I. The Resurrection Is A Core Belief Vs. 1-4
A. Some Had Incomplete/Wavering Faith
1. V. 1- Paul believed that he needed to restate the Gospel message to them.
2. V. 2a-They had received all this teaching before, and had received and believed it, but it seems that they needed to be reminded again. Some were saying that the resurrection wasn’t true. Paul said that they needed to “hold fast” to this message.
a. Hold fast- to keep in one’s possession, to not move away from.
3. V. 2b- Paul said that there was a possibility that they had “received it in vain”.
a. Vain- without a cause, without success or effort.
B. The Basics Of The Gospel
1. V. 3a- Paul received these truths from God, they were not man made, but God revealed.
2. V. 3b- Christ died for our sins
a. Christ-That means He was born, and was not a phantom. He was man and God.
b. Died- Contradicts the swoon theory. The Romans were expert executioners.
c. Our sins- Our sins were paid for by the death of Jesus, if we will accept that payment.
3. V. 4a- Entombed and resurrected.
4. V. 4b- According to the Scriptures. Many Old Testament passages pointed to this event.
II. Witnesses Of The Resurrected Jesus Vs. 5-11
A. People Other Than Paul
1. V. 5- Cephas was another name for Peter who saw Jesus before the other disciples did.
2. V. 6a- 500 saw Jesus at the same time. Most still alive when Paul wrote this letter.
a. 500- this speaks against the possibility that a few had hallucinations.
b. 500 people were still alive who could be interrogated and forced to recant. None did.
3. V. 6b- James was Jesus’ half-brother who didn’t believe in him while Jesus lived, but obviously believed when he saw Jesus raised from the dead.
a. Others called apostles also saw the resurrected Jesus.
4. NOTE- Many of these Christians died defending their experience of seeing Jesus raised. Religious martyrs die for their ideologies, but no religious martyr dies for what He knows is a lie. People don’t die for a lie, knowing it’s a lie. They die for what they know or believe is true. The Christians died for what they experienced, what they knew was true.
B. Paul
1. V.8- As one born prematurely, who didn’t go full term. The Twelve “gestated” slowly. Paul was born suddenly, almost describing himself as a weak premature baby.
2. V. 9- Paul formerly persecuted the church, but was saved when he met the risen Christ.
3. Vs. 10, 11- Out of gratitude, Paul labored in the Gospel. Regardless of who preached, the Corinthians had heard the message and believed.
III. Christianity Dies Without The Resurrection Vs. 12-19
A. Some “Christian” Beliefs Don’t Include The Resurrection V. 12
1. Some of the Christians were told that there was no resurrection, and they believed it.
2. They hadn’t taken the time to reason out why the resurrection was critical to Christianity.
B. If There Is No Resurrection Vs. 13-19
1. Vs. 13, 16- If no one is ever resurrected, then certainly Jesus wasn’t resurrected.
2. V. 14- Their preaching and their faith was empty. Empty- devoid of truth, useless.
3. V. 15- The Apostles were liars, for they had claimed to have seen the resurrected Jesus.
4. V. 17- Every Christians’ faith is futile and they are still guilty before God, needing another means towards being right with God.
5. V. 18- Those who died believing in the resurrection of Jesus were wrong, and have no chance of ever being forgiven for their sins or going to Heaven.
6. V. 19- If Jesus wasn’t raised, we are to be pitied for being deceived.
IV. Resurrection Establishes Dominion
A. Jesus And Those Who Follow Vs. 20-23
1. V. 20- Firstfruit- The first of many, the first of others that will come.
2. Vs. 21, 22- Adam brought sin and death into the world; Jesus brings resurrection.
3. V. 23- The resurrection occurs when Jesus comes back for His church.
B. Resurrection Trumps (Conquers Over) Everything Vs. 24-28
1. Vs. 24, 25– The resurrection occurs when Jesus returns, but there will still be people alive when he returns. His return signals what is called “the end”, when judgment of all humanity begins. This is the last seven years as seen in the Book of the Revelation.
