Introduction

I led a mission trip to Romania in 2012.  On a day full of visits, our team entered the home of Rosalia.  She lived in a room likely the size of your bathroom.  The single room was detached from the family home because her family didn’t want her around.  She was isolated due to her faith in Jesus Christ. 

Rosalia was overwhelmed with gratitude as we entered her living space.  She offered us a plate of fresh fruit from her garden and forced us to eat.  As we ate, she asked, “Can I sing you a song?” 

Through a translator, we were told the song lyrics: “Even if I have to walk a road of thorns to follow Christ, I will do it.  I will place my hand in the nail scarred hands.”  Easter morning tells the story of our resurrected Savior with nail scarred hands. Our Savior calls us to follow him into abundant life and resurrection life.

The Gospel is of First Importance (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

The gospel takes a backseat to nothing. In verse 1, the Apostle Paul said, “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you.”  He also stressed that the Corinthian church received this gospel and took a stand upon it.  In verse two he stressed “by this gospel you are saved” and “by this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Jesus and the New Testament writers speak of perseverance and faithfulness to the end.  In verse three Paul stressed the gospel as of “first importance.”

When you receive the gospel, it takes priority over everything.  It moves into your heart and transforms it from stone to flesh.  It moves into your brain and renews your mind.  When you receive the gospel, it changes your eternity. 

The language used here of “received” and “pass on” in 15:3 is also used in 11:23 regarding the Lord’s Supper.   In both instances – the gospel and the Lord’s Supper – the Apostle Paul passed on the essentials of faith.    The Apostle Paul received it from the resurrected Jesus and passed it onto to the early church.  The early church passed it on to the generations that followed. We now hold the baton in our hands. 

Resurrection of the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-20)

Verse 12 reveals that some Corinthians argued that there is no resurrection of the dead. Paul responds with the tone and style of a teacher in verse 13-19. He shows that the denial of the resurrection of the dead is theologically foolish given the reality of Jesus’ resurrection.  If there’s no resurrection of the dead, then how can Christ be raised from the dead? If Christ is not raised from the dead, then everything based upon the resurrection collapses.  Everything stands or falls on the truth of the assertion that God raised Christ from the dead. 

The gospel shorthanded in 1 Corinthians 15:3-18 led the Corinthians to faith.  Yet, it would be devoid of any value apart from the resurrection.  The gospel requires Jesus’ death for our sins and resurrection for our eternal life. 

If there is no resurrection, preaching and faith is useless.  Verse 14 says, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”  If the good news is gibberish, then so is preaching and faith.  The preaching would be lies, and faith would only be delusion. 

If there is no resurrection, the apostles were false prophets. Verse 15 says, “More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.”  If the gospel is false, then the trustworthiness of the apostles who proclaimed the resurrected Lord is called into question.  Those who preach a false gospel are false prophets and everything they teach should be brought up for examination and debate. 

If there is no resurrection, we remain dead in sin. Verses 16-18 say, “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”  If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then our eternal life is to be discounted.  If Jesus was not raised, we are still dead in our sins and unable to inherit the kingdom of God.  Believers who have died remain in the clutches of death. Death still stings. Without resurrection, death wins.  

If there is no resurrection, hope is dashed. Verse 19 says, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  Without the resurrection, that hope is dashed like ocean waves crashing against the rocks of the beach.  Our hope is in our resurrection provided by the resurrection of Jesus.  No matter the doom and gloom around us, we have the hope of Heaven. 

All Made Alive (1 Corinthians 15:21-28)

We are in Adam by nature. Verse 21 says that “death came through a man” and verse 22 says “for as in Adam all die.”   Paul explains how Jesus’ resurrection was not merely an isolated occurrence but one that has consequences which reach far and wide. He speaks of the far-reaching consequences by comparing the resurrection to Adam’s sin. Adam’s sin had a universal effect on all who came after him. 

In Genesis 2, God created Adam and placed him in the garden to work it and care for it.  God said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden” (Genesis 2:16) but Adam was prohibited from eating from one particular tree. In Genesis 3, Adam took the distorted and deceptive word of the serpent over the holy and true word of God. Adam’s sin led him to eat from the prohibited tree.  Adam’s sin led God to banish him from the garden.  Man has listened to the voice of the serpent ever since. Adam’s sin led to death and so does ours. 

While we are in Adam by nature, we are in Jesus by faith. Verse 21 says “Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came through a man” and verse 22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”  Paul speaks of how Adam’s sin had a universal effect on all who came after him.  The same applies to Jesus’ resurrection. As physical death came from Adam’s sin, so physical resurrection comes from Jesus’ resurrection.

Yet, a clear distinction must be made. All those bound to Adam share his banishment from Eden and his fate of death. All those bound to Jesus receive reconciliation and will share his resurrection. But not all people are in Christ. Since only believers are united with Christ, only believers will be made alive through Christ.  We are in Adam by nature and we are in Christ by faith.  Apart from faith in Christ, you still bear Adam’s curse. 

