July 28, 2020
Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!
Paul now turns his attention to yet another issue he had heard of which was plaguing the Corinthian church. Apparently there were some of them who were denying that there will be an actual, physical resurrection from the dead. Paul asserts that if this claim is true then our believing is in vain, for that would mean that Jesus was not raised from the dead either!
But, Paul asserts, Jesus was raised from the dead, and the hope of His resurrection is that we will also experience the resurrection of our bodies! The historicity of Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the hinge on which our entire faith swings. If it is not true, then all of us have believed and been faithful for absolutely nothing! But if it is true (and it is), then we also will get to share in Christ’s resurrection with Him when He returns!
Paul elaborates on the nature of the resurrected body when it comes and reminds the Corinthians that God has already given us the victory in and through Jesus! When Jesus rose from the dead He rose in victory, and now we who live by faith in Him also get to walk in the victory that He has already won! This should fill us with such awe, such wonder, and such genuine, passionate worship!
This chapter ends with a practical application of these truths about the resurrection for us: because Jesus has already won the victory and because we, solely by the grace of God, get to share with Him in His victory, we are to be steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of God’s Kingdom. We do this because we know, based on the fact that Jesus has already won the victory in His resurrection, that nothing we do for the Lord will is ever wasted, but will bring repercussions that will last into eternity!
1 Corinthians 15
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy 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 toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every 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 “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is 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 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Mystery and Victory
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- How does it change the way we live to understand and believe that we have been given the ability to live our lives in the very victory which Jesus has already won on our behalf? How does that spur us on to abound in the work of God’s Kingdom?
Father, only because of your grace and mercy I am a child of God. May my efforts to tell others about your son be not in vain. Father, many believe we are in the last days, from my lips may I shout “There will be no second chance.” Help me to express in no uncertain terms, once the trumpet sounds, there will not be a second chance to accept Jesus. Father, may I be still and pray for lost. May streams of tears flow from my eyes. Now Father, let’s be going and find one more for Jesus your precious son. Amen
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!! Because he lives I can face tomorrow. Because he lives all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future. I pray this in Jesus name Amen
Dear Heavenly Father,Thank you so much for loving me and forgiving my sins. You have made a way for us all to come to You at the end of our lives. Without this hope and belief, all of our lives and actions would be in vain. I will always wait for Your call and strive to be worthy of the calling. I find peace knowing one day You will reign victorious over all ! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thank you Lord Jesus.
Praise and glory belong to you for evermore for what you have done. It is marvellous in our eyes.
Help us to be worthy of so great a love, help us to learn to forgive as you have forgiven us. Teach us Oh heavenly Father how to love and care as you do.
Then we will go out and do the work you have given us all, the work of an evangelist. How happy we are that we belong to you , King of Salem and Righteousness.
We wait for you dear Lord, We wait for your Glorious return. Please help us, please make us all worthy of your love and Grace to us. In your Holy name we pray Amen. .!!!
Father, God. Good morning ! I am so very thankful for the improvement late yesterday in my husband’s health and his fight with Covid. Thank you for the dedication of the doctors and nurses helping people with Covid navigate this horrible disease. I am so praying that Ernest’s situation will continue to make baby steps toward getting well and will not make any more backward lurches. This literally is a fight hour by hour to get well. God in heaven, be with the patients and the heroes who are treating them. Give them all strength and the stamina to live through this attack. Thank You for the blessing of another day. Help me use it to glorify You and to continue praising you. We are aware of the prayers of myriad saints being said for Ernest and we are so very thankful. Thank you for helping Ernest fight this battle. You made him strong and really bull-headed. These gifts are helping him wage battle and I am thankful. Counting our blessings today and praying for a report of a better night soon and a good day to come. Amen.
Amen! Thank you Lord for hearing our prayers. Thank you for blessing the doctors and nurses with wisdom and the skills to perform your good works. Please Lord have mercy and remove this virus from our land. Heal Ernest and comfort Pat. Thank you for their dedication to your service, our community, and our church community. Hear our prayers Lord and please oh please heal Ernest.
HE LIVES!!
Lord I lift Luis Sauceda to your throne. Please heal him of this vicious virus. Comfort Angela as she heals herself from Covid. I pray that you intercede and touch his body for healing. We ask this because you are the great healing Lord, the great I AM so worthy of our praise!
Thankyou for these verses that remind me the victory has already been won.
Thank you for the honor of praying for those who are so ill. Thank you that Ernest is improving and we give you praise! Please bless Pat as she goes through this with him. Give her extra strength. Lord, please remove this horrible disease.
“be steadfast’ immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”