1 Corinthians 15 - If Jesus Did Not Rise From the Dead, Christianity is a False Religion!

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The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Paul moves from the discussion on spiritual gifts, and specifically the gifts of tongues and prophecy, to the doctrine of the resurrection. He is addressing an early heresy that Jesus didn't really rise from the dead. Paul sees the resurrection as the linchpin of the gospel we preach. If we take out the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus, we have nothing left. 

Paul says, "It is by this gospel you are saved." But since this was under attack they needed to stand firm. We need to stand firm on it just as much today. The gospel is under attack because the truth is under attack. We live in a world where absolute truth is seen as "passe". But as Paul will teach if Jesus didn't rise from the dead or faith is in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Paul gives a very brief summary of the essence of the gospel he preached, which was passed on to him from the apostles. He mentions that Jesus appeared to Peter (Cephas is his formal Jewish name) and then the others. Then, he appeared to 500, to James, and then to him. He says he was, "abnormally born" because he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus, where he received a supernatural vision and called to be an ambassador of the gospel to the Gentiles. 

The bottom line is these are all literal appearances. Jesus was not some ghost, or it was not some mystical, spiritual experience. That is why Jesus had Thomas but his hands in his wounds, and Jesus ate with the discples. Jesus really died. Jesus was really buried. Jesus really was raised from the dead. He really appeared to the disciples. If none of this really happened the Christian faith is based on a lie. 

Though we believe in faith, our faith is backed up by solid evidence. This is what makes Christianity different from every other religion. No other religion claims their prophet or leader rose from the dead. Why? Because that would make him God. 

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 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 to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Paul again points out because of his persecution and rounding up of Christians that he doesn't deserve to be called an apostle. But it is only by God's grace could he be an ambassador for the gospel. His testimony for the gospel is even more convincing realizing what he did in his former life. 

Importantly Paul says, "God's grace to me was not without with effect."

Paul not only received God's grace but did not waste it, or as he says, "receive it in vain". It is a question we all should ask ourselves, "Have I made the most of God's grace or received it in vain?"

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Paul makes a very logical and linear argument here. 

1. They had preached that Jesus had rose from the dead. 

2. If there was no resurrection Jesus was not raised. I.e. Some people did not believe in the whole idea of a resurrection. 

3. If Jesus did not rise from the dead what they are preaching is a lie and useless. 

4. They have been false witnesses for God, which is an even worse offense. 

5. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, we are still dead in our sins and our faith is futile. 

6. Those who died are just that dead. There is no hope for eternal life. 

7. If it is only for this life that we have faith in Jesus' resurrection, we should be pitied. 

On a personal note, even if Jesus did not rise from the dead, I still would believe I had the best life possible. Of course, I believe in the resurrection, but I have already lived the "eternal kind of life" because of following Jesus. I have learned to love and be loved. I have learned to serve and be served. I have learned to pray and be prayed for. I have followed God's Word which has led to life. I have forgiven and been forgiven. I have love, peace, joy, and hope. 

I would not trade my Christian faith for anything JUST for what it has brought me in this life. But I also can't wait for what's to come.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[c] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Then, Paul affirms that Jesus DID rise from the dead and he is the first person ever to be raised from the dead. We have inherited sin and death from being born of Adam, but we inherited eternal life through Jesus if we believe in His name. When Jesus comes back he will take all those who belong to him including those who have already died. 

Jesus will return and then defeat once and for all the dominion, power, and authority of enemy, who we call Satan. The last enemy he will defeat is death. As Jesus returns to the Father after completing the final chapter of history he will return to the Father, so that God may be all in all. 

29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

There was a false religion who baptized people for those who were already dead. This showed that people believed in the resurrection. Paul showed his belief in the resurrection by risking his life by fighting wild beast. Paul says that if the dead were not raised he should have lived by the motto of Cretans, "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die." Translate this, "Let's go out and party while we have time and not worry about anything but indulging in life's pleasures!"

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

The natural question people asked was, "What are people going to look like when they are raised from the dead?"

Paul uses an analogy from nature that when a seed is planted, the fruit does not look like the seed, for instance like a stalk of wheat or corn. In the same way when we are resurrected. though we come from the seed of a human body, we will look like what God created us to be at the beginning of time. The splendor of a heavenly body is different than an earthly body. 

This is why it doesn't do us much good to try and guess what our heavenly bodies will look like. They will be different for sure. Though our earthly bodies are beautiful and have a splendor to them, our heavenly bodies will have a heavenly splendor. Though this does not give us a definitive answer, it does show that what we will be like in heaven is the fruition of what are bodies were intended for on earth. 

42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

Paul continues to say basically the same thing comparing our natural body with our spiritual bodies. On earth we are made in the image of God with a human body, and in heaven we will also be born of a heavenly body. 

50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul then describes the process of when we will go from our earthly bodies to our heavenly bodies. Not everyone will die before Jesus returns, but when he returns, the trumpet will sound, and in the twinkling of an eye we will all be changed. First, the dead will be raised imperishable, and then all will be changed. What a day this will be when death is defeated once and for all. We will all cry, 

"Where O death is your sting, where is your victory?" The sting of death comes from sin. As Paul says in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin are death! But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!" 

The law only magnififies the power of sin. as it brings in the verdict of guilty. Through our sin we are all condemned to die, but thanks be to God through Jesus' death in the cross we are victorious over sin. Sin is no longer our ruler. Through Jesus death on the cross, he defeated all spiritual powers, authorities, and rulers in the heavenly place. Jesus has overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. 

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Paul closes with a big "therefore". In light of everything we have been given including the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection, we should stand firm in our faith and let nothing move us. Our only response can be to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. This is not a half in, half out commitment. We give all that we are for all that God is! Because of the resurrection we know that everything we do for the Lord is not in vain. There is never anything we can do for God that will not be worth it both now and forever!