1 Corinthians 15:1-32

1 Corinthians 15:1. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

By which the apostle means, unless they had a false faith, a merely notional faith; or he may also mean «Unless what I have preached unto you should have been a fable, and therefore you will have exercised your faith upon nothing real, and so it would have been in vain.»

1 Corinthians 15:3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which, I also received,-

The preacher of Christ must not make new doctrines. He is not to be his own teacher, he is to receive the truth first, and then to deliver it. The Christian minister takes the lamp out of the hand of God, and then passes it on to the hands of his people. Think not that any originality is needed in the pulpit. All that is required is that the herald should faithfully deliver his Master's message just as his Master gives it to him. «I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,-«

1 Corinthians 15:3. How that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

There are many passages in the Old Testament which describe the Messiah as dying for sinners, especially the old chapter of Isaiah's prophecy. There are others that speak of him as being buried, yet not corrupting in the tomb. These were facts which the apostle had received upon the testimony of others; now comes the great fact of the resurrection:-

1 Corinthians 15:5. And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostle. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

The apostle does not attempt to defend the doctrine of the resurrection by an argument fetched from reason, but he proves it by undoubted evidence. If I had to prove that there existed such a tree as the cedar, I should not use logical arguments further than this,-I produce a certain number of men who have seen a cedar, and the thing is proved by their testimony. If the evidence of honest men be not accepted, then there is an end, not only to Christianity, but to all the sciences, and you and I must wander forever in a maze of doubts. Now, of all the facts recorded in history, there is not one which is better attested than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The men who testified that they had seen the risen Christ evidently had no selfish reason for doing so. What is the result of their testimony ? They were cast into prison, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, simply for believing the evidence of their own senses, and testifying what they knew to be true. It is clear that they would have had no interest in publishing this fact if it had not been true; their interest would have lain quite the other way. Besides, it was not as if only a few had seen him but over five hundred brethren at once beheld him. For forty days he was gazed upon by different persons, and the fact is proved beyond all doubt.

1 Corinthians 15:9. For I am the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

«God has forgiven me,» said a good man once, «but I shall never forgive myself.» So was it with the apostle Paul; he knew that God had forgiven him, and honoured him by making him an apostle, but he could not forgive himself; and no doubt the tears gushed from his eyes when he wrote these words, «I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.»

1 Corinthians 15:10. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, out I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me

In what humble tones Paul speaks! He will not deny what grace has done in him and by him, but he will ascribe it all to grace. Brethren, you are not to shut your eyes to the gracious change which God's Holy Spirit has wrought in you. You may speak of it, and speak of it often, but always guard against taking any of the honour to yourselves, and be especially careful to put the crown upon the right head.

1 Corinthians 15:11. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

For Christ was the pattern man to all his people. He is their Representative. Whatever he did, he did for them; and whatever was wrought in him shall be surely wrought in them, and if Christ rose from the dead, then all who are members of his mystical body must rise too; for when the Head comes out of the grave, you cannot retain the members in it. Prove that Christ rose, and you prove that his people rise, for they are one with him.

1 Corinthians 15:13. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

Yet it is proved by hundreds of credible witnesses that Christ is risen, therefore there is a resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:14. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

This truth is the key-stone of the arch, put this away, and the whole tumbles down. It is upon this that the whole Christian system rests. If the resurrection of Christ be a mere myth, and not a positive matter of fact, preaching and faith are equally vain.

1 Corinthians 15:15. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

The apostle puts the matter strongly, yet not too strongly. He seems to say, «You know me to be an honest and truthful man, having no selfish motive in what l declare unto you; but if Christ did not rise from the dead, I have testified to you a gross falsehood, and led you to put your trust in an imposture.» So he stakes his own personal character upon the fact of Christ resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:16. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Yet they knew that they were not in their sins, for they had the witness within them that their sins had been pardoned. They knew that sin had no more dominion over them, for they had been made to walk in holiness before the Lord. «Therefore,» says Paul, «Christ must have risen, for if he had not risen, you would have remained sinners as you once were.»

1 Corinthians 15:18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

A supposition against which both nature and grace revolt.

1 Corinthians 15:19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

As they always brought into the Jewish tabernacle and temple a portion of the harvest, which indicated that the harvest was begun, so Christ's going up to heaven was the taking of the first sheaf into God's great garner, and all the rest must follow.

1 Corinthians 15:21. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even in Christ shall all be made alive.

Not that all shall be saved, but all will be raised from the dead. Or else the passage means that, as all who were in the first Adam died as the result of Adam's sin, so all who are in the second Adam, that is, Christ, shall live as the result of his righteousness. The question is, Are we in the second Adam? Faith is that which unites us to Christ. If we are trusting in him by a living faith, then his rising from the dead ensures our rising from the dead; and if not, it be true that we shall rise, but it will be to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Corinthians 15:23. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

This is a very difficult passage, but I suppose the meaning is just this. Jesus Christ, in order to remedy the great mischief of sin, was appointed to a mediatorial kingdom over all worlds, and that kingdom will continue until all his enemies shall be destroyed, and sin shall be trodden under his feet. Then Christ-as mediator, mark you, not as Lord, shall deliver up his mediatorial kingdom to his Father, and there shall be heard that great shout, «Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The Lord God omnipotent reigneth!» Christ as God, as one of the persons of the ever-blessed Trinity, will still be as glorious as ever, but his mediatorial reign will then be over, seeing that he hath accomplished all its purposes.

1 Corinthians 15:29. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

This is another most difficult passage, and many meanings have been given to it, but I think the most likely to be correct is this: As soon as a member of the early Christian Church was given up to the lion or to be burned, another convert would step forward, and say, Let me take his name and place.» Though it was almost certain that they also would soon be put to death, there were always found persons bold enough to come forward to be baptized, to take the place of the dead. «Now,» says the apostle, «what advantage is there in this horizon if the dead rise not ?»

1 Corinthians 15:30. And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

Why were the apostles always subjecting themselves to cruel persecution?

1 Corinthians 15:31. I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

He was so hunted about everywhere that there was not a day in whole he felt secure of his life, so he asks, «Why should I endure this if there be no world to come?»

1 Corinthians 15:32. If after the manner of men I has fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?

It is quite possible that Paul was thrown to the lions in the theatre at Ephesus, and that he fought with them, and came off a conqueror. «But why,» says he, «did I try to save my life for future labour and for future suffering if the dead rise not ?»

1 Corinthians 15:32. Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.

This is the best philosophy in the world if there is no life to come. So Paul has proved his point right well by every argument that he has used.