The Devotional – 1072 – Foot Steps in First Corinthians, On Going

The Devotional – 1072 – Foot Steps in First Corinthians, On Going

If you go to a foreign country it is wise to understand some of the culture of the land. Most all people groups have long time rituals and events that are not like those you may be accustom to. In one place it may be considered improper to pat a child on the head, in another it may be wrong to open a window, without opening another in the same room. The reasons for such actions are very logical to those who consider these actions improper or opening their home to demonic activity. Also if one is disrespectful of such things it will not be long before those whom you are visiting will also lose respect for you and your reason for being in their country, respect works in both directions, if not there is no common ground to continue walking in the shoes of the gospel of peace, since all preparation has been destroyed. Ephesians 6:15.

CHALLENGES & COMMENTS – 1 Corinthians 15:29-34

Looking into this passage of scripture many commentators are at odds about the thoughts that arise with the words “baptized for the dead”. Honestly I believe we miss the mark in just about anything doctrinally if we seek to obtain principals of interpretation to this section about the subject that is not the subject. Baptism of the dead in not the subject of this section, but the RESURRECTION of the dead is.

It is known that Corinth had many pagan religions, some of these did practice a proxy baptism for the dead. This did not mean that these religions believe in a resurrection, but only that it was a part of the religious ceremony of death. Most any ritual regarding death can be considered a baptism on internment. Please note too that “Christianity” is not the only expression of faith [religion] that practices baptism.

If you allow yourself to think about your conversion to Christ, you had some religion and no doubt you carried some of those rituals and beliefs into your new life in Christ and until the LORD through His Word cleared up those pagan beliefs, these were part of your worship. Yet these having nothing to do with your eternal position in Christ and your future resurrection with Him. Only the gospel which includes baptism and resurrection counts.

So I believe that the focus of the apostle Paul is not on baptism, but on the battle to live the resurrected life to die in Christ. Note he says in verse 30 to the Believers in Corinth, “why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? He goes on to say that he dies daily. There is no evidence that the apostle agrees or disagrees with the practice or manner of baptism. 

Yet in verse 32 he says that whatever the manner of men is, what advantage is it to him? If the dead do not rise again; let us eat and drink (like the rest of the world) for tomorrow we die. No he continues… do not be deceived, this baptism means nothing because it is a ritual in this case that does not promise a resurrection. Evil company corrupts good habits.

For me this statement tells it all in that the “good intention of baptism has been made evil by the religious practices of man-made ritual. Instead we are to awake to RIGHTEOUSNESS and do not SIN; for some do not have the knowledge of God, in other words… what does the Holy Scriptures say about this; if you do not know and your practice is such, then shame on you.