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First Corinthians 15:1-4

As we come to chapter 15 of First Corinthians, we are nearing the end of Pauls letter to this church. Here
Paul devotes an entire chapter to the subject of resurrection - which tells us that it is a communication of
vital importance to the assembly in Corinth.
Now, as we look through this chapter, it becomes apparent that Paul is not merely teaching about
resurrection. Paul is making an argument concerning resurrection, to the Corinthians - an argument
designed to correct some wrong thinking that the Corinthians have on this subject.
It isnt difficult to find out what this erroneous thinking was; Paul basically spells that out in verse 12.
[First Corinthians 15:12b] Some in the assembly in Corinth were saying that there is no resurrection of the
dead. The Greek word for resurrection comes from a verb that means to stand up. In a context like
this, it specifically means the rising of a dead body - a corpse - back to life.
Some individuals in Corinth were now stating that once any person died, his body corrupted, and that was
it. They were saying that for a believer, the immaterial aspect of him would continue with God - the soul of
spirit life. But they were indicating that the material part of anyone - the body - would corrupt - that was
its end.
Now, Paul had brought the gospel to Corinth, and he had taught those who believed the gospel there for
over a year and a half. You can be sure that Paul taught the believers in Corinth about resurrection - about
the resurrection of Jesus, and about the resurrection of those who believe in Him. In fact, Paul will begin
his argument with a reminder statement on this most essential, fundamental message of the gospel.
So where did this thinking come from - that there is no resurrection of the dead? It came from Greek
philosophy. We have learned previously in this letter that there were several Greek philosophies prevalent
in Pauls day, which were highly influential in Corinth.
You remember that after Pauls departure, there were those who began revisiting these philosophies, and
then started to promote their own version of the gospel - which is no longer the gospel - blended with this
worldly thinking.
We have seen that both the Epicurean and the Stoic influences can be found behind several of the issues
within the assembly in Corinth. And these philosophies both shared a common element: that the body is
evil - or at least, insignificant - and that it does not continue after death. The very concept of bodily
resurrection was considered ludicrous.
This derision concerning resurrection can be clearly seen when Paul preached in Athens (Acts 17:16-34).
The Athenians spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing (Acts 17:21);
they just loved the thinking of man.
But when Paul shared with them the thinking of the true and living God, their Creator; and the good news
of His Son, culminating in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; the Athenians mocked Paul, and
dismissed him. They considered bodily resurrection to be an impossibility - and further than that,
unnecessary. In their minds, the body could serve no purpose after death; it was only for life on earth.

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Paul had opened this letter with a resounding indictment against the thinking of this world, which included
these Greek philosophies - its foolishness to God (1 Cor 3:19); its all mans reasoning, and devoid of the
wisdom of God.
God must reveal His wisdom to man - which begins with coming to God the way that God provided through the cross of His Son, Jesus. It is in this way only that a man can be made righteous and receive
eternal life, which will fit him for the presence of God.
The Holy Spirit is given to each believer to continue to reveal the wisdom of God to him - deep things,
concerning what God has planned for him, as his born-again son (1 Cor 2:10) - the righteousness that was
accounted to him, through Christ; the present, ongoing sanctification of him from sin, which is preparing
him for living with God; and the future redemption of his body from death, through glorification (1 Cor
1:30).
Because with what God has planned for man, nothing is lost (Jn 6:39); the whole man - spirit, soul and
body - will be preserved blameless (1 Th 5:23).
But we know from Pauls letter that many in Corinth were being hoodwinked by the reformulated gospel
that certain members of their assembly had concocted. They returned to the Greek thinking concerning the
body being evil or insignificant.
In chapter 6, Paul voices how some of them thought: all things are lawful for them - it didnt matter what
they did in the body, because God would destroy the body, in the end (1 Cor 6:12-14).
And it would seem that some of the Corinthians actually may have spiritualized resurrection as some sort
of inner transition of the soul, whereby now they had become a kind of spiritual elite. In chapter 4, Paul
ironically described these puffed-up Corinthians as reigning kings - reigning with Christ, presumably - its
already finished for them, they have arrived, in all their glory! (1 Cor 4:6-8).
This pseudo-spirituality is also clearly borne out by the Corinthians inordinate desire for showy spiritual
graces - particularly, speaking with tongues (1 Cor 12-14).
Does all of this mean that the members of the assembly in Corinth were not true believers? Those who
have been instrumental in mixing philosophy with the gospel, and in disparaging Pauls teaching and
authority, likely were not genuine believers - perhaps they were just drawn to the power of the movement.
Paul has addressed them several times in this letter already, and their danger of judgment (1 Cor 3:16-20,
8:1-2, 10:1-12, 21-22, 11:27-28).
But it is certainly possible that most in the Corinthian assembly genuinely believed into Christ; they were
simply confused or misled by the others, never having become well-established in the faith - despite Pauls
efforts throughout his time with them (1 Cor 3:1-3).
This is why Paul begins by laying that foundation of faith once again, for the church in Corinth - the
fundamental truths of the gospel, upon which one must believe, to be saved - culminating in Christs
resurrection (15:1-4).
He then emphasizes the absolute certainty of the resurrection of Jesus, before proceeding to point out the
ramifications of the Corinthian thinking that the dead dont rise - beginning with what that must mean,
concerning Christ (15:5-19)

