1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:1

So carnal was the city of Corinth that the term “Corinthian” was synonymous with “party animal.” This was due in no small part to the fact that Corinth was the center of the Epicurean philosophy, which said that, because there is no eternity, man should eat, drink, and be merry on earth. Part of this Epicurean mentality had filtered into the church. Specifically, there were those in the church who taught there was no resurrection from the dead. “Be a Christian,” they said. “Believe in Jesus Christ. Believe that on the Cross He atoned for the sin of mankind. But don’t believe He really rose again.” Paul tackles this issue head-on in chapter 15 as he talks about the reality of the Resurrection in order to counteract the philosophy of the Epicurean. “If you do not believe in the Resurrection, your faith is in vain, empty, and useless,” contends Paul. “It all hinges on the Resurrection.” Here, Paul gives us the two-fold definition of the gospel: that Christ died for our sins, and that He rose againas was prophesied in Old Testament Scripture. Really Believing the Gospel A Topical Study of 1Co_15:2-4 “Gospel” is a word we hear frequently. One of the fastest-growing segments of the music market is gospel music. We speak of “old-time” gospel meetings, and of ministers of the gospel. Gospel is a word we use to describe music, meetings, and ministers. But what exactly is the gospel? The Greek word translated “Gospel” is euangelion, and has its origins in the soap merchants of ancient times who would advertise their wares by calling out, “Good news!” upon entering a town. In those days before deodorant or cologne, the arrival of soap was good news indeed! How fitting, then, that those who went from city to city sharing the Good News that people could be cleansed from the stench of their sin would, like their soap-merchant counterparts, be called evangelists. In the text before us, Paul defines their message: first, that Christ died, and second, that He rose againboth according to Scripture. …how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures1Co_15:3 (b) That Christ would die for our sins is seen clearly throughout the Old Testament… Psalms 22 presents a clear and accurate description of the process of crucifixion centuries before crucifixion was first practiced. Psalms 69 speaks of the vinegar Jesus would be offered to drink on the Cross. Isaiah 50 foretells that Jesus would be spat upon, that His beard would be plucked, that He would be hit in the face. Isaiah 52 and 53 describe how Jesus would be beaten for our sins, bruised for our iniquities. When Paul said Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, no doubt he had these passages in mind. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.1Co_15:4 Like the Crucifixion, the Resurrection is also seen throughout the Old Testament… For three days and nights he was in the belly of the great fish. Thinking he had died and was in hell itself, Jonah cried out to the Father, Who “resurrected” him when the whale spit him onto dry land (Jon_2:10). In Genesis we find an even more descriptive picture… “Take thy son, thine only son unto a mountain I shall show thee of and there offer him as a sacrifice unto Me,” God said. Abraham carried fire and a knife while Isaac carried the wood. Together, father and son set off toward a mount called Moriah. At the bottom of the mountain, Abraham said to the two servants who accompanied them, “You stay here. My son and I will go up and worship and we will come again unto thee.” When Abraham and Isaac reached the top of the mountain, Isaac said, “Here’s the wood. There’s the fire. But where’s the sacrifice?” And Abraham looked at his son and said, “God will provide Himself a lamb” (Gen_22:8). Not, “God will provide for Himself a lamb,” but, “God will provide Himself a lamb.” He will be the Lamb. I don’t know if Abraham understood the significance of his statement. I’m not sure Isaac got it at all. But as Abraham was ready to plunge a knife through the chest of his only son, God said, “Stop, Abraham. Now I know that you fear God.” The picture is as complete as it can befor that mountain called Moriah is today called Calvary. The very spot Abraham was ready to