The Epistles
The passages in I Corinthians 15:12-34 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18 has some culture and history that brings its self out. First, there is a belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus as the son of God. A certain belief precludes that God exists and is able to raise people from death as he did to Jesus. The practice of baptizing people on behalf of the dead is also a followed culture according to the passages. The people referred to in this are also seen to believe that God will also raise those who fall asleep in that is those who die believing in him (Elwell, 2008).
Paul wrote these passages due to the issues that were occurring in churches. Some of these issues were people not believing in life after death and people were also in dishonest company that would ruin their morals. These passages were proving that there is life after death as God will rise all those who have fallen asleep in Christ like Jesus. The epistles are general letters to anyone who believes in God. They encourage people to have knowledge on God and stop sinning so that they can enjoy the life after death when God will be coming for his people (Hull, 2005).
The passages were not so specific to the audience and the time they were written as they were meant to guide and encourage Gods people to continue believing in him and have all their hops in him, as God was the only solution to their problems. This teaching is true for us today and is a universal teaching. This is true because with every day’s problems that people pass through, the people tend to loosen their belief in Christ and they should be encouraged to stay in Christ as the only solution (Wright, & Sampley, 2002).
References
I Corinthians 15: 12 - 34
I Thessalonians 4: 13- 18
Elwell, W. A. (2008). Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Tyndale House Publishers
Hull, M. F. (2005). Baptism on Account of the Dead (1 Cor: 15:29): An Act of Faith in the
Resurrection. BRILL Publishing
Wright, N. T. & Sampley, J. P. (2002). The New Interpreter's Bible: General Articles &
Introduction, Commentary, & Reflections for Each Book of the Bible, Including the
Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books in Twelve Volumes. Abingdon Press, 2002
original from the University of Michigan
