10/25/26 “Good News and Bad Company”
"Good News and Bad Company"
1 Corinthians 15:12-34
I've always been fascinated by waves....
Not so much the water variety of waves...although they are pretty cool....especially when watching surfers ride them out on the ocean...
...but I'm referring to the invisible waves – like sound waves...and radio waves...and infrared waves....and microwaves....
...these invisible forms of communication seem strange & mysterious to me
It's intriguing to know that these electromagnetic waves are all around us...yet our limited range of eyesight does not allow for us to see them..
...here's a couple pictures I found on the internet that try to provide a glimpse of what our environment would look like if we actually could see all of the electromagnetic waves around us
(Show Pictures)
Pretty crazy, right?
All of these waves are as real as the light we can see, such as the sunlight coming through these windows....or the light from my laser clicker here...
...its just that our eyes were made in such a way that we cannot see them.
In fact, if you think about it, there are many things around us that are real – yet remain unseen
We cannot see gravity...or wind...or dark matter....or emotions...
Yet we know all of them exist.
One other thing that remains invisible to us....yet definitely exists is....our spirit.
Our spirit is the part of us that is eternal.
When God designed you....when He wove your DNA together in your mother's womb....but He also gave you an eternal spirit...
Something animals and plants do not possess.
Most theologians believe that humans are made up of 3 parts...
The body...the soul...and the spirit.
1 part visible...and 2 parts invisible.
The body is, of course, our physical (visible) component.
The Soul represents our emotions and will....
And- the spirit – is the eternal part of us that will live on after we die.
It was in light of this reality concerning our nature that Paul provides instruction for us in today's passage of scripture.
Some of the Corinthian believers were falling prey to false heresies concerning the resurrection of Christ...
Even though Paul – and others – had taught them about the physical - visible - resurrection of Jesus from the grave...
...some began to believe that Jesus only rose from the grave spiritually - invisibly.
This would have meant that those who saw the resurrected Christ with their own eyes were either mistaken...or were hallucinating...
Which – given the sheer number of people who encountered Jesus after his resurrection – seems completely ridiculous.
But one reason why this idea of a non-bodily – invisible – resurrection gained traction had to do with a common, 1st century Greek perception of humanity.
The Greek philosopher Plato was famous for teaching something known as dualism...the idea that everything physical was intrinsically evil...
...while everything spiritual was inherently good.
If you recall, the Gnostics latched onto this view as well...
To them...whatever a person did with their own body didn't really matter...
....since everything having to do with the flesh was evil anyway.
This is a very Anti-Scriptural view, by the way.
Earlier in this very letter, Paul writes, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Also...Romans 12:1 talks about offering our bodies in obedience as living sacrifices to God.
So, obviously, God is concerned as to how we choose to use our physical bodies....both for good...or for evil.
But this idea that everything physical was evil had gained a foothold in the church there in Corinth....as well as in some other 1st century churches....
...And this was affecting how some believers were perceiving of the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
The Greeks found the idea of a body coming back to life as repugnant...since they believed one's spirit to be the only component of humanity that could ever be declared pure....
Today's passage of scripture is Paul's reminder to the church that Jesus most certainly DID experience a physical, bodily resurrection...
...And that because he did...those who believe in him will also experience a bodily resurrection as well.
Verse 12 (1 Corinthians 15:12) begins with Paul establishing the landscape of the debate.
...with verses 13-19 describing the devastating consequences of a view that does not allow for a physical – bodily – visible – resurrection.
One of those consequences would be that...if humans cannot be raised from the dead....then Jesus - being 100% human - could not have risen from the dead either.
Paul writes in verse 13 (1 Corinthinas 15:13) "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised."
But the Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus did – in fact – experience a bodily resurrection from the grave...
....he was not Casper the friendly ghost walking around on Easter Sunday....and for the next 40 days after that...
Jesus speaks to this truth himself in Luke's gospel, when – in His resurrected body – he says to His disciples, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39)
There was no doubt –Jesus most certainly had a resurrected body.
Another devastating consequence from a false view concerning bodily resurrection would be that any preaching the gospel message would be meaningless.
Paul writes in verse 14 (1 Corinthians 15:14) "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."
Wow...That's a bold statement, isn't it.
If you were thinking..."Well, what's the big deal if Jesus walked out of the tomb physically – or - if He exited the tomb in a Spiritual form of some kind...
Well...Biblically - it seems to be a big deal.
We read here in verse 14 that not only would preaching be useless...but Paul writes that one's faith is useless as well!
Why is Paul so adamant about this?
Well...I believe it has to do with what Paul mentions a bit further ahead in verse 20 (1 Corinthians 15:20) which reads, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
First of all, that term 'fallen asleep' was a common way of saying that someone has "died" or has "passed away"
Although there are some who believe that it literally refers to a condition known as soul-sleep....
...defined as a state of unconsciousness between the time of one's death and that of one's permanent resurrection....
I tend to view scripture as teaching that we are conscious and in the presence of Jesus the moment after we die...
