More Thoughts on Church Discipline — 

Jon Mitchell

In continuing our discussion on church discipline which was started in the last issue, we should address a very pertinent question: who exactly should be disciplined?  In answering this question, it must first be said that it must be those who sin.  Jesus started his teaching about discipline within the church by stating, “If your brother sins against you…” (Matt. 18:15).

Let us now take a moment to define sin.  John wrote, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).  “Sin” comes from the Greek term hamartia which is defined by Thayer’s Greek Lexicon as “a failing to hit the mark, “a bad action, evil deed.”  “Lawlessness” (anomia) is another way of describing the concept of “breaking the law.”  Whose law is it that is broken for sin to take place?  What “mark” did the one who sinned “fail to hit”?  The answer is God’s law, his revealed will as found in the Scriptures.  

Paul spoke of this to the church in Rome when he wrote, “…if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.  For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’  But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness.  For apart from the law, sin lies dead” (Rom. 7:7-8).  While Paul was speaking contextually of the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, John’s definition in the New Testament as “lawlessness” shows that the principle discussed by Paul here applies universally.  “For apart from the law” — i.e., the law of God — “sin lies dead.”  If God had not decreed, “You shall not covet,” then coveting would not be a sin (cf. Rom. 3:20).  Since God did give that commandment in not only the Old Law but also within the New (cf. Col. 3:5), then to break that command is to sin.

Keeping the definition of sin as the violation of the laws of God within the forefront of our minds helps us to have better understanding of who exactly should be disciplined.  If the answer to this question is those who sin, and it is, then the answer would NOT be those who violate laws and standards which are NOT God’s.  Thus, church discipline is not intended to be practiced against those who do not live up to Jon Mitchell’s own scruples, opinions, or personal judgments.  Church discipline is not for anyone who does not meet any of our own idiosyncrasies or personal standards which are not found within Scripture.

It is very important that we understand this.  Some within the church in Rome were condemning their brethren for not meeting their own laws concerning eating meat.  God through the inspired apostle commanded, “…let not the one who abstains (from eating meat) pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him” (Rom. 14:3), before asking this pertinent question:  “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls…” (v. 4).  In other words, the Lord and his judgments are ultimately the ones which matter, not our own (cf. Rom. 14:10-12).  

While it is true that he commanded the ones who understood that eating meat was not a violation of divine law to still abstain from doing so for the sake of the conscience of their weaker brethren (Rom. 14:14b-19, 20b-21; 15:1-2), he also made sure to inform the weaker brethren that “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself…” (v. 14a), “Everything is indeed clean” (v. 20a), and “The faith (contextually, personal opinion, scruple, or idiosyncrasy) that you have, keep between yourself and God” (v. 22a).   

Therefore, we must be very careful when practicing any form of church discipline, including the initial preventative kind discussed in the last issue which takes place in public preaching and teaching and private, to make sure that the basis for our correcting the erring brother is based solely on rightly divided Scripture (2 Tim. 2:15; 4:1-2; cf. 1 Cor. 4:6; Rev. 22:18-19; Prov. 30:6).  We will do our brethren, the church, and ourselves great harm by disciplining others because our own man-made standards weren’t being met.

We must also understand that God does not wish for church discipline to be practiced against anyone who is actually not part of the church.  While directing the church at Corinth to withdraw fellowship from their brother who was involved in unrepentant fornication, Paul wrote under inspiration:  “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world….For what have I to do with judging outsiders?…God judges those outside” (1 Cor. 5:9-10, 12a, 13a).  

God does not wish for us to discipline those who aren’t even our brethren, those who are outside of Christ and lost in sin.  God judges them himself.  Our responsibility to them is to share the gospel with them (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16), let our light shine on them (Matt. 5:16; 1 Pet. 2:12), and avoid participation in their evil deeds (Eph. 5:11; cf. 1 Cor. 15:33).

