An Exposition of I Corinthians 15:32-34

1 Corinthians 15:32-34 ESV (32) What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (33) Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." (34) Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.Paul, speaking of the resurrection of Christ, makes the point that our "religion" doesn't profit us as humans at all if it didn't happen. If Christ was not raised from the dead, then "your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (17). If Christ was not raised from the dead, then there is no hope of heaven for Christians and no hope of a relationship with God (as this is the true reason for Christ's coming, life, and death - John 3:16 cr. John 17:3). The resurrection is a key doctrine when it comes to our faith in Christ and hope in heaven and an eternal relationship with the King.Paul then mockingly says that if the dead are not raised that we might as well just eat, drink, and die. He says this mockingly, as this is obviously the stupid thing to do. Even if we were to not have the hope of heaven, obedience is still due to God. Notice that Paul says that if there were no resurrection, there would be no human gain for all the work he had done. Doesn't this indicate that there is something still to gain by serving God? Yes. The gain is in God getting what He justly deserves, just as you would be getting what you justly deserve - death for sin. However, this is not the case, since Christ did raise from the dead. Paul tells us at this point to avoid bad or immoral company. In this context, I interpret this verse in a way that most do not. I interpret this verse to say that if we surround ourselves with people whose obedience is based solely on the selfish desire of the gain of heaven and not on the fact that God deserves it, we too will slack in our obedience.Paul then instructs the Corinthians to "wake from [their] drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning." The time has come for us, Christians, to stop living in darkness. We need to wake up for the night is far spent and the day is at hand. It is so easy to be an apathetic Christian, living in sin without regard for obedience. We need to get up, stop stumbling around, and follow after Christ, for "whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" (I John 2:6). Christians, Paul tells us this: we need to wake up and stop being apathetic, for there are those who have not even heard of the Gospel of Christ Jesus - and His resurrection. We sit fat and happy in our "salvation" (I put quotes there for I would question if those are even saved) doing nothing while others are dying in their sin with no hope. This, as it was intended, should make us ashamed.Let us walk worthy of our calling, Christians. Let us wake from our sleep, pursue a relationship with God, obey for the sake of obedience and not for selfish gain, and proclaim boldly the Gospel and the joy of our salvation!