The Hope Of The Resurrection

I Corinthians 15:12-20

Standing at the side of the coffin at the gravesite of a loved one is very difficult, even for believers of Jesus.  However for those who have never placed their faith in the Lord God, death is a cruel enemy leaving them with no hope of ever seeing their loved one again.  In our passage today, Paul confronts some false thoughts and beliefs that some people were spreading around the church in Corinth about there being no resurrection after death.  Let’s look into Paul’s argument, and see what we can learn today from God’s Word.

The general belief of the day among those who followed the teachings of famous Greek philosophers was that the body would not be resurrected after death.  At best, only someone’s soul might be. They did not believe in immortality for the body. The philosophers, if they even believed in an afterlife, stated it was only for one’s soul. These beliefs were common in the large Greek city of Corinth, including among some inside of the church. To many who held to these popular Greek philosophies the idea of a bodily resurrection was ridiculous (Acts 17:32).  Also, the Jews who followed the school of thought of the Sadducees did not believe in any kind of resurrection. Paul sought to squash these false beliefs before they got entrenched in the church.

Christianity teaches that body and soul will be united after the resurrection. The bodily resurrection of believers was clearly taught by Jesus (John 5:28-29; 6:44; 11:25), and also by the Apostles (Acts 4:1-2).  Paul here goes into several very negative consequences for believers if there is no resurrection. Let’s take a look at them. First, if there is no resurrection for believers after they die, then Jesus Himself never rose from the dead (vs. 13).  If Jesus never rose from the dead, then the preaching that Paul and all of the Apostles have done is completely useless (vs. 14). Having faith in Jesus is totally useless, as well, if He was dead and lying in a grave. Those who preached that He rose would be liars (vs. 15).

Perhaps the worst of it would be, if there is no resurrection than no one has been redeemed from their sins (vs. 17).  All believers who have died will have perished in their sins (vs. 18). If that is true, then Christians are to be pitied.  If there is no resurrection then Jesus is still dead. It is because of the resurrection of Jesus that we know that God accepted His death as payment for our sins, and that they are forgiven.  If Jesus was not resurrected from death then Christians could not be forgiven for their sins, and would have no hope of eternal life (vs. 19). Because Jesus rose, we know that He defeated death, and we will also be raised.  Jesus had promised He would rise again. Because He did, we know that His Word is true.

The firstfruits are the first part of the harvest that the faithful brought to the Temple (vs. 20).  Jesus is the forerunner, the proof of our eventual resurrection to eternal life. He is the first one to experience resurrection, that is, the first one to never die again, as Lazarus and the others He raised during His ministry eventually had to die again.  Jesus’s resurrection shows that we can have absolute confidence that He will raise us from the dead, as well (Romans 8:23).

The actual, physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is essential to the truth of the Gospel.  Without the resurrection of Jesus, then Christianity is just like any other false religion. Without the resurrection there is no power to save.  There is no victory over sin and death. If Jesus never rose from the dead then we have no resurrection, either, no eternal life, no hope. Praise God, though, Jesus did rise again from the dead, and we will, as well!  We can safely and securely rest our anchor in the truth of the promises of the resurrection!