Instead of withdrawing from the lost outside the church, the apostle directed Corinth: “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one…Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?…‘Purge the evil person from among you’” (vs. 11, 12b, 13b).  In other words, church discipline is intended for those within the church.

Furthermore, let us also understand that church discipline is not intended for brethren who sin and yet are penitent, especially the parts of discipline that have to do with bringing witnesses and the entire church into the matter and then withdrawal of fellowship.  It would do us good to never forget the words of John:  “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7-9).

Brethren, we all sin.  God knows and expects that.  What keeps us within the light, in spite of our sin, is our continual penitent acknowledgment of that sin (cf. 2 Cor. 7:10).  This repentant confession of sin of which I speak is not limited to the traditional “coming forward during the invitation song,” an action which is not the only way to obey 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16 in any case.  Scripture speaks of “bearing fruit” or “performing deeds” which are “in keeping with…repentance” (Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20; cf. 2 Cor. 7:11).  We also read of the biblical concept of giving time for the erring brother in Christ to repent of their sin (Rev. 3:21; Matt. 21:29, 32).  Therefore, it would be a mishandling of church discipline to adapt a “waiting to pounce” mentality concerning any time our brethren slips and stumbles.  While the other extreme where we choose to never rebuke a fellow Christian who clearly is allowing sin to reign in their life must also be avoided, let us also make sure that we are not that person who, every single time a fellow Christian slips, is ready to immediately start the entire process of discipline against them.  Balance and wisdom must be practiced concerning these matters.  The Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 — “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…” — is a great guide to follow.  Would you want grace and patience to be extended to you whenever you slip up…or would you want your fellow Christians to be openly calling out every single time you “miss the mark”?  To ask is to answer.

Additionally, remember the biblical precept of avoiding partiality and prejudice.  While directing Timothy on how to respond if someone brought an accusation of sin against an elder, Paul wrote under inspiration:  “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, do nothing from partiality” (1 Tim. 5:21), before also exhorting him to avoid “tak(ing) part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” (v. 22b).  It is easy to use church discipline as a weapon against others in the church with whom you have a grievance and desire revenge.  If we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves easily caught up in the duplicitous contention some of our brethren might have against others in our congregation.  God knew—and still knows—how easy it is to get caught up in other people’s wars with each other.  That’s why the Spirit inspired Paul to direct Timothy to make sure that, if someone came to him with an accusation against an elder, that this person would have already followed Matthew 18:15-16 concerning that elder (cf. 1 Tim. 5:19).  He was also to be completely impartial and to avoid making any judgments before knowing all of the facts.  If it  turned out that this attempt at church discipline was duplicitous in nature, intended to be unjustly used as a weapon against that elder, then Timothy was to “keep (himself) pure” and “take (no) part in the sins of others.”

This is a great lesson for us today, not only in regard to one’s relations with elders but also with regards to all our brethren.  If someone in the church wants to get us involved in practicing discipline against someone else in the church, we must make sure that their reasons for doing so are completely honorable and solely revolving around concern for that person’s soul and the sanctity of the church as a whole.  This is why church discipline is intended as a result of actual sin as defined as such by Scripture rather than one’s own standards and scruples, and is to be done under the wise and prudent parameters of Matthew 18:15-16 before any further action involving the church and disfellowship is taken.

 

Some Questions About Church Discipline — 

Jon Mitchell, Editor 

As we conclude our study of church discipline which has taken place over the past two editorials, let us turn our attention to some questions submitted by readers concerning this topic.

It seems that church discipline is not practiced today in the Lord’s church as much as it has been in previous generations and in New Testament times.  Can you discuss some reasons as to why this might be so?

My own observations over the years have seen church discipline, ranging from the first step of correction and instruction given in either sermons or classes or in private discussion to the final step of withdrawing fellowship, happening more times than is commonly supposed.  This is encouraging because it shows that more within the church understand the need for this than we might think.  Still, it must also be pointed out that there are many churches which have gone for generations without practicing discipline, if they have ever practiced it at all.

