Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20010429.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part XXVIII: Guarding Holy Living By Watching Our Beliefs And Associations
(1 Corinthians 15:20-34)
  1. Introduction
    1. Much discussion exists today on the relevancy of one's theological beliefs and church associations. Some hold it is unduly divisive doctrinally to dot all our "i's" and cross all our "t's" and to be selective in those with whom we associate in ministry. Yet, others claim it is very important for us to be this particular.
    2. Paul has an important summation on these subjects in 1 Corinthians 15:20-34 as follows:
  2. Guarding Holy Living By Watching Our Beliefs And Associations, 1 Corinthians 15:20-34.
    1. Paul noted how some Corinthian believers were doubting the validity of belief in the resurrection, 15:12.
    2. To counter this error, he detailed a theological defense and gave a strong practical admonition to the Corinthians on watching their beliefs and associations as follows, 1 Corinthians 15:20-34:
      1. Doctrinally, Paul revealed how significantly one's belief in the resurrection affects his life, 15:20-32:
        1. Theologically, God's future plans for believers makes resurrection a necessity, 1 Cor. 15:20-28: (a) Death was the result of Adam's sin in Eden, 15:21. (b) Thus, resurrection which reverses the full effects of sin for man must necessarily occur in God's full plan of salvation, 15:20, 21b-28: (+) Christ arose from the dead following His atonement for man's sin on the cross, 15:22. (+) Thus, everyone who believes in Christ will be raised from the dead, 15:20, 23. (+) When death is conquered as man's final enemy to be overcome (15:25-26), then the full institution of God's uncontested reign will begin, 1 Cor. 15:24, 27-28.
        2. Well, thus theological beliefs affect the believer's lifestyle before God, 1 Cor. 15:29-30: (a) Even the unsaved Gentiles of Paul's day practiced baptism in the sea to gain hope for a life in the hereafter, 1 Cor. 15:29. To deny a resurrection as did some believers at Corinth does not even make sense with such pagans! [Note: 1 Cor. 15:29 does not condone proxy baptism; rather, the Eleusians across the Sarconic Gulf from Corinth practiced ritual washings in that sea to provide hope for a resurrection! This passage only alludes to that practice, cf. Bible Know. Com., N.T., p. 544.] (b) Paul himself would not have been logically thinking to have risked his life for the cause of Christ were there not to be a resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:30. (c) Thus, for Christians a Corinth to deny the resurrection does not make sense in reference to the actions of pagans or Paul!
      2. Sermonically, Paul admonished these doctrinally wayward Corinthians for getting into theological and lifestyle problems due to their errant associations with false teachers, 1 Corinthians 15:31-34:
        1. Paul protested the lack of faith in the resurrection exhibited by some at Corinth as it belittled his willingness to suffer in the coliseum for Christ and faith in His resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:31-32b.
        2. He protested the philosophy of life offered by those who denied the resurrection doctrine, 15:32c. (a) The false teaching left people to "live it up" sensuously since there would be no such opportunity beyond physical death to do so, 1 Corinthians 15:32c. (b) Such a sensuous, carnal life would be obviously godless, much to Paul's dismay!
        3. Paul reprimanded believers then for associating with people who could influence their beliefs and eventual lifestyles to produce such evil (1 Cor. 15:34 is better translated: "Evil company corrupts good character," a citation from Grecian author, Menander, Thais, 218, as cited in Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 545.
Lesson: Our BELIEFS affect how we THINK, and that in turn affects what we DO in our WORKS. Hence, (1) we must watch that we keep our BELIEFS in line with Scripture, and (2) that includes watching our ASSOCIATIONS that can AFFECT our beliefs and eventually our LIVES before God!

Application: (1) Doctrinal beliefs are not something that belong only in a book tucked away in a dusty Church or pastoral library somewhere. They AFFECT what we THINK, and THAT affects what we DO either to God's approval or to His disapproval. Thus, we need to WATCH what we BELIEVE. (2) Since what we BELIEVE is often influenced by the COMPANY we keep, we must also watch our associations, 2 Tim. 2:17, 20-22; 1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14; Romans 16:17-18; Acts 20:28-31.