Conflict Management - 1 Corinthians 15:1-58

 

Lesson 12: The Church’s Questions—Resurrection

 

 All the topics Paul has discussed in this letter so far have related primarily to the present condition of the Corinthian church, to areas of congregational life that have a direct bearing on the conduct of its members: division, discipline, lawsuits, immorality, marriage, food, worship, communion, and gifts. Occasionally, Paul steps back for a broader view and shows how an issue fits into the greater eschatological framework (e.g., lawsuits: because you will judge angels one day, you should be able to judge lesser cases now, 6:3). Nevertheless, the subject matter to this point has been mainly practical, do-it-now issues.

 In chapter 15, Paul shifts to a topic that has no direct bearing on their conduct because it relates to two events: one past (the resurrection of Jesus) and one future (the resurrection of believers). The Corinthians are between these two events, so the relation of this issue to their present situation is indirect. Here, the subject is more theological than practical…although, in the course of his discussion, Paul does explain how this doctrine should influence their practice.

 Paul begins with a specific statement about the resurrection of the messiah (vv. 1-11). From that specific statement, he moves to a more general treatment about the resurrection of the believer (vv. 12-34). Then he returns to the specific by examining the resurrection of the body (vv. 35-58). In each section, though, he notes how our convictions in these areas do and should affect our actions.

 

 In the first section, Paul talks about the gospel, in particular, why they accepted the gospel.

 

               F. Resurrection 15:1-58

 

1 Cor 15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

 

                   1.       The raising of the messiah is central to the gospel (vv. 1-11).

a.     ¶1: People accept the message because it is beneficial (—>

salvation).

                     • “Otherwise you have believed in vain” (v. 2b)

 

Query: Is this not a bit selfish and self-seeking? Should we not have a better reason, something more altruistic for accepting the gospel?

 No, God does not say: “If you accept the gospel, you will be doing humanity a great service”—or— “If you accept the gospel, you will be doing Me a big favor.” Salvation is God’s reason. He says in Isaiah: “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth”—Why?—”[because] I am God, and there is no other” (45:22). The gospel is not designed to appeal to anything selfless in us. The choice involved in accepting the gospel is quite simple: Do or die.

 

b.    ¶2: People accept the message because it is believable.

 

Comment: About “I passed on to you as of first importance…” (v. 3)        The gospel is a string of events not a series of logical proofs.

•         Christ died for our sins (v. 3).

•         He was buried (v. 4).

•         He was raised on the third day (v. 4).¹⁷⁷

•         He appeared (vv. 5-8).

In fact, the gospel seems to defy the conventional, fatalistic logic by which many people operate—that we live in a closed system, a world characterized by consistency. One of the most consistent aspects of our world is death—“when you’re dead, you’re dead”—but the gospel stands that assumption on its head by asserting that ‘when you’re dead, you’re not necessarily dead.’ That is not logical, not within a limited world view.

 Do not misunderstand me. I think the gospel is logical, but only for someone who allows the historical evidence to broaden his logical system. Once we accept the possibility that there may be more to life than what we see-hear-smell-tastetouch, then we are ready to entertain the possibility that death is not the end.

 The list of events Paul provides shows that the Corinthians did not believe the gospel because it was logical; they believed it because it was well-attested; that is, because there was good evidence for it.

 

 In this introductory section, Paul is not attempting to prove the resurrection. He is rather establishing a theological base, a set of core beliefs they have in common and from which he can respond to the suggestion by some in the Corinthian church that there is no resurrection of the dead.

 In the second section, Paul argues against the claim that Jesus’ resurrection was an isolated occurrence, not to be repeated with other individuals. On the contrary, Paul contends that Jesus’ resurrection establishes a precedent. Jesus’ resurrection breaks the power of death, although as we shall see, that is not good news for everyone. Paul continues by laying out the logical implications of the notion some of them are entertaining, that “there is no resurrection of the dead” (v. 12).

 

1 Cor 15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

 29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 33 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

 

                   2.       The raising of the believer is central to the gospel (vv. 12-34).¹⁷⁸

    a. ¶1: If there is no resurrection…can you justify what you

believe?

 

           

 There are apparently some in Corinth who think they can believe in Jesus’ redemption without also believing in his resurrection. Paul disabuses them of that notion, stating here that the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection is central to our redemption as well as to our own resurrection. There seem to be others in Corinth who are willing to accept Jesus’ resurrection but deny that anyone else will undergo a similar transformation. This, too, Paul decries, stating that Jesus’ resurrection ensures others will rise as well.¹⁷⁹

 

Paul’s “If-Then” Argument in 1 Cor 15:12-19

 

              (v. 12)    If you believed that Christ was raised from the dead,

                  then how can you say there is no resurrection of the dead?

 

 (v. 13) If there is no resurrection of the dead,

                           then not even Christ has been raised.

(v. 14) If Christ has not been raised,             then our preaching and your faith are useless, (v. 15)            and we are false witnesses.

 If the dead are not raised,  then God did not raise him.

 

 (v. 16) If the dead are not raised,

                             then Christ has not been raised.

(v. 17) If Christ has not been raised,              then your faith is futile, you are still in your sins, (v. 18)    and those who died in Christ are lost.

 

(v. 19) If only for this life we hope in Christ,  then we are to be most pitied.

 

 For Paul, life after death is intimately linked with the resurrection of the dead, so denying the resurrection reduces the significance of our relationship to God to this life. There is no such thing as eternal life outside the body. An individual may be separated from his body at death (v. 18),¹⁸⁰ but the separation is temporary (vv. 51-52).

