A Malaysian Chinese Perspective On 1 Corinthians 15: 1 – 58

David Chong Wui Howe

Context

At the annual Ching Ming festival, Chinese families make their way to the graves of departed

relatives in order to clean up the sites, repainting tombstone inscriptions and make food offerings

to their ancestors. By burning joss sticks, paper money, houses or even paper aeroplanes, it is

believed that souls of the deceased would be continually provided for. In return, the deceased

ancestors would reward their filial piety with protection and prosperity. It is considered socially

unbecoming for a Chinese family or person to neglect this important event.

Even though these religious beliefs are held by the majority; the ancestral cult has been advocated

by Confucius based upon “the devotion and affection toward living parents, and on the

continuance of devotion and affection after death.”1 Hsiao or filial piety is considered the basis

for the Five Cardinal Relations, which prescribed specific duties to participants of each

relationship.2 Historically, Ching Ming festival commemorated the death of a noble scholar Jie Zi

Dui (600 BC) who was killed for refusing the emperor’s recruitment to serve in his corrupt

courts.3 Others said that it was an agrarian fertility feast at the beginning of spring. As time went

by, it has evolved into a festival to remember the departed and reinforce family solidarity.

However, the elements of culture and religion are intertwined into the Chinese social fabric that it

had become quite difficult to distinguish them.

1
Chae Woon Na, “Filial Piety in Confucian Thought,” North East Asia Journal of Theology 28/9
(1982):28. Quoted in Reverend Daniel Chua Meng Wah, Feeding On Ashes: A Biblical Evaluation of
Chinese Ancestral Worship, (Kairos Research Center: Damansara, 1998), page 13
2
The Five Cardinal Relations refer to those of ruler-subject, between friends, father-son, elder brother-
sibling, and husband-wife relationships.
3
Daniel Tong, A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions And Beliefs, (Genesis Books: Singapore, 2003),
page 36

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In the past, Jesuits and liberal Protestants have accepted ancestral veneration as a merely social

ceremony while Franciscan and evangelical missionaries have opposed it as religious idolatry.4

Without a united response, Chinese Christians are still ambivalent about their participation in the

Ching Ming festival and the resulting perception of turning one’s back on the family remains a

formidable missiological barrier.

With the influence of Buddhism, the concept of accumulating merit for the deceased through

meditation and chanting the sutra gained currency as a way to help them achieve enlightenment

and escape the cycle of reincarnation (samsara). Due to Daoism, the performance of certain rites

is believed to help the deceased to pass through 10 halls of judgment in hell with 18 levels of

excruciatingly detailed punishments. The Chinese also have a complex view of the afterlife where

each person has three souls. Upon death, the souls are dispersed and resided in different places –

the Western Paradise (reward) or Yin World (judgment), in the ancestral tablet and in the body of

the deceased.5 These religious beliefs have also provided further rationale for the practice of

ancestral veneration as providing for the needs of ancestors in the afterlife, seeking their blessings

and offering sacrifices.

Within this socio-religious context, Chinese Christians face the challenge of demonstrating filial

piety and family solidarity without compromising with idolatry, reserving worship to the Lord of

heaven and earth alone.

4
Lin Chi-Ping, Ancestor Worship: Reactions of Chinese Churches, Christian Alternatives to Ancestor
Practices, (Asia Theological Association: Taiwan, 1985), pages 149 - 157
5
Daniel Tong, A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions And Beliefs, page 71

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Text

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-58, Paul addressed some serious misconceptions in the church surrounding

the future state of the dead. Perhaps it was due to proto-Gnostic influences or Greco-Roman

Platonic worldview that dismissed the physical existence as a prison to be escaped from.6 Some

Corinthians may have spiritualized the resurrection as simply the immortality or transmigration of

the soul. It could also be caused by an over-realized eschatology that mistook the resurrection as

something that had already taken place (2 Timothy 2:17- 18).7

In that context, the apostle began by reminding them the kerygmatic message, which he had

received and passed on “as of first importance” (verse 3). The thematic affirmations of Christ’s

death for our sins, his burial, resurrection on the third day and appearances to the disciples are

integral to the gospel, by which the church is saved and the foundation upon which she stands.

The Corinthian community accepted and believed this apostolic tradition from the very

beginning. Having set the stage, Paul brought their shared belief in the resurrection of Christ to

bear upon two related doctrinal confusions regarding whether the dead shall be raised at all (verse

12 – 32) and the nature of the resurrected body (verse 35 – 56).

In a series of rhetorical questions and reductio ad absurdum arguments, Paul pushed their denial

of a general resurrection to its absurd or undesired logical conclusions. If the dead are indeed not

raised, then Christ has not been raised either (verse 16). If that is so, then the faith, which they

had received and which Paul had testified in the past, is futile. There is no future hope beyond the

6
N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son Of God, Christian Origins And The Question of God, Volume 3,
(Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2003), page 32 onwards. In Part 2 of this book, Bishop Wright provided a
most detailed treatment of Greco-Roman concepts of the afterlife.
7
Gordon Fee, Corinthians: A Study Guide, 3rd edition, page 120

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grave if our sins remain unforgiven (verse 17 -18). If the dead are not raised, we may as well live

in meaningless pursuit for merely temporal pleasures like ‘eating and drinking’ (verse 32).

