The following is an extended quote from N.T. Wright’s new book, “Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church”. In this quote, Wright establishes the two main questions that the book seeks to answer.

“This book addresses two questions that have often been dealt with entirely separately but that, I passionately believe, belong tightly together. First, what is the ultimate Christian hope? Second, what hope is there for change, rescue, transformation, new possibilities within the world in the present? And the main answer can be put like this. As long as we see Christian hope in terms of “going to heaven,” of a salvation that is essentially away from this world, the two questions are bound to appear as unrelated. Indeed, some insist angrily that to ask the second one at all is to ignore the first one, which is the really important one. This in turn makes some others get angry when people talk of resurrection, as if this might draw attention away from the really important and pressing matters of contemporary social concern. But if the Christ hope is for God’s new creation, for “new heavens and new earth,” and if that hope has already come to life in Jesus of Nazareth, then there is every reason to join the two questions together.” (pg. 5).

When Wright says that the two questions (What is our hope? How can it effect the present?) should be joined together, I believe he is in good company, namely, the New Testament authors. When I took New Testament II, my professor gave us a challenge to find any passage that teaches on the “end times” that did not have an explicit or implicit application for the present time. I have yet to find any.

For example, the Apostle Paul’s longest section of teaching on the resurrection comes to us in 1 Corinthians 15. In this passage, Paul argues that if Christ was not raised from the dead then our faith is in vain. Why? Because if Christ is not risen, then he is merely a cold body in the grave, death was not conquered, his atonement was not accepted, and there is no hope in our own resurrection in the future. To put it succinctly, Christianity would be false and Christians should be pitied. Why? Because we have a baseless hope that would only lead to disappointment. In fact, we would not be living life to the fullest (see 1 Corinthians 15:32).

Yet, to paraphrase Paul- Oh, Christian! Christ has risen from the dead! Death is dead, yet will be defeated finally at his coming!

How is it finally defeated? With the resurrection of our bodies. Death is overcome by life.

How does this affect our lives now? Isn’t that the point Wright is getting at? Well, the most obvious answer is that it gives us hope. But notice what Paul’s response is:

“Therefore [because of what I just said about the resurrection], my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
(1 Corinthians 15:58)

Now that’s odd. Because the future resurrection is true- we should devote ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, and our labor in the Lord is not in vain. What does the truth of the resurrection have to do with our jobs? I think the answer is that the truth of Christ’s past resurrection, and our future resurrection, gives us the hope we need to fulfill our jobs- no matter what they are. If it’s school work, or vocational work, or baby-sitting, or mowing the grass, no matter what it is, the truth of the resurrection affects our present situations.

Why? Because the truth of the resurrection, is the truth of the new creation. The truth of resurrection is the truth of redemption itself. The truth of resurrection is the truth of the Gospel. And the truth of the Gospel is redemption. Individual redemption, which leads to communal and social redemption, etc. Our labor is not in vain, because it is an opportunity for us to show the truth of the Gospel, and of the future new creation and new heavens, in the present. Was it not Paul himself who said a few chapters earlier, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Hm. That’s interesting. Those who do not hold to the resurrection also apply that belief to the present day. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” No hope of a resurrection, live while we can. The Christian, with hope of the resurrection, says, “Let us eat and drink for the glory of God!”