, he has to put to death every day his carnal passions, his wrong things that may cross his mind, or things that may cross his mind to say things sometimes that might be unkind. He has to stop that and work carefully that he speaks the truth, but in a loving, kind way. And that sometimes is difficult. Yes, but we got to do that. We need to speak the truth in love. And so, we have to die daily, put to death daily, our carnal Pauls, our old man, we got to put to death daily. And as Christians, therefore, we are supposed to have killed that old man at baptism. But not only died between inverted commas at baptism, we have to continuously daily kill that old man, because that old man keeps, quote-unquote, trying to come out of the grave. So, we got to put that old man back down, back in the grave, daily. And now let's now read verse 32. If in a manner or man I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

So, he is basically saying, like he said in verse 20, I beg pardon, in verse 30, why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? He's putting his life at risk. And from what we see here, while he was in Ephesus, he was put in an arena with beasts that they could have eaten him alive.

But God miraculously, from this it appears that God stopped that and did not allow it.

It's probably the same thing that he's referring in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 8 through 10. He says, for we do not want you to be ignorant brethren of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we are burdened beyond measure above strength so that we despaired even of life. Imagine if you are thrown into an arena with vicious beasts and they don't attack you, that is stressful, put it mildly. So he says, yes, we have the sentence of death in ourselves, but we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us. So from what we read here in verse 32 of 1 Corinthians 15, it appears that he was put into an arena in Ephesus with beasts. And so he's saying, you know, I'm struggling, I'm fighting. Why the struggle? I'm not doing this without being the hope of a resurrection. No, of course, he's got the hope of a resurrection. That's why he's doing it because of this very hope. Let's now read verse 33.

Do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. And you see, there are people around, and he was having people around with false doctrines. In this specific case, they were saying there's no resurrection, but the principle is applicable. Evil company corrupts good habits.

If you listen, if you get involved, if you keep getting together with people, with wrong doctrines, with wrong attitudes, with wrong concepts, with wrong ideas, that is going to rub on you. That's what it says. Corrupts good habits. And therefore, they can rub off on you and can influence you. So what it says is, don't be influenced by those people, by those ideas, in this case, that there is no resurrection, because those people can influence you. So be careful. In other words, don't mix with the wrong crowd. That's basically what it says. Don't mix with the wrong peer group. That's very generic. But very specifically, choose your friends carefully. If you don't know their character, observe how they behave, because you want to make friends with the right character, so there is a positive influence in you, or with you. And then it says, verse 34, awake to righteousness and do not sin.

In other words, don't fall with these people that are going with the wrong ideas, I beg your pardon, with false teachings to lead one astray, which ultimately is going to lead to sin. For some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

In other words, we need to awake to righteousness. Now, there is a section here in the Old Testament that in this context, that is as a warning here, not to sin, I want to read the section. And this is in Isaiah chapter 51. Let's turn there. Isaiah chapter 51. Starting in verse 1, listen to me, you will follow after righteousness. You will seek the Lord. In other words, listen to me through Christians. Basically, that's what I say.

Look to the rock from which we yawn and to the hole of the pit from which we die. In other words, look at where you came from. We, as true Christians, we are children of the promise to Abraham. Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah who bore you. For I called him alone and blessed him and increased him. So, our blessings are through the father of the faithful, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and obviously their spouses. So, look through to there where you came from. The promises were given to Abraham. And then look a bit further in verse 4.

Listen to me, my people, and give you to me or my nation. And so, we need to listen. For law will proceed from me, and I'll make my justice rest as a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, my salvation has gone forth, and my arms will judge the peoples. The coastlands will wait upon me, and on my arm they will trust. In other words, time is near that Christ is going to come and judge. So, then it reads a little bit.

Look at the end of verse 6 says, and my salvation will be forever, and my righteous will not be abolished. And then look at in verse 7. Listen to me, you who know righteousness. It was God's true church. Listen to me, you people in whose heart is my law. That's true Christians. Do not fear the reproach of man, nor be afraid of their insults. So, Yah is saying an encouragement to true Christians, basically, awake to righteousness. Continue in righteousness. Don't allow yourselves to sin.