...but - like other non-essential doctrines – I also believe that Christians can – in good conscience – agree to disagree on this topic
Soul sleep is traditionally one of the defining distinctives of the Advent Christian denomination...and - this morning – if you align with that concept...
Please know that I respect your view....and I don't consider it to be something that would hinder our unity in the worship of our savior....
But – getting back to our passage – that word "Firstfruits" in verse 20 is very important.
'Firstfruits' refers to the OT practice of bringing a bit of one's early harvest to the Temple....
This early harvest was to be a representative sample of what was to eventually come when the remainder of the crop was harvested...
When these passages speak of Jesus as the 'Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep'...it means that the way in which Jesus was bodily resurrected...
....will be the same way that all who are in Him will also be bodily resurrected.
In other words, Christ’s own resurrection was the first fruits of the resurrection ‘harvest’ of the believing dead.
Remember...In His death and resurrection, Christ made an offering of Himself to the Father on our behalf.
This truth is why It is so important for believers that we have a proper understanding of the bodily resurrection of Jesus...
If we place our faith in anything other than the truth of Jesus being our representative sacrifice....then we are believing in something other than the gospel message...
....And the gospel message must involve Jesus' bodily resurrection.
Verse 17 (1 Corinthians 15:17) is a reiteration of the same message we see in verse 14.
It reads, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."
If Jesus was never raised bodily from the grave, our faith is worthless...futile...in vain...
We would be no better off than those who have no faith whatsoever
We would still be lost in our sinful condemnation with no hope of spiritual escape...
We would be like cars in the driveway needing to enter the garage of salvation...but having no wheels to get there...
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is our set of wheels....
....But, we must all – individually – make the decision to have those wheels installed on our vehicles...
It also takes the understanding of knowing that the garage of salvation is where we need to be....
....and that the wheels of Christ's atonement are the only way for our vehicle to get where we need to go.
Verse 22 (1 Corinthians 15:22) is a reminder of this truth when it says, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
To continue our driveway illustration for a moment....we are all born without wheels.
We have all inherited a sin nature....its been transmitted down through every generation of humanity....to us today.
...And it will continue to be transmitted to our children....and their children....and their children....and their children....
...until the time of Jesus' return.
Every human being is subject to death because of Adam's sin.
You may think "Hey, that's not fair!"
..."I mean, I wasn't around in the garden of Eden....so why do I have to live with this noose of sin around my neck?"
Well...you are right in saying that you weren't in the garden....but, guess what.
If you had been in the garden....you would have eventually sinned anyway.
It's just in the nature of mankind to take on authority for ourselves...and to have a strong disdain for submission to another person....
...even if that other person is God Himself.
So....before we get on our high horses and start throwing shade at Adam and Eve for disobeying God and falling into sin....
....keep in mind that none of us would have fared any better.
Then we have verse 29.
Verse 29 (1 Corinthians 15:29) of today's passage is – admittedly – is one of the most difficult verses to interpret in all of scripture.
It reads, "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?"
On the face of it, it appears Paul is almost sanctioning something called proxy baptism....
....the idea that a living person is somehow able to be baptized vicariously on behalf of someone who has already passed away.
Baptism by proxy – however – contradicts other passages of scripture.
The Bible does not teach that a person is saved through the act of baptism...
...neither does it teach that one person is able to influence the eternal destiny of another person.
Salvation is by personal faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Hebrews 9:27-28 reads, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people...."
Scripture makes it clear that death ends all opportunity for salvation and for spiritual assistance of any sort.
So, what - then - is verse 29 referring to?
Well...if you read 10 commentaries on this verse...you'll probably get 10 different answers.
It most definitely is somewhat of a mystery...
But...I tend to think that Paul is speaking hypothetically with a touch of sarcasm here...as he sometimes does.
I believe that he is saying – essentially – that if people do not even believe in a resurrection (Such as the Sadducees or the Gnostics)
....what purpose – then - would it serve to participate in the church ordinance of baptism....
An ordinance that is reflective of a personal saving faith...
....A saving faith that is based upon the foundation of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What good would this be to the one being baptized...or to influencing anyone else's eternal destiny, for that matter?
Does that make sense?
In other words, I believe Paul is saying that "If you don't even believe in a bodily resurrection, why would you even consider participating in an act that identifies itself with a bodily resurrection?"
Think of it this way....
About 15 years ago when our girls were in grade school, we took them to 6 Flags Great America to ride some roller coasters.
Both Lisa and I don't even like roller coasters....but we thought it might be fun for the girls...
The thing is...once we arrived and rode our first coaster....we realized that the girls didn't like roller coasters either...
So – knowing this – what would be the point in staying at a theme park where none of us "believed in" the purpose of the entire theme park....which was to ride roller coasters?
It would be silly to spend the rest of the day standing in lines to ride coasters – even if I could represent my daughter in line on some of the rides needing parental permission - when none of us were fans of roller coasters to begin with!
