121. If Paul Had Not Expected a Resurrection Would He Have Lived a Self-indulgent Life?

No, he was not that kind of man. In the passage in I Cor. 15:32 he is considering the attitude of an opponent, and is stating such an argument as might be made by one who believed there was no life beyond the grave. In effect he says: "A man who does not believe in immortality might naturally say, in considering such a life as mine, that it is folly. Instead of fighting with beasts as I did at Ephesus, and enduring all kinds of hardship and persecution, it would be better for me if I simply enjoyed the good things of life. Such a man could never be persuaded to become a Christian, if there was no prospect of a future life.