29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul continues his argument for the resurrection by asking why people are being baptised on behalf of the dead if the dead are not raised at all? This is a bit of a confusing verse because it describes an action taken by believers that is not practiced today. It was not commanded here by Paul to be done nor anywhere else in the Bible. The best explanation seems to be that it was a practice the Corinthians did that Paul referenced as another thing that is completely futile if the dead are not raised. Perhaps it was a practice performed by those who denied the resurrection (many false teachings contain internal inconsistencies).
Paul also argues for the resurrection based on how he lives his life constantly in danger from those who threatened his life. Why face persecution for what he believes if this life is all there is. If there is no resurrection it would be better to live your life by the mantra “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” If there is no resurrection we should make the most of this life. But because there is a resurrection, we dare not spend our lives living for things of passing interest, we must live for eternity, not just for now.
“Bad company ruins good morals” was a quote Paul used to point out that the Corinthians were being deceived because they were spending time with those who taught wrong doctrine. We must be careful who we spend the majority of our time with. Too much time and exposure to those with wrong beliefs will lead us astray. We must wake up and stop sinning. We must make sure we have a right knowledge of God and live for Him.
Some question the resurrection because they cannot comprehend how our dead earthly bodies can be raised. Paul argues that like a seed dies and a plant is raised up, so our earthly bodies die and a new body is given to us. Our heavenly bodies will not be the same, but God will give us a body as He has chosen and it will be more glorious than the body you have now.