Just when we were thoroughly enjoying all the blessed good news about Jesus' resurrection and ours, we find a challenging passage. Let’s read it:
If the dead are never raised, what will people do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people being baptized for them? And what about us? Why do we put ourselves in danger every hour? I die every day. That is true, brothers and sisters, just as it is true that I brag about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild animals in Ephesus only with human hopes, I have gained nothing. If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die." Do not be fooled: "Bad friends will ruin good habits." Come back to your right way of thinking and stop sinning. Some of you do not know God--I say this to shame you”.
1 Corinthians 15:29-34 NCV
Question 1. What questions do you have after reading 1 Corinthians 15:29-34?
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Some questions that immediately come to my mind are: Why were people being baptized for the dead? Why were they putting themselves in danger every hour? Why did Paul say that he died every day? Why was Paul fighting wild animals in Ephesus? What's going on here?
We don't have the answers to these questions, but let's not miss the point. Living and growing in the gospel is to receive the experience of living a supernatural life. Christians are not those who have only experienced forgiveness of sins but are otherwise unchanged. No way! The gospel is "the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16) and "the power of God for us who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:18), so there ought to be things in our lives that can only be explained by the power of God. In Paul's case, this meant dying daily and fighting wild beasts.
By including this list of his supernatural experiences in the resurrection chapter, Paul illustrates the transforming power that Christ's resurrection brings to our daily lives.
Friend, if we don’t believe in the resurrection, we are afraid, we cling to our lives because we think they are all we will ever have, we shelter ourselves away from harm, and we live for temporary pleasure. But if we believe in the resurrection, we live boldly, we are unafraid to put ourselves in danger to spread the gospel, we die daily (to sin, self-comfort, and fear), and we fight wild beasts (whether literal or spiritual) because we know that, should anything happen to our physical bodies, we will be raised and live forever.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus and our own resurrection enables us to experience supernatural power in our lives today, right now. After the author of Hebrews recounts all the miraculous things people of faith did in the Old Testament, he writes:
Do I need to give more examples? I do not have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Through their faith they defeated kingdoms. They did what was right, received God's promises, and shut the mouths of lions. They stopped great fires and were saved from being killed with swords. They were weak, and yet were made strong. They were powerful in battle and defeated other armies. Women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom so they could be raised from the dead to a better life.
Hebrews 11:32-35 NCV
Question 2. Please list every miraculous thing mentioned in Hebrews 11:32–35 that people of faith did.
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When you put faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit, who is full of miraculous power. You can now do things that were not possible before. Believe in the cross of love, where Jesus suffered in your place and died your death. Believe that He rose from the dead on the third day, and you will receive Holy Spirit power! "But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world "(Acts 1:8 NCV).
Will you embrace the gospel today, seek to live in resurrection power, and by faith see the miraculous power of God in your life and those around you? I pray that you will, because if you do, some might come to faith by seeing yours! Some will be emboldened to speak the gospel as they witness your courage! Some will pray powerfully when they hear your gospel-focused prayers! Some will be willing to die for the gospel, watching you live out your life supernaturally! Some will begin to work in God’s kingdom, seeing you working harder than all the rest (even while you are at complete rest, kneeling at the foot of the cross)! The resurrection of Jesus is proved over and over by believers who live in resurrection power.
And you are living and growing in the gospel!
Question 3. As we come to the end of this lesson, what are your final thoughts?
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