But since Christ is indeed risen as they have already affirmed in the gospel, the decisive

inbreaking of the Kingdom has begun in the present world. Like the firstfruits that herald an

imminent harvest, the historical resurrection of Christ is a precursor of our future resurrection

from the grave and points forward to the consummation of God’s reign over all things and

ultimate defeat of all oppressive dominions and powers, including death itself (verse 23 – 26).8

What God had done in power for Christ on Easter morning, He would also do for the renewal of

the entire creation when He returns. The resurrection of the dead is the future culmination of

heaven-on-earth eschatology, a detached otherworldly state no matter how blissful.

After that, Paul turned his attention to questions probably asked by his opponents, “How are the

dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” Contrary to Bultmann, resurrection

language is not used for just a spiritual extension of life in heaven while the body is still laid

decaying in the grave. The embodied existence, which involved a concrete and physical body,

will be redeemed. Using the analogy of a seed, the apostle pointed out that unless it first “dies”

i.e. sown into the ground, a potential plant would not come to life (verse 37). Of course, there is

continuity between the wheat in the form of a grain and in the form of a plant. The same body

that is sown in dishonor will also be also raised in glory by the life-giving power of God (verse

43). However, Paul also stressed a radical discontinuity as our existing perishable and natural

bodies will be transformed into an imperishable, spiritual body. We should not confuse the

spiritual body (soma pneumatikos) with a non-physical entity found in ancient or modern

8
While Thiselton recognizes the value of Witherington’s thesis that Paul is taking an aim at imperial
Roman propaganda, he also favors a more comprehensive understanding of “every rule and every authority
and power” (v28) as embodying any kind of structural opposition to God. Antony Thiselton, The First
Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Greek New Testament Commentary, (Eerdmans
Publishing:Grand Rapids, 2000 ), page 1232

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dualism. A similar contrast is found in 1 Corinthians 2:14 – 15 between a ‘soulish’ or psychical

person who does not receive the things of the spirit and the spiritual (pneumatikos) person who

discerns everything. It does not mean some persons (spiritual or otherwise) do not possess

material bodies! The issue was whether these living persons are “living at the level of life

common to all human kind” or “indwelt, guided and made wise by the creator’s Spirit”.9

Therefore, a ‘spiritual body’ does not refer to its composition but to a body animated or moved by

the Spirit.

By drawing on the creation account in Genesis, Paul is contrasting the earthly world-order

represented by Adam as a living psyche (combination of body and soul) with the heavenly new

creation inaugurated by the resurrected Christ, the last Adam, who became a life-giving spirit.10

The phrase “life-giving spirit” does not exclude a resurrection body since the risen Christ could

be seen and touched.11 As Fee convincingly explained, “the transformed body is not composed of

‘spirit’; it is a body adapted to the eschatological existence that is under the ultimate domination

of the Spirit”.12 Again, we see the significance of the bodily resurrection at cosmic, eschatological

proportions. In the likeness of Adam, we all share in his common humanity. As such we are

subject to death and decay. In order to inherit the kingdom, this “flesh and blood” mode of

existence must be animated with the life-giving power of the Spirit and put on immortality.13 The

new creation has already been set in motion at the resurrection of Christ, who serves as a

prototype for “those who are of heaven” (verse 48). It would be a fulfillment of God’s good

creation, not an abandonment of the physical body. Through the agency of the last Adam, our
9
N. T. Wright, The Resurrection Of The Son Of God, page 350
10
Richard Gaffin, The Centrality of the Resurrection: A Study In Paul’s Soteriology, (Baker: Grand Rapids,
1978), page 83
11
F.F. Bruce, I & II Corinthians, The New Century Bible Commentary, (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 2001),
page 152
12
Gordon Fee, First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament,
(Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1987), page 786
13
Flesh and blood here does not refer to “a corrupted human corpse, but to human nature as such in its
frailty and in its sinfulness”. Jeremias, “Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God,” page 151 –
159. Quoted in Antony Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians,,page 50

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perishable bodies would be made imperishable and alive again as a new kind of humanity bearing

His likeness (verse 22).

Finally, Paul’s theological discourse climaxes with triumphant praise and worship. “The sting of

death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 56 – 57). The teachings on resurrection do not issue in a wistful

passive waiting for otherworldly escapism but for fresh impetus to stand firm and be devoted to

the work of the Lord in the present world (verse 58).

