By Pastor Jon
That is essentially Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15:19.
“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
You may hear skeptics seek to positively claim that if Christianity pragmatically works for you; helps you sleep at night; or even, makes you a better person in this world, then no big deal, Christianity, can have its place. Heck, you may be thinking this yourself. You could call this the, What-Have-I-Got-To-Lose, worldview.
Well, not in the theology of Paul. This is bankrupt!
In fact, if Christianity only amounts to events in this life, Christianity is the height of folly, and a waste of time. This is why it remains vital to integrate what Paul has claimed, until this point, in the chapter. And, of course, in the flow of Paul’s argument in 1st Corinthians 15, the test-tube to confirm or falsify is the historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, as this fact makes all other conclusions, fiction.
But Christian, Paul is even challenging much more about the revolutionary implications of the Faith. By implication, he is saying, either give-up on Christianity if you are just living it like a club-gathering round fantastical mythical ideas, which only make humans “nicer” people; or, have your world relovutionised by the implications of the Resurrection, as this event informs and changes everything. The Resurrection can not only be an exception to the rule, it is the exception that effectively changes the rule.
Any type of “Christianity” that seeks to downplay or reduce these supernatural claims is outside orthodoxy, and most to be pitied. The Life can not look the same when you accept this fundamentally cornerstone truth.
Therefore, we can say, Christianity only works in this life, because it’s storyline informs the rest, and goes beyond. And the Resurrection is the litmus test. When you really believe this historical event, and define your living in light, life becomes infused with real meaning and hopeful flourishing, no matter the temporal, because God’s conclusion is even better still.
We can then say, “If without Christ you have hope for this life only, you are of all people most to be pitied.”
And then read verse 20: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (Emphasis Mine).
We will follow the Leader then. We must follow this Leader now.
For the Fame of His Name