1 Corinthians 15
Exposition
1 Corinthians 15 breaks into four major sections beginning first with a foundation of what the gospel is, then building on that foundation Paul makes a case for the bodily resurrection of the saints, discusses what it means for the saints to be raised and culminates in a final exhortation to continue in the way of the Lord.
15.1-11
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, the to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”[1]
This sections lays the ground work for Paul’s argument. Here he is laying out the fundamentals of the Christian faith and putting forth the idea that this is already agreed upon truth. Paul will draw on this foundation as the crux of his argument for the bodily resurrection of the believers. “Paul follows the standard argument technique of beginning with an agreed-on premise; the Corinthians must agree with the very *gospel by which they were converted.”[2] This seems to be the normal way that Paul chose to make his points.
“It would be in keeping with this that Paul elsewhere seems to assume the Corinthians' acceptance of many features of early Christian eschatology—judgment to come (iii 13 ff.; iv 5; vi 2 f. ; xi 32; cf. ix 27), the coming end of the present age (vii 29, 31; χ 11; xiii 8, 10, 12; xv 24 ff., 50 ff.), and the return of Christ (xi 26; xv 23; xvi 22; cf. i 7 f.). He speaks to them as if he could assume their assent to the basic elements of the Christian gospel (xi 2; xv if., n ).”[3]
The premise that this section is setting out is the found in verses 3-4. This is what Paul is going to argue from in the coming verses. He is going to point toward the fact that Jesus was raised bodily therefore we also will be raised bodily. The thrust of Paul’s argument is going to come from the mutual acceptance of these two verses.
15.12-34
“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 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. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”[4]
In this section Paul begins to address the issues in the Corinthian church about those that are denying the resurrection of the dead. This is the first doctrinal issue that Paul has addressed here in his epistle so far.[5] Up until now the issues have been those of bodily function as a church, and immorality in the church. This is the first doctrinal issue and one that does not seem to be held by everyone as he address only a select group.[6]
Paul then goes on to argue that if you believe that Christ is raised you must believe in resurrection for to deny resurrection is to deny the salvation that you have received. It is inconsistent to believe in a God that has been risen from the dead and then to turn around and deny the resurrection of the dead. “If the resurrection of Christ is a proven fact, which non of them denied, it is illogical to say there is no resurrection of the dead.”[7]
After this first thrust at the false doctrine Paul switches tact a little bit and launches into a lengthy discussion concerning Adam and Christ as the second Adam. This is used to further the idea that there is a bodily resurrection. This is the positive side of the argument here Paul is saying that Adam brought death but Christ has made all alive.[8] This usage of the names, Adam and Christ, adds the emphasis that these are real men that Paul is referencing. And that through these real men came death and then life. “In view of the fact that Paul earlier referred to them that are asleep we are inclined to take die of the natural death. Made alive would then refer to the resurrection of the body.”[9] This helps to clarify how we understand this reference while it is true literally it also points toward the eschatological future where the power of sin has been broken and we are made alive through Christ.
Paul then ends this section by saying that if the dead are not raised then what are we doing here we should be out partying.[10] “[…] A reasonable philosophy if there is no resurrection. Man is no better then the beast that perish.”[11] This is once again pushing forth the idea that he started the section with. If the dead are not raised the Christ is not raised and our preaching and faith are for naught because the hope of Christianity lies on the bedrock of Christ being raised from the dead. Without Christ being raised the whole Christian faith falls apart.
15.35-49
“But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.”[12]
This is the fist question you would expect and Paul heads it off here by saying listen it is not what you are in this life that matters but it is following God. What Paul says here is that there are different bodies for the differing places of existence. In verse 40 this becomes explicitly clear as he says there are different bodies for earth and for heaven. While these are not necessarily the exact same bodies what Paul is saying here is that there will be bodies that manifest our own essence. “God is well able at Christ coming to invest each individual believer with a new resurrection body which will be in perfect harmony with his own essential being.”[13] This helps to answer the question of what happens if the body is burned or lost at sea. What Paul essential ends up saying is God is amazing and can figure out how to raise these people from the dead.
Paul then goes on in verse 42-49 to say that we will be like Christ. The key verses in this sub-section are verse 48-49: “As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” These verses help to solidify the idea that Christians will be given a new body. “The final resurrection is by no means merely an experience of spiritual power and gifting in the present. Rather it is a qualitatively different bodily existence which can only be gained through the granting of a new, resurrected and spiritual body.”[14] This helps us to understand that what Paul is saying is that we will be getting new bodies that are in the image of Christ and his heavenly nature for we are followers of him not of the sin and death represented by Adam and his early body.
