1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1 Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand,
2 by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit 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 toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Fact of Resurrection
What the gospel is
It appears that some in the Corinthian church were doubting the resurrection of Christ. Therefore, in order to demonstrate that the resurrection is a historical fact, Paul reminds them of the gospel that he had preached to them. (1) Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Paul likely had passages such as Isaiah 53:5-6 and Psalm 16:8-11 in mind. Moreover, he was convinced that the Scriptures as a whole point to the death of the Messiah. (2) Christ was also buried in the tomb. (3) Then, on the third day, He was raised from the dead. Although He died on Friday afternoon and rose on Sunday morning, this is described as having been raised “on the third day.” This is the content of the gospel. Do you believe this gospel? If you do, then you have been saved through this gospel.
The eyewitnesses of the resurrection
There was no need to cite eyewitnesses for Christ’s crucifixion and burial, since neither involved anything supernatural. The resurrection, however, was different because it did involve the supernatural. In order to persuade those who doubted, Paul presents the testimony of eyewitnesses. (1) The risen Christ first appeared to Cephas (Peter), and then to the Twelve. From there, the Christian faith began to spread. (2) Next, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time. Most of them were still alive. It is likely that many in the Corinthian church had friends or acquaintances among those five hundred eyewitnesses. (3) Then He appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles. (4) Last of all, He also appeared to Paul, who had been persecuting the church. Paul refers to himself as “one untimely born.” Paul’s inadequacy serves to magnify the greatness of God’s grace. We ourselves have no way of directly verifying whether Christ’s resurrection was a historical fact. However, those who lived at the same time as Jesus and became eyewitnesses of His resurrection have borne faithful testimony to its truth. Let us not be unbelieving but believe and receive the hope of eternal life. The Lord Jesus is alive even now. Hallelujah!
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus has risen and is alive even now. Today, I will walk in obedience to the living Christ. Please guide me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.