I Die Daily

What was Paul saying when he said, “I die daily”?

 

A common thought is that Paul was speaking here of repentance. But what does the Bible say?

 

Here is the verse:

 

"I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." - 1 Corinthians 15:31 KJV

 

According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, “I die daily” is “I meet death daily, living in danger of death.”

 

The verse before it goes hand in hand with this meaning,

 

"And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?" - 1 Corinthians 15:30 KJV

 

The subject of 1 Corinthians 15 beginning in verse 12 is the resurrection from the dead. These verses speak of how as Christ was resurrected from the dead, there will be a resurrection at the rapture of those that were living for Jesus when they died, but now they are “asleep” in the grave.

 

Paul speaks of how it took death to put a person in the grave.  He also speaks of how those that will rise from the grave in the resurrection were baptized having faith – knowing that because they had joined themselves with Christ in baptism in Jesus name and baptism with the Holy Ghost, they too would rise from the dead when He returns for His church.

 

With this faith in the resurrection, Paul and those he was writing to in the church in Corinth were willing to put their life in jeopardy for Christ.

 

Paul writes about this:

 

"If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die." - 1 Corinthians 15:32 KJV

 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that the words for “I have fought with beasts” can be taken either literally – “that Paul was condemned to fight with wild beasts” or taken figuratively as a metaphor “of a fierce contest with brutal and ferocious men.” With either meaning, Paul was willing to risk dying for preaching the gospel, knowing there is a resurrection from the dead.

 

Here are verses that are from 1 Corinthians 15:12-58:

 

"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ...

 

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept...

 

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming...

 

“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die...

 

“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die...

 

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

 

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

 

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 15:12, 20, 23, 29-32, 35-36, 51-57 KJV

 

Paul’s conclusion?

 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV