Become sober-minded.

John Farley
Pastor Teacher
Sunday,
June 14, 2020

 

The Mills family

Papua Indonesia

Kevin and Kim

Kyler, Kaleb, and Kara

 

Become sober-minded

1Co 15:29-34

Starting in verse 29, Paul continues the argument he began in verses 12-19.

In verses 29-32, Paul puts flesh on the bones of his earlier statements.

Verse 29 elaborates on verse 18.

1Co 15:18
1Co 15:29

Verses 30-32 elaborate on verses 14, 15, and 19.

1Co 15: 14,15,19

In verses 30-32, Paul points to his own life and ministry.

1Co 15:30-32

Then, in verses 33-34, Paul turns to the saints in Corinth and let’s them have it.

1Co 15:33-34

In verses 29-32, Paul describes two practices that make no sense if there is no resurrection of the dead:

1. Baptism on behalf of the dead

2. Paul facing danger and risking his life in order to preach the death and resurrection of Christ.

He then chastises the saints in Corinth to get them to think correctly and act righteously again.

1Co 15:29

A practice done on behalf of the dead makes no sense
if the dead don’t rise.

1Co 15:30-32

He gambled his very life on the sure hope that he would be raised from the dead in a physical body like the one Jesus had.

2Co 11:23-29

1Co 15:30-32

He died daily.
He faced death many times over in order to fulfill his mission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
 

2Co 1:8-10

1Co 15:32

But he did face adversaries who acted like wild beasts!

Party like there was no tomorrow –
one day soon there won’t be.

1Co 15:33-34

Paul implores them to stop being seduced.

“Bad company” refers to those who professed to be Christians…

… but denied the resurrection of the dead, and engaged in sinful behavior.

The word of God tells us to avoid such men as these and to shun them.

Wake up out of your drunken stupor! Sober up! Come to your senses.

Bad teaching results in wrong thinking.

And wrong thinking results in bad behavior.

Once you abandon the word of God as your standard in any area, you start to question it in every area.

The root of their problem was their ignorance of God.

1Th 4:4-5

What’s the solution? Growing in the knowledge of God!!

Rom 12:1-2

Don’t associate with bad company! Those whose conversations are full of things opposed to the word of God.

Increase in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.