1 Corinthians 15:12-34--The Resurrection of the Dead

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.

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So why does it matter to us here and now today that Christ was raised from the dead in a physical, bodily resurrection?  Yes, it's an important tenant of our faith, but why is it so necessary for us to understand this truth and what hope is it meant to give us?  Paul addresses that next in one of the few places where we are told about the resurrection of the saints to receive new bodies that are fit for a new heaven.  For these bodies that are made in the likeness of Adam are meant for this earth, but we will one day be made in the likeness of Christ in both body and spirit to be completely fit for heaven.

For if Christ was not raised then we also have no hope of resurrections, and if He does not live then we have no hope of eternal life.  We continue to be dead in our trespasses and sins and remain under condemnation and judgment, because if Christ died and stayed dead it would mean that His death was just and that He deserved to die for His own sins, for "the wages of sin is death," but since Jesus had committed no sins of His own, death and the grave had no power over Him and He was raised from the dead to show that His sacrifice had been accepted, that the word was truly finished, that no other sacrifice was necessary, and that Jesus now has all authority and power--even over death and hell, and the grave.  We no longer need to fear anything.


Romans 8:38-39
English Standard Version
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If Christ had not been raise, the gospel would not only be powerless, but would be a lie, but Christ has been raised and our faith is not in vain and we know that we believe and hope in the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life--no one comes to the Father except through Him.  The gospel is the power of God to transform those who were "in Adam" to new creations who are "in Christ" (see Romans 5).

Now not only has Christ been raise, but He has been raise as the firstfruits of many brethren from among the dead so that when He delivers the kingdom of God to the Father (that's us, the Church).  Paul also stops to tell us that He will reign until all of His enemies have been defeated and put under His feet (in subjection to Him)--I think referring to the millennial reign of Christ--even death will be defeated as the final enemy and death itself as Death and Hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  So we probably know a passage or two about Christ being Lord of all, but let me go back and point to one that Jesus Himself quoted during His trial when He claimed His divinity.


Daniel 7:13-14
English Standard Version

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
    that shall not be destroyed.

This last part is a bit tricky because Paul is pointing to a pagan practice to say "see, even those who have it wrong believe in life after death" as there was some question among the Corinthians if they just ceased to exist when they "died" or if their soul lived on and if it did live on if they would be non-corporeal or if they would somehow be reunited with this fleshly body that we have and if that meant we would have have to battle with the desires of the flesh for all eternity and would it be possible for us to sin in heaven.  These are all the basis for Paul writing this passage about the resurrections of Christ and the resurrection of the Church.  Paul also points to Paul being in danger at all times in all places by both beasts and men as evidence of the life to come.  There would be nothing to fight or contend for if there was no resurrection.  If that were the case we should just be Nihilists who would find no meaning at all in life and just hope for the meaninglessness to end or we should be Hedonists looking to squeeze every ounce of pleasure out of this miserable existence that we can. We certainly wouldn't be out to make all kinds of men hate us become of the gospel nor would we battle the forces of nature to take the gospel to the far reaches of the uttermost ends of the earth.  No, there is something more important and more powerful than death--Christ and Him crucified (and risen again)--that we must preach to the whole world--that is The Great Commission.

So then, we have something to live for (not just something to die for), and we must live in accordance with the message we have to preach and teach.  We should not keep on sinning, nor should we allow ourselves to be corrupted by the bad morals of those who we hang around with--we must choose our friends and partners in business and marriage carefully so that we are not "unequally yoked" with unbelievers.  "Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good character" is a great memory verse for all of us, but especially for young people to remind them when they aren't around their parents that they need to make wise choices about who they hang out with and be good judges of character--and the best way to do that is to look at someone's morals.  Look at the "fruit" they produce to try and determine what kind of "root" they have.

It is going to be impossible to not associate at all with the world--Paul will come back to this later in 2 Corinthians--because that would make it impossible to fulfill The Great Commission.  We must intentionally have some relationships with lost people so that we may show and tell the gospel to them, but be forewarned that they will always try to bring you down, and you are never going to lift them up, because it's not about making them have better works or better morality--if they think that's it, all you've given them is religion and an express ticket to hell.  They can't do it on their own without the gospel of Jesus Christ changing them and making all things new and the Holy Spirit living in and through them.  We should look like Christ and not like the world--that's hard, but we must be intentional about is as ambassadors of a King and Kingdom that is not of this world.