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| Chapter 15 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which you also have received, and wherein ye stand, 2 by which ye also are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you- -unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He arose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, 6 and that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 And last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not meet 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 which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all- -yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. 12 ¶ Now if Christ is preached, that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if so it be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not raised; 17 and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 ¶ But now Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of those who slept. 21 For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; 23 but every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then cometh the end when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when He shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, 27 for "He hath put all things under His feet." But when He saith "all things" are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, who did put all things under Him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son Himself also be subject unto Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 29 Else, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? 30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? 31 I declare by my rejoicing in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die daily. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is there to me, if the dead rise not? "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" 33 Be not deceived: "Evil associations corrupt good manners." 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. 35 ¶ But some man will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, unless it die. 37 And that which thou sowest is not that body which shall be, but bare grain, by chance of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead: It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written: "The first man Adam was made a living soul." The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit. 46 However that which is spiritual was not first, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Lord from Heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 ¶ Behold, I show 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 shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. |
Resurrection. Greeks did not believe in resurrection of the dead, Act 17:32 Corinthia was a Greek city. This belief had started to appear in the church. v1-19 Christ Resurrection. The believers had accepted that Jesus had risen from the dead so Paul starts from this point. He gives three proofs:- v1-2 Their own salvation. Paul had brought the message of salvation, they believed and it changed their lives. The message was that Christ died for their sins and rose again. No resurrection, no salvation. A dead Saviour cannot save anyone. v3-4 The Old Testament Scriptures. Paul was referring to the Old Testament scriptures, much of the sacrificial laws pointed to the coming Saviour. The Day of Atonement Lev 16; The Feast of first fruits, they were presented to God the day after Sabbath following the Passover (the day the lamb was slain), a Sunday, the day of Christ resurrection. Other references Ps 16:8-11; Ps 22:22ff; Ps 2:7; Is 53:10-12. v5-11 Seen by others. Acts 1:21,22; Acts 2:32; Acts 3:15; Acts 5:29-32; Matt 28:16-20. Many saw Jesus die on the cross, but only believers saw Him risen. v6 tells us over 500 saw Him at once, not an hallucination. v8-11 Paul himself. He was hunting down Christians when Christ appeared to him by God’s grace. He was prepared to suffer for this risen Lord. v12-19 Our Resurrection. If there was no resurrection then Christ did not rise, then your faith is in vain v2 and you have no future life in His heaven of glory. You have no forgiveness of sins, you have even lied by saying Christ rose from the dead. What miserable people we are if He was not resurrected. v16-28 When will the dead be raised? To a believer physical death is only a "sleep" but the soul is with the Lord Phil 1:21-23; 2 Cor 5:1-8 Luke 23:39-43. v18 If Christ was not resurrected then the dead have gone for ever. v20 But Christ is risen and was just the first, all the dead (asleep) will rise. v21,22 Death was brought into the world by Adam’s actions, but the God man Jesus Christ came with resurrection and life. v23-28 God has a plan which He is working through. Christ will come again for His people v23. 1 Thess 4:13-18 the dead in Christ will rise with those who are still alive. v24 Christ will return to judge the world and reign on earth for 1000 years Rev 20:1-6. v25-28 After 1000 years Satan will be released for one more battle Rev 20:7-10. The lost will then be judged and sent to the lake of fire for eternity.Rev 20:11-15. After this will come the new heaven and earth Rev 21:10-27. When will this happen? only God knows, but it will be suddenly without warning. 1 Cor 15:51-52. 1 John 2:28ff. v29-41 The resurrection of the body. Resurrection of the body in the future for ALL people is taught, it is an important point in the faith, the resurrected body goes to one of two places, believers to heaven, unbelievers to hell. John 5:28,29. v29 What does it mean "baptized for the dead"? Some teach this is baptism on behalf of a dead relative, but there is no other teaching on this. Salvation is a personal matter and baptism is not essential for salvation. The most likely meaning is that if resurrection does not happen then why bother to be baptized if we are dead anyway. v30-32 Why am I prepared to put myself in danger if I have no future? If there is no future for the body why suffer and die for Christ. What we have done in the body will be judged 2 Cor 5:10. 2 Cor 4:7-18. v33,34 If there is no resurrection of the body then it does not matter what we do with it. No, your body is the temple of God. 2 Cor 6:14-18; 1 Cor 3:16,17. v35-50 God’s kingdom is not made for our present bodies, God will change them when Jesus returns for us. 1 John 3:1-3; they will not die any more. At the resurrection God will provide a different type of body, not made with the "dust of the earth" nowhere does the Bible teach that God will put the old body back together. Paul is not able to explain how God will do it but he reminds them that when we sow seeds they are changed into plants and trees, so the body is sown to die or to live for ever. . Paul develops this idea through the following verses, the old and new are different, the old cannot live in the new heaven. The resurrected body of Jesus was so different, it looked the same was able to eat, yet passed through walls etc. John 20:19-29; Luke 24:15-43. v38-39 Animals, fish, birds all have different genetic bodies, He made them like that, so why cannot God make us a new body. v40,41. We were made like Adam but one day we will be like Christ. However, because of what we did for Jesus while we were in our bodies there may be differences in believers in glory, like the stars and planets each has its own glory. But it will be a body suited to worship God for eternity. We should be willing to use our present bodies for the glory of God. |
Easy English Translation
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