1 Corinthians 15:58

Context

This is the final verse of chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, the letter Paul sent to the church at Corinth. Chapter 15 is often called the Resurrection Chapter. Some in the Corinthian church were saying that "there is no resurrection of the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:12), and in this chapter Paul argues for both the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers.

Paul first states that if there is no resurrection, both preaching and faith are vain (1 Corinthians 15:12-20). He then celebrates the transformation into an incorruptible body and the victory over death (15:51-57), and in verse 58 draws his conclusion with "Therefore." Here doctrinal argument gives way to practical exhortation.

The Greek word kenos ("empty"), rendered "in vain," also appears in 15:10 and 15:14 of the same chapter. The expression thus reverses the earlier argument that without the resurrection everything is vain. The word kopos, rendered "labour," denotes toil to the point of exhaustion.

Interpretation

• A reading as the ethics of resurrection hope: Many commentators read this verse as a conclusion drawn from the doctrine of the resurrection: because the future resurrection is certain, present labor does not lose its meaning. Drawing on this verse, N. T. Wright has emphasized that good works done in the present are connected with God's new creation.
• A reading that emphasizes doctrinal firmness: This reading takes "stedfast, unmoveable" as an exhortation not to be shaken by teaching that denies the resurrection.
• The scope of "the work of the Lord": A narrower reading holds that the phrase refers to the preaching of the gospel and service in the church. In support, it points to 1 Corinthians 16:10, where Paul says of Timothy that "he worketh the work of the Lord." A broader reading, in the tradition of vocation, holds that the phrase encompasses the whole of the Christian's life and work.

Questions of Application

The verse is not the subject of significant dispute between denominations. Two concerns, however, have been raised about its application. The first is a caution against narrowing "the work of the Lord" to activities within the church alone and using the verse to justify demands for excessive service. The second concerns reading "not in vain" as a guarantee of visible results; in context, the fruit of labor is affirmed within the hope of the resurrection.

In the Korean Church

The verse is reportedly cited often at ordination and installation services, at dedication services, and on other occasions meant to encourage those engaged in church service, such as Sunday school teachers and choir members.

Related Passages

• 1 Corinthians 15:10
• 1 Corinthians 16:10
• 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
• Galatians 6:8-10