1 Corinthians 15:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Many, being conscious of their vices and not wishing to bear punishment, cease from fear to believe even in the resurrection. On the contrary, those who do much good desire to see it every day.

"I say this to your shame: some among you do not know God." See how the Apostle again lays the blame on others. He did not say, "You do not know," but, "Some among you."

Not to believe in the resurrection belongs to one who does not have a perfect conception of God's invincible power, fully sufficient for all things. For if He created what exists from what did not exist, much more can He raise what has been dissolved.

Having strongly reproached them and deeply shamed them by accusing them of incontinence, senselessness, and insensibility, the Apostle then softens his words and says, "I say this to your shame."

That is, in order to correct you, in order to bring you to understanding, so that, being ashamed, you may become better.

He feared that, by striking more than was proper, he might turn them away from himself.

But let us not think that this was said only to them, the Corinthians. It now applies also to all who suffer from similar diseases and lead a corrupt life.

For not only those who hold evil thoughts, but also those who are given over to grave sins, are in a state of drunkenness and derangement.

Therefore one may rightly say to them also, "Awake," especially to those weighed down by the disease of greed and who practice evil acquisition. There is also a good acquisition: the acquisition of the heavens, which harms no one.

"I say this to your shame." Since he had been rebuking them for quite a long time, he now consoles them. I said this, he says, not from enmity and not as a reproach, but to shame you, so that, when you are ashamed and reason as you ought, I may bring you to correction.

"Some have ignorance of God," in Russian, "some do not know God." In such ignorance of God the Apostle reproaches not pagans, but the Christians themselves, because he speaks to them as to his own disciples.

The ignorance of God with which the Apostle charges them concerned chiefly the dogma of the resurrection of the dead. For unbelief, or the refusal to acknowledge this truth, led to the overthrow of the whole teaching about divine almighty power, goodness, Providence, and fallen man.

It also led to the rejection of the whole teaching about God's economy. This unbelief was equal to complete ignorance of God and of His highest attributes.

"Do not sin" may be connected with "awake soberly" as a means to an end. Do not sin, so that you may acquire and always preserve a sound manner of thought about everything: about the resurrection of the dead itself, and about the future recompense.

Saint Chrysostom says, "He rightly added, 'Do not sin,' showing that the seeds of unbelief among them came from this. In many places he expresses that a corrupt life gives birth to evil thoughts. For example, he says, 'The love of money is the root of all evils, through which some, desiring it, have wandered from the faith' (1 Tim 6:10). So here also. Many, conscious of their vices and unwilling to bear punishment, cease through fear to believe in the resurrection. On the contrary, those who do much good desire to see it every day."

On the other hand, sobriety may be connected with not sinning as a means to an end. This is how it stands among all the saints. Although for them sobriety means not letting thoughts wander here and there, but standing with mind and attention upon the one thing, such a state is possible only after the mind has been established in all truths.

Then wandering thought, empty thinking, and vain thinking cease. Yet the mind's attentive movement from one holy truth to another is not considered a violation of sobriety. On the contrary, it helps to kindle it. The influence of sobriety on not sinning depends on this: the sober mind admits not only no passionate thoughts, but not even empty ones. When there are no thoughts, the passions are silent. When the passions are at rest, where can sin come from? Every sin is the realization of a passion.

"For some have no knowledge of God." Knowledge of God means knowledge about God, about God's attributes and works. If they knew this as they ought, they would in no way have fallen into unbelief concerning the resurrection of bodies. For if God has revealed this, and He is truth, how can one not believe it? Who, understanding properly what God is, would dare set his own mind against the mind of God? When God speaks, the creature must receive His word without contradiction, with warm obedience.

On the other hand, one who knows God cannot allow even the slightest doubt concerning the possibility of the resurrection. He clearly understands that for Him who created from nothing, it costs nothing to create again from already existing matter, even if it has dissolved.

"Not to believe the resurrection is proper to one who does not have a perfect concept of the invincible and all-sufficient power of God. For if He created what exists from what did not exist, then all the more can He raise what has been destroyed" (Saint Chrysostom).

Theodoret draws the same conclusion from another side. "The Apostle very wisely called unbelief in the resurrection ignorance of God. Whoever confesses that he knows God (Titus 1:16) believes that He is righteous. Righteous recompense is fitting for the Righteous One. But we do not see righteous recompense in the present life. Therefore one who confesses that he believes in God must expect the resurrection."

He says that "some" have such ignorance, and thereby softens the rebuke. But then he adds, "I say this to your shame," suggesting that although only some are guilty of this, the fault is of such a kind that it shames all of you. How do you allow anyone like this to be among you? If they are not such out of stubbornness, why have they not been corrected by you before now? If they are stubborn, why have they been tolerated among you until now? You must either correct them or cleanse the community of them.

Saint Chrysostom finds that these words were added to soften the rebuke. "'I speak to your shame,' that is, to correct you, to bring you to understanding, so that, being ashamed, you may become better. For he feared that, by striking them more than was proper, he might turn them away from himself."