In Jesus, death is defeated. Verses 23-28 speak of firstfruits.  The imagery of first fruit implies that Jesus’ resurrection set in motion a series of events that will culminate in his second coming. The resurrection of the dead follows a certain sequence. First, Christ is raised as the firstfruit. Then, at the second coming, all those who belong to Christ by faith will be raised. Then comes the end.  When believers die, they are with the Lord.  When the Lord returns, believers will receive resurrected bodies.  In the end, all dominion, authority, and power will be visibly overcome by Jesus.  Death is the last and greatest of the opponents.  The last enemy is vividly represented by Psalm 18:4–5,

The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

Paul personifies death as a power which entered the world through Adam and plagues everyone. But death will be vanquished, defeated. The process begins with Jesus’s resurrection; it will be completed with the resurrection of the church. God has subjected all things “under his feet” through the obedience and victory of Jesus. 

Resurrection Questions (1 Corinthians 15:29-34)

We preach and live with the hope of the resurrection.  In verse 32 Paul says, “If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained?”  The gospel is not human hope, wishful thinking, or wild speculation.  The gospel is rooted in the resurrection. David Garland says, “Resurrection means endless hope, but no resurrection means hopeless end.”^[2]  Jesus defeated death and so will the church. Paul appeals to his own life testimony.  He faced death every day.  In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 Paul gives testimony to his trials.  The list includes lashings, beatings, hunger, thirst, nakedness, and life on the run.   If there was no resurrection of the dead, he would be foolishly risking his life for no reason at all.

Paul does everything in the expectation of the future resurrection. If there is no resurrection of the dead why not eat, drink, and be merry, since life is so short (1 Corinthians 15:32-34)?  If there is no resurrection of the dead, why face opposition?  Why face a cross?  Paul has previously warned the Corinthians about being deceived (See 3:18 and 6:9). Paul seeks to shame those with poor theology and poor Christian living. He is seeking to enforce beliefs and proper conflict. It’s a matter of utmost importance.  We counter bad theology and bad living with Christian theology and Christian living.  Central to both is preaching the resurrection and living with hope. 

Resurrection Bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-49)

Believers receive resurrected bodies. In 1 Corinthians 15:35-41, Paul provides more resurrection questions: “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”  The resurrection objectors assume that a new, eternal body, can’t be raised from dirt. Because some of the Corinthians cannot fathom how this is possible, they abandoned any trust that it is possible. 

I’ve had church members come to me concerned about a loved one who died in a tragic accident or a loved one who has been cremated.  They ask, “How will they be resurrected?”  I stress that all bodies decompose, and the body of believers will be resurrected.   Paul once again counters the objectors with solid answers to questions.  Believers will surely receive resurrected bodies.  Reception of resurrected bodies is based upon the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead.  

Paul shows that believers will receive resurrected bodies with analogies from nature.  Paul builds his argument on the reality that God grants bodies which are fit for intended purposes.  He uses the analogy of the link between the seed and plant to explain the connection between our earthly body and our resurrected body.  The seed must die before new life can come from the dead seed.  The plant which comes from the dead seed in the ground relates to the dead seed in the ground, but the seed has been transformed. 

Paul then moves comparing the different bodies of people, animals, birds, and fish to highlight the difference between earthly bodies and heavenly bodies.  He then moves to comparing how the sun, moon, and stars all have splendor but they have different forms of splendor.  He uses this analogy to show how your earthly body has a form of splendor but your resurrected body will have a transformed splendor.  

Your earthly body was fitted for earth in which you experience joy, fall in love, have children.  You will also feel pain, cry tears, grow old, and die.  Your resurrected body is fit for a new heaven and a new earth where “there will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This is the victory and hope of the resurrection.

The consummation of all things will take place when the world as it is now passes away and makes way for a New Heaven and a New Earth.  Those in Christ will dwell with God in for eternity in resurrected bodies.   

Resurrection Victory (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

In verse 50-51 we are told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable and we will not all will be asleep, but we will all be changed.  Paul means that some believers have died and will die prior to the return of Jesus.  Some believers will be alive at his return.  Yet, believers, alive or dead, have at least one thing in common – they will be changed. The church will be changed when Christ returns.  “When?” is the question on everyone’s mind.

In verse 52, Paul says the church will be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  In that moment, those dead and those alive, will receive resurrected bodies.  Verses 53 and 54 describe these heavenly bodies created for eternity. Our mortal bodies will be transformed into immortal, incorruptible bodies, prepared for the eternal kingdom of God.

In verse 54, Paul referenced Isaiah 25:8 to say that “death has been swallowed up in victory.”  That is, death has been consumed by the cross and empty tomb.  Paul then provided a victory chant in verse 55 taken from Hosea 13:14,

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

Yet, Paul uses the chant for his own purposes.  In Hosea’s context, death and the grave serve to punish the sons of Ephraim and are summoned to inflict due punishment. Paul uses the chant to mock death. He taunts death as ineffective over the power of the resurrection. There is victory in Christ! We undoubtably have victory in Jesus.

