What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:30? And why “Why” signals Paul’s logical challenge. He has just proven Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-28), so he presses: if the dead are not raised, what possible motive remains for a life of costly ministry? His tone sounds like Romans 8:31—if God is for us, why fear? Without a real resurrection, every sacrifice would be pointless (15:19, 32). Do we endanger Paul isn’t exaggerating; his ministry bio in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 lists beatings, shipwrecks, and prisons. • Spiritual courage grows from certainty that the gospel is true (Acts 20:22-24). • Risk is expected for faithful witnesses (Philippians 1:29). • The cross-shaped life makes danger a normal part of obedience (Luke 9:24). Ourselves This isn’t theoretical. Paul and his companions put their own bodies on the line (1 Corinthians 4:9-13). • Love for Christ outweighs self-preservation (Galatians 2:20). • Offering ourselves is a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). • The church benefits when servants embrace personal loss (Colossians 1:24). Every hour The peril is constant, not occasional. Paul echoes 2 Corinthians 4:11, “For we who are alive are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake.” • Daily cross-bearing keeps eternity in view (Luke 9:23). • Ongoing trials refine faith (Acts 14:22). • Continuous danger exposes the bankruptcy of a faith that ends at the grave; only resurrection hope sustains unbroken courage (2 Corinthians 1:8-10). summary 1 Corinthians 15:30 confronts any thought of a cost-free Christianity. Paul’s unwavering exposure to danger makes sense only because Christ’s resurrection is historical and our resurrection is guaranteed. Confident in that promise, believers joyfully risk comfort, reputation, and even life, knowing “our labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). |
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