Several reasons could account for this.  Some brethren simply do not want to get involved in the lives of others, especially if it involves correcting others of wrongdoing.  However, as part of God’s family and members of his Son’s church, we must be involved.  As Paul said, “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself” (Rom. 14:7).  Each of us has the divinely-given responsibility of living as God would have us to live and doing all within our power to keep his church pure.

Along these lines, another reason could be because leaders of the church are not confident that the church would follow their lead concerning discipline, and thus decide to abstain from practicing it.  Over the years, I’ve seen several elders and preachers express this concern while discussing church discipline at gatherings such as lectureships, seminars, and elder/preacher get-togethers.  Yet this points to other reasons as to why these fears may be justified.

For one, if discipline has been overlooked for years in a particular congregation, it is possible—indeed, probable—that there is a lot of sin within that congregation which is known by many or all.  Elders and preachers might be at a loss to know where, or even how, to begin church discipline in any sort of consistent manner.  

Additionally, few if any within that church would have seen it practiced, especially in the right way.  We fear that which we do not know, and we fear the “horror stories” about church discipline which are easily spread throughout the brotherhood.  Thus, it is easier to give into the temptation to simply ignore the need for church discipline if we have little to no experience with it; it is also easy to dismiss the need to practice it if we are swayed by reports of lawsuits, negative media coverage, and being called unloving and hypocritical by both the world and weak brethren who either do not understand church discipline or who are trying to get attention away from their own sins.

In the end, however, church discipline and all of its facets are commands given to us by God, and we ignore them to our peril (Heb. 5:9; 10:26-31).  I exhort preachers to preach the Word and do so in love and with authority, and I urge elders to back them when they do so both publicly and privately.  This in itself in many ways is the first step of church discipline; continuing to do this in a balanced and consistent way will likely go a long way towards getting the church where it needs to be.  

I also encourage elders to take the lead in practicing further discipline when needed, and to do so with humility, patience, love, and consistency.  Look for those in the brotherhood who have experience in practicing church discipline in the right way, and go to them for counsel for the most expeditious ways to follow the scriptural guidelines.  

Sound brotherhood seminars such as Polishing The Pulpit would be a great place to find wisdom along these lines.  Above all, seek wisdom from God in prayer (James 1:5ff), and do not allow yourself to depart from this path.  In the end, church discipline done for the right reasons and in the right way will pay many positive dividends for the brethren where you worship, and for yourselves as well.

We are wanting to start the process of church discipline, and want to be prepared for any objections to it which might come our way.  What might we expect?

Two come to mind, although I’m sure there are more.  One might be, “We’re all sinners, so are you going to withdraw from all of us?”  We all do in fact sin (Rom. 3:23).  I’m sure Jesus and Paul understood that.  In fact, when I think of the church in Corinth and the numerous sins within their ranks about which Paul wrote to rebuke them—sins such as sectarianism, worldliness, strife, envy, suing each other over trivial matters, divisiveness, selfishness, mishandling the Lord’s Supper, mishandling spiritual gifts, doubting even the resurrection of the dead—I wonder if Paul understood that he was basically asking an assembly of Christians who were far from perfect to withdraw fellowship from a fellow Christian who was also caught up in sin.  I think he did, and I also believe that his divinely-inspired directives to withdraw fellowship from the fornicator among them prompted many more of them to repent of their own misdeeds (cf. 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Cor. 7:8-13).  Point being, God has always required Christians who sin to discipline each other.  Doing so with love and humility helps all involved to grow in the areas in which they need to grow.  Not doing so is counterproductive and will do nothing but lead to more sin.

Another might be, “The commands to withdraw fellowship in the New Testament were for particular situations that took place in different churches long ago, and therefore are not meant for us.”  To which I would reply that all Scripture is given by inspiration to completely equip the man of God for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  If that means just the man of God who lived in the first century, then consistency would demand that the entire New Testament—indeed, the entire Bible—be dismissed as completely irrelevant for anyone today.  If that is the case, then why are we Christians?  