In verse 57 we are instructed, “But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The argumentation of 1 Corinthians 15 gives way to praise. The final verses of the chapter offer thanks to God for the victory won through Christ. Please note this is God’s victory. The Corinthians would’ve been familiar with victory feasts celebrating athletes of the Isthmian games hosted in Corinth.  The Corinthian Isthmian games were a festival of athletic and musical competitions.  Victors were celebrated with a feast and given a wreath to wear upon their heads. 

The victory mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:57 is God’s victory, but in his grace, God allows the church to share in the spoils. Jesus died on the cross, not due to any sin of his own, for he had none.  Jesus died alone upon the cross as the sinless, Son of God. Jesus rose from the dead providing victory over sin and death.

The only part you played in the resurrection was your sin which placed Jesus upon the cross.  On the third day, the stone was rolled away and Jesus came bursting forth from the dead in resurrection life.  So too will the saints who place faith in the completed and sufficient work of Jesus. 

Excurses on “Baptized for the dead” in 1 Corinthians 15:29

What does Paul mean by the phrase “baptized for the dead” in 1 Corinthians 15:29?  Paul’s argument is clear, but the specifics are cloudy. The ritual of baptism for the dead assumes that there will be a future resurrection of the dead. Paul cites this practice to highlight the absurdity of baptizing on behalf of the dead while denying the resurrection of the dead. 

Some argue that Paul is speaking of some kind of vicarious baptism for dead persons. Adherers to this view believe it is the most natural interpretation. They argue it demonstrates the existence of a preoccupation with the underworld in Corinth and shows how the Corinthian Christians shared the interest of the surrounding culture. Evidence exists that first century pagan cults underwent rites in the place of others. Vicarious baptism is a modern belief held by the Mormon church. 

There are major issues with this interpretation. First, we don’t see evidence of the church in Corinth baptizing on behalf of the dead. Second, it seems unlikely that Paul would pass over this practice without a rebuke.  Paul makes his view of baptism clear in other passages, like Romans 6.  Baptism is uniting with Jesus in his death and resurrection.  Vicarious baptism does not align with Biblical baptism.  

Some argue Paul is referring to pagans who take baptism upon themselves with the purpose of uniting with deceased relatives at the resurrection.  Preben Vang argues that Paul refers to a “practice where some were baptized because of a promise given to a dying loved one – so they would “meet again.”^[3]  Since those being baptized were believers, Paul did not need to give a theological correction of mystical misconceptions concerning baptism.

A more compelling argument is that 1 Corinthians 15:29 is a reference to baptism because of the dead. In this view the phrase “baptism for the dead” is understood in the sense of unbelievers being baptized because of believers who have died. In this interpretation, unbelievers decide to become Christians and be baptized because of the influence of a believer who had recently died – perhaps a martyr’s death. 

Finally, some argue that baptism for the dead uses “dead” as a metaphor for the condition of the believers who receive baptism.  “Dead” characterizes the individual’s pre-baptismal state or refers to the individual’s soon-to-be-dead body. Paul’s statement in Romans 8:10 that “the body is dead because of sin” gives further credibility to this interpretation. 

The Empty Tomb (Matthew 28:1-7)

The gospels end with the resurrection of Jesus and the commissioning of his disciples. The church has good news because our story does not end at the cross but the empty tomb.  The women find the tomb empty due to Jesus’ resurrection. They depart with a testimony which becomes a model for the disciples who will follow them. 

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb (Matthew 28:1), presumably to mourn the death of Jesus.  Yet, upon arrival, there was a violent earthquake for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat on it (Matthew 28:2).   The angel sat on the stone in a dramatic depiction of God’s triumph over sin and death.  The guard witnessed this demonstration of victory, but the angel only spoke to the women: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you (Matthew 28:5-7).”  These women are the first recipients of the good news.  They are given the task to share it with others.  

Ultimate Security (John 10:27-28)

Jesus gives eternal life to his sheep.  Through belonging to Jesus’ sheep pen, one is given abundant and eternal life.  As a byproduct of abundant life and eternal life, Jesus’ sheep shall never perish.  Ultimate security is found in Jesus’ sheep pen under the care of the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep know him.  His sheep hear His voice and follow His leadership.  He leads them to green pastures, quiets waters, rights paths, through the darkest valley, and unto eternal life.  

CONCLUSION

Long before his death, Winston Churchill planned his own funeral.  He did so with the hope of the resurrection and eternal life. He instructed that after the benediction a bugler positioned high in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral would play Taps, the universal signal that says the days is over. Yet, Churchill did not want this somber note to be the final note played.  Another bugler was placed on the other side of the massive dome.  When Taps concluded, he played the notes of Reveille, the universal sign that a new day has dawned, and it is time to rise.  

In my role as pastor, I regularly teach grieving families the components of a proper Christian funeral.  At every funeral, the church has the opportunity to raise its voice in the victory chant of 1 Corinthians 15:55,

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”