1 Corinthians 15:32

1 Corinthians 15:32

If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

a. ASV: If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: If after the manner of a man with wild beasts I fought in Ephesus, what the advantage to me if the dead do not rise? let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die!

  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: What do I gain if, merely from the human point of view, I fought with [wild] beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will be dead.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: If, after the manner of men, I were thrown to wild beasts at Eph'e-sus, what good would come to me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. NLT: And what value was there in fighting wild beasts—those people of Ephesus[fn]—if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus…”

a. If [Strong: 1487. ei i a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether.]

b. [after the] manner [Strong: 2596. kata kat-ah' a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):--about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from ... to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), ... by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.]

c. [of] men [Strong: 444. anthropos anth'-ro-pos from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:--certain, man.]

d. [I have] fought with beasts [Strong: 2341. theriomacheo thay-ree-om-akh-eh'-o from a compound of 2342 and 3164; to be a beast-fighter (in the gladiatorial show), i.e. (figuratively) to encounter (furious men):--fight with wild beasts.]

e. at [Strong: 1722. en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

f. Ephesus [Strong: 2181. Ephesos ef'-es-os probably of foreign origin; Ephesus, a city of Asia Minor:--Ephesus.]

1). This is a very intriguing verse because Paul here mentions of fighting with animals in the arena. There is a difference of opinion among scholars as to the actual meaning of this verse. One school of thought teaches that this literally happened, while another school of thought teaches it is metaphorical. Personally I don’t know for sure. An important fact in all this is that Scripture never mentions an Ephesian imprisonment. The only thing mentioned that comes close to an arrest is in Acts 19:23-41, where there was a near riot with the silver idol makers, but there is no arrest and no imprisonment. In 2 Corinthians Paul refers to an incident that happened in Asia that might be referring to an Ephesian imprisonment that included an ordeal in the arena.

a). 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

b). In this passage it is not only Paul but also some of those with him because he uses plural nouns though out the passage. Whatever the ordeal was, the wording implies that they thought they were going to die but God intervened and delivered them. 

2). There is another verse, this one in 2 Timothy that could hints to an Ephesian imprisonment. These passages are far from conclusive.

a). 2 Timothy 1:16-18 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

1:18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

b). Just because it is not specifically mentioned in Scripture but only alluded to does not mean it did not happen. In 2 Corinthians Paul mentions a number of persecutions that are not recorded in the book of Acts but nevertheless happened.

c). 2 Corinthians 11:23-26 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

3). In his notes on 1 Corinthians 15:32, Dake writes that he believes the “fighting with beasts to be metaphorical and raises a very good point. “Perhaps referring to his fight with the beastly men at Ephesus (Acts 19:28-31). Such men are called beasts (Titus 1:12; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 10). Paul does not refer to having been in combat with wild beasts in an arena when naming his hardships. The bottom line in all this is we don’t really know enough to definitely declare if Paul was in the arena combating with wild beasts.

4). Some have brought up the seemingly good point that a Roman citizen being condemned to the lions is very rare. It may be true that it is rare for a Roman citizen to be condemned to the lions but even in our contemporary courts in America which I believe is the best in the world there are people who are charged and convicted of crimes for which they did not commit. The use of DNA in many instances have overturned convictions and freed men in prison, some of which have served years in prison. Paul’s imprisonment that began at Jerusalem in Acts 22:27 and continued for years and lasted after the completion of the book of Acts was an injustice and whether he was freed and suffered a second imprisonment or not, Paul was ultimately beheaded unjustly by a Roman court. In the end this is a weak point.

3). A stronger point is made by appealing to the passage itself. In the previous verse Paul clearly uses the metaphor of death to describe his daily life.

a). a). 1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

2. “...what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.”

a. what [Strong: 5101. tis tis probably emphatic of 5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions):--every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.

b. [Strong: 3588. [to] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [to] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

c. advantageth [Strong: 3786. ophelos of'-el-os from ophello (to heap up, i.e. accumulate or benefit); gain:--advantageth, profit.]

d. [it] me [Strong: 3427. moi moy the simpler form of 1698; to me:--I, me, mine, my.]

e. if [Strong: 1487. ei i a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether.]

f. [the] dead [Strong: 3498. nekros nek-ros' from an apparently primary nekus (a corpse); dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun):--dead.]

g. rise [Strong: 1453. egeiro eg-i'-ro probably akin to the base of 58 (through the idea of collecting one's faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence):--awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-)rise (again, up), stand, take up.]

h. not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

i. [let us] eat [Strong: 5315. phago fag'-o a primary verb (used as an alternate of 2068 in certain tenses); to eat (literally or figuratively):--eat, meat.]

j. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

k. drink [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

l. 1063. gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

m. tomorrow [Strong: 839. aurion ow'-ree-on from a derivative of the same as 109 (meaning a breeze, i.e. the morning air); properly, fresh, i.e. (adverb with ellipsis of 2250) to-morrow:--(to-)morrow, next day.]

n. [we] die [Strong: 599. apothnesko ap-oth-nace'-ko from 575 and 2348; to die off (literally or figuratively):--be dead, death, die, lie a-dying, be slain (X with).]