The Gospel
Notes
Transcript
We have spent several weeks now going through the book of 1 Corinthians,
This is one of Paul’s letters to a church that had quite a few problems,
We have two LARGE letters from Paul to this Church, and we know that there were at least two others.
And we have covered a range of problems, from divisions in the church, to Sexual immorality, forbidding marriage, Idolatry, What is allowed vs what is best, Not giving reverence during communion, misuse of the Spiritual gifts.
And it seems like Paul has been peeling back layer after layer of issues that this church had,
There were divisions because they preferred the teachings of some apostles over others,
They preferred some apostles over others, because they wanted to hear teachings that built them up,
they wanted to hear teachings that built them up because they were allowing an egregious form of sexual immorality - one that even the pagan romans found disgusting, and made illegal,
They were allowing this immorality because they lost sight of the value of marriage, and because they saw freedom to do all things in Christ,
They also ate meat sacrificed to false gods and idols because they found freedom to do all things in Christ, which hurt those with less understanding then them,
This lack of attention towards what they were eating revealed itself in how they butchered the lords supper and communion, with only the wealthy, those who could show up early partaking and eating the entire meal before everyone was there.
And they thought all of this was okay because they were seemingly operating in the spiritual gifts, which “proved they were in God’s favor,” but they were operating in a confused and disorderly manner, not at all how God intended.
And we get down to the center of this onion that Paul has been peeling back and come to the core of this message:
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
When it comes down to it, Church, the core root of any problem in the church is a misunderstanding of the Gospel.
Paul pointed this out at the beginning of the letter:
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
This was his initial answer to the divisions within the church, and now that he has worked though all of the various issues, he goes back to the Gospel.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
So getting back to the Gospel,
it’s quite simple
Christ died for our sins, he was buried and he rose again, and appeared not only to the people that knew him best, but to many many people afterwards.
including Paul.
See the Gospel message really is that Simple - Jesus died for our sins, in our place.
and Paul said that this was all in accordance with the Scriptures.
Church 1 Corinthians is one of the earliest books of the New Testament, when Paul says the Scriptures, he is pointing to the Old Testament.
We tend to think that Jesus is only talked about in the New Testament - But almost all of the Old Testament points to Jesus in one way or another.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
this is one of the clearest examples,
Or Psalm 22 Which is written from the point of view of Jesus being crucified 1000 years before it happened.
Or the reflection of Jesus in the account in Genesis where Abraham goes to Sacrifice Isaac, and God stops him - promising to provide a lamb in Isaac’s place.
Or even within the very moments after the fall of Adam and Even, where God promises Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Jesus the son of the woman, defeating the serpent even though he is injured in doing so.
But Paul doesn’t just say that Christ’s Death was according to the Scriptures, but also his resurrection. Where do we see that?
Well Daniel 7 Describes a Son of Man rising from the earth, defeating the darkness of the world and being given eternal dominion over the earth and sitting at the Right hand of God Most High.
Or in Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
Zechariah sees a Time Where God himself comes from heaven and the people look at him - the one who was pierced, and mourn.
This shows Jesus Coming back from heaven.
Its all through scripture, and its all there if you know where to look.
And that is Paul’s point, that they really aren’t teaching anything new, just the fulfillment of what was foretold.
And Paul points to hundreds of people that the Corinthians could go to to verify that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
And then Paul points to one more issue:
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
There were some in the Corinthian church that thought that there would be no resurrection of the Dead, that once this life was over that was it - And so they could live for Jesus while they were alive, but it truly didn’t matter how they lived, because once they died that was the end.
Now to be clear, they are probably still working with the mindset of an eternal Soul, which goes to heaven upon death, but they do not believe there is new life afterward. It either your soul goes to heaven because of Jesus, or your soul goes to hell.
Which is what a lot of Christians believe,
But there is far more to it that that! - and i’ll explain more in a moment.
Paul spares no words, and repeats himself how foolish this attitude is, because Christ was resurrected.
And maybe the Corinthians might argue, “well Jesus is special, he can be raised from the dead to prove he was the Christ, but really once this life is over that is it.”
And Paul is clear, that is not how it works.
Either Christ was resurrected, so we who are in christ can hope in a future resurrection, or everything we believe is pointless.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Church, it’s not just If you believe in Christ, then when you die you will go to heaven.
It’s much more extreme than that.
When Jesus comes again, all those who have died with Faith in Jesus will rise again to new life,
And then death itself will be defeated, the first and last consequence of Sin. Jesus will undo death itself.
Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Heres the kicker, it was this misunderstanding of the Gospel that was leading to all of the other issues that the Corinthians had.
Paul points out that his life is full of danger and trouble and there are many things that should have killed him, and that he dies to his own self every day, because he knows he will be resurrected on the last day, when Jesus comes again.
If there was no resurrection what would be the point of all of his suffering?
and the obvious conclusion then, if death is the end, if there is no resurrection, is “eat and drink for tomorrow we die” basically live for the pleasure of the moment rather than for the hope of eternity.
And that led to them doing whatever they wished, because they didn’t realize that their actions could affect eternity.
And believing that since they had faith in Christ all their sins were forgiven, they went about sinning, because in their mind, it didn’t matter.
Church, It matters. How we live for Christ today affects how we will live in Christ through eternity.
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Paul goes on to explain the “how exactly does this work?”
Most people who have believed in Jesus are long dead, they have no flesh, maybe they still have bones,
How are they to be raised up?
Well God will give them new “spiritual bodies” for lack of a better term.
It is a body that is perfected, no longer tainted by sin, no longer weakened by old age, no longer capable of having sickness or disease. No longer perishable.
Our Bodies will be like the body of the resurrected Jesus,
which was a real body! The disciples were able to touch it, and he enjoyed meals with them after rising again.
But it is not like our bodies now.
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
And here we come to the final act of the Gospel.
That one day Jesus will return, and all things will be made new
The Dead in Christ will rise, death having been defeated
Those who are living will be made new, and become immortal.
And Sin and death will be no more.
The last chapter of 1 Corinthians is a collection of logistical instructions, and further greetings, We will not really go over it, but i encourage you to read it as there are some interesting things there, it is not Paul’s main message.
His Message is this:
That Christ Jesus died for our sins, as foretold,
That he was buried and rose again on the third day, as foretold
that we his church are to share the good news with everyone by word and deed,
and that one day He will come again, and all things will be made new.
That is the Gospel.
that is the good news.
that is our hope.
So Church the obvious question is this, have you put your faith in Jesus?
