Doctrine/Theology

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. Then he appeared to James, then 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 Cor. 15:3-11

There are two main points to make here about this critical passage.

POINT 1: THERE WAS NEVER A TIME WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS WAS NOT THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THE APOSTLES

Paul uses technical rabbinic terms (“delivered” “received”) to introduce his ensuing discourse on that which he calls “of first importance.” The creedal formula of the verses that fall, in particular 15:3-5, allows for a concise and precise definition of the gospel as well as easier identification of false gospels. This is one of the great benefits of creeds.

The main point, however, is that the resurrection of Jesus was central to the proclamation of the gospel from the very birth of the church in Acts (see, for example Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30-31; 10:39-40; 13:29-30; 17:31; 26:8 to name a few). The proclamation of the gospel/resurrection dates literally to the earliest days of the church. And just to reemphasize: There was never a time in early Christianity where Jesus was preached as anything but raised from the dead. This leaves no “historical room” for legendary development. The resurrection proclamation was simply the unvarnished truth preached by the early church. Hardly any scholar disputes this at least as an historical fact regarding the early witness of the apostles. Many would dispute the claim itself, but not the fact that the apostles made the claim.

POINT 2: THE SOBER AND UNVARNISHED FACTS OF THE GOSPEL ARE FOUND IN TWO MAJOR HISTORICAL TRUTHS EACH WITH ACCOMPANYING SUPPORTING EVIDENCE.

HISTORICAL TRUTH #1: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. That Jesus died the horrible death of a Roman crucifixion is an historical fact, as even antagonist scholar John Dominic Crossan concedes: “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be.”

That Jesus died for our sins, however, is a matter of revelation. The prophet Isaiah foretold his death in stark terms that highlight the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4-6

Or as Peter put it concisely: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:24). And: “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18a).

Historical Truth #1 is supported in the text by this accompanying fact: “Christ was buried.” Burial proves that Jesus actually died: “We know more about the burial of the Lord Jesus than we know of the burial of any single character in all of ancient history.” (Wilbur Smith, Therefore Stand, p. 370-71; quoted in Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, 229)

William Lane Craig adds: “During Jesus’ time there was an extraordinary interest in the graves of Jewish martyrs and holy men, and these were scrupulously cared for and honored. This suggests that the grave of Jesus would also have been noted. The disciples had no inkling of any resurrection prior to the general resurrection at the end of the world, and they would therefore not have allowed the burial site of the Teacher to go unnoticed. This interest also makes plausible the women’s lingering to watch the burial and their subsequent intention to anoint Jesus’ body with spices and perfumes.” (McDowell, 231)

HISTORICAL TRUTH #2: Jesus was raised bodily from the dead on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. As already noted, the disciples belief in the resurrection dates to the time of the events themselves. Historians have traced to origins of the Corinthian creed (the part of 1 Cor. 15:3-5 that Paul says he “received” and therefore “delivered”) to within months or even weeks of the event itself. In addition to the early apostolic witness, there are at least five extra-biblical source that confirm the conviction of the apostles regarding the resurrection, as well as their willingness to die for this truth. More will be said about resurrection evidences in subsequent posts.

Historical Truth #2 is supported by the all-important appearances of Christ. The Bible records twelve separate appearances, six of which are mentioned in the present passage under brief consideration. Interestingly, Christ is the subject of each verb: He appeared to is the appropriate language, not they had a vision of or they thought they saw.

The six appearances Paul chronicles here are the following.

1 – Peter, the disciple who denied him

2 – The Twelve (a generic title for the disciples; only 11 remained at the time)

3 – A large group of 500, of which at least 251 remained alive at the time of Paul’s writing and could rebut or corroborate his claims.

4 – James, the half-brother of Jesus who mocked him. Jesus’ earthly family were offended by his lofty claims of divinity, and even attempted an intervention of sorts on one occasion. James, his half-brother, was cynical and unmoved by his claims. Yet this same James became the leader of the early church. The only plausible explanation is the one the New Testament gives: Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them.

5 – A group of unnamed “apostles.”

6 – Paul, the enemy who persecuted the church. Regarding Paul, there is near unanimous agreement among historians that Paul at least thought he witnessed the risen Jesus. Even the radically skeptic Jesus Seminar scholar Roy Hoover admitted: “Paul’s testimony is the earliest and the most historically reliable evidence about the resurrection of Jesus that we have.”

Regard Paul, this is the testimony that he personally gave of the saving grace of God:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 

1 Tim. 1:15-16

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.

1 Cor. 15:1-2

There are four main points that stand out in these two power packed verses:

1 – Preaching

2 – Believing (receiving)

3 – Standing

4 – Being saved

1 – THE GOSPEL, INCLUDING THE RESURRECTION, MUST BE PREACHED

Peter said as much in his evangelistic message to Cornelius: And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42). Paul confirms this in his oft quoted words from the Book of Romans: For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:13-17).

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. So the gospel must be preached.

2 – THE GOSPEL MUST BE RECEIVED

John wrote in the prologue to his gospel: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12). Toward the end of his gospel, the same writer explicitly provided his readers with a purpose statement which also calls for a decision of faith: “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

3 – THE BELIEVER IS MADE TO STAND

Psalm 130:3 spells out the heart of humanities problem with God: “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” The question is rhetorical; the answer is obvious: no one. As Psalm 1 puts it: “the wicked will not stand in the judgment.”

The believer in Christ, however, has an entirely different judicial standing with God. Rather than condemnation, the believer stands justified. As Paul put it: since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).

4 – THE BELIEVER IS BEING SAVED

This means literally “to be in the way of salvation,” that is, as opposed to “perishing.” The salvation promised in the gospel comes in three “parts” if you will:

BUT WHAT IF I BELIEVED IN VAIN?

There are two ways in which a person might “believe the gospel in vain.” The first we might call “subjective vanity.” That is, a person failed to meet the biblical conditions or standard of true faith. For example, if you are really seeking salvation by works, then this would indicate that you believed “in vain” (see Galatians 3:1-4). Or perhaps you “deny the power of godliness” as Paul puts it in 2 Timothy 3:5. This could indicate a person who finds religion fashionable in some way, but rejects the power and very heart of the true gospel, the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “if you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

The second way in which a person could believe the gospel “in vain” is if the resurrection of Christ did not actually happen. This we might call “objective vanity.” As Paul so directly and forcefully put it: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” If Jesus is still dead, we have believed the promise of the gospel in vain, because the promises are not true. Combatting this anti-resurrection heresy is a burden of much of the rest of the chapter of Corinthians.