The Hope of the Resurrection (1)
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Today we are picking up our study in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul opened this chapter reminding the believers in Corinth of the true gospel.
He needed to remind them of the true gospel because there were some who claimed to be spiritual, that were denying the resurrection of the dead.
As I mentioned back when we were studying 1 Corinthians 6, there was a Greek philosophy which greatly influenced the culture, and crept into the church. This philosophy viewed the body as evil, and the spirit as good. When this philosophy influenced the church, there were some who went the way of hedonism, saying that we can do anything we want in the body. It won’t matter. The body is just going to be destroyed anyway. Only the spirit matters. Therefore, they lived and taught others to live in immorality. “I have the right to do anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12.
While some taught the body is evil, only the spirit matters when to hedonism, others went the direction of asceticism. They wanted to avoid anything to do with the body and physical defilement. Those even went so far as to abandon relations with their spouses. Paul addressed that in 1 Corinthians 7.
Now, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is going to address the root of this issue. Those who followed this Greek philosophy—teaching that the body is evil and does not matter, only the spirit matters—denied the resurrection of the dead. For if the body is evil, there is no way God is going to raise it back up from the dead. Only the spirit goes on into eternity.
Denying the resurrection was denying the true gospel, and was leading them into all of the false practices of Christianity that Paul addressed up to this point in the letter.
After reminding them of the true gospel which he preached to them, and which the believers in Corinth first believed, he goes on to address this false teaching that there is no resurrection.
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.
But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him.
When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
Why are we also in danger every hour?
I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily.
If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Sober up morally and stop sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Ramification of No Resurrection - Christ is not Raised
Ramification of No Resurrection - Christ is not Raised
Paul repeats this ramification in verses 13, 14, 16 and 17.
If there is no resurrection, because the body is evil, then even Christ is not raised from the dead. As we saw last week, this is an essential part of the gospel. God wanted us to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus was raised. That is why he was seen by Cephas (Peter), then the twelve, than more that five hundred other believers, then James, and then to all the apostles, and lastly to Paul. So many witnesses were used because God wanted us to know that Christ was surely resurrected, as foretold in the scriptures.
Paul goes on to give other logical conclusions based upon this ramification of Christ not being resurrected if indeed there were no resurrection.
If Christ is not raised, we preach in vain
If Christ is not raised, we preach in vain
What does Paul mean we preach in vain, meaningless, or empty? Even if Christ was not raised, and only the spirit mattered, at least they were doing a good thing in sharing about Jesus dying for our sins, right?
Paul explains this further in verse 15. If Christ is not raised, then he is a false witness. A false witness is a liar. How does God feel about liars? Not only that, but as Paul says, we are false witnesses of God. Not only is he lying if there is no resurrection, but he is spreading falsehoods about God. How do you think God feels about people who spread falsehoods about him?
Therefore, if Christ is not raised, we preach in vain. We are not gaining anything by going around to tell others about Jesus. It is worthless.
Not only that, but...
If Christ is not raised, your faith is in vain
If Christ is not raised, your faith is in vain
Why would their faith be useless? Jesus still died for our sins. So why would their faith be useless?
Paul says in verse 17,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
If Christ is not raised, we have no justification. We are not declared righteous. As Paul wrote in Romans 4:25
He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.
Jesus died on account of our sins. He was raised on account of our justification, or our being declared righteous. If there is no resurrection, then there is no justification. We are still not righteous.
What separates us from God? He is righteous. We are not. We cannot have peace with God if we are not righteous. We not only need the punishment taken care of, we need righteousness applied to us. We need that new righteous life, which Christ gives us through the resurrection, as we saw last week. This is true Christianity. When we believe in Christ, we are crucified with him, and raised to new life. 2 Cor 5.17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
This new righteous life is what comes from the resurrection. Without the resurrection, we are still the same unrighteous, self-centered sinners that we were. We are still the same person.
Example of the alcoholic or drug-addict who has their penalty paid. they are bailed out, but they are still the same person. With no change, no new life, they will continue on in the same unrighteous living.
That is not true Christianity. Christ did not just die to bail us out of the penalty. He rose again to remove us from the sinful life, and give us a new life, a righteous life.
Denying the resurrection leaves us in our sin. It leaves us in unrighteousness. Denying the resurrection is crippling to a believer.
What is more, denying the resurrection removes all hope for those who have already fallen asleep in Christ.
If Christ is not raised, there is no hope after death
If Christ is not raised, there is no hope after death
We see this in verses 18 and 19. If there is no resurrection, and Christ is not raised, then there is no hope for those who have fallen asleep in Christ.
I love this imagery for death, fallen asleep in Christ. This goes back to Matthew 9, when Jesus raised a little girl who had died back to life. He told her parents that she was just asleep. In our culture’s way of thinking, death is the end. It is final. How different if we would wrap our heads around the way Jesus described it, or as Paul describes it for believers… fallen asleep. Sleep is not permanent. Sleep is not final. Sleep is not the end. Sleep is temporary, because in the morning, we rise again.
The resurrection is our hope as believers, that we will rise again. We will be reunited with our loved ones! Death is not final, it is temporary. It is not goodbye. It is ‘see you later’!
And so, Paul, concluding this section on the Ramifications of no resurrection, meaning even Christ was not raised, now goes on to teach the truth, there is indeed a resurrection!
But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
Ramification of the Resurrection - Christ has been raised!
Ramification of the Resurrection - Christ has been raised!
Paul is contrasting what ‘they say’ with the facts. How often does this happen in our lives. ‘They say’ too often governs our thinking and our lives. Who are ‘they’?
We need to go off of the facts. The fact is, Christ has now in fact been raised from the dead, and this has further ramifications.
Christ has been resurrected, so will the dead in Christ
Christ has been resurrected, so will the dead in Christ
Paul speaks of Christ as the first fruits. - promise of further harvest.
Procession, order, sequence. Christ, those at his appearing (the rapture, being caught up as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), those as the end, as described in Revelation 20:4.
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
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 foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Christ has been resurrected, and he will reign
Christ has been resurrected, and he will reign
And then Paul goes on to explain that Christ will reign and conquer his enemies, including death. If Christ has not be resurrected, how will he reign? He could not. But he has in fact been resurrected. He will come and establish his kingdom. He will reign as the scriptures tell us. He will conquer all of his enemies, including death.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Christ has been resurrected, halelujah! All praise be to God, to whom belongs all glory, honor and power!
After tackling the doctrinal ramifications, Paul addresses some practical outworkings of the resurrection.
Other life examples for the resurrection
Other life examples for the resurrection
What about those baptized for the dead?
What about those baptized for the dead?
For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
Why do we face danger daily?
Why do we face danger daily?
Why are we also in danger every hour?
I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily.
If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
Conclusion: Live like there is a resurrection!
Conclusion: Live like there is a resurrection!
Do not be Deceived
Do not be Deceived
Bad company corrupts…
Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, And on His Law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
Sober up morally!
Sober up morally!
judgment is the first thing to go.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Stop sinning
Stop sinning
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.