Steadfast Day 2 Of Epic Importance: Digging Deeper
March 28, 2023
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
1 Corinthians 15:1-7
The Original Intent
1) Why did Paul need to “make clear” about the gospel? (verse 1-2)
Paul had one passion in ministry, sharing the gospel, or the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. His desire is repeatedly evidenced in every letter he wrote that has been preserved in our Bibles.
“I am eager to preach the gospel to you… For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:14-16)
“Woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel… that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ…” (Philippians 1:12-13)
In this letter to the Corinthians, Paul is responding to questions the church in Corinth had asked of him. Presumably, based on Paul’s writing, there were questions about the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul saved this most important topic for the end of his letter.
He wanted to write a simple, straight-forward statement of faith that would summarize what he had already taught them. It is the most important thing he had taught them as every Christian teaching hung upon the resurrection of Christ. Paul wanted them to understand it with all clarity.
The Everyday Application
1) Why did Paul need to “make clear” about the gospel? (verse 1-2)
When cashiers or bank tellers are trained in detecting counterfeit bills, they are shown how to identify genuine ones. They are taught to notice the texture of the money, security features, and serial numbers of authentic bills. Not all counterfeits will be the same, but genuine currency will always be consistent.
We can say the same thing about counterfeit teachings about the gospel. There have always been false teachers who have tried to lead people astray. How can we know if someone is teaching the “real” gospel?
Paul makes it clear for us in this passage, so we can confidently identify the authentic gospel. Any “gospel” that doesn’t absolutely hinge on the death, burial, and resurrection of the fully God, fully human Jesus Christ is no gospel at all. Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the most important aspect of our faith.
The Original Intent
2) What is the significance of the words “according to the Scriptures”? (verse 3-4)
In these verses, Paul uses the phrase “according to the Scriptures” twice. A repeated phrase is often a signal to take a deeper look!
“Scriptures” comes from a Greek word, “graphé”, which means “writing”. In the New Testament, this word almost always refers to the Old Testament. (Note: English words like biography, autograph, bibliography come from this same Greek root word!)
The significance of the phrase “according to the Scriptures” to the church in Corinth would be that the events of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were a perfect fulfillment according to the prophecies and promises found in the Old Testament. It’s an important part of Paul’s argument that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were not just things that happened by accident or by human design at the hand of angry Jewish leaders, the betrayal from Judas, or the Roman law.
Paul emphasizes that every aspect surrounding the events of Christi’s resurrection were part of God’s predetermined plan for salvation.
The Everyday Application
2) What is the significance of the words “according to the Scriptures”? (verse 3-4)
As we read these words today, we can hold the entirety of “the Scriptures” (Old Testament) in our hands. We can trace the thread of the revelation of God’s plan of salvation of humanity through Jesus Christ through each page starting in Genesis!
The words, “according to the Scriptures”, are an exclamation point in this passage reminding us that the events of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection were not unexpected. They were part of the plan. Let’s take a closer look through the lens of the Old Testament Scriptures.
In Isaiah 53, there are references to a suffering servant who will be “pierced because of our rebellion” and “crushed because of our iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Other prophetic passages specific to the crucifixion and resurrection can be found in Psalm 22, Hosea 6:2, Psalm 16:10, and Job 19:25-27.
The Original Intent
3) What role do the witnesses of the resurrected Jesus have in this passage? (verse 5-7)
In Ancient Rome, there were usually two or more witnesses required to establish the truth of a testimony in court. In response to any doubts about the authenticity of the resurrection of Jesus, Paul provides more than five hundred eyewitnesses!
He also strengthens this piece of hard evidence by pointing out that most of them were still alive at the time of Paul’s writing. (verse 6) In a sense, Paul is saying, “Don’t believe me? Go and ask them!”
By mentioning these specific individuals and groups, Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection fulfilling many prophecies was not just a belief or a doctrine crafted by a group of people with a political agenda or personal motivation.
It was a real, life-changing event witnessed by a wide range of men and women. He wanted the Corinthian believers to also experience the life-changing reality of Christ’s resurrection for themselves by trusting the God who died and came back to life!
The Everyday Application
3) What role do the witnesses of the resurrected Jesus have in this passage? (verse 5-7)
I love a good courtroom drama! Especially the climax moment during the trial when the attorney is making his closing statement and you know he has proven his case. It all comes down to the evidence and testimony of the witnesses.
Concerning Jesus’ resurrection, we have historical evidence and the testimony of eyewitnesses preserved for more than 2000 years! We can know the truth! Jesus knew there would be many more believers who would choose to trust Him long after the eyewitnesses had died. He said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29)
That group of people includes me! If you’ve trusted Jesus as your personal Savior, believing Him at His Word that He, fully God and fully human, lowered Himself by putting on flesh to die the death we deserve because we have sinned, and then was raised to life again that we too might have eternal life, then you’re in that group too!
If you’ve confessed your sins, turned from them, and surrendered to Jesus, you are included in those whom Jesus spoke of who believe even though they haven’t seen Him with physical eyes.
This blessing of belief is not just for the future in Heaven but is a gift now in the present tense for those who believe. “Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3) The Living Hope of Jesus can heal our grief, our despair, our broken hearts, and our every longing.
For more discussion on the evidence and testimony about Jesus and the Christian faith, I invite you to read Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell or The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.
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