 

           

One commentator makes this application (Fee 1987:745):

Both this final sentence [v. 18] and the whole argument of this paragraph are especially troublesome to those within the Christian faith who have done what [some Corinthians have done]—denied Christ’s resurrection and thus ours as well. There seems to be little hope of getting around Paul’s argument, that to deny Christ’s resurrection is tantamount to a denial of Christian existence altogether. Yet many do so—to make the faith more palatable to “modern man,” we are told. But that will scarcely do. What modern man accepts in its place is no longer the Christian faith, which predicates divine forgiveness through Christ’s death on his resurrection. Nothing else is the Christian faith, and those who reject the actuality of the resurrection of Christ need to face the consequences of such rejection, that they are bearing false witness against God himself. Like the Corinthians they will have believed in vain.

 

 Paul’s argument is irrefutable, given their acceptance of Jesus’ redemption. He says, “You cannot have it both ways. Either Jesus was raised from the dead and, thus, resurrection is possible, or Jesus was not raised from the dead, and resurrection may not be possible. But you cannot hold both to Jesus’ redemption and to the impossibility of resurrection or to his resurrection and to the impossibility of your resurrection.”

 

              • ¶2: But Jesus has been raised…and so will you. ¹⁸¹

  

The Order of the Resurrection in 1 Cor 15:20-28

 

 A  Jesus’ Jesus’ Death A  l  return reign destroyed l  l  \/ <—> \/ l

    |——————?——————————————————————-|

D	/\	/\		/\	L
i	Jesus’	Believers’		Unbelievers’	i
e	resurrection	resurrection		resurrection	v
					e

 

“As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

 

 

           

Comment: About “…all will be made alive” (v. 22)

 Jesus’ resurrection conquers death for all men, not just for believers. That is, everyone will be raised, although not all at the same time nor all for the same end.¹⁸² Daniel records that…

Dan 12:2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Jesus himself affirms this.

John 5:28 [F]or a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

The second resurrection (i.e., of the wicked) is not referred to as such, probably because it does not end in a qualitatively improved life. Hence, it is called the “second death.”¹⁸³

 

 Paul continues by stating that this issue does not affect only them; the resurrection has influenced other people’s lives as well, specifically the way they act. So, he asks:

 

                               b. ¶3: If there is no resurrection…can you explain how others behave?

1)    Some do what is different and baptize themselves for the dead.

2)    Some do what is difficult and risk their lives for the

gospel.¹⁸⁴

 

Comment: About “…why are people baptized for them” (v. 29)

 The answer to Paul’s query is uncertain, because the practice is foreign. There was no such custom in Judaism, so it may have existed only in the culture of Corinth. In any case, reference to it appears this passage alone, offering too little information to understand it with any confidence. The straightforward reading is that some of those living were being baptized vicariously for others who had already died. The difficulties that arise from this interpretation, though, have led commentators to propose a number of fanciful alternatives. Paul offers neither an explanation nor an evaluation of the practice, and no other biblical text mentions it.¹⁸⁵ What is certain, however—and here is where we should focus—is how Paul uses the practice in his argument. “Whatever it was that some of them were doing, those actions are a contradiction to the position that there is no resurrection of the dead” (Fee 1987:763).

 

 Paul wants his readers to explain why others behave the way they do if there is no resurrection of the dead. “[E]verything Christians do—and especially the labors of an apostle—are an absurdity if there is no resurrection” (Fee 1987:768). They all might as well just have a good time, if death is the end for everyone.¹⁸⁶ But death is not the end, Paul says, so they had better live accordingly.

 

 In the third section, Paul deals with a more indirect denial of the resurrection. Unlike those to whom he refers in v. 12, who make the flat assertion “that there is no resurrection of the dead,” others pose their denial in the form of a question: If the dead (nekro/ß = “corpse”) are raised—hypothetically speaking, of course— what kind of body could they possibly have?¹⁸⁷

 This sounds reasonable. As time passes there is less and less of the body to raise. Someone today might phrase the question: Will the resurrection be like the 1968 horror movie, “Night of the Living Dead,” with partially decomposed, maggot-infested corpses roaming the countryside? Let us read Paul’s response.

 

1 Cor 15:35 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 

                   3.            The raising of the body is central to the gospel (vv. 35-58).¹⁸⁸

a.     ¶1: The raised body will be of a different durability.

          • It will be permanent (imperishable, immortal) versus

temporary (perishable, mortal; vv. 42, 50, 53-54). 

b.    ¶2: The raised body will be from a different quality.    1) It will be glorious versus dishonorable (v. 43a).            2) It will be powerful versus weak (v. 43b).

c.     ¶3: The raised body will be for a different locality.

1)    It will be spiritual (incorporeal) versus natural (corporeal; v.

44). 

2)    It will be heavenly versus earthly (v. 49).

 

 In this section, Paul stresses continuity. Our life in the body has two phases, one before death and one after resurrection. The transformed body is not a spirit but a body adapted to existence in both the spiritual and physical realms.¹⁸⁹ It is a different kind, it is a different quality (imperishable, glorious, powerful), and it is for a different place (heaven).¹⁹⁰

 

Query:

•         What practical use does Paul see for the theological information in this chapter (v. 58)?

•         How can Paul’s discussion help us in our attempts to communicate the gospel?

 

 More than any other doctrine, the resurrection is compelling justification for someone to become a Christian. Paul opens this chapter by saying in v. 2, “[You must] hold firmly to the word [in particular, the word about the resurrection]…. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” In the rest of the chapter, Paul emphasizes that Jesus has been raised and that they, Paul’s readers, will be raised as well. The apostle closes the chapter in v. 58 the same way he opened it, although stated positively: “Stand firm [concerning the resurrection]…. because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”