Doubters to be clarified: (15:30-34):
We as Christians know that there is an eternal life after death. If there was no resurrection, why should Paul live in perils of danger every hour. The way Paul lived for the Gospel gives the evidence for the truth of the Resurrection. Many Christians live such a life that there appears no evidence of resurrection. But when we look at Paul’s life, we cannot stop saying that unless there was a reward waiting for him in heaven he wouldn’t have lived like this. There was always dangers waiting for Paul. There were always people out to kill him. “When more than forty men took a vow that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul (Acts 23:12-13).
The great Sermon orator Spurgeon gives in “Dying Daily” like this for a believer:
-
- Carefully consider every day the certainty of death.
- Put your soul, by faith, through the whole process of death.
- Hold this world with a loose hand.
- Seriously test your hope and experience every day.
- Come every day to the Lord , just as you did at conversion to the cross of Jesus, as a poor guilty sinner.
- Live in such a manner that you would not be ashamed to die at any moment.
- Put all your affairs in order so that you are ready to die.
Paul says that I have fought with beasts at Ephesus (15:32) the book of Acts does not record any instance when Paul faced wild animals in an arena. Paul may simply using the term beasts figuratively, in reference to his violent human opponents in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41). There had been an exciting victory when the converted practitioners of the occult had joined in a spontaneous, voluntary burning of their occult books, the value of which was estimated to be 50,000 pieces of silver. The inspired Record gives us the reason for this great victory:
Further Paul knew that he had to go to Rome to face the king and perhaps his death. He had such amazing confidence in the Resurrection of the dead. That’s why Paul could confidently proclaim the Resurrection of dead in the line of Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ. Paul further says that “if there is no resurrection, there would be no judgement too and the life under the sun is just a waste without any hope.” This is total ignorance. A person should live under the influence of bad company because “Bad company corrupts good character.” In (Rom.12:1-2) Paul says: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” So stop sinning and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. Apostle Paul was not a fool to live in such dangers of life for the sake of Gospel. One must remember the statements made by Jim Elliot the missionary to Acua tribe in South American islands.
“He is no fool to loses what he cannot keep to gain that he cannot lose” Yes we can definitely put our lives on the edge for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the hope of Resurrection to live with Saviour for eternity.
The glorious body: (15:35-44):
Paul points out that our resurrected bodies will have such a glory beyond our imagination. To explain our resurrected bodies, Paul gives 3-analogies: (a) seeds, (b) fleshy bodies (c) heavenly and earthly bodies.
- Seeds: (15:35-38):
When we sow a few grains or seeds, the seeds die and root and shoot would flow from it to become plants and when they mature gives us a great harvest. Although we sow a few seeds, we get plenty of harvest. The harvest is more beautiful than what has been planted. When a seed is planted in the ground it dies; decomposing, it ceases to exist in its seed form, but life comes from inside that dead seed (Jn.12:24). Just as God gives a new body to that
plant that rises from the dead seed, so He can give a resurrection body to a man who dies. Let’s take a beautiful example of tulip bulb. The tulip is ugly to look but it produces a beautiful flower. In the earthly resurrection, God has made it so beautiful, we can imagine how much more beautiful would be of God’s children. Whatever we sow, unless it dies. It cannot come to life. God gives it a body as He has determined.
- Flesh: (15:39):
All flesh is not same. Man has one kind body while animals, birds, and fish have their own particular kind of bodies. If God is able to make different kinds of bodies for men, animals, birds, and fish, He not easily and surely make a different kind of body for us at the resurrection. The animals will not be resurrected because they don’t have the spirit, but they have only bodies.