If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,“ Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

我若当日像寻常人，在以弗所同野兽战斗，那于我有什么益处呢？若死人不复活，我们就吃吃喝喝吧！因为明天要死了。

从人的观点看来，我当日在以弗所同野兽搏斗，对我有什么益处呢？如果死人没有复活，“让我们吃吃喝喝吧！因为明天要死了。”

从人的观点看来，我当日在以弗所同野兽搏斗，对我有什么益处呢？如果死人没有复活，“让我们吃吃喝喝吧！因为明天要死了。”

从人的角度看，我在以弗所与那些“恶兽”格斗对我有什么益处呢？如果死人不会复活，“让我们吃喝吧！因为明天我们就死了。”

我在以弗所和野兽搏斗，如果照着人的意思来看，那对我有什么益处呢？如果死人不会复活，“我们就吃吃喝喝吧，因为我们明天就要死了。”

我在以弗所与野兽搏斗，如果按人的意思来说，对我有什么好处呢？如果死人不会复活，就“让我们吃吃喝喝吧，因为明天我们就要死了。”

我若當日像尋常人，在以弗所同野獸戰鬥，那於我有甚麼益處呢？若死人不復活，我們就吃吃喝喝吧！因為明天要死了。

從人的觀點看來，我當日在以弗所同野獸搏鬥，對我有甚麼益處呢？如果死人沒有復活，「讓我們吃吃喝喝吧！因為明天要死了。」

從人的觀點看來，我當日在以弗所同野獸搏鬥，對我有甚麼益處呢？如果死人沒有復活，「讓我們吃吃喝喝吧！因為明天要死了。」

從人的角度看，我在以弗所與那些「惡獸」格鬥對我有什麼益處呢？如果死人不會復活，「讓我們吃喝吧！因為明天我們就死了。」

我在以弗所和野獸搏鬥，如果照著人的意思來看，那對我有甚麼益處呢？如果死人不會復活，“我們就吃吃喝喝吧，因為我們明天就要死了。”

若按人的說法，我當日在以弗所跟野獸格鬥，那於我又有甚麼益處呢？死人如果不能得甦活起來，那『我們喫喫喝喝吧，因為明天就死了！』

我在以弗所與野獸搏鬥，如果按人的意思來說，對我有什麼好處呢？如果死人不會復活，就「讓我們吃吃喝喝吧，因為明天我們就要死了。」

昔我於以弗所、若效常人鬥獸、有何益哉、若死者不見起、毋寧式飲式食、蓋明日死矣、

始我在以弗所、甘受鬥獸之濫刑、若無復生、斯何益哉、寧圖飲食、明日死至矣、

昔我在以弗所、與獸鬥、若僅似常人、有何益哉、

曩在伊弗所、予曾與猛獸格鬥矣；若依人之常情而論、我亦何樂而為此？若死者無復活、則『人生有酒須當醉、明日死來萬事休；』

Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus with nothing more than human hopes? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised,“ Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die.”( Isaiah 22:13)

What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised,“ Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

And what value was there in fighting wild beasts— those people of Ephesus— if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection,“ Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise,“ Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

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.

If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with only human hope, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

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.

If from a human point of view I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what did it benefit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then“ let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine!“ Let us eat and drink,” you say,“ for tomorrow we die!”

And I’ll say to myself,“ You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“ Come,” each one cries,“ let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.”

“ You have said,‘ It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct— as irrational animals do— will destroy them.

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said:“ You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting:“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people.But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours:“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”The city clerk quieted the crowd and said:“ Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.

Yet you ask him,‘ What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?’

But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever- increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.