1 Corinthians 15:20-58 - Part B

Your body is to be like Jesus but a real human body but limitless transform it into a glorious know some of you don't like Paul's language because you just called your body love my body.

I work on that. I lift weights looking pretty good for. I've gotten some procedures and I put my virtually hard. My body and low just like the resurrection of Jesus preview our own and today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip brings you startling insights on your future resurrection did you know the Scriptures important updates and biblical encouragement on social media just on Facebook, twitter and Instagram to get the latest from him and his ministry. That's at Skip Heitzig Skip HPI TUC IG using the generosity of friends like you to bring family just listened to this letter.

One person. Thank you for your broadcast you help me build a relationship with God, born again Christian and my wife and I have my entire family listening to your support. Make stories like this possible. Instead, thank you to continue partnering with the ministry to reach more people with God's heart to get today I connect the skip.com/donate.com/donate or call 819 to again. I think hundred 92 thank you. Now we were in first Corinthians chapter 15 as we dive into today's teaching with Skip Heitzig. The last enemy. Verse 26. It will be destroyed is death several Revelation chapter 20 says that death and Hades were cast in the lake of fire. Verse 27 for he has put all things under his feet all is now quoting Psalm eight he has put all things under his feet, but when he says all things are put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under him, that is God the father is accepted know when all things are made subject to him, then the son himself will also be subject to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all, in the millennial kingdom thousand year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth that for a thousand years Jesus will reign and rule as King. Revelation 19 says that he will rule all the nations with a rod of iron.

It will be an ironclad rule that will be like you will be dominant, but any rebellion that would be springing up on the earth will be put down immediately.

Your rule with a rod of iron, so during that millennium, Christ will be the one bringing righteousness over all the earth will rule and reign with him, but he'll rule with a rod of iron at the idea of everything under his feet is an old metaphor of a general or a cane, vanquishing another general or a king when you would win a battle and you are the king you would have the other king of the nation.

You just defeated placed on the ground and that new king would place his foot on the neck of the king that he conquered as if to say, I am now in charge, you are under my authority under my dominion and it was an ironclad kind of a rule. So, all things will be placed during the millennial kingdom under Christ's rule and reign after the millennial kingdom. So there's the rapture of the church, the tribulation. The second coming of Jesus Christ. The thousand year reign of Christ upon the earth in the millennium after the millennium comes what is called what Bible scholars called the eternal state and in the eternal state.

It will be God and the glory of the Lamb that lights the new Jerusalem. We are told and the throne of God will worship God face to face we will see his face.

His name it says was written on her forehead so it will be an immediate direct kind of a fellowship. Now the only way you can ever get to God is through a mediator.

There's one God and one mediator and that is Jesus Christ.

In the eternal state.

You will have direct access to God the father, you will see him face to face. You will be like Jesus, you will be like him or you will see him as he is, but it's as you will see God's face and obey a direct intimacy with him. Now we have verse 29. We just looked at dangling last time didn't explain or just read it and now we need to get into it because it's an odd verse.

Otherwise Paul continues otherwise. What will they do who are baptized for the dead.

If the dead do not rise at all.

Why then are they baptized for the dead is this Scripture that has caused consternation for 2000 years, argument, debate, interpretation more argument, more debate weird practices, etc., etc. there are no less than 40 different interpretations of verse 29. Just to let you know the kind of trouble. It is caused it is this verse that the Mormon church has used since 1844 proxy baptism and the whole reason they are so into genealogy and have them that that probably the world's greatest bank of genealogical records is because they want to identify people who have died so that a living Mormon can stand for those who have died by proxy baptism, vicarious baptism, so it's an odd scripture in your thinking man was Paul endorsing it know he wasn't, but he is mentioning it and I say is not endorsing it. Because if he was endorsing it, you would see it in other places in the New Testament, you would expect. Jesus perhaps to introduce the idea. You certainly would see Paul explaining this to other churches, but he doesn't think he doesn't even make baptism a big deal. He said to the Corinthians. I think God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius and the household of Stefanos because Christ did not send me to baptize with the preach the gospel. So what's up with this baptizing for the dead.

Well throughout history a little bit after this letter was written like in several decades and really the next century there were different groups that did baptized for the dead. The followers of Marciano who denied the humanity of Jesus, the Gnostics, who denied a lot of stuff as we mentioned Sunday they got involved in a practice for a vicarious or proxy baptism, but when Paul writes first Corinthians. There was a temple in a town next to Corinth. One of the mystery religions in Greece that practiced proxy baptism to baptize people for the dead. So it could be that that belief system that neighboring worldly town had worked its way into the church that wouldn't surprise us, because a lot of weird worldly ideas have worked their way into the Corinthian church right we have noted that from the beginning of this letter, the bar borrowing all sorts of weird things of Paul as a polemic letter has to write against so it wouldn't be unusual that a few people at Corinth in the church like the pagans next door got involved in proxy baptism. Paul is not endorsing it. Paul is just saying what would the plaintiff that be if there were no resurrection. Even the dump pagans believe in a resurrection lease, some of them there baptizing people for the dead because they believe in a resurrection so is going through the list of proofs Jesus rose from the dead, etc. etc. now it comes to this practice that he does not endorse the Bible does not say we should do, but he makes note of it as if to say, even they do it and what would be the point of them doing it. The point is they believe in a resurrection you followers of Christ certainly should believe in a resurrection.

