1 Corinthians 15:1–2

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 15

Of the Resurrection of the Dead. 1 Cor. 15, 1-58.

The facts of Christ's resurrection: V. 1. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, v. 2. by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

There were, it seems, false apostles or very ignorant members at Corinth, men that claimed there was no resurrection of the dead. St. Paul, therefore, includes a detailed defense and exposition of the doctrine in his letter.

The section is the crowning glory of the epistle, a demonstration of the truth of a future resurrection. The doubt which the apostle here combats is one that strikes at the root of Christianity, which concerns the fundamental fact of the gospel-truth.

In a burst of lofty and sustained eloquence the patient teacher again gives the Corinthians instructions concerning the first things, the doctrine without which Christianity would be a riddle: But I make known to you, I declare to you, brethren, the Gospel which I proclaimed to you. The words convey a measure of censure, of blame, that it should have become necessary for him so soon to repeat some information that belonged to the fundamental tenets of their faith.

Mark that Paul here, as elsewhere, does not refer his readers to human feelings or opinions, but to a fixed fund of Christian knowledge, to the gospel, the good news of the redemption of mankind as it was being carried out into the world by all the apostles. Of this gospel he says: Which also you received, in which also you stand fast, through which also you are being saved.

These are the steps in Christian life: Faith is kindled in the heart, the gospel news is accepted; faith continues in the heart, the believer places all his hope for salvation in the gospel day by day, and thus the benefits of the Gospel, being continuous, are also progressive, salvation is altogether certain to the believer, he has its benefits, he enjoys them day by day.

The gospel is the means of our salvation; it is the beginning, middle, and end of our redemption unto eternal life, since it appropriates to us the riches of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Faith in the gospel, belief in the resurrection of Jesus, was still found in the congregation at Corinth, otherwise the apostle could not have built up his great argument on this historical fact.