In reality, the commands and examples of church discipline found in Scripture are there to guide us and thus be relevant for the church universally and for all time.  As was pointed out in previous editorials, the purpose of church discipline, up to and including the withdrawing of fellowship, is two-fold: to motivate the erring brother or sister in Christ to repent (1 Cor. 5:4-5; 2 Thess. 3:14), and to keep sin from spreading within the church (1 Cor. 5:6-8; 1 Tim. 5:20).  This was a need during Paul’s day, and it is still a need today.  There is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9-10).

Could you explain 2 Thessalonians 3:15?  How can we admonish him as a brother if we are to have nothing to do with him?

Picture this scenario.  Within your congregation is a fellow Christian who is known to be unrepentantly involved in what the Bible unmistakably calls sin.  You and others, ultimately the whole church, have privately studied with him and pleaded with him to repent…all to no avail.  Finally, with sorrow you have withdrawn fellowship from him, all while urging him again to repent.  Time passes.  One day you find yourself in line at the store right next to him.  What do you do?

“Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”  Therefore, you don’t act as if he doesn’t exist.  You don’t snub him or glare at him.  Instead, you greet him with a smile.  However, you also don’t act as if the disfellowship never happened.  This brother in Christ is caught in Satan’s trap, and that is all that matters.  So don’t talk about the game last night or the weather or how the kids are doing.  Instead, tell him he is missed and plead with him to repent and come back.  If he refuses, then tell him sincerely that you’re praying for him regularly and hope he changes his mind, and move on.

I pray this study has been beneficial for you.

— Jon

Proof for God – 6 Reasons NOT to Believe in Evolution Video

https://apologeticspress.org/video/proof-for-god-6-reasons-not-to-believe-in-evolution-video-5707/ 

Please click on the link above and follow the path provided

Was One Day of Creation a Thousand Years? | Time, Evolution, and the Bible Video 6 min

 https://apologeticspress.org/video/was-one-day-of-creation-a-thousand-years-5889/

Please click on the link above and follow the path provided.

 

God’s Full Protection

Mark McWhorter

Every person wants to be safe. Every person desires to have peace by feeling safe. Danger can come from any direction. In the spiritual realm, Satan may attack from any direction. He will come from behind, from in front, from the side, from above or from beneath.

Since Satan can attack from any direction, a person needs protection in all directions. It is impossible for a human to be awake at all times. It is impossible for a human to see in all directions at once. So, it is impossible for an individual to feel safe from Satan unless there is help from another source. Thankfully, there is another source.

God wants to be that source. God loves every person. If a person will obey God, He will protect him or her from Satan. We read in Deuteronomy 33:26-27, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’” (NKJV).

Notice that God is above in Heaven. He is around the person since He is the refuge, and thus, He is behind. He has His arms underneath the person protecting beneath. Furthermore, He is in front of the person, thrusting the enemy away from before him. Those protected by God are able to “dwell in safety” (Deuteronomy 33:28).

What a wonderful God we have. Do all you can to learn about our God. Obey Him. Get His protection. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

The Community Church

 

The Community Church Movement – Steve Miller

Today we are hearing more and more about the growth of community churches. What is the appeal to attend and join a community church? It’s really not complicated. When you consider that many people are only concerned with satisfying what pleases themselves and are not concerned with what their Creator desires. Community churches are man-founded groups within the denominational configuration that is contrary to the New Testament order.

The system and ideology founded on the division of the religious population into numerous ecclesiastical bodies, each stressing particular values or traditions and each competing with the other in the same community under substantial conditions of freedom (Jerald C. Brauer, Ed., The Westminster Dictionary of Church History, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1971, pp. 262‐263).

