Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 15:1-58 “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 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. 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 only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he 'has put everything under his feet.' Now when it says that 'everything' has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. But someone will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
[43:29]Acts 17:32 “When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, 'We want to hear you again on this subject.”
[41:32]Hosea 13:14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? I will have no compassion,”
[01:03:38]Observation questions
- What details does Paul include in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 to describe the gospel of “first importance,” and how do the appearances of Jesus fit into that message? [44:00]
- In 1 Corinthians 15:12–19, what consequences does Paul list if Christ has not been raised from the dead? [50:25]
- What contrasts does Paul make between the body that is “sown” and the body that is “raised” in 1 Corinthians 15:42–44? [59:06]
- According to 1 Corinthians 15:54–58, what connection does Paul make between Christ’s victory over death and believers standing firm in their work? [01:07:42]
Interpretation questions
- Why does Paul treat Jesus’ bodily resurrection as essential to the gospel rather than as an optional belief added to Jesus’ moral teaching? [54:23]
- Paul calls Christ the “first fruits” of those who have died. How does the picture of first fruits explain why Jesus’ resurrection gives believers confidence about their own future? [57:42]
- Paul says death has a sting connected to sin, yet believers receive victory through Jesus Christ. How does forgiveness in Christ remove death’s deepest fear while still leaving room for real grief? [01:05:30]
- Why does Paul move from the future promise of resurrection to a call for steady, wholehearted service in the present? What does this show about the purpose of Christian hope? [01:08:30]
Application questions
- When thoughts of death, illness, or the loss of someone loved arise, which is more difficult to face—the pain of separation or fear about what comes after death? How does Christ’s forgiveness speak into that fear? [01:06:33]
- Resurrection is not simply returning to the same broken life, but receiving a transformed, imperishable body. How could that promise change the way a person views aging, weakness, disability, or physical limits today? [37:43]
- Is there a place where it is tempting to keep Jesus’ ethics while feeling uncertain or quiet about his resurrection? What would it look like to hold together both Jesus’ teaching and the reality of his victory over death? [53:29]
- What faithful work has recently felt small, unnoticed, or ineffective—perhaps prayer, generosity, serving, caring for a neighbor, or persevering in a hard relationship? How does the promise that labor in the Lord is not in vain encourage continued faithfulness? [01:09:48]
- What tends to move a person away from standing firm: discouragement, busyness, suffering, doubt, fear of others’ opinions, or something else? What is one practical way to stand more firmly in the hope of the risen Christ this week? [01:08:01]