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Paul goes on to show the Corinthians how thinking the dead dont rise affects not only their future, but even
their present life, in terms of how they live (15:29-34).
And having conclusively made the case for the resurrection of the dead, Paul reveals how believers will be
resurrected - and which believers, when - all of which bears out the ultimate victory of Christ - the
destruction of Death, itself (15:20-28, 35-57).
Now, we might be inclined to think that this issue about resurrection was particular to the church in
Corinth. But the Gnostics, who came a little later, also denied bodily resurrection - as have others, down
through the church age.
In fact strangely enough, there is a prominent movement today within some churches - supposedly Bibleteaching churches - that seeks to once again spiritualize resurrection - including the resurrection of Jesus.
But the believers bodily resurrection is absolutely essential to the fulfillment of Gods purposes for His
creation of mankind - to become sons of God. And the believers bodily resurrection hinges in its entirety
upon the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
So this chapter will remind us of the truth about resurrection, so that we can know it with certainty. It can
also teach us any truth we may not yet know about resurrection - so that we can be all the more firmly
established upon the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ. And ultimately, we can hope this will make us
more useful to the Lord - to stand in the truth, and to help others, in their understanding.
Now, Pauls coverage of this subject will span fifty-eight verses. But well just be looking at the first four
today.
Lets begin in verse 1.
[First Corinthians 15:1-4]
First, Id like to point out to you how Paul does not begin; he does not begin, Now concerning. Do
you remember what that phrase indicates, in this letter? That Paul was answering a question they posed to
him, in their letter: Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me (1 Cor 7:1).
This suggests to us that the Corinthians were not inquiring of Paul, concerning resurrection. After all, they
knew what he thought. They were now entertaining the thoughts of others, on the subject.
Its likely that Paul heard about this from the report given to him in Ephesus by members of the church in
Corinth - members who were concerned about the divisions, in their church (1 Cor 1:11) - divisions caused
by their ongoing pursuit of worldly wisdom - such as this thinking about no resurrection.
So Paul begins by declaring to them the gospel he preached to them. The idea is that he is bringing it back
to their minds; reminding them of what he taught them. Paul had proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ to
them, and they had received the good news - they took it into their possession. Then it became good news
for them.
The gospel is the standing of the church in Corinth - the very foundation of their faith. Its what gives them
standing in the present time with God - through faith in Jesus Christ, they now stand in Gods grace; His
unmerited favor (Rm 5:2).

