If only for this life that we hope in Christ, we are of all the most pitiable men. (AA) (?) And why do we also expose ourselves to dangers all the time? Day after day, I die! I protest it, brothers, for the glory that I have in you, in Christ Jesus our Lord. If as a man I fought in Ephesus with the beasts, of what use would it be to me? If the dead are not raised: “Eat and drink, that tomorrow we die. ” (?) But, in fact, Christ rose from the dead, being the beginning of those who sleep. (RA) (1 Corinthians 15:19, 30-32, 20)
Paul wonders how he could estimate his way of life if there was no resurrection from the dead. You’re saying it would be ridiculous? Lamentable. La resurrection guided him and allowed him to do things that would be absurd without the hope of the resurrection.
For example, Paul looks at all the dangers he faces. He says they come “all the time. “
(?) Travel, often in the dangers of rivers, in the dangers of thieves, in dangers among compatriots, in dangers among pagans, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers (2 Corinthians 11:26).
He then considers the dimension of his resignation and says, “Every day I die. “It is Paul’s experience of what Jesus says in Luke 9:23: “If any man will come after me, let him renounce himself, day after day, Take up his cross and follow me. By that I mean there was something nice about the fact that Paul was mortified every day. No day has passed without the death of any desire.
(?) in jobs, much more; much more in prisons; on the lashes, without measure; endangered, often. Five times I have received about 40 whips minus one from the Jews; I was beaten three times with sticks; once stoned; castaway three times; one night and one day I spent in the maelstrom of the sea; (?) at work and fatigue, in the evenings, often; hungry and thirsty, often on an empty stomach; in the cold and nudity. In addition to the external things, there is what weighs on me every day, the concern of all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11: 23-25, 27-28)
Then he remembers that he “fought with beasts in Ephesus. ” We don’t know what he’s talking about. A certain type of opponent of the gospel is called a beast in 2 Peter 1:10 and Jude 10. In no case was this totally discouraging.
For, brethren, we do not want you to ignore the nature of the tribulation that happened to us in Asia, because it was beyond our strength, to the point of despairing even of life itself (2 Corinthians 1:8).
Thus Paul concludes with his hourly danger, his daily mortification and his struggle with the beasts that the life he chose to follow Christ is foolish and pitiful if it does not rise from the dead. “If only for this life that we hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. ” In other words, only the resurrection with Christ and the joys of eternity can give meaning to all this suffering.
If death was the end of the matter, he said, “Eat and drink, we will die tomorrow. “This doesn’t mean: we’ll all become gluttonous and drunk, are they so pitiful?With or without the resurrection? It means: if there is no resurrection, what makes sense is the tranquility of the middle class to maximize earthly pleasures.
But that is not what Paul, He chooses suffering, because He chooses obedience. When Ananiah approached him in his conversion with the words of the Lord Jesus: “For I will show him how important it is for him to suffer by my name. (Acts 9:16), Paul accepted this as part of his appeal; must be suffering.
How could Paul do that?The answer is given in 1 Corinthians 15:20 😕 But, in fact, Christ rose from the dead, being the principle of those who sleep; In other words, Christ was resurrected and I will be resurrected with him, so nothing suffered in the name of Jesus is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The resurrection hope radically changed Paul’s way of life, liberated him from materialism and consumerism, gave him the power to do without the things that many people believe he should have in this life, for example, despite the right to marrying (1 Corinthians 9: 5), he gave up this pleasure because he was called to endure a lot of suffering, that is what he did because of the resurrection.
This is how Jesus said that the hope of the resurrection must change our behavior. For example, he told us to invite people who can’t pay us in this life. How should we motivate ourselves to do so? But will you receive your reward in the resurrection of the righteous?(Luke 14:14).
It is a radical call for us to carefully examine our present lives to see if they are shaped by the hope of the resurrection. Do we make profit-based decisions in this world or the next?Do we take such a risk because of love that can only be wisely explained if there is a resurrection?
Are we discouraged when our bodies surrender to the aging process, and we have to admit that we will never do certain things again, or look at the resurrection and rejoice?
Therefore, we are not discouraged; on the contrary, even if our outside man is corrupt, our inner man is renewed day by day, because our slight momentary tribulation produces in us an eternal weight of glory, especially of comparison (2 Corinthians 4:16. 17).
I pray that we will dedicate this Passover back to a life ready to let the resurrection produce its radical effects.