In a similar way, why would people who are averse to the theme park of the resurrection stand in line to ride the roller coaster ride of baptism....even if they were in line to somehow represent another person?
It just doesn't make sense....
So...That's my personal take on this verse....but - again – its hard to say with a high degree of confidence what Paul is exactly teaching here.
Finally, the last few verses of today's passage are a call to faithfulness to God's will....and a warning about the dangers of being influenced by evil people.
The second half of verse 32 (1 Corinthians 15:32) summarizes a worldly mindset when it reads, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die"
This faithless, fatalistic attitude is also found back in the OT book of Isaiah...
God is pronouncing judgement against Israel, and part of that judgement is levied on account of this same ungrateful and fatalistic attitude...
Isaiah 22:12-13 reads, "The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink", you say, "For tomorrow we die!"
The nation of Israel was being influenced by the bad company of its ungodly neighbors...
...And not only that....but They were also being prideful and arrogant in their own disobedience toward the Lord.
Here in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is drawing a parallel between the attitude of the Israelites...and to some within the Corinthian church.
If you recall, the church in Corinth was surrounded by a culture saturated in sin.
Every form of sinful behavior one could imagine was being practiced in Corinth....it was basically the Las Vegas of its time.
A couple of weeks ago, the final leg of our vacation involved driving down Interstate 15 right through downtown Las Vegas enroute to the airport...
Our flight was very early in the morning, so we were going through town at about 4:00 AM....
Even from the interstate, we could see the downtown strip of casinos, bars, and shows were going strong.
Lights flashing...vehicles on the roads...people walking around...
Apparently it's true that – at least in Las Vegas – sin never sleeps.
It's a town where disobedience to biblical mandates of morality have traditionally been flaunted....accepted...and celebrated.
It's a representation of the modern world that lives by the humanistic and fatalistic creed of verse 32 "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
Verse 33 (1 Corinthians 15:33) reminds us of a universal truth for the believer when it says, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character'"
You may have heard the phrase "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
Now – obviously – we all have the freedom to make our own choices and decisions...
....but - the truth behind this verse – is that all of us....even the most mature of believers....can - and will - be influenced by other people.
This is one reason why it's so important for us to spend time with – and be influenced by - other believers throughout the week...
...dare I say more than just a couple of hours on a Sunday morning.
Did you know there are 168 hours in a week.
If we only spend 2 of those 168 hours around other Christians...(That's 1.19% of the week)
...then we open ourselves up to being heavily influenced by worldly standards and attitudes.
Fortunately, we have quite a few opportunities here at our church to network with other Jesus followers....
Every week, we have 3 bible studies, men's groups, women's groups, a prayer meeting, children's ministries, a choir, multiple volunteer opportunities, and – of course – bus excursions like we had last night...
Now...We've been blessed with a healthy turnout for many of these activities....
But there's always room for more.....there's room for you.
If you aren't currently plugged into some sort of ministry on Monday through Saturday...
....I highly, highly, recommend that you give at least one of these opportunities a try.
Those moments of connection with fellow believers are like opportunities of rest at an oasis of biblical refreshment....
...refreshment in a scorching desert of cultural sin and depravity.
Allow yourself to be influenced by others who love Jesus....
Paul ends this chapter with admonishing those who have drifted from the truth to "Come back to your senses"....and "stop sinning"
Because of the bodily resurrection of Christ, we have confident hope that we too will be resurrected....if we have placed our faith and trust in Christ.
And this promise of eternal deliverance ought to fill us with gratitude to the point where we learn to literally hate our sin....
....and we desire to conform to a pattern of obedience unto our savior.
My life verse - Romans 12:2 – speaks directly to this when it says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....."
In conclusion....I'd like to leave you all with this thought today....
As you all know, this coming Saturday is a holiday that many people celebrate all over the world....
...and I'm aware that Halloween means different things to different people.
I even have many pastor friends who are all over the board when it comes to Christians choosing to participate in the holiday.
Everything from "It's just a harmless activity of kids dressing up and eating candy" ...
.....to the view that "Everything having to do with Halloween is evil and of the Devil because of its cultural emphasis on dark magic, divination, and sorcery."
Look....I know that no matter where you stand on the Halloween issue....what I say this morning probably won't change your opinion about it....
....But - for those of you who choose to have your children participate in Saturday's holiday....
I beg of you...be very, very, careful.
The level of darkness and sin that our society has attached to many events associated with Halloween has made it a literal minefield for the Bible-believing family....
Early on, Lisa and I made the decision to refrain from having our girls participate in the customary Halloween traditions....and - at least for our family...looking back....we don't have any regrets about that decision...
....and I think if you asked our daughters about it today....they would probably feel the same way...
But no matter what this coming Saturday looks like for you and your family....please remember Paul's warning here in today's passage...bad company corrupts good character.
Don't surround yourself with the dark side of Halloween to the extent that your character – or your children's character - is in danger of being corrupted.
You, your children, and your grandchildren are much too valuable for that.....
Let's pray.
