1 Corinthians 15:32 (LSB)

Passage

If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:30 Why are we also in danger every hour?

1 Corinthians 15:31 I affirm, brothers, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

1 Corinthians 15:32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

1 Corinthians 15:34 Become righteously sober-minded, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "human", "motives", "fought", "wild", "beasts", "ephesus", "does", and "profit". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "human" and "motives", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 31's "I affirm brothers by the boasting in..." into verse 33's "Do not be deceived Bad company corrupts...", so "human" and "motives" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "human" and "motives" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.