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And it is the gospel by which also they are saved. In the Greek, its actually being saved; something that
is going on at present, that will be completed in the future. Their souls have been saved from sin; and one
day, their bodies will be saved from death, because they believed in the work of Christ on their behalf.
But notice what Paul says next; IF you hold fast the word which I preached to you - unless you believed in
vain. Does this mean that they could lose their salvation? No. This means that some of them may never
have been saved, in the first place.
Some may have be part of the assembly in Corinth; but not part of the true church of Christ. The church in
Corinth had been established on the truth; but did each individual member who gathered with the assembly
really believe the truth?
Paul often writes in his letters that anyone who truly believes will persevere in the faith - to the end (Gal
6:9, Col 2:19, 1 Tim 6:12). To hold fast to something means that you retain it, and do not discard it.
There are those in Corinth who professed to believe, and yet they were ready to discard bodily resurrection.
That is a fundamental part of the gospel, upon which ones standing with God, ones salvation depends.
Paul is pressing the Corinthians to think it through. Did they believe the gospel - or not?
The gospel of Christ cannot be changed; nothing can be added to it, or taken from it - then it is no longer
the gospel. As Paul said at the beginning of this letter, that would make the cross of Christ of no effect (1
Cor 1:17) - it would have no power to save. Anyone who believes in a different gospel believes in vain.
Paul now goes on to remind them of these fundamental truths, of the gospel. Lets read it again.
v. 3-4 Paul is using language here to indicate the passing on of doctrine from a teacher to his students Paul faithfully delivered to the church in Corinth the teaching which he had received - which he then goes
on to state.
Paul said he did this first of all, communicating the sense that this was foundational teaching - the doctrine
of the faith in Jesus Christ - and as Paul said earlier in his letter, no other foundation can anyone lay, than
that which is laid (1 Cor 3:11). Now, if Paul received the teaching, was he the source of this teaching? No.
So who was the source? Who did Paul receive the gospel from? Turn to Galatians chapter 1.
[Galatians 1:11-12] So Jesus Himself - the ultimate authority - revealed the gospel to Paul - its meaning, its
ramifications. In Pauls timeline, this fits in with the three years that he spent in Nabatean Arabia right after
he became a believer.
During this time God the Father revealed His Son in Paul (v. 16). The Holy Spirit opened up Pauls
understanding to all of the riches of the Scriptures that Paul knew in his heart - how Gods Son was the
fulfillment of them.
What Scriptures were available to Paul, at that time? Was there yet the gospel record? The historical
account, in Acts? No; none of the NT existed. Clearly Paul was referring to the OT Scriptures; to all of the
prophetic words and pictures found there, which foretold of the Coming Messiah.
This is what Paul had received from God, and what Paul then delivered to the church in Corinth - how the
death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus was a fulfillment of the OT prophecies concerning the
Messiah of Israel in His first coming, as the Savior of the world.

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There are many, many prophecies concerning the first coming of Messiah - some say more than 300. You
can search the Scriptures and discover them for yourself. But what Id like to consider with you at this time
are three prophecies that Paul would have been likely to use in his teaching of the church in Corinth, to
demonstrate to them that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was in accordance with the OT
Scriptures for the Messiah - the fulfillment of them.
Lets turn first to Isaiah 53. Isaiah prophesied during the time of the divided kingdom, principally to Judah
to the south. Among his prophecies are four Servant Songs, which speak of Messiah as the Servant of
Jehovah, who would come to do the will of God.
This is the last of the Servant Songs, and actually begins in chapter 52, verse 13, in which Jehovah
summarizes His Servants work of salvation, beginning with the end result, and then how it was
accomplished.
[Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12]
52:13 to deal prudently means to act with wisdom. Messiah would always exercise wisdom in His life,
always living in perfect obedience to the will of Jehovah.
We read that the Servant would be exalted, extolled, very high - three synonyms in the Hebrew for being
raised up.
Messiah would be obedient to death - the death of the cross - a lifting up by which He would be exalted.
But more, He would be extolled - He would be resurrected from the dead, in a glorified body. But there
would be more still - He would be very high - as Messiah ascended back to the right hand of God in
heaven, to the place of honor and glory and power.
Now Isaiah prophesies of how this would be accomplished.
52:14 This verse speaks of the suffering that Messiah would endure, in order to accomplish Jehovahs
purposes. The words describe disfigurement beyond recognition, which also implies a great loss of blood.
52:15 The sprinkling of the nations invokes the imagery of the ceremonial Law, where the blood of the
sacrifice was sprinkled on offerers as a ceremonial cleansing from sin.
The idea is that the abundant shedding of Messiahs blood would result in blood sufficient not just for
Israel, but for the Gentile nations - to cleanse the whole world from sin.
Jehovah speaks of the rulers of these Gentile nations rendered speechless by this - not having seen and
heard it first-hand, but having it recounted to them, through the preaching of the gospel.
Already we see the ideas of the death and resurrection of Christ here, but as this Servant Song continues, it
becomes even more specific.
53:1 Now Isaiah is the voice of the prophecy. His first question may speak for himself and Jehovah - who
has believed our report? Well, first lets consider who the report was given to; its the ones to whom the
arm of Jehovah has been revealed. The arm of Jehovah is the strength of His doing, which is an allusion to
Messiah.

