Lesson 16. The Gospel: the Message of the Resurrection
Day 2
All throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul has focused on the first point of the gospel, the message of the cross, applying it to every problem and struggle the Corinthians faced. Now, in chapter 15, he shifts his emphasis to the second point of the gospel, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He did this because some in Corinth were denying that there would be a resurrection, as the Sadducees had done in Jesus’ day (Matthew 22:23).
Now since we preached that Christ was raised from the dead, why do some of you say that people will not be raised from the dead? If no one is ever raised from the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worth nothing, and your faith is worth nothing. And also, we are guilty of lying about God, because we testified of him that he raised Christ from the dead. But if people are not raised from the dead, then God never raised Christ. If the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith has nothing to it; you are still guilty of your sins. And those in Christ who have already died are lost. If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone else in the world.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 NCV
Question 1. According to 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, what are some implications if the resurrection of Jesus Christ never happened?
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If Christ has not been raised, then we have no hope for the future. Our sins and guilt remain, and our faith is worthless! The ramifications for us would be horrific.
But because Christ was indeed raised from the dead, as the Scriptures state, the opposite is true: we have hope for the future, knowing that our bodies too will be raised. We are not in our sins; Jesus became our sins, so we are free from them! Our faith is worth everything! "...everyone who is a child of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world—our faith. So the one who conquers the world is the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5 NCV). And finally, we are not guilty because Jesus was officially declared to be guilty of our sins; He owned them as His own. Everyone who believes is free from all guilt!
But Christ has truly been raised from the dead--the first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised. Death has come because of what one man did, but the rising from death also comes because of one man. In Adam, all of us die. In the same way, in Christ, all of us will be made alive again. But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life, and then the end will come. At that time Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers, and he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. Christ must rule until he puts all enemies under his control. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. The Scripture says that God put all things under his control. When it says "all things" are under him, it is clear this does not include God himself. God is the One who put everything under his control. After everything has been put under the Son, then he will put himself under God, who had put all things under him. Then God will be the complete ruler over everything.
1 Corinthians 15:20–28 NCV
Question 2. Please pick out one verse from 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 that speaks to you, write it here and explain how and why it affects your heart:
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