📖WEB · 1 Corinthians 15:31
What does 1 Corinthians 15:31 mean?
"I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."
— 1 Corinthians 15:31 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?
Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?
I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”
Wake up righteously, and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Explanation
In this verse, Paul makes a solemn declaration to the Corinthians: "I die daily." He is not speaking of physical death happening repeatedly, but of the constant, ongoing risk and hardship he faces because of his apostolic ministry. He swears to the truth of this statement by appealing to his genuine pride and joy in the Corinthian believers themselves—pride he holds "in Christ Jesus our Lord," meaning it is not selfish boasting but a legitimate satisfaction rooted in what God has done through his relationship with them.
The context is crucial to understanding this verse. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a congregation he founded, and this letter addresses various problems in the church, including a group that denied the future bodily resurrection of believers. In chapter 15, Paul mounts an extended defense of the resurrection, arguing that if Christ was not raised, then the Christian faith is futile and believers are still in their sins. He then pivots to a practical argument: if there is no resurrection, why would he and other apostles endure constant suffering, danger, and near-death experiences for the sake of the gospel? Verse 31 is part of this argument—he uses his daily brushes with death as evidence that he genuinely believes in the resurrection hope. If this life were all there is, his sacrificial lifestyle would be senseless.
Theologically, this verse highlights the cost of gospel ministry and the way hope in the resurrection sustains believers through suffering. Paul's willingness to face daily danger—reflected elsewhere in his writings
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