The Hopelessness of No Resurrection (Part 1 of 2)

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ, then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

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? Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day. 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.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 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.

Affirming the Reality of Resurrection

The goal here is to reaffirm the truth that Jesus was raised from the dead and that his resurrection becomes the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. The Apostle Paul argues how dead people coming to life makes sense and is exceptionally important to believe. If they do not come back to life, there is much wasted time as Christians and pointlessness in being a Christian.

Paul established the reality of what it means to be a Christian in hope and anticipation not just of dying and being with Christ, but of dying and being brought back to life in physical bodies, then living and reigning with Christ for eternity with other Christians who have died and been made alive again.

Some at Corinth did not believe dead people come back to life, no matter how long they have been dead or what happened to their bodies. If that does not happen, then Jesus did not come back to life, and Christianity is a pointless joke.

Paul argues from the negative, from the hopelessness if there is no resurrection. This emphasizes the hope we have in the resurrection of our own bodies and Jesus Christ himself. It is the hopelessness of no resurrection, not the bliss of it. If there is no resurrection, you have nothing to look forward to. This is as good as it gets, which is deeply depressing. Paul's point is that if Christ has not been raised, you have nothing but death ahead. Those who have died are gone permanently.

Paul starts by affirming Christ has been raised from the dead. Christ is the first fruits—the crops that come first, proving a harvest is coming. If you have the first fruits, more crops will follow. Christ as the first fruits of our resurrection means our resurrection will happen, and our loved ones who died in Christ will come back to life. Since Christ came back to life, so will we, and our loved ones in Christ. Our beliefs are not a joke; we have salvation. If Christ was not raised, there is no hope. But since he is raised, we will be raised, and everything in Christianity has incredible purpose and meaning. There is something magnificent to look forward to: the resurrection of the dead.

Hopelessness in Adam

Paul explains our hope by concepts that would increase hopelessness if Jesus was not raised. First, all of us are in Adam. Hopelessness starts in Adam.

For as by a man came death... for as in Adam all die.

Every human is a descendant of Adam. Adam sinned and plunged the entire human race into ruin and misery, born in sin with sin natures. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam he would surely die if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—“by death you will die.” The first death is the cause under God's judgment; the second is the execution by dying under that judgment. It is a horrific death.

This is the New Testament teaching that the wages of sin is death by God's judgment. Christ tasted this death for us on the cross, bearing God's wrath due to us—the death promised to Adam.

Death reigned from Adam. Death is a certain reality. Every person in Adam is guaranteed to experience death by God's judgment unless something intervenes. If there is no resurrection, everyone is stuck in Adam, in that hopelessness.

As a Christian, death is more significant than death under judgment. Paul says, “O death, where is your sting?” The death of God's saints is precious to him. It is stingless, shedding the corruptible for the incorruptible to experience God eternally. For Christians, death is passing into bliss, ending when the spirit reunites with the body in resurrection. But without resurrection, hopelessness is stuck in Adam.

In Christ, trusting and obeying him, we live and will be made alive. If we die knowing Christ died to save us from sins and rose, we have hope greater than life's problems, because this life is not all there is. There is eternity after resurrection in real life.

Spiritual reality is more real than this world. God's existence is more real than ours. In the new heavens and new earth after resurrection, things get really good. Pain, sadness, suffering are beneficial to keep looking forward to permanent sinless relationship with God eternally.

All in Adam are doomed; all in Christ are raised from the dead.

Hopelessness Outside the Kingdom

Second, there is hopelessness outside the kingdom. Paul discusses Christ delivering the kingdom to God after destroying every rule, authority, and power, reigning until all enemies are under his feet, the last being death.

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

This kingdom language is in the resurrection discussion because resurrection is tied to the kingdom. There is hope in Christ's kingdom, hopelessness outside it.

Christ returns with those absent from the body and present with him. Christians who die are with Christ, not just sleeping in the grave. Jesus told the thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” At the end, Christ brings them back to physical life for the new heavens and earth.

Those in the kingdom experience resurrection. Jesus as king fulfills his kingdom permanently. All bad under his authority ends at resurrection. Death is destroyed forever. No harm, sadness, or pain from death remains. Everything negative, a consequence of sin, is done away with. That is the hope Christians have.

