1 Corinthians 15:58

May 5, 2019

Lord’s Day Worship

Sean Higgins

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The sermon starts at 17:05 in the audio file.

Or, A Pre-resurrection Bucket List

After winning a race a runner might take a victory lap around the track. The event is complete, the blood and sweat are spent, and what’s left is an easy jog in front of the fans to bask in their cheers and applause.

Paul used the race analogy at the end of 1 Corinthians 9, urging all Christians to run to win the prize. In order to do that they would need to discipline their bodies and exercise self-control in all things in order to receive the imperishable goal. The way he wrote in chapter 9 there’s uncertainty about the final outcome. If we don’t run, or if we run the wrong way, we face disqualification and even worse, defeat.

At the end of 1 Corinthians 15 the imperishable is not just a prize received but a body resurrected. The victory here isn’t won by our self-control but by Christ who is the firstfruits from the dead. We don’t run to win resurrection, we receive the gift of “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 57). Sin lost. Death is dead. Thank God! What is sown perishable will be raised imperishable, what is sown in dishonor will be raised in glory, what is sown in weakness will be raised in power. When the mortal puts on immortality at the return of Christ we will put the final touches on our taunting of death (verses 54-55).

The climax of the chapter, the peak of resurrection truth and glory, comes in verse 57. It is the celebration of grace in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins. We shall bear the image of the man of heaven (verse 49), God will be all in all (verse 28), and again, thank God!

The subject switches abruptly from raising the dead to raising funds at the start of chapter 16. But between the celebratory high note in 15:57 and the instructions about collecting money in 16:1 is one verse. Grammatically it is connected to verses 1-57 with a “therefore,” and the idea of “vain” connects with a couple comments earlier in the chapter. But what is the good of this verse? Isn’t it kind of a let down after verse 57? And most curiously, how does Paul tie this exhortation with the previous explanation?

In Paul’s mind this is what you do based on the logic and reality of God-given victory over death’s sting. As if he said, “Do you get all that about the dead being raised? Good. So here’s what’s next. Hold my Bible.“

But isn’t what’s next after being told about victory in Jesus to go to Jesus? If life on earth right now is the seed form, wouldn’t the obvious aim be to get to the plant form as soon as possible? These dumb dust bodies are dying; they are sown in weakness (verse 43). There’s so many things we can’t do, so many limits. Why not just bide our time until we’re raised in power? Why not ride out the difficulties of our dust-life now until Jesus returns and let Him subdue all His enemies and we can inherit the kingdom?

What would make more sense is an exhortation to wait, to be patient, to persevere. And those are required attitudes, good things, but not what Paul says.

At its worst this is the (hyper-Dispensational) bunker mentality. Stash some water and cans of beans in the underground shelter and wait for the rapture, or death, or the second coming. At best this is weak, but still disobedient to the Therefore. In light of the certain victory we have work to do; it’s victory labor. In light of Christ’s resurrection and our guaranteed resurrection in Him we have a bucket list to complete; use the bucket until you kick the bucket.

One more thing before we see the exhortation itself. Paul addresses them as my beloved brothers. There were “some” (verse 12) of them who had issues with the resurrection, and “[...]