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“How Are the Dead to Be Raised Up?”The Watchtower (Study)—2020 | December
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3. As indicated at 1 Corinthians 15:30-32, Paul’s belief in the resurrection helped him to do what?
3 Paul’s belief in the resurrection helped him to endure various trials. (Read 1 Corinthians 15:30-32.) He told the Corinthians: “Daily I face death.” Paul also wrote: “I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus.” Perhaps he was alluding to his fighting real animals at an arena in Ephesus. (2 Cor. 1:8; 4:10; 11:23) Or he may have been referring to hostile Jews and others who were like “wild beasts.” (Acts 19:26-34; 1 Cor. 16:9) Whichever it was, Paul faced serious perils.
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“How Are the Dead to Be Raised Up?”The Watchtower (Study)—2020 | December
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5. What dangerous viewpoint could weaken our faith in the resurrection?
5 Paul warned his brothers about a dangerous viewpoint that some had: “If the dead are not to be raised up, ‘let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die.’” That viewpoint actually existed even before Paul’s day. He may have been quoting Isaiah 22:13, which refers to the attitude of the Israelites. Instead of drawing close to God, they pursued a life of pleasure. Basically, the attitude of those Israelites was “here today, gone tomorrow,” a view common even today. However, the bad outcome to the nation of Israel is a matter of record.—2 Chron. 36:15-20.
6. How should the resurrection hope affect our choice of associates?
6 Clearly, the fact that Jehovah can resurrect the dead should affect our choice of associates. The brothers in Corinth needed to guard against associating with those who denied the resurrection. There is a lesson for us today: No good can come from choosing as regular associates those who have a live-for-the-moment outlook. Being with such ones can ruin a true Christian’s viewpoint and habits. In fact, it might lead him to have a lifestyle that includes what God hates—sin. Thus, Paul strongly urged: “Come to your senses in a righteous way and do not practice sin.”—1 Cor. 15:33, 34.
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