O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 1 Corinthians 15:55.

When speaking of a sting, what did the apostle Paul mean by it? The Greek word κέντρον (kentron) means a sharp point or sting. It can describe the sting of an animal, like a scorpion, which brings pain or even death. It can also refer to a goad, a pointed stick used to prod an animal forward, which appears in the expression “kicking against the goads” to describe resisting God’s will. Paul uses kentron figuratively in 1 Corinthians 15:55–56 to describe death’s destructive power and its deadly sting.

Lately, I’ve been wrestling with a fear of death and the future. Turning 50 and having so much life behind me has caused me to think deeply about the years still ahead. This year, the loss of two family members has brought death close in a very personal way, as I have watched loved ones pass on to be with the Lord. My brother-in-law, who came to know Christ while in prison, was released only to be placed in hospice. I had the privilege of sharing communion with him, and he passed away just six days later. My mother-in-law, who also came to faith, passed away as well, and her loss deeply affected me, especially as the holidays felt very different without her, since our Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings always waited for her to begin. This has been a very difficult year for our family.

“Sting” is a fitting word to describe how death feels. It truly does feel like a sharp point, like a scorpion’s sting, where the pain is real and deeply felt, as though being prodded by something pointed and cruel. Death’s destructive power and its deadly sting are undeniable. So the question arises: why would Paul say, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting,” when death clearly hurts every time it comes?

Context is king. Before 1 Corinthians 15:55, Paul is speaking about the resurrection body. His aim is to encourage the church in Corinth by making the case that because Christ has been raised, believers will also be raised. He explains that this future hope involves putting on an imperishable body, which will occur when believers are changed at the last trumpet. As Paul writes, “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” The perishable body will put on the imperishable, and the mortal body will put on immortality. When this takes place, Paul says that the saying will come to pass as it is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory,” quoting Isaiah 25:8.

Afterward, in 1 Corinthians 15:56–58, Paul explains that the sting of death is sin and gives thanks to God, who grants us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. He then urges believers to remain steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord their labor is not in vain.

Paul is looking ahead to a future when death will no longer have a sting, because when believers are raised with immortal and imperishable bodies, sin will no longer have any hold on them. The scorpion is gone. Death, the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26), will no longer be able to wound or prod the believer. From this forward-looking hope, Paul concludes that this inevitable end is a source of joy for those in Jesus Christ. Yet, as glorious as this truth is, it can still feel distant and unfamiliar, especially for those of us who continue to experience loss and the anxieties of this life.

It is difficult to remain steadfast. There are many times when I do not feel immovable, and I do not always feel as though I am abounding in the work of the Lord. At times, I struggle to believe that my labor in the Lord is not in vain. Death truly does sting, and this year it has prodded me deeply. I find myself worrying about those final moments, and I have even feared for the future of our church and its continued health. I wrestle with the constant fear that something might go wrong. Yes, even pastors struggle with these fears when they are honest. Death, the future, and life’s uncertainties are tangible struggles for us, just as they were for the saints of Scripture.

David prayed for understanding about the brevity of life and felt the weight of mortality (Psalm 39:4–5), while other psalmists and prophets expressed deep anguish as they faced death and fading strength (Psalm 88:3–6; Psalm 102:11, 23–24). Job openly reflected on the shortness and hardship of life and questioned what comes after death (Job 14:1–2, 14), and King Hezekiah wept when told his life was coming to an end (Isaiah 38:1–3). The apostle Paul admitted being burdened beyond his strength and even despairing of life itself, yet learned to rely on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:8–10), and he honestly described the tension between wanting to depart and be with Christ and remaining for the sake of others (Philippians 1:20–24). Hebrews 2:14–15 acknowledges humanity’s lifelong fear of death and it affirms that struggles with mortality and the future are tangible realities, even for the saints.

While Paul raises the question of death and its sting from an eternal perspective, I have found myself asking a more personal question: O man of God, where is your faith? In Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones he wrote, “I must never ask myself in the first instance: What do I feel about this? The first question is, Do I believe it? Do I accept it, has it gripped me?”

This matters because I have often reacted out of fear instead of taking the time to believe and rest in the truth that the future is full of hope. I will be raised imperishable with Christ, and the things of this world, which will all pass away, are not where my hope belongs. Everything here is temporary, and even if the Lord does not return in my lifetime, I will still be taken to be with Him. This is what I believe and what I live for. My hope is not in what I have in this life, nor even in who I have, but in Christ alone. At times, we simply need to rehearse and remember this truth: though death stings now and may feel like a harsh master, we have been set free because our sins have been fully dealt with. 

God promised to swallow up death forever and remove sorrow from His people (Isaiah 25:8), declaring His power over death and the grave (Hosea 13:14). Jesus Himself said that He is the resurrection and the life, and that those who believe in Him will never ultimately die but have already passed from death to life (John 11:25–26; John 5:24). Because Christ has been raised, death no longer has dominion over Him, or over those united to Him (Romans 6:9), and not even death can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39). Though our bodies still decay, the Spirit gives life now and promises resurrection life to come (Romans 8:10–11). Paul describes death not as defeat but as being at home with the Lord and even as gain for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:1–8; Philippians 1:21–23), while reminding us that present suffering is temporary compared to eternal glory (2 Corinthians 4:16–18). Hebrews teaches that Christ has destroyed the power of death and freed believers from lifelong fear (Hebrews 2:14–15), and Revelation declares the final reality: death itself will be no more, along with mourning, crying, and pain (Revelation 21:4).

So in reality, we have two options: either we live in the victory we have because of Christ, or we allow the sting of death to prod us into despair. Even as I write this, I can feel my heart settling, because the controlling question is no longer, “What do I feel about this?” but whether I truly believe the truth about my future in Christ, and whether that truth has truly gripped me. I choose to rest in the unchanging truth that I will be raised with Christ and that this life, by itself, cannot ultimately give me what I need. 

My hope for those of you who are struggling with these same fears this season is that you would not only know your future in Christ, but actively live by faith in it, allowing your heart to be encouraged by the truth of your eternal reward. As Paul says in Philippians 1:23, to depart and be with Christ is far better, yet to remain is more necessary for the sake of others. So live for the Lord and for those around you, in a way that allows your hope in Christ to rise above present struggles and overcome the fear of what this life might bring.

To God be the Glory!