That is what I think the point of verse 29 is so I'm adding my interpretation of these two up those 40.

He continues verse 30 and why do we stand in jeopardy. Every hour I affirm by the boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. That is, I face the possibility of death daily note wherever Paul went we made noted several occasions he was always persecuted off and thrown in prison. He was beaten in a number of times he was shipwrecked and he suffered for his faith probably greater than any Christian in the ancient world. And so when he says I die daily. He is simply pointing to the fact that you can read it in the second Corinthians chapter 11 a whole list of the things that he faced and so he says if there's no resurrection why would I do that if this life is all there is. If my body doesn't have a future resurrection.

Why would I placed my body in jeopardy every single day. Why would any Christian go to the persecution and facing the death over and over again if there is no resurrection I die daily if verse 32 in the manner of men, I have fought with the beasts at Ephesus.

What advantage is it to me if the dead do not rise. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

Now Paul mentions that he face the beasts at Ephesus and so some have suppose maybe that means Paul faced the gladiatorial fights were Christians were exposed to animals like they were in Rome at the Coliseum in and it was for the sport.

The entertainment of people who would watch that I don't think he's referring to that.

Why because there's no record of gladiatorial fights. As such, Taking Pl. in Ephesus.

I think he's referring to human beasts. I think you could go back and just simply read acts 19 not right now but later on and discover what is talk about when Paul was in Ephesus. He faced the persecution by a leader of a trade in that city by the name of Demetrius Silversmith and Paul preached Jesus death and resurrection and disbelief in him change the life and there is a guy named Demetrius. He said to his fellow workers.

In that silver tray they may little gods of the goddess Diana little replicas that they would sell and a people would buy this little statue in the put the statue in their house of the goddess Diana. And so Demetrius God is fellow workers together and said, look, this Paul the apostle is preaching something that is going to make our occupation in jeopardy. People want to buy our stupid little statues anymore. People are going to buyer dumb little idols anymore if they believe in this Jesus, and resurrection stuff to go out of business and this city is in the get sidelined because we are the great gatekeepers for the temple. The temple of Diana which is worship throughout all the Roman world and in the center of his right here so they drugged up all Demetrius Anna guy by the name of Alexander drug Paul into the theater in Ephesus know I've been to that theater seats 24,000 people and the people of Ephesus flooded into the city and for two hours.

They shouted great is Diana of the Ephesians. Great is Diana of the Ephesians and they thought Paul's can be pulled apart by this crowd, so they they brought them out and you skate went to a nearby town came back he spent a total as I mentioned Sunday three years in Ephesus, but he dealt with these beastly like representatives of a false God like Demetrius over and over again in the notice how we close out verse 32. If the dead do not rise let us eat, drink and drink, for tomorrow we die. So if there's no resurrection, then less is eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Now that's a quote from the Scriptures, by the way, that's a quote from Isaiah chapter 22.

It's what the people in Jerusalem were saying when the Babylonians encircled them and were going to destroy the city is a well the Babylonians are going to destroy us and take us captive eat and drink man, for tomorrow we die… Party party because the captivity is coming. So Paul says if there's no bodily resurrection were no better off than backslidden Jews before the Babylonian captivity that is eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

And then verse 33. Do not be deceived, evil company corrupts good habits.

That's an interesting thing that he writes there because that happens to be also a quote but not from the Scriptures.

Paul is quoting a Greek author name Menander and Menander wrote a play, a comedy in which he wrote evil company corrupts good habits. It was so famous and entertainment piece that it became proverbial everybody knew this proper just like we would say no every cloud has a silver lining or if you can. You can't beat them join them will have our sayings in every culture that was a saying from a secular source okay.

Here you are Paul quoting a secular entertainment piece that had become a proper and he throws that in you know is as if to just sort of use all of these different arguments for the resurrection, but it's it's interesting that either this process and don't be deceived, evil company corrupts good, as if to say, hey, Corinthians, if you keep hanging out with people who deny the resurrection.

It's going to turn out bad for you.

It's going to corrupt you even further and they were hanging out with those who either were involved in proxy baptism, vicarious baptism, or those who denied the resurrection altogether.

