We continue our study of First and Second Corinthians. In chapter 15 some of the most fundamental Christian truths are unfolded. These have to do with the fundamental truths of the gospel, and more especially with the whole doctrine of resurrection.
Not only did Paul preach that Jesus had died, but that He had risen from the dead the third day and that there were many witnesses to this fact. But there were some among the Corinthians who were saying that there was no resurrection of the dead. This was a most serious error, for it led to believers being encouraged to live this life as though there were nothing after. Those who fell into this error allowed all sorts of excesses and carnality in their lives. But Paul points out to them that if believers only had hope in this life, they were the most miserable of all men, for they lived as pilgrims here, denying themselves, and when they died they had nothing awaiting them.
They were being taught by some of the worldly believers in Corinth to live only for today, for there was nothing to look forward to. But Paul shows how that Christ Himself has risen first from the dead - the firstfruits - and now each believer who dies will, in virtue of this, also rise. To those who questioned and scoffed at this teaching, Paul turns to the elementary principles of nature, showing that when a seed dies, it brings forth life from the dead.
He closes by showing that, while this wonderful change (resurrection) will happen in an instant of time, not all believers will die. There will be some who are alive when the Lord comes and will be changed into their glorified “resurrection” bodies without dying. Death has lost its victory.
The Corinthian believers were to continue laboring for the Lord, knowing that their service was not in vain.
1. How did the unprofitable servant, who did not believe that his master would return, behave towards the other servants? Luke 12:___
2. Some in Corinth were teaching that it is only in this life that there is hope. Paul taught the Roman believers that faith gave them to “rejoice in hope” for that which was coming. What did he assure them that those who had this would not become? Romans 5:___
3. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. How did the Lord Jesus destroy the one who held the power of death? Hebrews 2:___
4. Paul told the Corinthians that the “evil communications” they were hearing concerning resurrection were causing them to become corrupted in their Christian living. What did he tell the Philippian believers to think about?
Philippians 4:___
5. Paul did not want the false teaching about there being no resurrection to cause the Corinthians to stop laboring for the Lord. What had happened to the Levites in Nehemiah’s day when the people listened to the enemy and stopped bringing their sacrifices to Jerusalem? Nehemiah 13:___