1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
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12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.
15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
18 Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished.
19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ.
24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy to be abolished is death.
27 For God has put everything under His feet. But when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception.
28 And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son Himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them?
30 Why are we in danger every hour?
31 I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day!
32 If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with only human hope, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Pray
I love a good logical argument.
I never participated in High School debate. I know that if I would have participated then I would have loved it.
I love a good solid logical argument.
I like when people are able to debate well. I like when you can follow the argument.
Here in 1 Corinthians Paul presents a solid logical argument to the church at Corinth.
Some of them have argued that there is no resurrection of the dead. They do believe in the resurrection of Jesus but they have allowed the claim that no one dead could experience bodily resurrection to influence their beliefs.
Follow the arguement
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”?
In the previous verses we have seen that Paul clearly lays out that Paul has been raised from the dead. Last week, we saw that Christ was raised and he appeared to Cephas, the twelve, and to over 500 brothers at one time most of whom are still alive.
Paul also said he appeared to me, the least of the apostles. Paul was on his way to arrest Christians and Jesus met him and it totally changed his life. Paul went from persecuting Christians because of their faith to being the one who is persecuted because of his belief in Jesus.
The argument starts and he says clearly you believe that Christ was raised from the dead and yet some of you are still saying there is no resurrection of the dead
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;
Some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead and if you say this then Christ has not been raised. Christ was fully human and fully God. He was God in the flesh.
We started this chapter with knowing that Christ has been raised and if Christ being God in the flesh was raised then there is a resurrection of the dead.
Here in verse 13 he flips the argument and says that if you say there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.
If Christ has not been raised, then..
The message we preach is without foundation and so is your faith.
Look at the word picture here. He says the message we preach is without foundation.
If Christ has not been raised, the Gospel does not have a foundation.
What happens when you build a building without a foundation?
I have building plans in my office and on those plans are sheets for foundation plans. Why are their dedicated sheets to the foundation of buildings because if you don’t have a strong foundation you won’t have a building.
In this word picture of foundation, I also think about a pyramid or human pyramid. Do we have any cheerleaders in here?
What happens if we was to building a human pyramid on stage here and I took the smallest people and put them on bottom. What happens when we put the big guys on top. The pyramid crumbles.
Without the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel message does not have a foundation and
So is your faith
Remember the first few verses of the chapter.
1 Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it.
2 You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose.
You received it and you have taken your stand on it, you are also saved by it.
Here in verse 14 he says but if you don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead then you don’t have any faith whatsoever.
15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.
If there is no resurrection of the dead and Christ has not been raised then we are deliberately lying or false witnesses about God. The 500 that saw Christ and I myself says Paul who encountered Jesus then we are just making all this up about God.
He testified about God that it was God who raised Christ up.
He comes back to it that if the dead are not raised then God did not not raise Jesus because the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
He states very clearly that if the dead are not raise, then Christ has not been raised.
If Christ has not been raised...
Your faith is worthless
Your faith is worthless
The word worthless is also futile (meaning without results), empty, without cause or without success.
Again back to verse 1 they have received this faith, taken their stand on it and also saved by it but if Christ has not been raised then your faith is worthless (without meaning, empty, without cause or without success).
If Christ has not been raised...
You are still in your sins
You are still in your sins
25 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Without the Resurrection there could be no certainty of atonement and the Corinthians would remain in a state of alienation and sin.
This is the greatest tragedy of all. If there is no resurrection then we are still in our sins. We do not have victory over our sin. We are stuck in our sin and there is no victory.
11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins.
12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.
13 He is now waiting until His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
18 Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then those who trusted in Christ and have passed away have perished. Your loved ones that have went on before you have also perished.
19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
If there is no resurrection of the dead then we have put our hope in Christ for this life only and if this is the case then we are to be pitied more than anyone.
Think about the context of Paul’s life. He went from persecuting people to being the one who is persecuted. Paul endured beatings for the sake of Christ in this life.
30 Why are we in danger every hour?
31 I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day!
32 If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with only human hope, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
24 Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.
26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers;
27 labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.
28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches.
This is a little more than just making sure everyone employed gets a paycheck, this is a little more than dealing with unruly preteens, this is a little more than maybe denying yourself a right, this is a little more than refusing to drink so that you don’t cause others to stumble.
THIS IS INTENSE!
He says if I endured all this for nothing than I am to be pitied more than all men.
In David Platt’s latest book he tells the story of Neveen a native in the country he is visiting
Naveen was found by Aaron a missionary
Naveen’s mother died at an early age
Naveen’s father remarried
His step mother did not like Naveen she liked her kids.
One day Naveen fled to the mountains where he was living
David Platt described Naveen’s story as he was fleeing the mountain because the fear of his parents was greater than any lion or beast in the mountains.
After several days his father found him
Brought him home and chained him in the barn
Aaron staying in the barn hears something and locks eyes with this young Naveen chained to a pole
Aaron shares the love of Jesus with Naveen
One day Naveen’s father is coming down the mountain with his step brother.
Father asked him to go care for his step mom
You know what Naveen did
He went and stayed with his step mom caring for her for 3 weeks.
If Christ has not been raised then this is worthless.
Naveen loved on his parents because Christ has been raised.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.