1 Corinthians 15:14-15

The implicit affirmative conclusion just intimated P. will develop afterwards. He has first to push the opposing axiom to further consequences. (1) if the fact is untrue, the testimony is untrue “But if Christ is not raised, vain therefore is our proclamation, vain also your faith”. κενός (see note on οὐ κενή, 10; and cf. κενόω, 1 Corinthians 1:17, etc.) signifies void, unsubstantial (inanis, Vg [2312]) a hollow witness, a hollow belief, while μάταιος (1 Corinthians 15:17; see parls.) is “vain” as ineffectual, frustrate. For κήρυγμα, see note on 1 Corinthians 1:21; on its distinction from λόγος (2), see 1 Corinthians 2:4 : ἡμῶν includes P. and his colleagues (1 Corinthians 15:11). For ἄρα, see 1 Corinthians 5:10. If “the message is empty,” declaring a thing that is not, “the faith is also empty,” building on the thing that is not; preaching and faith have no genuine content; the Gospel is evacuated of all reality. For the character of P. and his fellow-witnesses this conclusion has a serious aspect: “We are found moreover (to be) false witnesses of God” men who have given lying testimony, and that about God, “the worst sort of impostors” (Gd [2313])! τοῦ Θεοῦ is objective gen [2314], as the next clause shows; it is always “God” to whom P. imputes the raising of Christ, who by this act gave His verdict concerning Jesus (Romans 1:4; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Acts 2:36; Acts 13:30-39; Acts 17:31). δὲ καὶ calls emphatic attention to another and contrasted side of the matter in hand. εὑρισκόμεθα approaches the sense of ἐλεγχόμεθα or ἁλισκόμεθα (see parls.) “discovered” in a false and guilty position. Nothing can be stronger evidence than this passage to the objective reality, in Paul's experience, of the risen form of Jesus. The suspicion of hallucination, on his own part or that of the other witnesses, was foreign to his mind; the matter stood on the plain footing of testimony, given by a large number of intelligent, sober, and responsible witnesses to a sensible, concrete, circumstantial fact: “Either He rose from the grave, or we lied in affirming it” the dilemma admits of no escape. ὅτι ἐμαρτυρήσαμεν κ. τ. λ.: “in that we testified against God that He raised up the Christ whom He did not raise, if indeed then (as ‘some' affirm) dead (men) are not raised up”. κατὰ τ. Θεοῦ, adversus Deum (Vg [2315], Est., Mr [2316], Hn [2317], Gd [2318], Ed [2319], Sm [2320]), as always in such connexion in N.T. (see 1 Corinthians 4:6 and parls.), not de Deo (Er [2321], Bz [2322], Al [2323], El [2324], A.V.); the falsehood (ex hyp.) would have wronged God, as, e.g., the ascription of miracles to God traduces Him in the eyes of Deists. ἤγειρε τὸν Χριστόν, “the Messiah,” whom “according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3 f.; cf. Luke 24:46; Acts 17:3; Acts 26:22 f., etc.) God was bound to raise from the dead. εἴπερ ἄρα, si videlicet (Bz [2325]), supposing to be sure; see 1 Corinthians 8:5; and 1 Corinthians 5:10, for ἄρα.

[2312] Latin Vulgate Translation.

[2313] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).

[2314] genitive case.

[2315] Latin Vulgate Translation.

[2316] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[2317] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[2318] F. Godet's Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).

[2319] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[2320] P. Schmiedel, in Handcommentar zum N.T. (1893).

[2321] Erasmus' In N.T. Annotationes.

[2322] Beza's Nov. Testamentum: Interpretatio et Annotationes (Cantab., 1642).

[2323] Alford's Greek Testament.

[2324] C. J. Ellicott's St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

[2325] Beza's Nov. Testamentum: Interpretatio et Annotationes (Cantab., 1642).