Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Corinthians 15:32

"If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." — 1 Corinthians 15:32 (ASV)

If after the manner of men . . .—These words imply here, as elsewhere (1 Corinthians 3:3), “merely from a human point of view.” What is the advantage or necessity of my incurring daily risks, if I am merely a human being, with a life limited by what we see, and no immortality and resurrection awaiting me?

I have fought with beasts at Ephesus.—The question here arises: Are these words to be taken literally or figuratively? Does St. Paul refer to some actual contest in the arena with beasts, or to his conflict with the opponents at Ephesus, whom he thus designates beasts? It is scarcely possible to accept the former interpretation.

There is no mention of it to be found in the Acts, and, moreover, his Roman citizenship would have legally protected him from such treatment. We must therefore conclude that the Ephesians themselves are spoken of as “beasts.”

Both Hebrew and Greek literature would have made such a form of expression familiar to the Apostle and to his readers. In the Psalms (Psalms 22:20–21), the opponents of God are similarly spoken of. The Cretans are called “evil beasts” by the poet Epimenides, whom St. Paul quotes in Titus 1:12. Heraclitus calls the Ephesians “beasts”—the same word St. Paul uses here. St. Ignatius (Epis. ad Rom.) also speaks of “fighting with beasts by land and sea,” and of having been “bound to ‘ten leopards,’ that is, a band of soldiers.”

Although the Greek verb implies that reference is made not to general or prolonged opposition, but to one specific outburst of rage on the part of his opponents, we must not take it as indicating the scene described in Acts 19:23-34, which had probably not taken place when this was written. However, no doubt the “many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9) at Ephesus had already availed themselves of some opportunity to vent their rage on the Apostle in the manner of wild beasts (See Introduction.)

What advantageth it me?—This sentence is completed with these words and should be followed by a question mark, thus—“What advantageth it me?” (See next Note.)

If the dead rise not?—Better, if the dead be not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. If the dead are not raised, our conduct is illogical. Consistency then belongs to those who disregard God’s call to repentance, and of whom we read in Isaiah 22:13 that they say, “Let us eat and drink.” The reference is directly to this passage in the prophet describing the conduct of abandoned Jews during the siege of Jerusalem; but the words indicate with equal accuracy that school of Epicurean philosophy of which, no doubt, there were many representatives at Corinth.

Similar expressions are found in many classical writers. However, the most remarkable instance of the use of these words is where they occur on an inscription on a statue at Anchiale, a town in Cilicia, St. Paul’s native province: “Sardanapalus, the son of Anacyn-draxes, built Anchiale and Tarsus in one day. Stranger, eat, drink, and play, for all the rest is not worth this.” The figure is represented as making a contemptuous motion with its fingers. Saul of Tarsus had probably often seen that statue and inscription.