Tuesday, July 30, 2024

The Risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

"… that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day …" (1 Cor. 15:3–4).

Disorder in worship was not the only thing that disrupted the unity of the Corinthian church; theological error, propagated by false teachers, had also laid claim to some who had previously believed the preaching of the apostle. False teachers, most likely men from Grecian descent who had been influenced by eastern philosophy which asserted that matter was evil, had led many of the Corinthian people to deny the resurrection. This was a most grievous denial because it was a rejection of the very Gospel that brings salvation, the Gospel that Paul had already proclaimed to the church at Corinth, the Gospel they had once embraced wholeheartedly.

Paul warns them that if they do not hold to the teaching they had received, to the truth of the resurrection of Christ, then they would not be saved. They are saved only if they hold fast to the true faith. Paul is not teaching that Christians can lose their salvation, but he is teaching that if you cease to believe in the fundamentals of the Gospel then it will be evidence that you were never saved in the first place. We must persevere in our faith, and only in perseverance are we saved—not that our works save us, but that our faith and our perseverance are the necessary consequences of our justification.

Unless you believe that Christ died for your sins and was raised again—physically—your faith is in vain. Our Savior is not dead and buried, but He is alive, having gained victory over death for the redemption of all His people. This is necessary for our salvation because through the sin of Adam death came into the world, not only spiritual death but physical death. But through Christ, death is conquered, and, in Him, we possess the hope of new life (Rom. 5).

The resurrection of Christ is not a mere fantasy of the apostles but a historical fact, supported by the testimony of reliable witnesses: the twelve disciples, five hundred followers (either in Jerusalem or Galilee), James the brother of Christ, and lastly Paul himself. Were the Corinthians ready to call all these eyewitnesses, many of whom were still alive at that time, liars? Paul did not think so, and neither should we today. Our Lord is alive and has promised to raise to new life all who believe in Him.

Do you fear death? Read through chapter 15. Why should the Christian have no debilitating fear of death? What is your hope if you believe in Christ? Why does a denial of the resurrection undermine faith? If you have any fears about dying, present those fears to God today and ask Him to give you more faith in the work of His Son.