2. V. 26- Eventually, there will be no more death. People will live forever with Jesus, or forever without Him.
3. Vs. 27, 28- The only thing not subject to Jesus’ authority is the Father, who is over the Son
V. What If The Resurrection Isn’t True? Vs. 29-34
A. Some Have A Confused Practice
1. V. 29– Apparently, some who denied the resurrection received a proxy baptism for the dead for salvation. But if people stay dead, then why plan for their future?
B. Why Put Yourself In Danger?
1. Vs. 30-32a- Paul often risked his life for preaching that Jesus was resurrected.
2. V. 32b- If there is no after life, no heaven or hell or God, then do as you please.
C. Paul’s Correction Of Them
1. V. 33- Paul warns them: They had been listening to the wrong people.
2. V. 34- Paul told them to wake up to righteousness. They had listened to unbelievers.
VI. Questions About The Resurrection Vs. 35-49
A. The Skeptic’s Question
1. V. 35- Paul seems to infer that the challenge in believing the resurrection was that it was difficult to understand. These people needed to stop and consider nature
B. Nature Illustrates Resurrection
1. V. 36- Life comes forth from “dead” things. Nature demonstrates that.
2. Vs. 37, 38- By God’s design, what goes into the ground is different than what comes forth.
3. V. 39- There are many different expressions of life.
4. Vs. 40, 41- There are many different expressions of glory. (splendor, magnificence, beauty)
5. Vs. 42-44- Paul combines all those ideas and images to explain resurrection.
a. The natural body is corrupt, eventually dishonorable and weak.
b. The spiritual (resurrection) body is incorrupt, glorious and powerful.
C. A Juxtaposition (Setting Two Things Side By Side)
1. V. 45- Physical life started with Adam, resurrection life started with Jesus.
2. V. 46- Regarding eternal life, mankind goes from lesser to greater. Natural to Spiritual.
3. Vs. 47-49 Mankind bears the image of the one to whom they belong.
a. Our default is that we all bear the image of Adam. We have no choice in that.
b. We can choose to bear the image of Jesus through faith and resurrection.
VII. When Will The Resurrection Happen? Vs. 50-58
A. We Must First be Changed
1. V.50- The human body, as it is, cannot physically dwell in Heaven. We must be changed.
a. When Jesus was raised from the tomb, He had a different kind of body.
2. V. 51- Sleep is a metaphor for death. Not every generation of Christians will die, but all must be changed. The last generation will live and never die a natural death, but they will be changed. This is when Jesus comes back for His church at the Rapture.
3. Vs. 52, 53- The rapture includes the resurrection of all Christians, and the instantaneous change of living Christians. It will be a sudden event.
B. The Accomplishment Of The Resurrection
1. V. 54- Death will be trumped by life. Decay will be replaced by strength. Weakness will be replaced by power.
2. V. 55- The greatest enemy of human life is death. Mankind has learned how to cure many diseases, create artificial limbs, replace body parts, operate on children in the womb, develop nutrition, improve vision and cognitive abilities, etc.
a. Mankind has never found a way to avoid death.
b. Humanly speaking, it is final and irreversible.
c. It stings our psyches with sorrow, and no one is out of its reach.
3. V. 56- Death entered the world because of sin. We are the sad recipients of that penalty. We inherited physical death from Adam, and we bring spiritual death upon ourselves because of our own sins against God.
4. V. 57- The promise of the Gospel message holds out the only hope that mankind has.
a. We can be raised from the grave and truly live eternally with God and His people.
b. We can escape the burden of physical and spiritual death by giving our lives to Jesus.
c. We know this is true because Jesus was raised from the dead. His words are true.
5. V. 58- Since all that is true, the Christian can live as he does knowing that it is not a waste of time. We do our best to say no to sin. We try our best to love all people, even our enemies. We give of our resources, time and money. We seek to be honest. We trust God when we don’t understand what He is doing. We do our best to be a part of His church, and to love everyone in it. We forgive our enemies. We know it’s not in vain.
Life Group Questions
1. Is there any new thing about the Resurrection that you learned?
2. If yes, how does that new truth affect your faith and life?
3. Do the truths about the Resurrection bring you any new hope or alleviate any fears?