J. Ruskin Howe gave a brief history of the emergence of community churches.

A growing phenomenon in American religious life since 1900 has been the rise of Protestant churches without denominational affiliation. Such churches were originally called union or federated churches. They came into existence most frequently through the merger of small, competing congregations in communities inadequate for the proper maintenance of several separate church plants, staffs, and programs.

 

The mingling of men of all faiths in the armed services during World War I, and the rapid emergence of new communities where families of many religious backgrounds were thrown together, accentuated the demand for a type of church fellowship where inherited denominational differences could be transcended in a religious fellowship centered about the great central Christian convictions and expressed in terms of the nature and needs of the individual community. The name community church became a name to conjure with, and such non-sectarian congregations sprang up spontaneously throughout the land (“Community Churches,” Twentieth Century Encyclopedia Of Religious Knowledge Volume I, p. 278-279).

Community churches have been established to serve man, not God! Terms like smorgasbord, hodgepodge and potpourri describe the conglomeration of religious beliefs and practices. One writer cited a reason for the quick growth of community churches: “How do you sell a very old story to a crowd of bored baby boomers weaned on TV, wined and dined by advertisers and struggling to keep up with the 90’s pace of life?” (USA Weekend. April 13-15, 1990. p. 4) Bored baby boomers? Keeping up with the times? It sounds as if the people decide what pleases God in their lives. Can a community church fit the Bible’s qualifications for the church of Christ?

One community church that has served as a pattern for others is the Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Bill Hybels started Willow Creek Community Church in 1975.

He began renting the Willow Creek movie theater in Palatine every Sunday morning. He would conduct services aimed at ‘Unchurched Harry’ – that spiritual seeker full of questions about the meaning of life, but uninvolved with any organized religion. Instead of merely preaching from the Bible, Hybels would compose sermons that linked Bible passages to everyday life – dealing with anger, for example, or the difficulty of being fully honest with people (Daily Herald, Suburban Living Showcase. May 18, 1988. p. 1).

A very revealing statement enlightens us as to the foundation of their purpose for existing:

After conducting a neighborhood survey to determine why people didn’t attend church, the church created an innovative weekend ‘seeker service’ with drama, contemporary music, and relevant messages targeted to 25-45 year-old ‘Unchurched Harry,’ a friend of a Willow Creek member (Willow Creek Association. 1993 Conferences And Seminars. p.3).

The idea of “giving people what they want” seems to be a common denominator among many of these community churches.  Saddleback Community Church founded by Rick and Kay Warren has been influential in the movement to practice religion according to the desires of the people. In Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Church, he writes:

Targeting for evangelism begins with finding out all you can about your community. Your church needs to define its target in four specific ways: geographically, demographically, culturally, and spiritually … I use the word culture to refer to the lifestyle and mindset of those who live around your church. The business world uses the term psychographies, which is just a fancy way of referring to people’s values, interest, hurts, and fears … Within your community there are most likely many subcultures, or subgroups. To reach each of these groups you need to discover how they think. What are their interests? What do they value? Where do they hurt? What are they afraid of? What are the most prominent features of the way they live? (pp. 160, 165).

Dan Winkler comments on this quote by stating:

This entails what Warren later describes as learning to “Think Like a Fish” when you go fishing.’ His church, the Saddleback Valley Community Church of Orange County, California, has even personified their community’s composite profile into what they call, “Mr. Saddleback.:” Their ministry, in turn, is governed by the “priorities,” the “skepticism,” the personal “preferences” as well as the economic status, the academic prowess and the varied struggles that “Mr. Saddleback” represents (The Spiritual Sword, Vol. 32, No. 1, p. 31).

The terms of entrance into Warren’s Saddleback community are something other than what God has commanded. Notice their position on baptism:

Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ.

How could baptism “not save you” but is a “command” and also “demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ?” Contradictory statement? Certainly (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)!

