This Side of the Resurrection- one shot
there are four components of the gospel listed, each introduced by the same conjunction in Greek. Paul delivered to the Corinthians what he received, namely, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to others
He refers to the gospel not only as that which he preached and they received, but also as that “on which you have taken your stand” and “through which you are being saved.” Paul’s description of the gospel consists of four verbs: two aorists (I preached, you believed), one perfect (in which you stand), and one present (through which you are being saved). The present continuous “are being saved” parallels Paul’s description of believers in 1:18 as “those who are being saved.”
Paul’s opening statement, “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you,” probably serves as a mild rebuke to those who considered themselves to be knowledgeable and spiritual (12:1–3; 14:37). The statement is also a bit surprising since the whole letter has been about the gospel, focusing especially on the death of Jesus and its significance for Christian behavior
Thiselton adopts this meaning, arguing that “in vain” is not the best translation. Rather, the phrase refers to the lack of a coherent grasp of the gospel. Thiselton explains, “Here Paul envisages the possibility of such a superficial or confused appropriation of the gospel in which no coherent grasp of its logical or practical entailments for eschatology or for practical discipleship had been reached. Incoherent belief is different from believing in vain
The first and the third statements recount the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, both qualified by the phrase “according to the Scriptures.” The second and fourth assertions reinforce their preceding statements, that is, the burial of Jesus solidified the reality of his death and Christ’s appearances to others established the veracity of his resurrection
Paul expands on the fourth element of the traditional creed by listing witnesses to Christ’s resurrection in what appears to be a chronological order: Peter (the first apostolic witness at the tomb), then the Twelve (as a collective group), then five hundred at one time, then James, (presumably the Lord’s brother, although not stated), then all the apostles, then Paul, who was the last of all. Paul’s mention that most of the five hundred were alive at the time of his writing implies a known group rather than five hundred anonymous witnesses. Paul’s list corresponds roughly to the Gospel accounts of resurrection appearances, although he does not mention Jesus’ first appearance to the women. The list is therefore not exhaustive, and there is overlap within the enumeration of witnesses since Peter was also one of the Twelve, a technical term designating the band of Jesus’ disciples. Paul’s present concern is to demonstrate a chain of eyewitness testimony culminating with his own experience of the risen Lord
The simplest contextual explanation is that Paul employs the metaphor of the stillborn child in order to highlight the grace and the power of God. As an unbeliever and persecutor of the church, Paul was in a deplorable condition of spiritual death. The image of a stillborn child is an especially powerful image in an argument for resurrection. The next two verses highlight the undeserved grace of God, “who chooses to give life and new creation to those reckoned as dead.”
he now shifts to the first person plural and refers to what all witnesses of the resurrection preach as a matter of common practice, “this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” There is only one true gospel, whoever may preach it. All gospel preaching proclaims the resurrection of Christ as a core component; otherwise, there is no gospel