So he says, awake to righteousness and do not sin for some do not have the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame. Verse 35 but someone will say how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come. That's really two questions. How are the dead raised up. How is it even possible the dead people get up again. I mean, in the history of humanity. Every generation as the, the display of proof that dead people as a general rule stayed in. I've never seen a resurrection. I've seen plenty of funerals are very Lotta people. I've never had one person I've got a funeral for set up in the casket and go hey what's up I'm back and I would be cool if that happened, but it hasn't happened though actually would be pretty frightening if that happened, but the question is how would the dead race. How is that possible now. That's what the Greek would ask. That's with the Romans would ask. That's with the sadness, he would ask, but Christians have also to this day. Similar questions resurrection will what about the person who's at war and his body gets blown to smithereens. What about a person who's out in the ocean and he drowns in a shark bites off an arm and swims in that direction.

Another shark bites off the leg and swims in that direction and now you got parts of the sky all throughout the world in the gut of a shark and then the shark dies and it's eaten by this and how is that possible or or you know the cremated. My grandpa on the part of him on Sandy amount and part of him in the lake down there in the river and he's all over the place.

How was I going to happen and then the second question, and with what body do they come, so if a person dies with the stroke and when he dies, he is incapacitated that I was good to come back in the resurrection, or if a person has lost a limb and had he's an amputee will that amputee be an amputee in a resurrected body. If it in infant is born. Will that person always be in infant forever and ever a fuss over older person dies of 104 and and just you know is decrepit and will is that help will live. So with what body do they come really two questions.

How is it possible that dead people race and with what body did the company and noticed how wonderfully gracious Paul is in answering that he says verse 36 foolish one dummy what you so is not made alive, unless it dies. Certain things have to go dormant for life to come, and what you so you do not. So that body note. Let's go back to that question. That second question. Verse 35 with what body do they come we we touched on that. Let me give you the short answer to that.

The short answer to what body you will have in the resurrection is found in Philippians chapter 2 of Philippians chapter 3 of Paul writes in verse 20. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ get this who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. So the short answer is your body's going to be like Jesus body a real human body but limitless of transform it into a glorious body. Now some of you don't like Paul's language. Perhaps because he just called your body lowly entered on my body. Lowly men I'm I work on that baby. I lift weights looking pretty good. Or I've gotten some procedures and I've I've worked really hard. My body lowly just wait just hold that thought.

This just just buckle your seatbelt.

Give it time.

Let gravity take its course.

Pretty soon as you age, you will just start nodding more and more and more with this and you will look for the transformation say lowly body waiting to be transformed want the extreme makeover.

Thank you. I want my heavenly Botox you'll get it in a resurrection.

Now what Paul doesn't back to first Corinthians 15 is he gives you some illustrations from the biological world. The plant world is the terrestrial world as well as the heavens, the celestial world and what you so verse 37 you do not.

So that body that shall be, but mere drain, perhaps wheat or some other great. But God gives it a body as he pleases, and to each seed its own body. You take a seat effectively.

It's dead.

Of course, technically it's just dormant but you place it in the ground. It decomposes the point is you bury it and something comes up that is related to it, but different from it right.

It has the same genetic code the same DNA of an oak tree is in an acorn this summer if you spit watermelon seeds over the fence. That little black seed has a code within it and it gets spit over the fence it's buried in the ground a little rain a little bit sums into come up and big juicy watermelon will come from that seed didn't look anything like but they are related.

So there's a relationship genetically but they're vastly different from one another. So it is with our body, the body that shall be as related to this one same DNA taxi ribonucleic acid same genetic code vastly different and unlimited capacity compared to what you have now that's good with the message from the series expound first Corinthians we want to share about a resource that will help you go scooter in your faith highlights are punctuated by defining moments points that shape who we are now and will become such as choice of marriage partner really choose to work. I think it's their verse predictable events that happened like in your life. But every now and then life sort of hits you by surprise comes crashing down on you are going direction. They is planned out to get a phone call from a doctor or friend news is not good. The prognosis is not good and you didn't see it coming. God's word has the direction to get you through the plant in unplanned pivot points in your life point package speaks to manage data depression very the future to a new location, or job. These teachings that include written personal direction from scan on each of these topics you received this package when you give $50 or more today to this Bible teaching ministry pastor point collection of six messages written letter from Pastor's Thing, you can strengthen your faith faith that cannot be tested faith cannot get these critical point messages today when you get online securely connect the skip.com/offer or call 819 to 11:42 tomorrow is Skip Heitzig six years what your future physical resurrection is necessary and what you can look forward to when it happens. Adam's sin, brought corruption, degradation, decay bombed out the atom bomb. The bond that Jesus and we been radioactive. Ever since, every human being in every generation, Jesus restored that restoration demands physical restoration