The Gospel
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Today we are in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.
Up to this point, Paul has been addressing issues in the church at Corinth that have to do with their practice of Christianity—how they live out the gospel as Christians.
Today, we are going to see Paul address the heart of the issue, a true understanding of the gospel, the good news about what Jesus accomplished for us.
If we do not think correctly, we will not act correctly.
We have seen Paul addressing these Corinthians who thought they were so spiritual. He even uses this term for the ‘spirituals’, or ‘spiritual ones’ a few times.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware.
Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?
If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.
These spiritual ones were people that wanted everyone to notice them. As we can piece together from the preceding chapters, and from this chapter, they emphasized speaking in tongues and prophecy, but saying things like “Jesus is accursed,” and “There is no resurrection.”
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Paul has addressed the false sense of spirituality by addressing how they should properly use the gifts of the spirit.
He has addressed the issues of pride, and self-serving attitudes.
Now he is going to address the false teaching and remind them of the true gospel.
What is the Gospel?
What is the Gospel?
I find that this is an issue in our society today as well. There are people that misunderstand the gospel itself, and hence misunderstand what being a Christian is all about.
Consider these statements,
Jesus died so we can go to heaven.
If you want to go to heaven, believe in Jesus.
If you want to live forever, accept Jesus.
Is that the gospel? While these statements contain truth, are they the truth of the gospel?
Is Christianity about having a ticket to heaven?
Let’s get into the passage, and see how Paul corrected the Corinthian’s thinking about the gospel, and see how it might help to correct our thinking as well. For if we think correctly about the gospel, it will correct how we live as well.
Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand,
by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand,
by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
I preached
I preached
How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?
But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
You received, you stand, you are being saved
You received, you stand, you are being saved
received - accept by faith
you stand - present salvation, assurance, strength
1 Cor 16:13 - stand in the faith,
Romans 5:2 - stand in God’s grace
Ephesians 6:11 - stand against the devil’s schemes
are being saved - on-going sanctification
What I preached
you received
you stand
you are being saved
What I preached
provided you hold fast
unless you believed in vain
The first part is what is true for most of the church.
The second is what Paul assumes is going on for the most part, as he already stated in 1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you.
However, if they were to give up holding onto the traditions, namely the issue at hand, the resurrection, then their faith would have been for nothing, as Paul states again when he names the issue in 1 Corinthians 15:12-15
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among 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, your faith also is in vain.
Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised;
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Paul does not want them to go down this slippery slope of denying the gospel. Once you begin to deny the gospel, your faith will be in vain, it will be worthless.
So, what is the gospel? To what do we need to hold fast? On what do we take our stand, and not give up?
For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
Christ died for our sins - according to the scriptures, evidence: burial
Christ died for our sins - according to the scriptures, evidence: burial
However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore, And our pains that He carried; Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted, Struck down by God, and humiliated.
But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.
All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him.
Christ died for our sins - according to the scriptures, evidence: burial
Christ died for our sins - according to the scriptures, evidence: burial
Christ rose - according to the scriptures - evidence: witnesses
Christ rose - according to the scriptures - evidence: witnesses
I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Christ rose - according to the scriptures - evidence: witnesses
Christ rose - according to the scriptures - evidence: witnesses
The problem with giving up the gospel: you are still in your sins
The problem with giving up the gospel: you are still in your sins
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
What is the primary issue in the gospel?
We are sinners. We are unrighteous. That unrighteousness separates us from God. Our sin must be punished.
What is the primary purpose of the gospel?
Christ died for our sins!
Our punishment has been taken.
We are not to be sinners anymore. We are not to live in unrighteousness anymore.
We are now to live as God created us to live, in holiness and righteousness.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 Peter 2:24 (NASB 2020)
and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
for the one who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God.
Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted,
and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness.
Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in regard to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
No one is to seek his own advantage, but rather that of his neighbor.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.
Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
The problem with giving up the gospel: no hope
The problem with giving up the gospel: no hope
Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law;
but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But, more on that, next week.
Am I holding fast to the true gospel?
Am I holding fast to the true gospel?