1 Corinthians 15-16
Gospel
of Resurrection

In the midst of trouble, David praises God for exalting His word and ways/name. “Name” is put for the character, reputation and authority or power of God. He reveals His name in rescuing His humble servants and answering their prayers, in accord with His hesed and faithfulness to His promises. God is exalted on high, but looks after the humble (Isa 57:10); the proud don't have a close relationship with Him. God displays His glory by revealing His name, ie, encouraging, strengthening and delivering or saving those loyal to Him. David trusts in God's enduring loyalty/hesed to save him, and fulfill the promises God made to him.

Paul recaps what he preached to the Corinthians, as a motivation for Christ honoring, other-centered lifestyles. Everyone knows verses 3 and 4, which “define” the gospel, but most are clueless about the surrounding context, which put the facts of the gospel in its applicational context. Take this two question quiz: Is salvation conditional? Do all get the same thing in heaven? If you read the text above, it should be obvious that the correct answers are yes, and no. See comments on the introduction to Matthew for the different aspects/meanings of “salvation.” Once justified, always justified by faith is always true. But sanctification and glorification are different stories. Paul writes to those who received the gospel, and believed it, and stand in/on it, as the basis of their future hope. But, if they don't hold firmly the word that Paul preached, they will have believed in vain. In Acts Paul summarizes what he taught all over, including to the Corinthians:

Acts 24:15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Acts 26:6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

Those who don't hold firmly to the message will lose out on the hope that Christ's resurrection offers. They can believe, but their belief will be in vain. People can also receive God's grace in vain (2Cor 6:1). Paul elaborates what he means about “in vain” in verse 10. Grace is supposed to produce fruitful labor for the kingdom. It's not about getting sins forgiven but about receiving one's hope, or reward. What is your belief producing for you?

The message, gospel or good news, preached by Paul and the other apostles had two parts. First, the Messiah died for our sins, according to the first part of Isaiah 53, and was buried, as proof. This is good, because it pays the eternal death penalty for our sins, so we don't have to. This is only part one. The news part of the good news, which at first glance isn't news to most people is that Christ was resurrected, according to the very last part of Isaiah 53. The last verse in Isaiah 53 talks about the Messiah dividing the spoil of His victory (rulership/glory over the earth) with others (as does the rest of Isaiah, and other passages). That's the part which is news to many. It's not just about getting our sins forgiven, but about getting glory, which the rest of chapter 15 will demonstrate. Paul first provides additional proof of Christ's resurrection so it can't be denied when he starts applying it. He tells us about Christ's appearance to Peter and James which we wouldn't know about otherwise, and the 500. Then Paul refers to Christ's appearance to him. He confesses his unworthiness to be an apostle because of his past persecution of the church, but then writes the words that have given hope to all who truly understand their sin: “But, by the grace of God I am what I am.” The past gets wiped out by the grace of God and all things become new to those who believe. Those who hold firmly to that message, go on to use the grace/power of God according to His purposes, the gaining of glory. When God pours out glory on His faithful saints, He is seen as having it, and thus is glorified. That's the message the apostles preached (cf 1Pt 1 and James) and what NT believers believed.

But there are always those doing the Devil's work who deny truth, particularly that about glory (the stuff Satan grasped at and lost). There were some denying that there is a resurrection from the dead (in which the righteous will be rewarded -Daniel 12:2-3; Lk 14:14). Paul says that if there is no resurrection, then Christ wasn't raised, and we're all headed to the lake of fire. Those who died, will miss out on the future kingdom of the Messiah, since they won't get resurrected. If we only have hope of blessing in this life, we're to be most pitied, because those who followed in times of persecution would often be deprived of temporal benefits, and then martyred, and wind up with nothing.

But Christ has been resurrected, and became the first fruits of those who have already died. The first fruits were offered to God as an expression of faith that more would come. So Christ, then those who had died (1Thess 4:14-17), then those who are alive at Christ's coming to set up and rule over the Messianic Kingdom. He will reign until all his enemies are subjected to Him, the last being death. Then He will submit Himself to the Father that He might be all in all.

There apparently was a practice, mentioned only here in the NT, of the Corinthians baptizing people in the place of those who died. The Eleusian mystery religion, in the town next to Corinthian has a such a practice. The cult was built around the annual spring resurrection of Persephone, who had been abducted by Hades. The initiates believed that those who knew the mysteries and practiced them would be resurrected to reward in the future. The baptism probably symbolized identification with the death and resurrection of the goddess. This is parallel to Christian water baptism, usually the first step of discipleship, symbolizing the death to self and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6). Spirit baptism, immersion in the power of the Spirit, was true of all believers as Paul taught in 1Corinthians 12. So, based on the spiritual immaturity of the Corinthians, they might have assumed everyone needed to be baptized, and might have been baptizing people in the place of those who had believed, but had not gotten a chance to be baptized. This is nowhere commanded and runs contrary to the emphasized importance of individual responsibility and faith on the part of each person. Paul alludes to the custom, to make his point, that there was belief in a resurrection in this practice, not to validate the practice (since much of what he said about justification by faith would invalidate it).