offer his son, Isaac, is the spot God did, indeed, offer His only Son, Jesus Christ. Even as Isaac carried the wood, Jesus carried the Cross. Even as Jesus was crucified between two thieves, Isaac walked with two servants. Even as Abraham was ready to put a knife through his son, a spear pierced the Son of Man. Even as Abraham had fire in his hand, the fiery wrath of God’s holy indignation was hurled down upon His Son as He bore my sin and yours. One of the most powerful portraits of the Resurrection is seen in the law itself… When a person was cleansed of leprosy, the priest would take two birds, one of which would be killed over running water and placed in an earthen jar. The second bird, along with cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, would be dipped into the blood of the first bird and then released (Leviticus 14). Jesus, the One who left the “nest” of heaven to come and dwell among us, confined Himself in an earthen vessel, His earthly body. The running water speaks of the living water He proclaimed Himself to be (Joh_4:10), as well as the water that gushed forth when a spear was thrust into His side (Joh_19:34). The wood speaks of the Cross; scarlet of His blood, hyssop of that which was offered Him to drink. As the living bird, sprinkled with the blood of the sacrificial bird, soared back into the sky, the picture of Resurrection was complete. As seen in our text, the gospel is two-fold: Jesus died for our sin and rose again. We who name the Name of Jesus believe the gospelespecially the first half. We believe Jesus died for our sin. But do we truly believe the second aspect of the gospel? Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is alive, that right now, by His Spirit, He lives within you, that physically He’s in heaven praying for you? If you do, today and every day is Easter Sunday… Mary was heartbroken. She went to the tomb that Sunday morning but realized Jesus’ body wasn’t there. “What are you seeking?” the “gardener” asked her. “If you have taken the body of my Lord, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away,” she said (see Joh_20:15). But when she heard this One whom she supposed to be the gardener speak her name, she threw her arms around Him, recognizing Him to be Jesus. Was Mary excited because of the validation of the atoning work of Christ on the Cross? Was she elated because the Millennial reign could be instituted eventually? I don’t think so. I believe that Mary and the others who were caught up in the wonder of Easter were not thinking about the theological or eschatological ramifications of the Resurrection. No, the reason Mary hugged Jesus and wouldn’t let Him go is because her Friend was with her againand that was all that mattered. What if we believed this? What if we really believed not only that Jesus died for our sins, but that He has risen again and is here with us today, right now? We wouldn’t be saying, “Woe is me. What am I going to do about this situation, about those bills, about that obligation?” No, we’d be saying, “Good News! Jesus is alive! He’s here!” He who truly believes the gospel cannot help but be hilariously happy. Terrified by reports that the Assyrians were on the move, the Israelites sent emissaries south to set up an alliance with the Egyptians. Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.Isa_30:1-3, Isa_30:15 The Lord says the same thing to us today. “In returning to Me, you’ll be saved. In quietness and confidenceliterally in lingering with Meshall be your strength.” If Jesus is not risen, we better get counsel from the Egyptians. We better set up an alliance. We better run here and go there and get all the help we can. If, on the other hand, we truly believe the Good News that Jesus not only died for our sins, but that He rose again, we can cast our care upon Him, talk to Him, linger with Him, hear from Him. Like Mary, we can wrap our arms around Him and say, “Lord, I’m so glad You’re here. What would I do without You? You are the ultimate solution to every problem, the source of strength for every weakness, my King, my Deliverer, my Friend.” Do you believe the gospel? Do you really believe the full gospel? To the extent you do, happy you’ll be. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed!

