Tag: The Importance and Power of the Resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15-16

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

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,

Tag:  The Importance and Power of the Resurrection

There was some argument, apparently, in the church at Corinth in regard to the resurrection of the dead.  There were some saying that there was NO resurrection of the dead.   Paul enters the discussion with thunder!!  He states (later in this chapter) that if there is NO resurrection then, "... we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Corinthians 15:19).  Paul stresses to them that the resurrection of Christ it is at the core of our faith and salvation.  He will, through this chapter, make his case that without resurrection we have no hope.  In the above passage he states twice that the resurrection of Christ was "according with the Scriptures."   There should have been no Jewish person who didn't know that the Messiah was to suffer (Isaiah 53) and be raised from the dead (Psalm 16).   There should be no listener to the original men of faith (Jews) who didn't know Christ would be in the grave three days.  Jesus told them and Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days was the prophetic example Jesus used to tell them about his own death.   God's Word was fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  God simply kept His Word.  The resurrection was based upon God's Word.   God cannot lie, so the Word must be fulfilled and was. For anyone to deny the resurrection they are saying God would have lied.  If you call God a lier you, yourself, do not speak the truth.  The resurrection, as Paul says above, is the most important of all beliefs we hold.  Without Christ raising from the dead we can't trust God for anything He says.