Do you ever find yourself in the “What-If Trap”? That’s when you catch yourself in some sort of doubt or worry. What if it rains when you forgot your umbrella? What if I fail my math test, will I be able to graduate? What if there is no resurrection? That’s what it seems Paul is addressing here.
Paul gives us real life examples that wouldn’t make sense in a “resurrection-less” world. These examples would have been understood better by the original recipients to the message. For us, it could be something like, “if there was no resurrection of the dead, why would we be wasting our time spreading the gospel?” If you’re wondering about verse 29, apparently there was a practice that people who were alive could be baptized in place of people who already died to give the dead people the same promise of baptism. While it happened, and Paul calls it out, note that it isn’t necessarily a practice believed to be “necessary.”
Continue reading “1 Corinthians 15:29-34 – What If?”
