Sometimes, the best way to reveal the flaw in another person’s reasoning is to show how inconsistent it is. Often, these inconsistencies surface when we examine the difference between what people say and what they do.

This may help us understand the apostle’s puzzling reference to baptism for the dead in verse 29. In this section, Paul is showing the Corinthians what is implied by what they say they believe. In verse 29, he shifts the focus on what they do. He does not necessarily endorse the kind of baptism mentioned here. Rather, his aim is to demonstrate how this practice assumed the reality of resurrection. Although the phrase “for the dead” is somewhat ambiguous, Paul appears to distance himself from such baptisms by describing them as something that others do. “Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead?” he asks. “If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?” Whatever purpose the Corinthians thought such a rite might serve, it didn’t make any sense if there was no such thing as resurrection.

Paul appealed to his own example as evidence for the hope of resurrection. The certainty of life beyond this life gave Paul the courage to face death. The mention of “wild beasts in Ephesus” is probably figurative (v. 32). The threat to Paul in Ephesus did not come from animals in the arena but from human opponents. Sometime after Paul wrote these words, his ministry caused a riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:23–41). But such threats were not unusual. As Paul put it, “I face death every day” (v. 31). Even today, there are many places in the world where Christians face similar opposition. The assurance of bodily resurrection gives them the courage to face death no matter the cause.

Today, people refer to “canceling” as a way of expressing their disapproval of something or someone in a public forum. People cancel others to try to stop the spread of objectionable ideas. And those who have been canceled see it as the suppression of their right to speak freely.

Followers of Christ have always faced pressure from those who disapprove of aspects of the gospel message. In Corinth, this disapproval was aimed at the gospel’s emphasis on bodily resurrection, which seemed incompatible with a dualistic philosophy that saw the material world as being incompatible with the spiritual. Such scorn caused some Corinthians to suppress the unpopular aspects of the gospel they had received from Paul. One result was their assertion that there was no bodily resurrection (v. 12).

Paul’s method of dealing with this error was to start with their premise and explain what it would mean if that were actually true. He does this with a series of “if…then” assertions which show that once the foundation of the bodily resurrection of Christ is removed, the hope of the gospel collapses entirely (vv. 13–19). Without the resurrection, faith in Christ is “useless” (v. 14). Apostolic authority for the gospel is eliminated (v. 15). If Christ did not rise “you are still in your sins,” and those “who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost” (vv. 18–19). Paul summarizes with this blunt conclusion in verse 19: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” The good news is that Jesus “has indeed been raised from the dead” (v. 20). We are now waiting for the full effect of the victory Christ has already achieved to become a reality (vv. 22–28).

When I announced my retirement, the thing most people wanted to know was what I would do with my time. “I am going to sit on the beach and think about God,” I told them. It was an exaggeration, of course. I live in Michigan, so the beach is too cold in the winter! But have you ever wondered how Jesus occupies Himself now that He has risen from the dead?

Paul reveals that one of the things Jesus does is pray. This was something He did even before His resurrection. But now Jesus does so from a position of complete victory. His sacrifice for sin is complete. He has been raised to life and restored to His rightful place at the Father’s right hand (v. 34). The apostle reminds us of these things to encourage us in the present and reassure us about the future. For those who belong to Christ, God “works for the good” in every circumstance (v. 28). Christ’s death and resurrection have guaranteed the believer’s complete transformation into His image (v. 29). What is more, as Christ prays for us from heaven, the indwelling Holy Spirit “intercedes for us through wordless groans” (v. 26).

No wonder Paul concludes that nothing we face can “separate us from the love of Christ” (v. 35). Since the entire Trinity is at work in our salvation to make us “more than conquerors through him who loved us,” why should we have any doubt about what the future holds (v. 37)? The level of certainty that Paul describes in these verses is absolute. The ultimate outcome depends on God, not our situation. God’s accusing Law was the chief impediment that stood in our way. Now that Jesus has died and risen for us, there is no longer any charge that can be brought against us (v. 33).

Antinomian is a word that combines a Greek preposition that means “against” with the Greek word for “law.” It may seem as if this is a good way to describe Paul’s view. Yet in Romans 3:31 Paul asserts the opposite: “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” How does faith uphold the Law? By the Spirit!

In Romans 8:2, Paul says that “the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” This is a contrast between two “laws” or controlling principles that shape behavior. One operates in the realm of flesh, which “cannot please God” (v. 8). The other is the rule of the Spirit, who “gives life because of righteousness” (v. 10). Those who are in Christ are still subject to mortality. We will die. However, when we are indwelt by the same powerful Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, death is not our ultimate destiny because “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (v. 11).

The hope of resurrection lies in the future, but its power is something that those who belong to Christ have already begun to experience. The reality of the indwelling presence of the Spirit obligates those who belong to Christ to live out of the realm of the Spirit (v. 12). The Law, even though it is “holy, righteous and good,” can only operate externally (7:12). It reveals the standard but does not enable us to meet it. Its weakness is the flesh, which “does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (8:7).

What did the disciples think would happen next after Jesus proved to them that He was alive following the resurrection? We get a clue from the question they asked in verse 6 of today’s reading: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” They thought it was the end of the story. Or, perhaps more accurately, the beginning of a new one. What I don’t think they expected was that they would have to go back to school.

Verse 3 says Jesus “appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” His aim was twofold. First, He would provide His followers with irrefutable proof of His bodily resurrection (v. 3). Jesus backed this claim by being with them in the flesh and eating with them (v. 4). Second, He would finish instructing them and prepare them for their next stage of ministry. For forty days, Jesus taught them about the kingdom of God (see Matt. 4:23). Yet despite all this instruction, His apostles still had questions. Specifically, they wanted to know when the kingdom would be restored to Israel (v. 6).

In his reply, Jesus pointed out that the timing was not their concern. The times and dates are things that “the Father has set by his own authority” (v. 7). The immediate task that lay before them was to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who would empower them to bear witness “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). Jesus had spoken to them about the ministry of the Spirit. He had called Him “another advocate” who would “help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16). He is also called “the Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9; 1 Peter 1:11).