1 Corinthians 15:5

“After Jesus rose again, He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve disciples, then to five hundred othersmost of whom are still alive today,” Paul said.

1 Corinthians 15:7

This refers to the half brother of Jesus who, as seen in Mark 3, initially didn’t believe his brother was who He claimed to be. Following Jesus’ Resurrection, however, James changed his mind so completely that he went on to become a leader in the early church. It was in the Arabian desert that Jesus taught Paul how the Old Testament types and pictures all spoke of Him. “Although I came on the scene after the other guys, I saw Jesus, too,” said Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:9

“Because I persecuted the church, I’m the least of the apostles,” says Paul. Later on, he would say, “I’m less than the least of all the Christians” (see Eph_3:8). And finally at the end of his life, he would say, “I’m the chief of sinners” (see 1Ti_1:15). The longer Paul lived, the more aware he became of his own sin in light of the beauty and grace of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:10

“Who shall I say sent me?” Moses asked God when told he was to lead the Israelites out of bondage. And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM” (Exo_3:14). I suggest that this phrase was ringing in Paul’s mind and resonating in his heart when he said, “By the grace of God I am what I am"for in Exodus 34, God went on to explain just who He is… And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.Exo_34:6-7 Because of the injustice that seems to plague our culture, we could have a tendency to think that if God came on the scene today, surely it would be as a God of Justice. Yet while God is indeed just, He chooses instead to identify Himself as being merciful and gracious. What a relief this should be to us. Justice means getting what we deserve. Mercy, on the other hand, means being spared the judgment we rightfully deserve. Grace goes even further than that, for grace means getting blessings we don’t deserve. Yet God didn’t stop there. He went on to say that He is longsuffering. The Hebrew word translated “longsuffering” means l-o-n-g suffering. “Why aren’t You doing something, God? How can You put up with him?” or, “Why don’t You deal with them?” we cry. God bears with the sin we see in others for the same reason He bears with the sin He sees in us: He is longsuffering. That’s His nature. He’s abundant in goodness and truthlavishing blessings upon us, being completely honest and truthful with us. God alone is the One who is merciful to thousands, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Even if generation after generation continues to turn their back on Him, He visits each one, bringing conviction for the purpose of conversion. “What gives me the right, the authority to correct you?” Paul could have asked the Corinthians. “There was a time when I thought I had earned that right. After all, I was born into the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day, a Pharisee of Pharisees, zealous for the law, righteous in my behavior. But although I was religious outwardly, I was sinning inwardly. And all of my attempts to earn God’s blessing, all of my seeking to manipulate Him to get Him to bless me proved to be a waste (Php_3:7). Now I know I’m a sinner. But because God is who He isbecause He is merciful and gracious, longsuffering and forgivingI am who I am: a trophy of His grace.” When we were new in faith, many of us looked at worksBible study, prayer, service, tithingas ways to get God to respond to us. But as we grow in faith, we come to understand that works are the inevitable response to the goodness and grace God has already lavished upon us. When I consider that I’m going to heaven, that my sins are forgiven, that God has given me His Word, and that the Holy Spirit lives within me, I have no other choice but to serve Him wholeheartedly. An understanding of the grace of God results in works. But the works are a response to God rather than a means of getting God to respond to us. The fallacy of “seed faith theology"in which people are told to give money, offer prayers, or engage in service in order to get something back from Godis that all of those activities are an inevitable response for one who understands what God has already done on his or her behalf. “I labor more abundantly than everyone,” Paul says. “Because God has been so good to me, I can’t help it.” So, too, if you are one who truly embraces and enjoys the grace of God, you will be more engaged in His service than you were a year ago. You just won’t be able to stop yourself.

1 Corinthians 15:11

Paul is referring to those who had seen the resurrected Jesushimself, Peter, the apostles, James, and five hundred others.

1 Corinthians 15:12

“Show us a sign that You are who You claim to be,” they said. “One sign I’ll show you. Destroy this templethis bodyand in three days I will raise it up” Jesus answered (see Joh_2:19). Houdini claimed that on the fiftieth anniversary of his death, he would come back from the dead. So on that date, a group of his followers gathered around his grave in San Francisco, waiting for him to return. They waited and waited and waited. Then they went home. Jesus uniquely, singularly rose from the dead. Lots of people make all sorts of claims, but our Hero, our Leader, our Lord Jesus Christ delivered. He came through. And had His offering not been acceptable, our Great High Priest would never have emerged from the tomb on Easter Sunday… As the high priest, dressed in linen, went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat, the people would wonder and wait. If the high priest was himself defiled, if the high priest was himself polluted by sin, he would be smitten dead in the Holy of Holies. But if he emerged, his linen garments sprinkled with blood, the people would know the offering “took.” They would know their sins were forgiven. What about our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ? Wrapped in linen, He was placed in the tomb. All of heaven wondered. All of history waited. Did the offering take? Was His blood accepted? Because He emerged from the tomb on that glorious Easter Sunday, we know the offering did, indeed, take. We know His blood was accepted. We know that we are forgiven. Whether you’re talking to the skeptic on the campus, at work, or in your neighborhood, the issue is singular: Did Jesus rise from the dead? If He did, He is unique in history. It validates His claim. And it means our sins are forgiven. The entire argument hinges on the single issue of the Resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:19

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, why are we of all men most miserable? Because we have hope that life will get better, that things will be right, that bills will be no more, that tears will cease to flow. On the other hand, if heaven isn’t real, the Epicurean is right. There is no tomorrow. There is no hope.