The conclusion rests in our purpose for assembling: it is not for ourselves, it is to honor God our Creator. Owen Olbricht produced the following excellent observations:

Anyone or anything that takes center stage where God belongs and becomes the object of worship is robbing God of His rightful place of worship…Too often assemblies gather to observe what the created can do instead of assembling to express praise for what the Creator has done…Man is not to be the center of worship. Worship is not to be a performance for the benefit of other human beings. God is the audience instead of man (God Is The Audience, p. 117).

God is the object of our worship (Revelation 4:8, 11; 5:12-13; Romans 1:25; Acts 12:22-23), and He is the audience (Psalm 139:7-12; Genesis 28:16; Hebrews 4:13).

The church of Christ revealed in the New Testament is right in its origin, foundation, head, guide, designation, worship, and organization (Daniel 2; Isaiah 2; Matthew 16:16, 18; Colossians 1:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 16:16; Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Ephesians 5:19; Titus 1:5).

For a church to be “of Christ” it must have Divine identifying marks! The community church movement fails to satisfy God’s prescription for the New Testament Church!

The Resurrection of Christ

 

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers,¹ of the 

gospel ^gI preached to you, which you 

received, ^hin which you stand, 2 and by which ⁱyou are being saved, if you ^jhold fast to the word I preached 

to you—^kunless you believed in vain.

3 For ^lI delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died ^mfor our sins ⁿin 

accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised ^oon the third day ^pin accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that ^qhe appeared to Cephas, then ^rto the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he

appeared to ^sJames, then ^tto all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, ^uhe appeared also to me. 9 For ^vI am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because ^wI persecuted the 

church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, ^xI worked harder than any of them, ^ythough it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 

Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the 

dead, ^zhow can some of you say that there is no 

resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no 

resurrection of the dead, ^athen not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because 

we testified about God that ^bhe raised Christ, 

whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even 

Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and ^cyou are still in your 

sins. 18 Then those also who ^dhave fallen asleep in 

Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope²

 in this life only, ^ewe are of all people most to be

 pitied.

20 But in fact ^fChrist has been raised from the dead, ^gthe firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For 

as ^hby a man came death, ⁱby a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For ^jas in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then ^kat his 

coming ^lthose who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers ^mthe kingdom to God the 

Father after destroying ⁿevery rule and every 

authority and power. 25 For he must reign ^ountil he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last 

enemy to be ^pdestroyed is death. 27 For ^q“God³ has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when 

it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain 

that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When ^rall things are subjected to him, 

then the Son himself will also be subjected to him 

who put all things in subjection under him, that ^s

God may be all in all.

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being 

baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not 

raised at all, why are people baptized on their 

behalf? 30 Why are we ^tin danger every hour? 31 I 

protest, brothers, by ^umy pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^vI die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, ^wI fought with beasts at 

Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, ^x“Let us eat 

and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 ^yDo not be 

deceived: ^z“Bad company ruins good morals.”⁴ 34 ^aWake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For ^bsome have no knowledge of 

God. ^cI say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask, ^d“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! ^eWhat you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other 

grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, 

and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for 

fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the 

glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one 

glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, 

and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 ^fSo is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 

It is sown in dishonor; ^git is raised in glory. It is 

sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, ^h“The first man Adam became a living 

being”;^5 ithe last Adam became a ^jlife-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first 

but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 ^kThe first man was from the earth, ^la man of dust; ^mthe second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of 

heaven, ⁿso also are those who are of heaven. 49 

Just ^oas we have borne the image of the man of 

dust, ^pwe shall⁶ also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory

50 I tell you this, brothers: ^qflesh and blood ^rcannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable 

inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a 

mystery. ^sWe shall not all sleep, ^tbut we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For ^uthe trumpet will sound, and ^v

the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall 

be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and ^wthis mortal body must put on 

immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the 

imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, 

then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

^x“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55  ^y“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and ^zthe power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, ^awho gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 ^bTherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast,

 immovable, always abounding in ^cthe work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord ^dyour labor is not in 

vain.