1 Corinthians 15 - Christ has been Raised

Christ has been raised.

Alot of people always debate what the gospel is , some believe its all about getting to heaven , some people believe that its just that Jesus died and rose again and thats it, some believe its just about giving us a new life where you are happier.

But whatver “gospel” it may be if it doesnt show people how to get saved then it isnt the gospel.

People debate it all the time , “oh well your gospel is to much about how God covers you and thats it” then the other hand where people will say “oh well your gospel is to much about Gods punishment” and alot of people cant seem to see that it can be both without any issues.

The Gospel includes God justifying us making us right through his son by his Grace but also pointing out Gods judgment that awaits us if we dont repent.

So we cannot stick to God forgives everything and therefore we can stay like this but we must include that Gods wrath awaits us if we dont repent and accept his message of Grace to change.

This chapter is the heart of the whole gospel and the heart of why we believe and we will dig into it just to see why that is.

1 Corinthians 15:1 NIV

1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

Paul talks about the gospel all the time not just in Corinthians but also in Romans, Galatians but nowhere else does he define it like he does here in 1 Corinthians 15

The gospel as what Paul outlines in verses 3- 8 is what he preached to the Corinthian church and this is what they received at the start.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 NIV

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

and not only that but this message saves.

1 Corinthians 15:2–3 NIV

2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Paul also says that he recieved it and he passed it on to them.

So these first 3 verses sound like a drum roll preparing us for something he is about to tell this church.

Before we get there notice how Paul says in verse 2 “if you hold firmly to the word i preached otherwise you have believed in vain.

This is the only thing you would say if you think some people are not holding firm to the word that was preached, maybe the Corinthians are tampering with it or even denying it and that why Pauls says “you could be believing in something for nothing.

The Gospel in Miniature

So we’ll read verses 3- 5 again real quick. This is the gospel in a mini version.

1 Corinthians 15:3–5 NIV

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

This is one of the most important sentences ever written and this is very important in our theology because it defines the root of the christian message: The Death of Jesus Christ for our sins, his burial, his resurrection from the dead on the third day and his appearance to many , all to fulfill the promises of scripture.

It describes Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah, it describes his death for our sins which means it substitutes our sins , it includes him being buried which comes against the ideas of religions that believe Jesus never died for example the muslims.

Also it says that he rose again on the third day and he appeared to witnesses and later in the chapter it says over 500 people seen him after he rose again.

These facts are all core to our beliefs and we shouldnt leave them out , these things are all very necessary to know and understand.

1 Corinthians 15:6 NIV

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

Paul also says here that the people that had seen Jesus after he rose again were still alive which means that when Paul was writing to the Corinthians there were still people alive that had seen Jesus after he came back to life.

This makes it extremely unlikely that the story of Jesus dying and rising again were made up.

People have arugments about it saying people were just hallucinating when they saw Jesus alive again or only a couple of people saw him which is not enough evidence but historically its shown that many people over 500 had seen him and alot of people had even written about him during that time also.

1 Corinthians 15:7–9 NIV

7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

So Paul says that Jesus appeared to him also , he had seen him to not only that but he says hes the least of the apostles because he persecuted the church so much before he got saved.

This is not self pity but it was Paul recognising that when he encountered Jesus it was way later than everyone else and his life at that time was far worse than the other apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:10–11 NIV

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Paul goes on to say that it is what it is and i am what i am and that he ended up working alot harder than the other apostles but only through Gods grace.

Then he says it doesnt matter if they preached the gospel to you or he did because they all preached the same thing anyways.

So now that Paul kind of finishes up explaining the gospel to them again he now starts to try and point the Corinthians back to the grace of God thats working in Pauls own life in verse 10.

It was Gods grace , his favour in Pauls life that changed him when he was persecuting the church causing christians to be killed for their faith, that very Grace that turned Paul into the person writing this letter.

Gods grace changed Paul that he could no longer be recognised.

So how Paul says that he works harder than all of them meaning the other apostles hes not boasting in that way to say hes better but hes saying that the only reason he was working harder was because of the Grace of God that drove him.

Were gonna get a little techinical here now with some words for you all to learn.

Synergism - We work alongside God

Monergism - God does all the work and we dont

Energism - God works within us by transforming our ability to act or do things.

Energism is what we see happening here - Gods Grace does the works.

When we show up its cause of Gods grace, when we do service , good works for the Lord it is a show of Gods Grace allowing you to do so. When you feel like “man i just want to outreach , man i just want to worship God right now, man i just want to help so and so, man you know what? i just want to bless this person” that is the Grace of God at work in us.

We dont do things for God or do things with God but we do things because of God.

God works in us and he transforms us to now do works that glorify him but by his Grace.

So this is just to explain the work that Paul was doing and what ability he was doing it from.

But the terms Synergism and Monergism are both theological terms that are used when speaking about salvation , the correct view that is also biblical is monergism because it shows us that its not by anything we do but all by the work of God that he saves us. Just to clear the use of my words up.

How can you say that?

So right up to the start of this chapter this whole letter is Paul responding to issues and questions coming from the Corinth church because of what Paul has heard about them or what they have wrote to him asking him about things.

This chapter is different. If we were reading this for the first time we would propbably be wondering what Paul is talking about until later he makes it more clear.

1 Corinthians 15:12 NIV

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

So some people in the church , not sure how many have decided that they dont believe that believers were going to rise again.

They seem to believe Jesus rising again as a one off was fine but the idea that all believers will one day rise again from the grave and live forever with Jesus was a bit to far.

Seems like theyve dropped that idea and they dont believe this will happen.

1 Corinthians 15:13–14 NIV

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

If you lose the resurrection of the dead then you lose the resurrection of Christ as well. and the resurrection of Jesus is the end of all christian preaching it all refers to that moment and hangs on that moment that Jesus rose again.

Paul says if Christ is still dead and never rose then that means Pauls preaching and the Corinthians faith is useless.

It means my preaching and us coming together is completely useless aswell , we may aswell pack up and go home , go to Bali and have a holiday.

Christianity is nothing if Christ never rose again.

1 Corinthians 15:15–19 NIV

15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Paul says that they would all be liars when they said they seen Jesus if he never actually rose again and that means that the Christian faith is pointless and their sins have not been forgiven and those who have died are lost for ever.

This would make Christianity crash

So it shouldnt be a suprise to us now that the resurrection is very important.

Imagine if the resurrection wasnt true and that one day in the middle east they found Jesus real body. It would mean that all of Christianity would come crashing down.

If Jesus is still dead then that means our sins have not been forgiven. If Jesus is still dead , then we are all lost, hopeless and liars.

If Jesus is still dead then we should be felt sorried for.

The gospel cannot do anything if it has a dead saviour.

All of these things Paul writes here in these last few verses are only what ifs to emphasise to the Corinthians and even us who are reading it, how important it is to know and trust that Jesus did rise again from the dead and that will will rise again also and be with him.

Because if we dont believe this then what we believe is not true but by very fact it is very true that the even of Jesus resurrecting , really happened.

1 Corinthians 15:20 NIV

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Amen.

Questions for reflection:

Does this passage prompt you to change the way you would tell an unbeliever about the gospel?

Is your attitude towards your work or ministry work the same as Pauls in verse 10? In what areas do you need to pray for humility? In what areas do you wish for God to work in your more?

What difference can the reality or the fact of the resurrection make in your life today?