Look at in verse 9. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord. Awake, as in the ancient days, in the generation of old. Are you not the arm that cut Rahab apart? Rahab is the God of Egypt. And, for instance, in some translations, even refers to, for instance, in the Dabi translation refers to arrogance. That does nothing. So, at that time, the Israelites were taken out of Egypt.

And it says, Awake, awake, put on strength, be courageous, go forwards. Look at verse 10 and 11. Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, that made the depths of the sea aroad, for the redeemed to cross over? Aren't you, God, the one that allowed Israelites to get Egypt? So, the ransom of the Lord shall return. He will rescue us again. There is going to be a rescue again. And look a little bit further in verse 17.

Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, in other words, O spiritual Israel, or true Church of God, stand up, you who have drunk of the hand of the Lord. In other words, you who standing close to God and are going through different trials, and even some of the people that may have gone through even the Great Tribulation, it says, awake, awake, because this is maybe people that went asleep, that it says, hey, awake to righteousness, don't fall asleep. Look at verse 7, be a part of verse 21 and 22, be a part of 21 and 22. Therefore, please hear this, you afflicted and drunk, but not of wine.

Thus says your Lord, the Lord your God, who cleaves for the cause of his people. See, I've taken out of your hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury, you shall no longer drink it, but I'll put it into the hand of those who afflict you. In other words, I'm going to deliver you from the trials that if you're asleep, you'll end up having to go through.

And then look at chapter 52 verse 1, awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, in the words of spiritual Israel, the church, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for the uncircumcised and unclean shall no longer come to you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise. Sit down at the throne of God's kingdom to rule spiritual Israelites that will then be resurrected.

Look at verse 7. Look at verse 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaim salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns.

Reverend, the whole testament applies to us. This is what's referred in Romans 10 verse 15. That is our mission. And Yah is in this Old Testament section here, he's saying, listen, listen to me, listen to me, listen to me, says three times. And then he says, awake awake, awake awake, awake awake, says three times. So Yah is basically two groups, some that are listening and others that have fallen asleep and will have to go through some trials. But he says they will be delivered. In Isaiah 52 verse 11, he says, depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing. In other words, do not sin, go out from the midst of earth, be clean. Be clean. You bear the vessels of the Lord. You bear the vessels of the Lord.

This is an important statement because in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 5, 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 5 says that we are a holy priesthood. In other words, we bear the vessels of the Lord.

Look at 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 5. He says, but you, you also as living stones are being built as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. So we are to bear the vessels of the Lord. Look at also in verse 9. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You who once were not a people, you see, we were not a nation but are now the people of God. We have not obtained, had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. So going back to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 34 says, awake to righteousness and do not sin. You can see this very, very applicable as a lesson from the Old Testament telling us, awake to righteousness do not sin. For some do not have the knowledge of God. You see, we have to have the knowledge of God. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 3, 17 and 18. So we are to grow. We are to grow in that category. In other words, we are to grow in the knowledge of God. But some do not have. And I speak this to your shame because we should be growing in the knowledge of God. And then he goes on verse 35. But some will say, how will the dead be raised? But some will question with what body? How are the dead going to be raised? The body has been destroyed. And then he goes on and explains here, foolish one, what you sow is not alive unless it dies. And what you sow you do not sow that body that shall be, that mere grain, perhaps wheat or some other grain.

You see, when we plant, we plant a seed. It germinates. Say, for instance, you're planting little little corn. It's not going to grow a big corn. It actually grows a plant. A plant grows. And then from there, there'll be a cob and then there'll be corn on the cob. You see, so the seed germinates. And so that has to die. And here is a different body, because it was a little seed, an old corn, and came out a plant, a different body. We have to be prepared to die. Let's just look at John 12 verse 24 very quickly. And when I mean prepared to die, I mean the old man to die. We have to be prepared to allow the old man to die. John 12 verse 24. And that's Christ talking. And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. And in verse 24, most surely I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces more grain.

