Resurrection Foundation - 1 Corinthians 15

Resurrection Foundation - 1 Corinthians 15

The church at Corinth will be forever known as the church with all the problems. Probably not a title they would have chosen. But for us, all those problems that Paul dealt with, give us many answers for the problems we as churches and Christians deal with today.

Back in Corinth, there was problem with tongues, and if you read what Paul tells the church at Corinth, you won’t have a problem with tongues today in your church. His guidance on church discipline, if it were followed, would stop the sinful hypocrisy of church members acting like Christians on Sunday but like devils the rest of the week. His treatise on love, if practiced would fill our churches with people who experience agape love through us. His advice on dealing with offenses between members of the church would keep churches together and fellowship sweet.

But alas, most of what Paul teaches on these subjects is ignored, disregarded, or contradicted. Now let me say this, for the most part you can ignore these teachings and though it will harm your church, your spiritual growth and your walk with the Lord, you can ignore them and still be a Christian. Yes, you will be a very sorry, weak, misshapen Christian but still a Christian as the Bible says, “by the skin of your teeth.”

But there is one teaching in the Book of 1st Corinthians that you cannot treat so callously. If you ignore it, deny it or contradict it, then I can say categorically, you are not a Christian. You are not saved from you sins and you are destined for the fiery judgment of hellfire. That teaching is in 1 Corinthians 15 and it is the foundation of all Christian belief. It is the truth that drove the apostles and the early church to the far corners of the known world to reach the lost. And it was the doctrine that when the new world was discovered, missionaries and colonists left their home and came to the New World in order to live and preach the reality of this doctrine.  That doctrine is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and through him our own resurrection. Go to 1 Corinthians 15 and look at this foundation doctrine.

Resurrection Proven By Eyewitnesses -  1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Eyewitnesses to The Gospel

Paul begins by stating that the resurrection is a vital, essential part of the Gospel.

Vs. 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. Then we hear the classic definition of the Gospel in the four that’s starting in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

3 that Christ died for our sins
4 that he was buried,
that he rose again
5 that he was seen

The Gospel, the Good News, is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul received and believed it is what he preached to the Corinthians, and they believed. The Gospel is perfectly balanced on this tripod of truth. If you take away the death on the cross, or the three days in the tomb, or the resurrection from the grave then the Gospel tripod can’t stand. It collapses and a collapsed Gospel can’t save anyone.

And if you don’t believe or you deny any part of the Gospel then as Paul warned the Corinthians, you believed in vain. You believed in emptiness, nothingness.

Next Paul goes to the heart of this chapter, the question that he must deal with, the proof of the resurrection and then the necessity of believing in the bodily resurrection of Christ and our own resurrection through Him.

He gives the eyewitness accounts, and they are numerous and verifiable for they happened only about 25 years prior to the this letter. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8

he was seen of Cephas (the Aramaic word of Rock, Petros in Greek),

then of the rest of the twelve (he names them as a group even though Judas was no longer with them):

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James (the brother of Jesus and as Paul is writing this epistle, James is the pastor of the church at Jerusalem);

then of all the apostles. (this word means “sent ones” and probably refers to those who walked with Christ during his earthly ministry. Probably the seventy He appointed and sent out in Luke chapter 10.)

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. (Paul says his birth and his apostle ship was like a miscarriage, that is what the Greek word means. Not that was harmful but that it came at an unexpected time, a late birth in this case.)

Eyewitness Still Convincing

If we would judge the story of the resurrection by the same standard we would judge any historical narrative then we find that it cannot be a myth, much less a lie for it has evidentiary proof. One of the strongest of those proofs is the eyewitness testimonies of the witnesses who saw Jesus alive. But why should we still believe them after all these centuries?

Chuck Colson, the famous Watergate figure, gives the reason.

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world - and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.” - Charles Colson

Many other famous people have set out to disprove the Bible and Christianity and often it is the strength of the testimonies of the eyewitnesses that still convinces them.

Gilbert West (1703-1756) was one of the Most Eminent English Poets in his lifetime. As a student at Oxford, West set out to debunk the Bible’s account of Christ’s resurrection. Instead, having proved to himself that Christ did rise from the dead, he was converted. West published his conclusions in the book “Observations on the History and Evidences of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1747).

