The Truth of The Resurrection
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Death. We have all felt its sting. But for those of us who believe in Christ, there is soothing comfort in the midst of otherwise excruciating pain: the resurrection. It is the promise of ultimate perfection, the hope of glory, the reward of faith. and the basis of eternal life.
Without it, our lives would be without hope and meaning. The realm of darkness would endure victoriously. Death would sit enthroned perpetually as king.
Paul has written about the essential of the gospel—Christ died and rose again. His death and resurrection was prophesied in the Scriptures. Christ died and the proof of that is that He was buried; Christ arose and the proof of that was numerous witnesses who saw Him over a period of time.
Now Paul will address . . .
1. The absurdity of denying the resurrection, 15:11-19.
1. The absurdity of denying the resurrection, 15:11-19.
We must understand the cultural context Paul and the Corinthians were in. The Greek culture was unsympathetic toward the redemption of a human body. Greek thinking was that the body, a material thing, was perishable, contaminated, and disposable seat of humanity’s problems. Sin and the physical body were considered evil, thus they had difficulty coming to terms with the hope of resurrection.
Paul has shared that resurrection is a viable, true doctrine. Therefore, both Jesus’ resurrection and the believers’ resurrection are true and actual.
Jesus’ resurrection validates the believers’ resurrection;
the believer’s resurrection validates Jesus’ resurrection.
It is important to note from verse 12 that only some were leaning against the resurrection of the dead. Paul is going to take this errant opinion and share seven logical conclusions that stem from this error.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then ...
#1 - We must deny Christ’s resurrection, verse 13
Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
#2 - Our preaching is “hollow, empty,” verse 14. Thus the good news is no news at all!
John Stott, Basic Christianity, p. 21.
#3 - Our faith will never change lives, verse 14. It is “hollow, empty.”
#4 - We are all liars, even Christ, verse 15.
The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
then all the Christian martyrs died for a lie.
#5 - We are never forgiven, verse 17, because we are still in our sins.
#6 - The dead in Christ are lost forever, verse 18.
#7 - We are most pitiable, verse 19. Our hope for the future is gone; hope for believers is available only while they are alive.
What a sorry state we would find ourselves in. But we need not fear, for ...
2. Christ has been raised; in Him all shall be made alive, 15:20-28.
2. Christ has been raised; in Him all shall be made alive, 15:20-28.
Christ is raised and continues in a raised state, the first fruits of those who have died believing in Him.
Significance of the first fruits? William Barclay explains the background of this image from Leviticus 23:10-11:
The Letters to the Corinthians The First Fruits of Those Who Have Died (1 Corinthians 15:20–8)
Some sheaves of barley must be reaped from a common field. They must not be taken from a garden or an orchard or from specially prepared soil. They must come from a typical field. When the barley was cut, it was brought to the Temple. There it was threshed with soft canes so as not to bruise it. It was then dried over the fire in a perforated pan so that every grain was touched by the fire. It was then exposed to the wind so that the chaff was blown away, and finally ground in a barley mill, and the flour was offered to God. That was what was meant by the first fruits.
It is significant to note that not until after that was done could the new barley be bought and sold in the shops and bread be made from the new flour. The first fruits were a sign of the harvest to come; and the resurrection of Jesus was a sign of the resurrection of all believers which was to come. Just as the new barley could not be used until the first fruits had been duly offered, so the new harvest of life could not come until Jesus had been raised from the dead.
The outcome of Jesus resurrection is seen in the comparison between Adam and Christ in verses 21-22. Through Adam’s sin, death came to all mankind; Through Christ came the resurrection of the dead. We are “in Adam;” descendants who will die just as Adam died. When we by faith identified with Christ, became a part of the Body of Christ, thus “in Christ” all who are in Him will be made alive, i.e. resurrected to life. Because Jesus was resurrected, we too shall be.
But there is an order to this (verse 23). here is the outcome of our future resurrection:
#1 (Verse 23) Christ, the “first fruits” Col 1:18
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
#2 (Verse 23) Those who are Christ’s at His coming, an undefined period of time, 1 Thess 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
#3 (Verses 24-27) The unsaved dead, occuring sometime after the resurrection of those who are Christ’s.
Their will be the reign of Christ and His resurrected saints for one thousand years on earth, Revelation 20:4-5
Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
What happens during this reign? Christ will have destroyed all ungodly dominion, power, and authority. Then He will put all His enemies under His feet (Verses 24-25)
At the end of this thousand-year reign, death itself will be destroyed, as all unbelieving souls are raised up to face the judgment of God, and death itself will be thrown into the “lake of fire”—also known as the “second death” Rev 20:7-15
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
(verses 27-28) At this point, everything in the universe will have been submitted to the Lordship of Christ, functioning under the submission of God the Father The transfer of the kingdom back to God the Father indicates the earthly kingdom will come to an end. All the redeemed will continue to live in the eternal state under the direct kingship of the Father and the Son in what Scripture calls the new heaven and the new earth in Rev. 21:1-22:5. Only then will the triune God be universally confessed, praised, worshipped, and served ass “all in all”—that is, recognized by all as the sovereign Lord with supreme power in the universe.
What a future we have to look forward to!
3. Practical consequences of denying the resurrection, 15:29-34.
3. Practical consequences of denying the resurrection, 15:29-34.
If one does not believe in the resurrection of the dead . . .
Paul points out the Corinthians practice of baptizing “for the dead” in verse 29. He asks, “If the dead are not raised, why are people baptized for them?” This passage has prompted many suggestions about what Paul is referring to by this baptism of the dead.
One idea that can be ruled out is the practice of baptizing living believers for the benefit of loved ones or ancestors who died without being baptized. This has never been the belief or practice of orthodox Christians from the first century on. Only Mormons have opted for this position.
other options include:
#1 this is an aberrant practice of baptism among the Corinthians that adopted pagan rituals of baptizing for the dead.
#2 this describes the washing of corpses in preparation for burial to demonstrate the honor of the physical body, which will be resurrected.
#3 this describes an honorary, posthumous baptism for believers who died prior to being baptized.
#4 this is the baptism of living converts to take the place of those who had gone on ahead, in anticipation of a reunion of all believersof every age after the resurrection.
#5 this is a baptism in honor of a martyr who had impacted a believer in a special way.
It is not easy to determine the correct explanation. Craig Keener said, “Probably Paul’s theological shorthand here made clearer sense to the Corinthians than it does to us.”
But Paul’s main point is clear: If there is no resurrection, your practice is an empty ritual, absurd when one is being baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ if we confess only death without resurrection.
Verses 31-32 belief in the resurrection ought to revalue our lives, affecting our attitudes toward this present life. Motivated by the rewards of immortality in our glorified, resurrected condition, believers are “in danger every hour.” Paul says “I die daily.” This Christian philosophy of life we are called to live asks us to give up our rights, comforts, privileges — even a willingness to risk our physical lives for Christ. The present earthly pleasures that we treasure so much become corruptible trinkets of no value compared to the priceless gift of eternal life.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” — Jim Elliot.
Belief in the resurrection should affect our moral behavior. If there is no reward in eternity, then why not live it up? Why not say yes to anything? Why not flush all virtues and morals down the toilet? If the rejection of the resurrection, eternal life, and future rewards leads to immorality and sin, then belief in the resurrection should lead to a life characterized by sober-minded judgment and holiness (verse 34).