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Who was Messiah revealed to, through the Law and the Prophets? To the nation Israel; they received the
report of Him. Did they believe the revelation? No; as a nation, they didnt.
Isaiah continues with a description of how Israels Messiah came to them.
v. 2 This is speaking of Messiah growing up before Jehovah; under His watchful eye. Like a tender plant a delicate shoot - the imagery speaks of the frailness of an infant, growing - Messiah as a fragile human
baby. He grew as a root out of the dry ground of the nation Israel. The Life-Giver came out of the barren
unregenerate nation, which was devoid of Life.
Messiah would come speaking the words of Jehovah, doing the works of Jehovah. But the nation would
not recognize their Messiah - His form would be lowly, unremarkable, common. They would seek one with
the appearance of a conquering king.
v. 3 In coming as a Man, Messiah would come into contact with the grief and sorrow of the human
condition, brought on by their sin-sickness. Disease. Illness. Pain. Death. Messiah would join Himself to
mankind; with compassion, He would enter into their sufferings; but they would not join themselves to Him,
to be delivered from it - speaking particularly of the nation Israel, here. Instead, they would count Him for
nothing - and reject Him as their Messiah.
v. 4 What are all the griefs and sorrows of mankind due to? Theyre due to sin, entering the world (Rm
5:12). So here Messiah is seen as the Sin-Bearer. The imagery of bearing and carrying clearly evokes the
cross, the tree upon which Messiah would bear the sins of the world.
And by that very act, the nation Israel would view Him as stricken, smitten by God, afflicted - for in
accordance with the Law of Moses, he who is hanged [on a tree] is accursed of God (Deut 21:23). They
thought the true Messiah could never die the death of the accursed; God would never permit it.
But Isaiah points out in his prophecy that this is not so.
v. 5-6 Isaiah prophesies that Messiah would be the Substitute for sinful man. Paul will write that Christ
redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us (Gal 3:13). Jesus died in our place,
taking the punishment due to us, for our sin, upon Himself, sinless God. Why? Because God so loved the
world. Christ died for our sins - according to the Scripture.
And Isaiah foretells of more details, concerning Messiahs suffering and death.
v. 7-8 Through suffering, imprisonment, trial and judgment, Messiah would utter not a word to defend
Himself - though He was completely blameless. We recall Jesus did not once contend for Himself before
Annas, Caiaphas, Herod or Pilate.
The Messiah would be completely blameless - but He would not be judged so. In answer to Isaiahs
question, no one would declare Messiahs generation - His natural seed, His offspring - because His life
would be cut off in death.
v. 9 They would make Messiahs grave with the wicked - fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus between two
thieves (Mt 27:38). The bodies of the crucified were ordinarily discarded and burned in Gehenna Jerusalems garbage dump.

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But this was not to be the destiny for the body of Messiah. A rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who
had become a disciple of Jesus, obtained His body from Pilate and buried it in his new tomb (Mt 27:57-60).
In this way, God ensured that the body of Jesus, in which He did no sin, was preserved from destruction.
The mention of Messiahs grave makes it clear that He would definitively die - for His body would be
buried. Jesus was buried - according to the Scriptures.
Isaiah now sees what is to come, beyond the death of Messiah.
v. 10-11a Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him. The idea is that this was the will of Jehovah, to allow
Messiah to be bruised - crushed. Why? Because in no other way could the Life that Messiah brought down
from heaven be availed to men. In no other way could men be justified, and made righteous. And so
Jehovah made His Servant - His Son, Jesus - the offering for sin - perfect, sinless God, in the stead of sinful
men.
But the sacrifice of Messiah was not the end. Instead, as Isaiah sees, it is a new beginning. In verse 8,
Isaiah had noted that Messiah would have no natural seed, because His life would be cut off in death. But
now Isaiah observes that Jehovah will see Messiahs seed, and that Jehovah will prolong Messiahs days.
How can this be reconciled?
The implication is that Messiah will be raised from the dead, to new life - as the glorified Son of God - and
His seed will be the sons of God, who are born of Him through faith.
The pleasure of Jehovah - His will - would indeed prosper in Messiahs hand - as it did, when Jesus rose
from the dead, according to the Scriptures. Jehovah was satisfied with the labor of Jesus on the cross - a
word used for the travail of childbirth. It accomplished Jehovahs great purpose: to have sons, for His
kingdom.
11b-12 Another translation of the latter portion of verse 11 is By the knowledge of Himself, My
righteous Servant shall justify many (American Standard). The sense is that when men come to really
know Gods Son Jesus, joining themselves to Him by faith, they can then be justified - freed from sin - and
so, reconciled to God - through the knowledge of Him (2 Pet 1:3).
Isaiah had asked, Who has believed our report? Not the nation Israel, but individual Jews and Gentiles;
and as many as received the Christ of God, to them He gave the authority to become children of God - to
those who believe in His name (Jn 1:12); to those who come to know the Son, Jesus.
The last portion of the prophecy revisits the exaltation of the Servant of Jehovah, for accomplishing the
work of redemption - fulfilled in Jesus, the Name above every name.
The resurrection is brought into even sharper focus in a prophecy that we find concerning Messiah in one
of the psalms.
Turn to Psalm 16. This is a psalm of David. It speaks of Messiah as pictured in the Grain Offering, given
in the ceremonial Law (Lev 2). This shows Messiah as the Incorruptible Seed (Jn 12:24, 1 Pet 1:23) - in
Him was no sin (1 Jn 3:5). He knew no sin (2 Cor 5:21), and He did no sin (1 Pet 2:22), in His body of
flesh.