Reflection

As the only Chinese festival set by solar calendar, the timing of Ching Ming coincides with Easter

celebration each year. It provides a unique opportunity for the church to seize on the symbolism

of death and new resurrection life.14 However, it would only have a social impact of

demonstrating Christian filial piety and refuting criticisms of disloyalty if a large segment of the

church collectively took up the challenge. At the cemeteries, we could help with the repair and

cleaning work while making a firm stance to refrain from participation in questionable practices

like burning ‘hell’ money. We could seek to redeem the festival by meaningful retelling of the

lives and contributions of our ancestors to the next generation, the singing of hymns anticipating

the resurrection life and strengthening relational ties with non-Christian family members.

Ultimately, the only effective apologetic is our honor and filial care for the elderly while they are

still alive and remembrance of their deeds. To reach one’s parents for Christ in love is the highest

form of filial piety.15

14
Dr Keith Hamilton of Singapore Bible College provided An example of how the Ching Ming festival can
be contextualized by Christians. Reverend Daniel Chua Meng Wah, Feeding On Ashes, page 96
15
Mary Yeo Carpenter, Familism And Ancestor Veneration: A Look at Chinese Funeral Rites, Missiology
Volume 24, No 4. October 1996

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The apostle Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 reminds us of our participation and solidarity in a

new humanity in Christ. In Adam, our first ancestor, we have shared not only in his biological life

but also in his spiritual estrangement from God the Father. The 18 detailed descriptions of

judgment serve as confirmation that there will be retribution for the sins committed in life. In the

last Adam, however, we have been set free for He has died for our sins and rose again to give us

Spirit-renewed life. By His sacrifice and resurrection, Christ’s righteous merits were imputed to

us and our wrongdoings were pardoned such that we do not partake in ritualistic ceremonies to

escape judgment. Our incorporation in a new humanity and community of faith does not put

asunder family ties. Rather, the eschatological people of God embrace and transcend them to go

beyond merely biological relations to welcoming even strangers and “Samaritans”. Death does

not end our cherished relationships for the grave would not have the last laugh.

The parallel themes of death-new life in the Ching Ming-Easter events also focused our attention

on the issue of pain, sorrow and suffering. The Christian hope does not lie in a form of escapism

from this world in order to achieve eternal bliss in an abstract, disembodied existence elsewhere.

Isn’t this otherworldly pie-in-the-sky dream the subject of much Marxist critique for dulling

people’s pains to real oppressions? The bodily resurrection of Christ is a radically contrasting

solution as an open, historical event that happened in space-time continuum. As such, it is open to

public scrutiny and rational investigation of its claims. What God has done in Christ, He would

do on a cosmic scale for our fundamentally good but sin-corrupted creation. The world will be

ultimately transformed into new heaven and new earth, not abandoned like a prison. Our physical

bodies of suffering will be resurrected with glory, honor and incorruptibility. Having seen the

ravages of sin, we would not desire to sin any longer in a material existence that is empowered by

the Spirit. There will be no more sickness, decay or violence for God will wipe away every tear

and restore all that is beautiful, noble and true. Similar to C.S. Lewis’ vision of heaven in The

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Great Divorce, the future renewed world will be more substantial, more tangible and more solid

than the world as we know it.16 If the present creation will not be abandoned but transformed,

then the resurrection of Christ promises and calls the church to be heralds and agents of that new

creation. In the meantime, we are to work in the here-and-now in anticipation of the

eschatological vision such that we could have a foretaste of its future glory.

However, exceedingly more than the peace and joys of everlasting life, reunion with beloved

ones, the splendor of the new creation and the wondrous adventures and fulfilling work in which

it is possible, and perfected bodies which never experience pain, we look forward to an unveiled

fellowship with the infinitely glorious and supremely personal Triune God. Greater than all the

gifts of resurrected life is the ever-loving Giver Himself, who even gave Himself so that we may

indeed behold and savor and worship Him forever.

16
In the Great Divorce, Lewis contrasted imaginatively the denizens of hell as "phantoms" as opposed to the
"bright solid people" from heaven.

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 Bibliography

1. I & II Corinthians, The New Century Bible Commentary, F. F. Bruce, Eerdmans: Grand

Rapids, 2001

2. A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions And Beliefs, Daniel Tong, Genesis Books:

Singapore, 2003

3. A Commentary On The First Epistle To The Corinthians, C. K. Barrett, Hendrickson

Publishers: Massachusetts, 1987

4. Christian Alternatives To Ancestor Practices, Edited by Bong Rin Ro, Asia Theological

Association: Taiwan, 1985

5. Feeding On Ashes: A Biblical Evaluation of Chinese Ancestral Worship, Reverend

Daniel Chua Meng Wah, Kairos Research Center: Damansara, 1998

6. First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New

Testament, Gordon Fee, Eerdmans Publishing: Grand Rapids, 1987

7. The Centrality of the Resurrection: A Study in Paul’s Soteriology, Richard B. Gaffin,

Baker Books: Grand Rapids, 1978

8. The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Greek New Testament

Commentary, Antony C. Thiselton, Eerdmans Publishing: Grand Rapids, 2000

9. The Resurrection of the Son of God, N. T. Wright, Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2003