Many of us do not deny resurrection, but we do not think about it enough. This passage shows not just the importance of believing dead people come back to life, but having it on our minds regularly because of the gospel. Paul reminds them of the gospel they know, putting it back on their minds.

Even if not denying resurrection, think on Christ as triumphant conqueror destroying death and enemies. God's people will live eternally with him. Do you think on these things regularly? Much discourages and defeats us. To counter it, think on resurrection for comfort. Even without seeing loved ones again, there is hope of seeing Jesus himself eternally.

We need to think on the resurrection and have its hope.

Hopelessness in Baptism

Third, most provocatively, hopelessness in baptism if no resurrection.

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?

This controversial verse is difficult. Focus on Paul's context. He discusses Christian resurrection to eternal life; unbelievers resurrect to judgment.

Christians are those who have “fallen asleep”; their deaths differ from unbelievers'. Jesus conquered death for believers. Christians sleep and come back to life.

In context: Christians sleep (v. 20); the dead die presently (“in Adam all die,” present tense); in Christ, all will be made alive (future). The dead here are those not experiencing life, reserved for Christians.

Christians face present danger, dying daily, fighting beasts—difficulties now, but better future beyond sleep.

Resurrection refers to life Christians experience beyond death. Without it, nothing beyond death—all that remains is death.

Baptism Beyond the Dead

There's nothing beyond death if the dead are not raised. Everybody goes to be with the dead. But for the Christian, death isn't what's left. The destruction of death is what's left. There's something beyond death: an eternal life of living with Christ and other Christians who have been brought back to life.

The word translated "on behalf of" is the Greek word hyper, from which we get "hyper" like hyperactivity—something beyond. It refers to something done on behalf of somebody else, but in First Corinthians, it also means "because," "on behalf of," or "beyond." We're understanding the context as things that happen beyond present experience—beyond those who are dying like Adam, beyond those who are dead, beyond death.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, it says God will not allow you to be tempted hyper beyond what you are able to bear. That's the best fit here. So it's not "baptized on behalf of the dead" by proxy, but baptized beyond the dead—beyond death, into something so much better, more important, and more lasting than present dangers, Paul dying daily, or fighting beasts at Ephesus.

If the dead are not raised, there's no going beyond the dead. You just end up with the dead. Paul draws from a common expression in Corinth: when people were baptized, they said you were baptized beyond the dead. It symbolizes what happens spiritually and eventually physically. Going into the water looks like burial; coming up symbolizes resurrection—from spiritual death and pointing to future physical resurrection. Baptism is a resurrection activity.

So if the dead are not raised, why are people at Corinth doing baptisms symbolizing resurrection? What do people mean by being baptized beyond the dead? Why are we in danger every hour? Being baptized beyond the dead means you're baptized into the hope of being made alive again after you die. Baptism symbolizes resurrection: buried with Christ in baptism, made alive in Christ, laid in the grave and raised—spiritually now, physically later.

The Hopelessness of Persecution

If the dead are not raised, there's hopelessness in persecution. Why are Christians dying? Why the slaughter, suffering, imprisonments, beatings, torture, murders? Why do terrorist groups take children from mothers, kill them, cook them, and feed them back if there's no resurrection? It's pointless without something better.

You've heard about the Maccabees. Many first-century Jews denied resurrection, but their ancestors believed it, as shown in historical literature. In one battle, a wounded Maccabee, hoping in resurrection, pulled out his own entrails and threw them at attackers because he knew he'd get a new body. That's the motivation granting Christians endurance.

Why go through meaningless persecution without hope beyond the present? You could convert to Islam or deny Christ. But because He was raised, Christians give up comfort, luxury, life to advance the message of this soul-satisfying, life-changing Jesus. We know He's alive and we'll see Him again.

Christianity is a religion of hope and purpose. If Jesus never rose, there's no eternal life, no hope—all is lost at death. But as Paul said, Christ was raised. He lives, reigns, will come again, and raise those who died in Him. As in 1 Thessalonians 4, comfort one another with these words.