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The psalm begins will Messiah calling out to God to preserve Him (v. 1), followed by the justification of
Messiah in asking for this: His sinless perfection; His righteousness, with Jehovah and with man (v. 2-8).
By the end of the psalm, we find Messiah putting His trust in Jehovah, to preserve Him - and it is there that
we come to understand in what way Messiah was requesting Jehovah to preserve Him - not from
something, but through it.
[Psalm 16:9-11] So David is prophesying that the Messiah would trust in God to preserve Him through
death. At death, the soul of spirit life and the body separate - the living soul goes down to Sheol, the place
of the departed dead. The lifeless body goes to the grave - a corpse.
Now for anyone born of Adam, that corpse will corrupt in the grave, due to sin. But Messiah is trusting
Jehovah that His body, in which is no sin, will not corrupt; that Jehovah in His justice will not allow that.
In fact, Messiah recognizes that Jehovah will show Him the path of life, right back into His presence, at His
right hand - in heaven. This clearly speaks of Messiahs resurrection and ascension. Peter preached this
very passage on the day of Pentecost to declare the resurrection of Jesus as the fulfillment of this. Jesus
rose again, according to the Scriptures.
But Paul said He did so on the third day. Is that supported in the OT Scriptures, as well? It is, indeed - by
the prophet whose very life became a prophecy - Jonah.
Jonah is the prophet who initially refused to deliver the LORDs message of pending judgment on Nineveh the Assyrian capital. So Jonah ran away. You can run from the LORD, but can you hide? No.
In order to quell a tempest raging around the ship carrying Jonah, the mariners threw him into the sea - at
Jonahs own request, for he knew he was the cause of that tempest.
Now, the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three
days and three nights (Jonah 1:17) - from which Jonah cried out for deliverance (Jonah 2:1-2). Does this
remind you of the psalmist: Preserve Me? And the LORD heard Jonah, and delivered him.
That this was a prophecy concerning Messiah becomes evident from the words of Jesus Himself, before His
death. Turn to Matthew chapter 12.
The scribes and Pharisees were requesting a sign from Jesus - to prove He is the Messiah of Israel. Jesus
had been doing sign after sign - in fact, He had just healed a demon-possessed man, who was blind and
mute (Mt 12:22).
The words of these religious rulers showed their unwillingness to recognize these miraculous signs from
God. So Jesus declared them an evil and adulterous generation - the nation of that day was continuing in
the unbelief of ancient Israel, and continuing to prostitute themselves with the religious thinking of the
world - at this time, Judaism.
[Matthew 12:38-40] So by the words of Jesus, we understand that the incident with Jonah was a prophetic
foretelling of Messiahs death, burial and resurrection. He rose again the third day, according to the
Scriptures.
These are three of the many, many OT prophecies that tell of the first coming of Messiah, as the Savior of
the world. These and others were likely used by Paul to teach the churches how those prophecies were
fulfilled - each one, completely and with precision, by Jesus.

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What greater proof can there be of the resurrection, than that God Himself told of it ahead of time, in detail,
to His prophets - and that the words of the prophets were then fulfilled?
But theres more. Next week, well see that Paul gives additional proofs concerning the raising up of Jesus
from the dead - by which Paul hopes to dispel the Corinthians doubts about resurrection.

Reading: Matt 27:62-28:20, Mk 16, Lk 24, Jn 20-21, Acts 1:1-11.