1Corinthians chapter 15

 

Memory verse: 1Corinthians 15:52

 

The church at Corinth was founded in Acts 18:1-18 through Paul with the assistance of Aquila and Priscilla, and Silas and Timothy. Paul preached there for a year and a half. He wrote them 2 letters. Some believe he wrote 3 because of 2Corinthians 13:1. The first letter covers many different topics:

   Division (chapter 1:10-17)

   The spiritual versus the carnal mind (chapter 1:18-2:16)

   Spiritual immaturity (chapter 3:1-8)

   Comparing (chapter 4:7-18)

   Incest (chapter 5:1-13)

   Suing (chapter 6:1-8)

   Fornication (chapter 6:9-20)

   Marriage and divorce (chapter 7)

   Meat offered to idols (chapter 8, chapter 10:16-33)

   Offerings (chapter 9)

   Temptation (chapter 10:1-15)

   Authority (chapter 11:1-16)

   Communion (chapter 11:17-34)

   Spiritual gifts (chapters 12-14)

Chapter 15 covers an essential subject - the resurrection. There were some who said there is no such thing as the resurrection (verse 12). They foolishly questioned how the resurrection could happen (verses 35-36). Without the resurrection, Christ is not raised (verse 13). Without the resurrection the gospel is false (verse 14-15). Without the resurrection, we are not saved (verses 17-18). Without the resurrection and there is no hope for us beyond this life (verse 19).

Without the resurrection there is no final victory over the effects of sin (verses 20-29 & 42-57). Without the resurrection there is less motivation to serve God (verses 30-34 & 58). To deny t he resurrection is to deny Christ, who is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). We needed Jesus to shed His blood and die for our sins (Matthew 26:28). However, His victory over sin was not fully manifested until He rose from the dead. Since He rose, there is hope for us all. 

 

Day 1 – keep in memory what I preached

Verses 1-11

There are hundreds of denominations of Christianity. A major city may have thousands of churches in it. The Lord is not the author of this. He started one church. He gave them one message to preach (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:47-49, John 20:21-23, Acts 1:5-8). They only preached this message (Acts 2:38-39, Acts 8:12-17, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-6). The first century church only preached that message. However, Jesus and the apostles warned that false teachers would come and change the doctrine:

   1. Matthew 5:19 – whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall

        teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven

   2. Matthew 7:13-29 – beware of false prophets

   3. Matthew 15:9 – in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of

       men

   4. Matthew 16:12 – beware of doctrine

   5. Romans 16:17 – mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine

   6. Ephesians 4:14 – no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of

       doctrine

   7. Colossians 2:22 – after the commandments and doctrines of men

   8. 1Timothy 1:3 – charge some that they teach no other doctrine

   9. 1Timothy 4:1 – some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and

       doctrines of devils

   10. 1Timothy 6:3 – if any man teach otherwise and consent not…to the doctrine

   11. 2Timothy 4:3 – the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine

   12. Titus 1:11 – teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre’s sake

   13. Hebrews 13:9 – be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines

   14. 2Peter 2:1 – there shall be false teachers among you

   15. 2John 9 – whosoever trangresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God

   16. 2John 10-11 – if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into

         your house, neither bid him godspeed, for he that biddeth him godspeed is partaker of his

         evil deeds

   17. Revelation 2:14 – I have few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold 

         the doctrine of Balaam

   18. Revelation 2:15 – hast thou also the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate

   19. Revelation 2:20 – Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my

         servants

   20. Revelation 2:24 – as many as have not this doctrine

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a scripture that just clearly stated what the gospel is? There is! 1Corinithians 15:1-4 says the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is what the apostles preached (Acts 2:22-36, Acts 10:38-43). It would be strange indeed to walk into a group that calls itself Christian that did not believe in these things. The problem arises when it is asked what our response to the gospel is. The only way to correctly answer that is the same way the apostles did. In Acts 2, Peter answered the question asked in Acts 2:37 in verse 38. He also explained it in Acts 10:44-48. We identify with the death of Jesus in repentance. We are buried with Him by immersion in water baptism in His name for the remission of sins (Romans 6:1-4, Colossians 2:11-13), and we rise to new life through the gift of the Holy Ghost – the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:9-11). There were many witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus who saw Him bodily between His resurrection and ascension. Those who have been filled with His Spirit can also testify that He is alive indeed.