15.50-58
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain”[15]
These verses really put into context the reason that resurrection is such an important doctrine. For our faith and perseverance is bound up in the promise that one day we will be raised from the dead to live with Christ. “Whether we are living or dead at the coming of Christ, this wonderful transformation will take place; the resurrection day will have come and the final victor of Christ will be proclaimed.”[16] What is seen in this quote is the mindset this section of the chapter is attempting to get across to the Corinthians. What they should be doing is persevering in the faith awaiting this wonderful and glorious day.
Paul is also encouraging the beliers to hold onto the right living that he has been exhorting them to in the rest of his letter. “Just as Judaism often linked failure to believe in the future world with immoral living, and faith in future judgment with perseverance, Paul encourages believers to hold to the truth of the resurrection and so to right living.”[17] Keener is linking the correction and exhortation in the resurrection to the rest of the letter and seeing this whole exhortation to cover the rest of the letter as well as this specific section. This is seen in the fact that while Paul specifically addressed the issue of resurrection he makes implicit allusions to the previous issues of right living.[18]
This concludes the chapter and points us to continue in the faith because of the great reward of resurrection that awaits us on resurrection day.
Theological Conclusions
This passage gives us a good look at the theology of the resurrection. Here we see that the idea of bodily resurrection is tied directly to the person of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection.
What is seen in this passage is a very vigorously and elementary defense by Paul to the fact that we are going to be raised bodily from the grave and have some new type of heavenly body given to us. This is seen by Paul to be a fundamental tenant of the faith. As he points toward the fact that to believe otherwise would call into question the life the Christ which is the foundation of the faith.
Therefore as believers we must carry on and persevere in the faith for resurrection is what we have to look forward to. Paul ends his defense of the resurrection of the believer with the exhortation to continue in the things of the spirit and to walk with this promise of resurrection in mind. This is seen most evidently in verse 58 where we see Paul telling the Corinthians to be “steadfast” and “immovable” knowing that the work of the Lord goes forth.
Application
We as believers need to keep the idea of our resurrection in our mind. This should be there to help us remember to be active in our ministry for one day we will be resurrected. We must do as Paul exhorts us to do and, “ be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”[19] This should be our key verse for understanding and applying this text to our lives we must keep this at the forefront in our understanding of the bodily resurrection. The idea of resurrection should inspire these types of thoughts within us.
Practical Response:
1) Memorize the verses that have to do with being steadfast and immovable
2) Meditate on what it means to be bodily resurrected
3) Identify some problem areas in your life and approach those areas through the lens of bodily resurrection.
Works Cited
The English Standard Version. Gen. Ed. Wayne Grudem. Wheaton IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001. Print.
Goodrick, W. Edward, Kohlenberger III, R. John. The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, Michagan: Zondervan, 1999. Print.
Grosheide, F.W. Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing Company, 1968. Print.
Hawthorne, Gerald F. and Ralh P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, Eds. Dictionary of Paul and his Letters. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Print.
Howley, G.C.D., and F.F. Bruce, and H.L. Ellison, Eds. A New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1969. Print.
Janssen, Claudia. "BODILY RESURRECTION (1 COR. 15)? THE DISCUSSION OF THE RESURRECTION IN KARL BARTH, RUDOLF BULTMANN, DOROTHEE SOLLE AND CONTEMPORARY FEMINIST THEOLOGY." Journal for the Study of the New Testament 79 (2000): 61. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Print.
Wedderburn, A J M. "The problem of the denial of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15." Novum testamentum 23.3 (1981): 229-241. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.
[1] English Standered Version (ESV)
[2] Keener p.484
[3] Janssen, p.238
[4] 1 Cor. 15:12-17 ESV (because this is such a large section I will be inserting only the passages that will help to show the argument.)
[5] Grosheide p. 346
[6] “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection […]” 15.12 emphasis added.
[7] A New Testament Commentary (ANTC) p. 409
[8] 15.22 ESV
[9] Grosheide p.363
[10] “If the dead are not raised,” Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."15.32b (ESV)
[11] ANTC p. 411
[12] 15.35-40 ESV
[13] ANTC p. 412
[14] Dictionary of Paul and his letters (DOPAHL) p. 167
[15] 15.56-58 ESV
[16] ANTC p. 412
[17] Keener p.489
[18] 15.33 ESV
[19] 15.58b ESV
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