And so our old man has to die. Baptism symbolizes that old man die being buried. We have to be prepared to die. In other words, to kill that old man of sin and change to a new man. Let's then continue. Obviously, change to a new man with God's only spirit in you, and with the help of God's only spirit, of course. Now, verse 38. But that's 1 Corinthians 15 verse 38. But God gives it a body as he pleases, and to each seed its own body. You know, brethren, God has given each one of us different talents, abilities, skills, and spiritually speaking, he gives us spiritual gifts, spiritual talents, spiritual abilities to each person. We all have it. We all have it. We have to use them. He gives them to us as he pleases, and to each seed its own body. You see, we're all different, but it's all part of God's plan. Is God in mind something for you individually in God's kingdom? You read in John 14. It says, in my father's house there are many mansions. I go, I got to prepare one for you.

There is something specifically, let's call it, customized for you in God's plan.

Sure, it's in his family, but it's got a specific purpose for you. Like we're all members of a body, and not everybody's a finger, not everybody's a hand, not everybody's a year, but we all play a role in this body of Christ. And as spirit beings, we all will play a role for eternity where God desires to place us in whatever responsibilities which will grow with time. But God has something in mind for you. Don't be discouraged that maybe you don't have somebody else's talent. You have the right talent that God has given to you for your job that he has planned for you in the kingdom of God. So, don't be discouraged. And if you only have one talent, and if you grow into two, you'll get the same reward as the one that has five talents and grows into ten. That's what it says in the parables. So, God has something for you. So, let's read now verse 39. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of man, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. You know, when you eat chicken, it tastes different than salmon, or it tastes different than cod, or tastes different than lamb, when it tastes different than cow's meat. So, all flesh is not the same. There's one kind of flesh of man, another flesh of animals, another fish, another of birds. So, as human beings, we're all different. We're all different. And then it continues in verse 41 and 42. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

And there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differs from another star in glory. And so, if we just quickly glance at Daniel 12, verse 3. Daniel 12, verse 3. It reads, and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteous, like the stars forever and ever.

But every star has got a different, let's call it, intensity or degree of glory, according.

And basically, it's comparing to us that will be rewarded when we spirit beings, as spirit beings in God's kingdom, shining like the stars forever and ever. But each one of us will have a different, let's call it, degree of glory, according to our works and our abilities, according to how we overcome. And that's why we read in Revelation right at the end of the book, Revelation 22, verse 12. It says, and behold, that's Christ speaking, I am coming quickly. You know, as I'm coming suddenly, and my reward is with me to give everyone according to his work. He's going to give everyone according to his work. And so, let's continue reading. We finished reading in verse 41. Now we go to verse 42. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

The body is sown in corruption and raised in incorruption. The body is sown in corruption. That's a Greek word 5356.

The phara, which is subject to decay, to destruction, to being perished. When the body is in the grave, the body will perish. And therefore, it dies, it perishes.

But it's raised at the resurrection, is raised in incorruption, particularly if it is at the first resurrection. So it is raised in incorruption, because he's basically talking about the first resurrection. Okay, he mentions the others, but we're talking about those that are in Christ, raised in incorruption. And that is a word, Greek 861, apharsia, which means incorruptible, perpetuity. Sometimes it's also translated as sincere in some Bible versions, but it's more related to incorruptible in perpetuity. And so the human body is subject to corruption, to decay, but it is raised as a spirit being, raised for perpetuity, for eternity. Let's read now verse 43 and 44. It is sound in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sound in weakness. It is raised in power.

It is sound a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. So all we have is dishonor, corruption versus glory, weakness versus power, natural body versus spiritual body. And so when we're talking about this glory, this power, the spiritual body, it's like power that you and I cannot imagine. Because look at it. Humanity has now been able to split the atom. And when you split the atom, you basically generate enormous amount of power. That's where, if I understand correctly, where we get the atomic bomb, which is the power generated from splitting the atom. So there's an enormous amount of power This is the power of God. And we're going to raise with a certain degree of that power, because it says there's different levels of glory, like the stars. Some are more glorious than others.

Like it says, the sun has one glory. We read that in verse 41. Another one, the moon has another glory. And the stars, for one star, differ from another star in glory. We will also differ in glory. We'll also differ in power. But we'll all have a spiritual body. And that is so encouraging what we are going to have. Now, this is where we're going to stop today. In the next one, next study, we're going to start from verse 45. You all have a good evening.