 

Day 2 – how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Verses 12-23

How could someone who claims to be a Christian deny that the dead are raised? The Jewish sect of the Sadducees did. They tried to come with what they thought was a trick question for Jesus about it (Matthew 22:23-32). Jesus said they erred, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. When God spoke to Moses in the bush, He said He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but the living. Therefore these men are very much alive today. There were also several resurrections in the Old Testament the Sadducees were ignoring (1Kings 17:17-24, 2Kings 4:1-37, 2Kings 13:21). Jesus raised people from the dead as well (Matthew 27:53, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 7:11-15, John 11:38-45). These were also witnessed by many people. Peter raised a woman from the dead (Acts 9:40). Paul raised a young man from the dead (Acts 20:9-12). Paul came back from the dead himself (Acts 14:19-20). If there is no resurrection, then Christ is not risen. If Christ is not risen, then the gospel is a lie, our faith is in error, we are not saved, and the Christians which have died are lost. Not only did Christ rise, He became the first of many to also rise. By the sin of Adam came death (Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:19-24, Romans 6:23). By Christ came the resurrection – Christ first, and then His people.

 

Day 3 – be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners

Verses 24-34

The end of the world will not come until God says so. It belongs to Him. He created it, and is in charge of it. He delegated authority to man (Genesis 1:26-28), but as anyone in authority who delegates still retains ultimate control (Genesis 41:40, Daniel 5:29). God is still God. The purpose of the manifestation of Christ is to restore everything that was lost in the garden of Eden through sin (Acts 3:21, 1Corinthians 6:20). Everything that opposes God will be put down (Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:25-27, Revelation 11:15). The last enemy to go down will be death. After the role of the Son is fulfilled, He will no longer relate to man in the same capacity He does now (Matthew 28:18, John 5:22-30). It will be like it was in the garden of Eden before sin caused the need for the office of the Son. God will be all in all. He already is, and always was. God will not change. Only the way He relates to man will. Paul speaks of those who are baptized for the dead. This is not talking about people being baptized by proxy for those who died before they were baptized. A person must have their own faith and repentance for baptism to be effective to them. There are at least 2 possible correct explanations of this. One is that “the dead” is not talking about people in general, but rather one specific person – the Lord Jesus. We are baptized because He died for our sins. This verse would then mean that there is no purpose in being baptized unless Christ rose from the dead. This fits the context of the overall meaning of the whole chapter. Another possible meaning is “the dead” is talking about the martyrs who already died. For that to be true, it would mean he is not be talking about water baptism, but rather the baptism of suffering Jesus talked about (Matthew 20:22, Luke 12:50). Paul connected his comment about being baptized for the dead with suffering for Christ in verses 30-32. He asks what the point of suffering for Christ is if there is no resurrection. He then refers to the doctrine of the Epicureans, “let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die”. There were 2 sects in their day that were both wrong, and at opposite extremes – the Epicureans and the Stoics (Acts 17:18). The Epicureans believed in materialism. Only the carnal things of this life mattered to them. Therefore, they approached life with the idea of maximizing their carnal enjoyment, because that is all the good there is. The Stoics were the other extreme. Paul says not to be deceived by false doctrine that undermines righteous behavior. It is a shame for a Christian to fall for such deceit.

 

Day 4 – it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body

Verses 35-49

Some question the resurrection by asking how it could take place. Paul says they are fools. Whatever is planted does not come forth unless it dies in the ground first. When it comes forth, it does not manifest the original body of the seed. It becomes the body that God gave it in its new form. Jesus used this analogy about His own death (John 12:23-25). Just as there are different kinds of flesh in the earth, and different kinds of celestial bodies, there is a difference between the body we live in now, and that of the resurrection. We get insight into these things from the order of the creation (Romans 1:20). It is planted in corruption, dishonor, weakness, and in nature. The seed does not appear to be much in that state; but it is what it becomes that matters. It is raised in incorruption, glory, power, and in the spiritual. There is a spiritual body. We do not know much about what it is like. There are a few clues in the Bible. It does not marry (Matthew 22:30). It is not subject to at least some of the laws of nature (John 20:26). There will be no more pain, sickness, or death (Revelation 21:4). Most importantly, we will be like Jesus (1John 3:2). Adam began the first order, which was the natural or earthly. Jesus started the second order, which is the spiritual or heavenly.

 

Day 5 – the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed

Verses 50-58

The kingdom of God is not physical or geographical. It is spiritual (Luke 17:20-21). Some Christians will be like Enoch (Genesis 5:24), and Elijah (2Kings 2:11). They will not go through physical death, but will be caught up straight to eternity through the direct transformation of their bodies when  the church is taken up to be with the Lord (Philippians 3:20-21, 1Thessalonians 4:13-18). In a moment of time so short it cannot de divided, the trumpet will sound. The dead Christians will be raised, and those that are alive will be changed – from mortal to immortal. Death will be conquered once and for all. God did not have to conquer death, because He is eternal. It was us who needed to, but we could not do it. So He came in the flesh, and did it for us. Now there is hope that we can live forever with Him. Therefore we can be encouraged and confident that our work for God is not without reward.