West concluded his book with these words: “If Christ had not risen, and proved himself by many infallible tokens to have risen from the dead, the Apostles and Disciples could have had no inducement to believe in him, that is to acknowledge him for the Messiah, the Anointed of God; on the contrary, they must have taken him for an impostor, and under that persuasion could never have become preachers of the Gospel,…

George Lyttelton (1709-1773) was an English statesman, author, and poet, educated at Eton and Oxford. As a young man he set out to prove that Paul was not converted as the Bible states. Instead, he wrote a book containing evidence that Paul was indeed converted and that his conversion is evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. The book was titled “Observations on the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul” (1747). Lyttleton observed that from an earthly perspective Paul had absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose by testifying that he had seen the risen Christ. Giving up his position and prestige as a Jewish religious leader, he joined the despised Christian sect and was hounded, mocked, and persecuted for the rest of his life, finally paying the ultimate price for his Christian faith, death by beheading.

Albert Henry Ross (Frank Morison) (1881-1950) Albert Ross was a lawyer, journalist, and novelist who grew up in Stratford-on-Avon, England. He was deeply affected by the skepticism of the times, particularly the attacks on the Bible by theological liberalism and Darwinism. After becoming a lawyer he set out to write a book to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead, he was converted and wrote a book in defense of the resurrection entitled WHO MOVED THE STONE? - which is still in print today.

Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853) Simon Greenleaf, Royall Professor of Law at Harvard University, was one of the most celebrated legal minds in American history. His Treatise on the Law of Evidence “is still considered the greatest single authority on evidence in the entire literature of legal procedure.” As a law professor, he determined to expose the “myth” of the resurrection of Christ once and for all, but his thorough examination forced him to conclude, instead, that Jesus did rise from the dead. In 1846 he published “An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice.”  One of Greenleaf’s points is that nothing but the resurrection itself can explain the dramatic change in Christ’s disciples and their willingness to suffer and die for their testimony.

“Their master had recently perished as a malefactor, by the sentence of a public tribunal. His religion sought to overthrow the religions of the whole world. The laws of every country were against the teachings of His disciples. The interests and passions of all the rulers and great men in the world were against them. The fashion of the world was against them. Propagating this new faith, even in the most inoffensive and peaceful manner, they could expect nothing but contempt, opposition, revilings, bitter persecutions, stripes, imprisonments, torments, and cruel deaths. Yet this faith they zealously did propagate; and all these miseries they endured undismayed, nay, rejoicing. As one after another was put to a miserable death, the survivors only prosecuted their work with increased vigor and resolution….”

Lee Strobel has a law degree from Yale University and worked as an investigative reporter for one of America’s largest newspapers, the Chicago Tribune. He was an atheist. After his wife became a Christian in 1979, he was upset at her decision and determined to prove that the Bible is not true and that Jesus Christ is not the Son God. For two years he pursued this objective, using all of his legal and journalistic skills, but in the end he had proved to himself that the Bible is the Word of God and Jesus rose from the dead. He became a Christian in 1981 and has since written many books defending the Christian faith.

“Setting aside my self-interest and prejudices as best I could, I read books, interviewed experts, asked questions, analyzed history, explored archaeology, studied ancient literature, and for the first time in my life picked apart the Bible verse by verse.

“I plunged into the case with more vigor than with any story I had ever pursued. I applied the training I had received at Yale Law School as well as my experience as legal affairs editor of the Chicago Tribune. And over time the evidence of the world--of history, of science, of philosophy, of psychology--began to point toward the unthinkable” (Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, 1998, p. 14).

Strobel became convinced that the Bible is true and that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He has written many books defending the Christian faith, including The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus and The Case for the Resurrection.

We could go on citing scholar after scholar, author after author who after examining the evidence of the eyewitness accounts came away convinced that those witnesses had to be telling the truth. And if they spoke the truth, then the resurrection of Jesus was real and all of time and history hinges on that truth.

Paul then calls up more witnesses, and it is kind of a surprise witness, just like in an Old Perry Mason movie. The surprise witness is the very people who are struggling with the concept of the resurrection itself. Paul says, “Even you are witnesses to this truth.”

 Resurrection Proven by Personal Experience  - 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Paul’s Appeal to the Corinthians Experience

The question seemed not so much about Christ’s resurrection but about their own. Vs 12. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? The Greeks believed that the body was sinful, but the soul was pure. They already believed in a spiritual resurrection but they did not accept a resurrection of the body. The belief ultimately becomes Gnosticism and Dualism.

To counter this Paul says if there is no bodily resurrection then Christ is not risen. Even though that is what we preached and you believed, if you now say there is no resurrection of the body then that means Jesus did not rise from the grave.

Then building this chain of logical links, he says, 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 “if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses (liars, perjurers) of God”

He then gives the awful conclusion of not believing in the resurrection, in 1 Corinthians 15:17-18 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain (empty, worthless); ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”

Without the resurrection, faith is empty, preaching is empty, hope is empty. Paul’s closing statement shows the razor’s edge conclusion to his argument for the resurrection of Christ and all who believe in Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Our Personal Experience

We’ve already seen in the opening of this chapter that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This means that Jesus actually died, that his lifeless body was placed in a literal grave and then 3 days later he physically walked out of that grave on Sunday morning.

