1 Corinthians 15:12-19
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised;
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.
15 Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised;
17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
To Those who Deny the Resurrection
Is there no resurrection of the dead?
There were some in the Corinthian church who claimed that there is no resurrection of the dead. They likely believed in the Greek philosophical concept of the immortality of the soul, but they could not accept the resurrection of the body. Paul responds to their reasoning. (1) If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ Himself has not been raised. Paul’s argument here is as follows: if “there is no resurrection of the dead” is accepted as a general, universal truth, then that truth must also apply to the particular case of Christ’s resurrection. In other words, the conclusion would be that “Christ has not been raised.” (2) If Christ has not been raised, then the message of the gospel is without substance, and the faith of Christians is also without substance. (3) More than that, those who proclaim the gospel would be found to be bearing false witness against God. Such a testimony would amount to the sin of false witness.
Are Christians pitiable people?
Paul then continues his line of reasoning. (1) If Christ has not been raised, then the faith of Christians is futile, and no matter how much they believe in Christ, they remain in their sins. (2) If that is true, then those who have died believing in Christ (those who have fallen asleep in Christ) have perished. (3) If death brings only destruction, then every struggle of faith and every trial endured in this life is ultimately in vain. In that case, Christians, who have believed in something that is not true, would be the most pitiable people in all the world. As Paul declares here, if Christ’s resurrection were not a historical fact, Christianity would lose its very foundation. Whether the resurrection is true determines whether Christianity itself is true. Thankfully, Christ’s resurrection is a historical reality. Paul joyfully proclaims, “But Christ has been raised!” He is not alone in making this declaration, for many of the disciples also encountered the risen Christ. Let us also, live today with the joyful confession in our hearts: “Christ is alive even now!”
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, Christ has been raised from the dead. And all who believe in Him will be raised to eternal life. I believe. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.