Thanks for clicking on today’s study. Death connects all humanity. It is a popular topic among Townhall readers because Vol. 330: “What Jesus Says About Death” appeared all day on last Sunday’s “Trending” list. Discussions of death are personal, emotional, complicated, and multi-layered.
The genesis (excuse the pun) of this death study series was a remark by Sen. Lindsey Graham before his untimely passing, as explained in Vol. 329: “Death in the Old Testament.” That study led to a gospel discussion of death in Vol. 330. If you have not read either, please do so, because today’s topic is cumulative as we explore death in the rest of the New Testament, which is dominated by St. Paul’s writings.
Those familiar with the Bible know that Paul teaches, elaborates on, and interprets Jesus’s earthly ministry in 13 New Testament books (called Epistles or letters). These Epistles, attributed to him, make up nearly half of the New Testament’s 27 books. However, some modern-day writers and scholars debate whether Paul wrote all 13.
Across the 13 Pauline Epistles, the meaning of Jesus’s death, resurrection, and eternal life is beautifully and repeatedly explained, shaping Christ-centered faith worldwide for centuries.
Paul’s writing on those three topics carries extra weight because of his background. Born in Rome, Paul, of Jewish heritage, was originally named Saul of Tarsus. As a powerful Pharisee, he persecuted Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Then, en route to Damascus to persecute more of Jesus’s Jewish followers, Saul experienced a debilitating miracle that led him to faith in Christ.
Shortly after, Jesus told Ananias about Saul, “Go! [tend to him] This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15-16).
Of course, that happened, making Paul the world’s most influential evangelist then, now, and forever. He taught that humankind’s death resulted from sin, but that through faith in Christ and repentance, believers would attain eternal life.
We discussed in Vol. 329 that the first biblical mention of death appears in Genesis 2, where God warned Adam in the Garden of Eden:
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). (Dig deeper in Vol. 110.)
But Adam and Eve ate from that forbidden tree, and because of their disobedience, humanity was forever separated from God by sin and death. That changed during Jesus’s earthly ministry, when He told His apostles in John 14:19: “Because I live, you also will live.” Paul further explained Jesus’s declaration when he wrote:
“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
Given that Paul was Jesus’s “chosen instrument,” his writings teach transformation. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, death is defeated, and believers are promised everlasting life with the Lord Jesus. Inspired, Paul wrote this oft-quoted verse:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
One could call that an “elevator pitch” for what Jesus offers believers. There is no need to fear death because Christ conquered it. God offers humankind salvation from sin through true faith in Christ. However, God knows whether your faith in His Son is genuine by how you comport yourself in accordance with His Commandments and Christ’s teaching. We must “walk the walk,” not “talk the talk.” God is watching us! As Paul wrote, “We are the Lord’s”:
“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).
In 1 Corinthians, Paul explains Christ’s resurrection to those who didn’t witness His death or never saw Him in the flesh. Paul quotes the Old Testament in the well-known verses from Handel’s Messiah:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). The Old Testament passages are:
“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” (Hosea 13:14). The prophet Hosea was told by God about the death of a nation that Paul applies to Christ’s resurrection.
Additionally, Paul alluded to the following Messianic prophecy from the Lord to Isaiah:
“…he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:8).
In 2 Corinthians, Paul describes how we await our new bodies in heaven. I condense:
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).
Turning to Philippians, Paul expresses a personal view that he does not fear death because dying brings him into Christ’s presence. Moreover, if we live faithfully according to Christ’s teaching and God’s commandments, death is the fulfillment of our behavior on earth. He wrote:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
That is a powerful thought that captures the truth about life, how we live, and what awaits us in death: a return to our true home. I pray that after this series you have a new or renewed, hopeful view of death.
Next week, because those with faith can never get enough of Jesus’s “chosen instrument” (especially me), we will study “The best of Romans,” which showcases Paul’s powerful teaching across various theological topics.
Blessings to all who have read thus far!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible” reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. “Part 2“ reprints Vols. 57-113. Order it here.
Myra is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. You can help support our six-month exhibit at the Basilica in Orlando, Florida. Read more here. Contact: Myraadams01@gmail.com
