Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 15:32
32What good has it done me if, [merely] from a human point of view, I fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink [enjoying ourselves now], for tomorrow we die.
1 Corinthians 15:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- New King James Version (NKJV)If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
Context of 1 Corinthians 15:32
30[For that matter] why are we [running such risks and putting ourselves] in danger [nearly] every hour [if there is no resurrection]? 31I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self]. What good has it done me if, [merely] from a human point of view, I fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink [enjoying ourselves now], for tomorrow we die. 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. I say this to your shame.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 151 Corinthians 15:32 word by word
εἰ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐθηριομάχησα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, τί μοι τὸ ὄφελος; εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ifεἰei · ifG1487
- after the mannerκατάkata · according toG2596
- of menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- I have fought with beastsθηριομαχέωthēriomacheō · to fight beastsG2341
- atἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- EphesusἜφεσοςEphesos · EphesusG2181
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- advantageth itὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- advantageth itὄφελοςophelos · gainG3786
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- the deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
- riseἐγείρωegeirō · to ariseG1453
- notοὐou · noG3756
- let us eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- to morrowαὔριονaurion · tomorrowG839
- we dieἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 15:32
- Romans 6:19I am speaking in [familiar] human terms because of your natural limitations [your spiritual immaturity]. For just as you presented your bodily members as slaves to impurity and to [moral] lawlessness, leading to further lawlessness, so now offer your members [your abilities, your talents] as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification [that is, being set apart for God’s purpose].
- Galatians 3:15Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though a last will and testament is just a human covenant, yet when it has been signed and made legally binding, no one sets it aside or adds to it [modifying it in some way].
- 2 Peter 2:12But these [false teachers], like unreasoning animals, [mere] creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed, reviling things they do not understand, will also perish in their own corruption [in their destroying they will be destroyed],
- Jude 1:10But these men sneer at anything which they do not understand; and whatever they do know by [mere] instinct, like unreasoning and irrational beasts—by these things they are destroyed.
- Acts 19:1It happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper [inland] districts and came down to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
- 2 Corinthians 1:8For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about our trouble in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], how we were utterly weighed down, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life [itself].
- Job 35:3For you say, ‘What advantage have you [by living a righteous life]? What profit will I have, more [by being righteous] than if I had sinned?’
- Psalms 73:13Surely then in vain I have cleansed my heart And washed my hands in innocence.
- Malachi 3:14You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. What profit is it if we keep His ordinances, and walk around like mourners before the Lord of hosts?
- Luke 9:25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself?
- Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and assure himself that there is good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.
- Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, young man, in your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant in the days of your young manhood. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desires of your eyes, but know that God will bring you into judgment for all these things.
- Isaiah 22:13Instead, there is joy and jubilation, Killing of oxen and slaughtering of sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine, saying, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”
- Isaiah 56:12“Come,” [they say,] “let us get wine, and let us fill ourselves with strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, very great indeed.”
- Luke 12:19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).” ’
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 15:32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32If, after the manner of men, etc. - Much learned criticism has been employed on this verse, to ascertain whether it is to be understood literally or metaphorically. Does the apostle mean to say that he had literally fought with wild beasts at Ephesus? or, that he had met with brutish, savage men, from whom he was in danger of his life? That St. Paul did not fight with wild beasts at Ephesus, may be argued, From his own silence on this subject, when…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32If after the manner of men - Margin, “To speak after the manner of men” ( ̀ ̓́ kata anthrōpon). There has been a great difference of opinion in regard to the meaning of these words. The following are some of the interpretations proposed: (1) If I have fought after the manner of people, who act only with reference to this life, and on the ordinary principles of human conduct, as people fought with wild beasts in the amphitheater. (2) or if, humanly…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-34Verses 20-34 All that are by faith united to Christ, are by his resurrection assured of their own. As through the sin of the first Adam, all men became mortal, because all had from him the same sinful nature, so, through the resurrection of Christ, shall all who are made to partake of the Spirit, and the spiritual nature, revive, and live for ever. There will be an order in the resurrection. Christ himself has been the first-fruits; at his coming, his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus: Paul uses this phrase to describe his struggles with opponents in Ephesus (see 16:8; Acts 19:23–41; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 4:8–12; 11:23–28). Watching condemned prisoners fight wild beasts and get mauled to death was common entertainment in the Roman world.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3232. Punctuate thus: "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," &c. [Bengel]. If "merely as a man" (with the mere human hope of the present life; not with the Christian's hope of the resurrection; answering to "If the dead rise not," the parallel clause in the next sentence), I have fought with men resembling savage beasts. Heraclitus, of Ephesus, had termed his…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 15:32
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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