1 Corinthians 15:20

In the Levitical calendar, the day following Passover was a day of celebration called the Feast of Firstfruits. During this feast, the Jews waved wheat from their crops toward heaven, signifying their gratitude to the Lord for His provision and the promise of more to come. When did Christ rise? The day following Passoveron the Feast of Firstfruits. Jesus is the Firstfruit because there’s more to come. Who? You and me. Jesus was the first One truly resurrected never to die againbut many more will follow.

1 Corinthians 15:21

The resurrection spoken of here is a process that began with the Resurrection of Christ and will conclude when those who are martyred during the Tribulation for their faith in Christ are resurrected. Revelation 20 goes on to talk about a second resurrection that takes place at the end of the Millennium when all of the unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne. The first resurrection is the resurrection unto life because it is made up only of those who are saved. The second resurrection is the resurrection unto death because it is made up only of unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 15:24

When at last the kingdom of death is cast into outer darkness, Christ will rule and reign unchallenged. What a day that will be! The last enemy to be destroyed, nevermore to haunt or burden anyone, will not only be physical death, but the death of marriage, the death of joy, the death of peace, the death of everything that brings about hopelessness, heaviness, and sorrow.

1 Corinthians 15:27

With the exception of God, all things are under the feet of Jesus Christ. Soon, He will take control of that which is twice Histhat which was given to Him by the Father and that which was purchased by His own blood on Calvary.

1 Corinthians 15:28

The Son shall remain in submission to the Father not because He is inferior, but because it was a choice He made (Php_2:7-8), the effects of which remain.

1 Corinthians 15:29

The Mormons use this verse to teach that a person can be baptized in place of relatives who died generations ago. This is why they place such importance upon genealogies. However, unbeknownst to most people, a dark spiritualism is linked to this aspect of Mormonism. What Paul is talking about is actually quite simple. Baptism is a symbol of death, burial, and resurrection. “If Jesus is not risen,” he asks, “why would you be baptized?”

1 Corinthians 15:30

“While you are celebrating your Epicurean Christianity, I’m risking my life every day. Why would I do this if there is no resurrection?” asks Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:32

Commentators are divided over the identity of the beasts at Ephesus. It could very well be that Paul was cast into the arena at Ephesus where he stood face-to-face with hungry lions, as did countless Christian martyrs. Or, it could be Paul is talking about men who, acting like beasts, wanted to rip into him. Either way, what he endured at Ephesus was all for nothing if, indeed, there was no resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:33

“Your discussions with the Epicureans are making you confused about the simplicity of the gospel,” Paul warns the Corinthian believers.

1 Corinthians 15:34

This wasn’t an honest question, but was instead meant to challenge Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:36

Look at nature. If you put an ugly brown bulb in the ground, what happens? It sends down its roots, cracks in half, and sends up greenery. As the warm sun beats down on the budding plant, a beautiful yellow daffodil appears from what once was an ugly brown bulb. So, too, Paul says the same thing we observe in nature will take place in the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:39

Just as we see different bodies nowthose of lions, fish, and beasts; those of sun, moon, and starsour resurrected bodies will be different from those we have now. Because our present bodies are designed for fourteen pounds of pressure per square inch, we can only travel in the air or underwater in pressurized cabins or suits. And because our present bodies are designed to take in a specific mix of air composed of 78 percent oxygen, 21 percent nitrogen, and 1 percent of assorted gases, we remain essentially earthbound. But our eternal bodies will require neither space suit nor oxygen tank. We’re going to be free to explore, soar, and do all kinds of things we can’t even dream about doing today as we cruise the cosmos without limitations or restrictions. Right now, we inhabit ugly brown bulbs. But when we see Him, we shall be like Him. Oh, happy day that will be! If you look at the sky tonight, you’ll see stars shining with different intensities. Likewise, there will be different intensities in heaven. Daniel 12 tells us that those who win souls shall shine as the stars forever. In other words, those who are serving the Lord now and making their lives count today will shine brightly throughout eternity. On the other hand, although those who give priority to their own bodies, possessions, interests, hobbies, careers, or agendas, will be in heaven if they believe in Jesus Christ, they will not shine with the same intensity. Make the kingdom the priority and passion of your life, and I promise you, you’ll not regret it.

1 Corinthians 15:42

The body we put in the ground decays. Paul says that’s not the end of the story, for it rises in glory and power.

