1 Corinthians 15:1-58  

v. 12-19 Apparently some of the readers were calling themselves believers and yet claiming there is no such thing as resurrection from the dead. If there's no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, Paul's preaching is useless and so is their faith. Also, Paul and the others would then be false witnesses because they have testified publicly that God raised Jesus from the dead. But God did not raise Jesus if in fact there is no such thing as resurrection. If the dead are not raised, and Christ has not been raised, then their faith is futile and they are still in their sins. Believers who have died are also lost and will never be resurrected. Paul says, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." They suffer persecution and deprivation in this life because they hope for eternal life. If there is no eternal life then they are fools to suffer for the gospel.

v. 20-26 But Paul emphatically states that "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead" and He's the firstfruits of all those who will be raised. Since death came through a man (Adam) then resurrection of the dead must also come through a man (Christ). A person is either "in Adam" or "in Christ." All who are in Adam will die but all who are in Christ will be made alive. Christ is the first to be raised and then when He returns to earth those who belong to Him will be raised. Then "the end" will come. Christ will destroy all dominion, authority and power. He will put all His enemies under His feet, the last of which is death. Then He will hand the kingdom over to God the Father.

v. 27-28 God has put everything under Jesus' feet (given Him authority over everything). But Paul says, "it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ." The Son will be made subject to the Father "so that God may be all in all." It's not that Jesus conquers everything and then overthrows His Father's kingdom. That sort of thing may have happened in ancient kingdoms where an ambitious son of a king fought against his father and took the kingdom away from him. But Jesus and His Father are one and there is no hostility between them. The Father exalted Christ to the highest authority and Christ subjects Himself to His Father who loves Him.

v. 29 Now Paul mentions the practice of baptizing a person for the dead. Apparently some people were being baptized for the dead. This may have been an accepted practice in some sects of Judaism or in some Gentile religions. Notice the change in pronouns from verse 29 (those) to verse 30 (we). Paul does not claim that he baptizes people for the dead. He's only making the argument-- why do people do that if there is no resurrection from the dead?

v. 30-34 And why does Paul risk his life "every hour" if there is no resurrection from the dead? Why did he fight "wild beasts" in Ephesus (perhaps not literally wild animals because there is no mention of that in Acts) if the dead are not raised? They might as well just enjoy life "for tomorrow we die." The readers have been misled. Paul warns them, "Bad company corrupts good character." He wants them to come back to their senses and stop sinning. Paul views their rejection of the resurrection as a sin. They are calling God a liar by their insistence that He did not raise Christ from the dead. Belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus is essential to being a Christian.

v. 35-41 How are the dead raised and what kind of body will they have? Paul considers this a foolish question. They should know from their experience in nature that you don't sow the same body you expect to grow. You don't bury a full-grown plant in the ground but rather only a small seed that looks nothing like the green plant. God gives each seed the body He has determined. Not all the bodies are the same. Again, Paul says they know from nature that there are different kinds of flesh. Human flesh is different from animals, poultry, or fish. Then he takes them out into the cosmos and reminds them that the sun is different from the moon and even the stars don't all have the same splendor. This is how it will be when people are resurrected from the dead. They will not all be exactly the same.

v. 45- 48 The natural came before the spiritual.

v. 49-55 Believers bore the likeness of Adam and will bear the likeness of Christ after they are resurrected. Flesh and blood (the perishable) will not inherit the kingdom of God (the imperishable). Paul tells them a "mystery." Not all of them will "sleep" (experience physical death) but they will all be changed when the Lord returns. This change will happen suddenly ("in a flash"). Believers who have died will be raised from the dead, imperishable, and those who are alive when the Lord returns will become imperishable without having to die first. The perishable will be "clothed" with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality. Then death will be swallowed up in victory.  

Once they are made immortal death has no power over them.

v. 56-58 The "sting of death is sin" because sin brings the pain of the wrath of God upon sinners. The "power of sin is the law" because the law condemns people as sinners. But believers are victorious over sin and death through the risen Christ. This is why Paul wants the readers to "stand firm." Remember at the beginning of this chapter he spoke of the gospel on which they took their stand. Paul assures them they can give themselves fully to the work of the Lord knowing that their efforts will not be in vain. They will be resurrected and live with Him forever.

Only one chapter left in 1Corinthians! 

 --Sandy Blank