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