1 Corinthians 15:45

“From dust you came and to dust you will return,” God told Adam (see Gen_3:19). Therefore, it is no wonder that the seventeen elements that compose the dirt under your feet are the same elements of which your body is comprised. Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, was made a quickening, or, literally, life-giving spirit. Jesus is the One who gives life.

1 Corinthians 15:46

We begin as natural men. It is not until we’re born again by the life-giving Spirit of the last Adam that we become spiritual beings.

1 Corinthians 15:47

According to Psalms 103, the Father understands that we are earthy. Therefore, I am personally persuaded that many of us expect more of ourselves than our Father expects of us. We put pressure upon ourselves, set lofty goals, and make endless promises. But in reality, we’re just dusty and earthy. “We have this treasure, Jesus Christ, in earthen vessels,” Paul will say in his second letter to the Corinthians (2Co_4:7). Jesus is the Treasure. We’re just the earthen vessel, the clay pot. From time to time, many of us try to polish and paint our earthen vessels by trying to put on an act of spirituality. In reality, however, all that does is detract from the beauty of the Treasure inside. That is why, in describing how He wanted to be worshiped, the Lord didn’t prescribe an altar made of cut stones, polished brass, or beaten gold. It was to be made of earth in order that nothing would detract from the sacrifice laid upon it (Exo_20:24). Many people don’t witness, teach Sunday school, or serve in other ways because they don’t feel polished or articulate enough. Little do they realize that they are the ideal candidates for ministry because people will marvel at the Treasure and not at them. Whether it be congregationally or personally, the key to ministry is to get out of the way and let people see the beauty of Jesus, the Treasure within. Although presently I am free to be who I amjust an earthy, clay potI know someday I’ll be much more. Someday I’ll bear the image of Christ, in a body custom-made for the heavenlies.

1 Corinthians 15:50

Our present bodies of flesh and blood cannot move into the kingdom because they’re not designed for heaven. That is what death is all about. For the believer, death is simply a way of leaving our earthly tabernacles and moving into our new bodies, exchanging our crusty brown bulbs for creations of beauty.

1 Corinthians 15:51

The Greek word translated “mystery” is musterion. Musterion speaks of something that has previously been hidden, but is now known. Following Paul’s discussion of the necessity of dying in order that we might move into the eternal realm, he says there is something new to factor in to the equation… Although everyone will be changedlike caterpillars into butterfliesnot everyone will die. How can a person be changed if he doesn’t die? Read on.

1 Corinthians 15:52

Here is the first reference to the hope of the Rapture. Paul tells us that, rather than dying, some will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. When the trumpet sounds, as 1Th_4:16-17 more fully explains, the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. The dead in Christ shall rise, and then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet with them in the clouds. We’ll be changed immediately without going through the death process at all.

1 Corinthians 15:54

Death is swallowed up in victory. Because our hearts tell us this is so, because the Word declares it to be, instead of moaning and mourning over believers who have died, we can truly be happy and elated for them if we understand the big picture of eternity.

1 Corinthians 15:55

A little girl was having a picnic with her daddy. Deathly allergic to bee stings, she became terrified as a bumblebee buzzed overhead. Seeing the bee, her father caught it and held it in his hand for a few seconds before letting it go. As it buzzed around once more, the little girl cried, “Daddy, Daddy, why did you let the bee go?” Rather than explain, the father chose to simply open his hand to show his daughter the stinger embedded in his palm. That’s precisely what Jesus did for me when He absorbed the sting of my sin and stupidity.

1 Corinthians 15:58

In light of the reality of eternity, in light of the Cross of Calvary, in light of the fact that what we do on this earth will determine our heavenly intensity, Paul says, “Work for the Lord so that your labor will not be in vain.” So much of what we do with our time, energy, and money is vain. So much of what we do is going to fall apart, pass away, or break down. But that which we do for the Lordthe worship we give Him, the work we do for Him, the gifts we bring to Himwill not be in vain. Even if it seems that what you’re doing for Him is not making a very big impact, know this: Your labor is not in vain. The Lord does not pay you on commission. He pays you for your labor. He doesn’t pay you depending upon how successful you are in service. He pays you by the hour. Just be faithful to do what He has called you to do, and leave the results to Him.