Death can be a frightening thing.
- The drive for survival is very strong within humans.
It is strong physiologically.
- The feeling of being underwater for too long can bring you into a panic.
- Your body knows that it needs air, and you begin to get upset emotionally when suffocating.
- A person on the bottom of a dog pile, who is gasping for air, will begin to get physically violent, and hit, kick, or throw people off of them in order to have fresh air to breathe.
- A normally emotionally stable person will become enraged and scream and fight if they are somehow being choked or suffocated.
- The physiological drive for life is very strong.
The fear of physical death can be emotionally and intellectually terrifying.
- A person may be unsure of what the afterlife may hold for them.
- They may have based their entire life on some belief about the after life, and now they aren’t completely sure, and do not have the assurance they need.
- As you approach death, you realize that there is nothing you can do to be in control of your future, and you may not be sure of what that future is.
- It is the great fear of the unknown.
- So final, and so permanent.
Chapter 15 of 1 Cor. is a very important chapter for the Christian.
- It is meant to instruct us about what happens after physical death.
- It is meant to encourage and comfort us as we consider physical death.
- We will see the absolute necessity of acknowledging the resurrection of Christ, and of our physical bodies.
- W/o the resurrection of Christ, there is no Christian faith.
At the time of Paul’s writing, there were those who did not believe in the resurrection of the body.
The Sadduccees were some of those who denied the resurrection.
They did not believe in any angels, spiritual beings, or any afterlife.
They did not believe in future punishment or reward.
The probably espoused annihilation, or non-existence, after death.
Another heresy going through the churches was that the resurrection had already taken place.
2 Tim 2:18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
- These may have taught that there was nothing but a spiritual resurrection.
Paul’s design for this section of scripture is to set in place the truths about the resurrection of the body.
1- Paul wanted to speak to them again about things with which they were familiar. Things which they had heard him speak of before.
They had heard the gospel message from him.
They had received it, and were living in it.
He will remind them that part of that message included the fact of bodily resurrection.
The gospel message included the life, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Paul had founded the church at Corinth.
They had been saved by receiving the message which Paul had preached.
That message included the fact of the rez.
He needed to remind them of what they had already learned.
They had become distracted and persuaded to believe a falsehood.
2 Pet 1:12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
2 Pet 1:13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
2- They have been saved by receiving and believing the gospel message in it’s entirety. This included the resurrection.
if you hold fast that word which I preached to you…
The salvation of a person is brought to it’s completion as that person continues on in the faith.
Phil 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Acts 11:23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Rom 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
unless you believed in vain- unless they really didn’t believe the gospel.
3- Paul first declares that what he preached, he had received from Christ.
These were not ideas that originated with Paul.
They were not ideas he had picked up along the way.
The truths that Paul had preached, had been given to him by Christ.
Gal 1:11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.
Gal 1:12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
Christ died for our sins- Paul says that one of the primary and first things which he taught was that Christ died for our sins.
What he taught about Christ’s death was of foundational importance to what they believed.
The death of Jesus was not the death of a martyr, but a death which paid for our sins.
Where this view of Christ’s death was not held, there could be no true faith.
If this truth was not embraced, then people were still in their sins, and the wrath of God was still abiding upon them.
according to the scriptures-
John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Jesus said that the O.T. scriptures spoke of Him.
That the Messiah would die for the sins of His people.
Psa 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
Psa 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
Isa 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isa 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
SEE ALSO – Daniel 9; Zechariah 12
Luke 24:25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
Luke 24:26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
4- And that He was buried…
Isa 53:9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Turn to Acts 2:24-32, as Peter quotes Psalm 16.
5- The fact of the resurrection was to be proved, like all other facts, by credible witnesses.
Paul had told them previously of the resurrection, and now goes about reminding them of what they already knew.
In so doing, he does not try to bring up every eyewitness to the resurrected
Christ, but mentions one they were familiar with, and ones whom they
knew, and who were still alive.
Peter was the first of the 12 to see Jesus.
After that, in the Upper Room, Jesus appeared to the 12.
6- After that, to 500 at one time.
Most of them were still alive, and could be called upon to testify.
Where this meeting with 500 took place, we do not know.
It may have been in Galilee, here Jesus had many followers.
Mat 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The next time that Jesus saw the 11, was in the Upper Room, in Jerusalem.
Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
It may have been in Galilee, where Jesus was seen by the 500.
The point was this: there were 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ.
How doubtful that 500 could be deceived by an apparition, or slight of hand
If 500 could not be counted upon to testify, then no number of eyewitnesses
could be trusted.
7- James, the author of the epistle.
Then all the apostles again.
8- as one born out of due time.
One word for this entire phrase. Appears only once in the entire N.T.
ektroma- to remove by cutting out, to cause or suffer abortion, miscarry, one born prematurely.
Last of all he was seen by me also, as by one aborted, miscarried, born prematurely.
Paul refers to himself as one unfit, weak, unworthy, perhaps even undesirable. Didn’t consider himself to have been worthy of seeing Christ.
Paul considered himself as an unfit child, sickly, perhaps one that should not have been kept due to it’s unfitness.
Paul believes himself to be exceedingly unworthy.
Paul did not just see a vision of Christ, but he saw the resurrected Christ.
Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
9- Paul did not see himself unfit to testify of the resurrected Christ because he was unable to do so, or because he hadn’t seen the risen Lord.
He had seen the risen Lord.
He felt unworthy to be called an apostle, a sent out one, because he had persecuted the church, and in essence, persecuted Christ.
Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Acts 9:5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
10- Paul was very aware of what a terrible man he had been.
He was also aware of the fact of what God had graciously turned him into.
Paul said that God’s effort towards him were not in vain.
He factually states that he had labored more than all of them.
More trials, hardships, travel, sufferings, etc.
A look through the book of acts will verify this truth.
And yet, Paul would not take credit for any of this.
A great work of God in Paul’s life had produced much zeal and effort
in Paul’s life in regards to preaching the gospel.
11- The end result was this: whether they heard it from Paul when he established the church, or from one of the others, they all preached the same message.
Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead.
The Corinthians had come to believe this.
He would continue to encourage them to keep believing this great truth.
14- The Jews asked Jesus for a sign, or verification as to who he was, and by what authority he came to say and do these things.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead authenticates that He was who he said He was, and that His message was true.
Turn to John 2:14-22 Jesus said his resurrection would authenticate who He was.
Luke 24:1-8 Jesus had told them many times that this would happen
Mark 16:10-14 Jesus scolded those who did not believe that he had been resurrected.
Mat 27:62-64 The enemies of Jesus believed that his resurrection would prove that He was all He said He was.