1 Corinthians 15 - Introduction

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1 Corinthians 15:1-28:

OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY-MARK DUNAGAN

I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 15:

I. The Gospel That Paul Preached: 1 Corinthians 15:1

II. Resurrection Appearances: 1 Corinthians 15:5-11

III. The Consequences Of. No Resurrection Doctrine: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

IV. Christ's Resurrection. Guarantee Of Our Own: 1 Corinthians 15:20-34

V. The Resurrection Body: 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

VI. The Living When Christ Comes: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

II. INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 15:

'The problem Paul faces with these Corinthians was not their denial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That they didn't deny as you can see from 12-19.' (McGuiggan p. 187)

They had accepted. gospel message that taught the resurrection of Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:1) What some of them were denying was the bodily resurrection of believers. (1 Corinthians 15:12-13) But Paul points out that such. position is contradictory. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

'In..(vv. 12-34) Paul takes up what for him are two contradictory positions on their part (belief in Christ's resurrection and denial of their own) and sets out to demonstrate their logical--and therefore absurd consequences.' (Fee p. 714)

'1 Corinthians 15:12 makes it clear that the denial of the resurrection (general) was not the position of the whole church. It was the position of "some among you". This doctrinal deviation is. serious one and we need to note that 1 Corinthians 1:33 is written in connection with. doctrinal perversion and not. lifestyle. To undermine fundamental doctrine is to undermine morals.' (McGuiggan p. 187)

Concerning the question of what was the source of, or what factors motivated certain Christians to deny the resurrection of believers. McGarvey says, 'In the eyes of the Greeks the body was the prison-house of the soul, and death was. release of the soul from its captivity. The resurrection of the body, therefore, was regarded by them as. calamity rather than as. blessing, and so contrary to all sound philosophy as to excite ridicule. (Acts 17:32)' (p. 145)

'We are, on the one hand, pointed to the rationalism of the pagan Greeks, which simply refused to accept the resurrection of the body but held that the body is only an evil..or. fetter..or. dungeon, yea,. grave for the soul..from which death frees the soul...We are, on the other hand, informed (very briefly) that according to the popular view the bodies of the dead were thought to arise in their material grossness..' (Lenski p. 624)

Points to Note:

1. As in much of the letter, the problems in the Church at Corinth were caused when Christians had brought the erroneous views of their "culture and world" into the Church with them.

There existed. group of Christians at Corinth, who were enthralled with the "wisdom of this world" (Chapter s 1-3). And the "wisdom" of the educated and intellectual Greeks had said, that the idea of. bodily resurrection was absurd, and contrary to all logic. Christians are faced with the same challenge today. When we became Christians, we also had to abandon not. few of the world's "sacred cows, prejudices, and proclaimed facts".

2. Verses 35-50, seem to indicate that there existed. number of skeptics in Corinth. Christians that tended to disbelieve in the resurrection of believers, simply because they couldn't answer all the questions that they had about the nature of the resurrected body.

Unfortunately, the same tendency is often found among Christians today. This Chapter reveals the principle, that we are obligated to believe teaching that God has revealed, even if we can't answer all the questions that such. doctrine raises.

1 Corinthians 15:29

OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY-MARK DUNAGAN

I. OUTLINE of 1 Corinthians 15:29-58:

I. In the Absence Of. Resurrection These Practices And Actions Look Foolish:1 Corinthians 15:29-32

II. Rebuke: 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

III. Answering Various Arguments Concerning The Condition Of the Resurrection Body:1 Corinthians 15:35-49

IV. What About Living Christians When Christ Comes Again? 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

II. INTRODUCTION:

'The effect of unbelief in the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:29-34. To clinch the argument for the truth and the necessity of the Christian resurrection and to bring it home to the readers, the Apostle points out how futile Christian devotion must be, such as it witnessed in "those baptized for the dead" and in his own daily hazards, if death ends all (29-31); present enjoyment would then appear the highest good (32). The effect of unbelief in the future life is already painfully apparent in the relaxed moral tone of. certain part of the Corinthian Church (33f.).' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 930)

'This paragraph makes is clear that the issue of their denying the resurrection is no small matter...The actions of..them (v. 29), not to mention himself (vv. 30-32) border on absurdity if the dead are not raised. But even more importantly, he concludes (vv. 33-34) with an exhortation to righteous living, which strongly implies that there are some close ties between this particular issue and the aberrant behavior he has been attacking throughout the letter.' (Fee pp. 761-762)