Paul then appeals to the practice of his own life and that of his fellow-laborers. If there is no resurrection, if this life is all there is, then one might as well eat and drink and live for this world, because when we die, it's all over. This was also common in stoicism and epicureanism, one of the few beliefs shared by both philosophies. This is the attitude John the Baptist called people to repent of (Luke 3). If there is no resurrection and reward, then there is no profit in self-sacrificial service. Verse 33 is another of the “Don't be deceived” passages directed at NT believers, and also deals with consequences and loss of reward for badly behaving believers (cf 1Cor 6; Gal 5). The evil company they were hanging around was corrupting their good moral intentions. Paul reprimands them sharply, telling them to wake up to righteousness (because they're missing it), and to stop sinning (because they are). They, the sinning believers (see 15:1-2), living just for this world, have no knowledge of God. They should be, and will be ashamed. Note the corrective is not to believe that Jesus died for their sins, but to start living in light of that. Those who think that if a person sins they were never a believer have the same knowledge problem the Corinthians did (and don't know the Bible either).

Paul next deals with the objection of those limited by only what they can and have seen, namely, the question of what kind of body would a resurrected worm-eaten person have? Just like a grain of wheat dies and decays to give rise to a new form, so the human body will decay and give rise to a new form. There are differences between kinds of flesh, and between terrestrial (earthly) and celestial (heavenly) bodies. There are also variations in the glory that the heavenly bodies have, and even within the class of stars, each differs in degress of glory or power. Note that this is about believers getting differing degrees of glory. Some will get more or less than others based upon their faithfulness, and suitability for reward. Those who eat, drink and live like this world is all there is will not have the same reward of those who fight the good fight of faith like the apostle Paul. Just like we have borne the earthly image of the first Adam in having a living soul (mind, will, emotions), so we will bear the heavenly image of Jesus, the second Adam, who is a life-giving Spirit. Flesh and blood can't have an inheritance in the Kingdom coming from God (as promised in the OT, the Messiah's Rule), just like corruption inherits incorruption (it's the other way around).

Paul concludes with proclaiming a mystery (previously unrevealed truth) that brings him back to the beginning of the chapter. We will not all remain dead when we die, but will all be changed. When Christ returns at the last trumpet in Revelation 11:15 believers will be resurrected (1Thess 4:16) for reward and rulership in the kingdom, and then they will be given their glory, and rule. Being given glorified bodies (see the important comments on 2Cor 5), swallows up corruption and death. God gives victory over death through the relationship with our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

2Corinthans 5:3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very purpose is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a first installment.

The conclusion of Paul's explanation of the good news is that believers need to be steadfast and immoveable (in accord with the admonition in verses 1-2; cf Col 1:23 “not moved away from the hope held out in the gospel”), and work (sweat a lot) in the Lord's work, knowing that their labor is not in vain, but that it will be richly rewarded with eternal glory, when they are resurrected (just like Christ). This is the good news!

Paul turns his attention to some final details, the collection for the saints, and travel plans, before he ends with some great exhortations. He advocated that they weekly set aside funds, as the Lord prospered them, for the benefit of the saints in Jerusalem (who were often persecuted by losing their jobs when they became believers). In 2Corinthians 9, especially verse 7, Paul will give more instructions on giving. He also details his plans to spend more time with them, but that he doesn't want to abandon the great door of opportunity that God has opened for him in Ephesus (along with great opposition). Just because there are lions lying in front of the door, it doesn't mean that the door is closed. Usually great opportunity lies behind difficulty. He cautions them to be nice to Timothy, and help him on his way financially, and explains that Apollos won't come until the timing is better.

Paul warns them to be on their guard, and stand firm in their belief that the Lord is coming back to reward them (cf Heb 11:6). Courageous and strong echo the instructions given to Joshua on the brink of entering the Promised Land (Josh 1:6,7,9). The inheritance is not gained by sinful sluggards. He reminds them of the primary command regarding their behavior, let all they do be done in love (to the glory of God -10:31). They needed to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others, according to His will, so He looks good in the eyes of all.

Carnal Christians have difficulty in submitting to anyone because they think that doing their own thing is essential for their happiness. They also can't trust God for looking out for them because they are still in rebellion to Him. Paul urges them to submit to those who serve the saints and those who labor in the Lord's field. See the S-word for more on submission, Ephesians 5:21 for submission in the Body (this is the climatic verse of Ephesians for building Body unity), and Hebrews 13:17 for how unsubmissive believers lose their reward.

Paul sends greeting from the churches in Asia, as well as Aquila and Priscilla (order reversed this time) who have a church meeting in their house. He gives another of the one another passages: “greet one another with a holy kiss” (as opposed to a pagan one). A holy kiss seeks to honor another, while a pagan one seeks to gratify one's desires. There should be an affection among the members of the family of God (unless they're squabbling with each other). Paul actually writes a line with his own hand (someone else wrote the letter -cf Rm 16:22). He ends with a curse and a blessing.” To those who don't love the Lord Jesus Christ (as in remain loyal to Him and obey His commands), let him be accursed (anathema) as in cut off from blessings. But Paul wishes the blessing/grace of God to be upon those under Christ's Lordship, and he loves those who are in union with Christ Jesus.