The Doctrine of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians: Order in the Church  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Chapter 15 marks a tremendous jump in 1 Cor. We go from the issue of speaking in tongues to what is arguably the most important issue dealt with in this letter.
If I were asked by an unbeliever to summarize the entire religion of Christianity in just one word, that word would be: Resurrection.
The Resurrection of Christ is the most essential doctrines in Christianity. We know this. We understand this. Why then did Paul have to remind the Corinthians of it? Becasue they were already forsaking this important doctrine and believing a lie.
Chapter 15 details three ways it is essential. It is essential to...
Salvation 1-19
Assurance 20-34
Ultimate Glory 35-58
Today we look at how it is essential to salvation

The Resurrection is Inseparable from the Gospel 1-4

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (KJV 1900)
1 Corinthians 15:1–2 KJV 1900
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Notice the mention of preaching the gospel is in the past tense. This indicates Paul had already preached it to them, he is now explaining it further.

What is the meaning of gospel?

Good news.
But the good news of what?
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 KJV 1900
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

What then was the problem?

Satan wastes no time in sewing lies among the truth. Early on in the church history, there were two lies circulated about Jesus:
Christ was crucified, but not resurrected.
Christ was crucified and resurrected, but He would not resurrect our human bodies.
Who would believe such a lie?
1 Corinthians 15:2 KJV 1900
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Evidently there were some in Corinth who had believed in vain: That is they had not believed at all…a good evidence of true profession is how easily you may be persuaded to believe a lie.
Those who are truly saved will have no trouble understanding and adhering to the Word of God.

The Gospel Explained:

Verse 3 declares - Christ died.
Christ laid down His life for us, in our place on Calvary as detailed in the gospels.
Paul was an eye witness, possibly of the crucifixion, but definietly of the resurrected Christ. Paul was also a student of the OT Scriptures, and could list all of them concerning His death - Psalm 22, Iaiah 53, Daniel 9, etc.
Verse 4 reminds us - Christ was buried.
There are many Scriptures to point to His death:
Matthew 27:50 KJV 1900
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mark 15:37 KJV 1900
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Luke 23:46 KJV 1900
46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
John 19:30 KJV 1900
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Not to mention all the Scriptures mentioning the entombment, the soldiers, the stone, the seal, the angels, the disciples, the women.
It’s common sense really, YOU DON’T BURY LIVING PEOPLE!!!
The Romans were convinced he died, they did not break His legs.
The Jews were convinced He was dead as they didn’t want Him on the cross after sunset (even if they weren’t convinced He would stay dead!)
Verse 4 goes on - He rose the third day.
Just as He said He would, He died, was buried, and rose again in three days.

Let’s do a quick comparison of other religious leaders:

Muhammed - dead.
Buddha - dead.
Confucius - dead.
Jesus - ALIVE FOREVERMORE!

Consider the following evidence for His resurrection:

1 Corinthians 15:5 KJV 1900
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
He was seen of Peter and then the 12
1 Corinthians 15:6 KJV 1900
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
he was seen by over 500 at once, and in Paul’s day most of them were still alive and could have been asked.
1 Corinthians 15:7 KJV 1900
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
He was seen of James and all the apostles
1 Corinthians 15:8 KJV 1900
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Last, but not least, He was seen of Paul

Why is Paul such a significant witness of the resurrection?

1 Corinthians 15:9 KJV 1900
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul hated the church! He was the most feared persecutor of the church
He considered himself to be unworthy to be an apostle....aren’t you glad God doesn’t ask our opinion about ourselves prior to saving us?
We’re all unworthy! God loves us anyway.
1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV 1900
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
It was only by the grace of God Paul was able to serve. It is only by the grace of God that we are able to serve today.
1 Corinthians 15:11 KJV 1900
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Paul affirms it is the grace of God that saved him, and saves everyone. It is the saving grace of God that caused him to serve more fervently, and it is the grace of God the he and the apostles preached everywhere they went.

If we reject the resurrection we are both foolish and hopeless.

1 Corinthians 15:12 KJV 1900
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
What right does anyone have to deny or reject the doctrine of the resurrection in light of such powerful evidence?
Paul was calling out the false teachers in Corinth…the resurrection cannot be denied! Why? Read 1 Cor. 15:13-15
1 Corinthians 15:13–15 KJV 1900
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
If there is no resurrection, the Christ is still dead. That means those 500 who saw Him at once are all lying! It means the Paul and all the apostles are liars. Not only are these witnesses of the resurrection, Paul, and the apostles liars, but God is a liar as well!
Keep reading....1 Cor. 15:16-19
1 Corinthians 15:16–19 KJV 1900
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
The facts are very simple here:
If the dead cannot rise (as some were teaching - Sadducee) then Christ is not raised.
If Christ is not raised then what have we believed in? I’ll answer: a lie. If Christ is not raised then you are not, you cannot be saved.
Those who have died in Christ have perished - destroyed…FYI…this false teaching of annihilation is still taught today. When you die in your sins you don’t burn in hell forever, you burn up and that’s it.
If the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ is not true, then we are more miserable than anyone else on the planet..

Take away

What we have seen so far in this chapter is that Paul emphasizes the importance of the doctrine of the resurrection.
He gives evidence for and a defense of the resurrection
The bottom line is that the resurrection of Christ the central doctrine in all of Christianity.
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