If we have been saved, then we were saved by believing exactly that doctrine. Anything less means your salvation is lacking this essential foundation and a lesser salvation is no salvation at all.

Go with me to Matthew 27:35-38 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there; 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

Matthew 27:46 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:50-5150 -- Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Matthew 27:57-60 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Matthew 28:1-6 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 -- His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.

This the Gospel, this is what we believe! Jesus’ living body was nailed to the cross. His dead body was placed in that tomb and then His once again living body came out of that stone covered, guard watched, Roman sealed grave.

This is what we have believed, this is our experience, just as it was the Corinthians. The resurrection is one of the three essential foundations of the Gospel. It is the foundation the Christian faith. It is the foundation of all that we have put our faith in. It is the foundation of all that we hope for in eternity to come.

In the first epistle ever written by Paul he says to the 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (the only thing that can rise is their bodies, for their spirits are already with the Lord.) 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Chris Tomlin’s “I Will Rise”

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise, I will rise.

Victor Hugo’s Belief in the Resurrection

I feel within me that future life. I am like a forest that has been razed; the new shoots are stronger and brighter. I shall most certainly rise toward the heavens--the nearer my approach to the end, the plainer is the sound of immortal symphonies of worlds which invite me. For half a century I have been translating my thoughts into prose and verse: history, philosophy, drama, romance, tradition, satire, ode, and song; all of these I have tried. But I feel I haven't given utterance to the thousandth part of what lies with me. When I go to the grave I can say, as others have said, "My day's work is done." But I cannot say, "My life is done." My work will recommence the next morning. The tomb is not a blind alley; it is a thoroughfare. It closes upon the twilight but opens upon the dawn. - Victor Hugo

 Resurrection Proven By Doctrine - 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Paul’s Shows that the Resurrection is Doctrinally Sound

We can almost hear Paul shouting from Ephesus all the way to Corinth, “But now Christ is risen from the dead.” This is the present truth, He is alive now, today at this moment.

Paul goes on to show that this is the doctrine upon which all the Christian faith is built. He is risen and become the firstfruits of those who are asleep in Christ now. Jesus’ resurrection is promise of everything that is to come for us.

F.B. Meyers gave an explanation of 1 Corinthians 15:20 He says, “On the day that Jesus rose, the first-fruit sheaf of the barley harvest was being waved by the high priest in the temple, as the representative of the myriads that stood stacked amid the stubble of the fields. It was the specimen sheaf, representative, pattern, and pledge of all the rest.”

Paul shows it must be this way 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

In Adam we all died physically and spiritually and the only way that death could be overcome was in Jesus. In Him we are made alive spiritually and one day our bodies will be made alive again physically.

Paul then securely binds the resurrection to the Second Coming, you can’t have Jesus’ return unless He was first resurrected. 1 Corinthians 15:23-27, “every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The Core Doctrine is The Resurrection

The resurrection is essential to the Gospel, the resurrection is essential to our hope, the resurrection is essential to the second coming of Jesus Christ and His final victory over sin and death. The resurrection that we celebrate today is the foundation, the very core, of everything we believe as Christians.

In vss. 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 Paul gives Practical Proofs of the resurrection.

In 15:35–49 Paul tells how the resurrection of the body is part of God’s creation, part of nature all around us.

All Paul says here is important to our understanding and deepening our knowledge of the resurrection, but I want to move to the end of the chapter for sake of time and in keeping with the theme of the resurrection as the foundation, and hope for all that we believe. Go to vss. 50-58 to see that the Resurrection is the Christian’s passion, it is what moves us and keeps us going in the Lord’s work.

Conclusion – The Passion of the Resurrection -1 Corinthians 15:50-58

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

This is the scripture we often read at the graveside of our loved ones. Those who have died believing in the Gospel and in their own coming resurrection. We read it during those times, because it is powerful and passionate. We read it because it is comforting to those left behind, but it should also be motivating to us at all times. Paul says it in the last verse, 1 Corinthians 15:58 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

What we believe isn’t in vain. Our service for our Lord isn’t in vain. Our sacrifices in giving aren’t in vain. Our suffering and our sorrows aren’t in vain. Because one day we will see our loved ones again. Because one day time will cease and eternity will begin.  And because one day we will hear our Savior say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” and from His hands receive a crown of glory.

Therefore, be stedfast, unmoveable in your faith in Jesus and your belief in the resurrection and always be abundant in the precious, glorious, eternal work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.