I Corinthians 15:12-19: "The Importance of the Resurrection"
Paul continues to explain the importance of the Resurrection and the implications it has on a believer. Again, Paul was trying to help the Corinthians understand that as believer's they too will undergo a bodily resurrection. Paul was not trying to get them to believe in Christ's resurrection, for as believers, they would already believe in such a thing. He is trying to get them to acknowledge that "because Christ was raised, resurrection from the dead obviously is possible, and, on the other hand, unless men in general can be resurrected, Christ could not have been raised". Therefore, in this section Paul shows his readers why resurrection must be possible, and is the very foundation of their faith.
Paul begins, "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?" Here is the whole point of Paul getting into the discussion of the resurrection. Paul is saying that he had preached to them the gospel. Included in the gospel is the truth of the resurrection of Christ. If they believed in the resurrection of Christ, then they must also believe in the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, in the next several verses Paul will set out to show why the resurrection is not only possible, but essential for faith in Christ.
Paul writes, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised". Here Paul establishes that if you don't believe in resurrection from the dead, you cannot be a believer for Christ would have remained dead in the ground and showed that sin and death conquered over Him. He continues, "and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain". If the resurrection did not occur, and Christ was not raised, then every word preached about the gospel up to this point from Paul would be worthless, in fact, the very faith which they all claimed to have as a Christian would be worthless, because it would all be based on lies. The very heart of the gospel is that Christ died, but conquered sin and death on our behalf and rose again. If this was not true, there is no gospel.
To continue to show to his readers the implication it would have if the resurrection did not occur, Paul writes, "Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised". Paul is basically reiterating to them, that using their logic that the dead are not raised, then the whole gospel Paul had presented to them would be a lie because the whole point of his message is based upon the resurrection of Christ. He continues, "For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless". The despair of mankind grows darker and darker in seeing the far reaching consequences of a life w/o the resurrection of Christ. Our very own faith would be worthless, for our faith would be put in someone who is dead and would have no power to help us, if in fact he did not raise from the dead. The natural outcome of that is we would be "still in [our] sins". The whole point of Christ dying on the cross was to take our sins on Himself and pay the substitutionary penalty for it. When he rose again, he showed His power over sin and death. If Christ Himself was conquered by death, than He would have no power over it and could not forgive of us something He was powerless over.
Naturally, if Christ did not raise from the dead, and we are still in our sins, then those who have died are spending eternity in hell. MacArthur writes, "Every saint, Old Testament or Christian, who had died would have forever perished".
Lastly, and most obviously, if all the above stated would be true, than Christians would be the most helpless, deluded, and pitiable people on earth. Paul writes, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied". For all the sacrifice and prayers, and hope in a dead man, what a foolish life to live if he never was raised from the dead. MacArthur writes, "To have hoped in Christ in this life only would be to teach, preach, suffer, sacrifice, and work entirely for nothing. If Christ is still dead, then He not only cannot help us in regard to the life to come but He cannot help us now". What devastating hopelessness would man have if there was no Savior. This is why it is essential for someone to believe in the physical resurrection of Christ. If someone cannot believe in the physical resurrection of Christ, they cannot be a Christian and are still lost in their sins. This is not a debatable issue, for only those who believe that Christ rose again and conquered death can have eternal life for only a God that can do that can actually save us from our sins.
Paul begins, "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?" Here is the whole point of Paul getting into the discussion of the resurrection. Paul is saying that he had preached to them the gospel. Included in the gospel is the truth of the resurrection of Christ. If they believed in the resurrection of Christ, then they must also believe in the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, in the next several verses Paul will set out to show why the resurrection is not only possible, but essential for faith in Christ.
Paul writes, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised". Here Paul establishes that if you don't believe in resurrection from the dead, you cannot be a believer for Christ would have remained dead in the ground and showed that sin and death conquered over Him. He continues, "and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain". If the resurrection did not occur, and Christ was not raised, then every word preached about the gospel up to this point from Paul would be worthless, in fact, the very faith which they all claimed to have as a Christian would be worthless, because it would all be based on lies. The very heart of the gospel is that Christ died, but conquered sin and death on our behalf and rose again. If this was not true, there is no gospel.
To continue to show to his readers the implication it would have if the resurrection did not occur, Paul writes, "Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised". Paul is basically reiterating to them, that using their logic that the dead are not raised, then the whole gospel Paul had presented to them would be a lie because the whole point of his message is based upon the resurrection of Christ. He continues, "For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless". The despair of mankind grows darker and darker in seeing the far reaching consequences of a life w/o the resurrection of Christ. Our very own faith would be worthless, for our faith would be put in someone who is dead and would have no power to help us, if in fact he did not raise from the dead. The natural outcome of that is we would be "still in [our] sins". The whole point of Christ dying on the cross was to take our sins on Himself and pay the substitutionary penalty for it. When he rose again, he showed His power over sin and death. If Christ Himself was conquered by death, than He would have no power over it and could not forgive of us something He was powerless over.
Naturally, if Christ did not raise from the dead, and we are still in our sins, then those who have died are spending eternity in hell. MacArthur writes, "Every saint, Old Testament or Christian, who had died would have forever perished".
Lastly, and most obviously, if all the above stated would be true, than Christians would be the most helpless, deluded, and pitiable people on earth. Paul writes, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied". For all the sacrifice and prayers, and hope in a dead man, what a foolish life to live if he never was raised from the dead. MacArthur writes, "To have hoped in Christ in this life only would be to teach, preach, suffer, sacrifice, and work entirely for nothing. If Christ is still dead, then He not only cannot help us in regard to the life to come but He cannot help us now". What devastating hopelessness would man have if there was no Savior. This is why it is essential for someone to believe in the physical resurrection of Christ. If someone cannot believe in the physical resurrection of Christ, they cannot be a Christian and are still lost in their sins. This is not a debatable issue, for only those who believe that Christ rose again and conquered death can have eternal life for only a God that can do that can actually save us from our sins.
posted by amesfam | 4:01 PM
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