An Analysis Of I Corinthians 15

By
Dr. Frederick Meekins
Fellow Of Worldview Studies
The Issachar Institute For The Study Of Apologetics & Policy

To religious progressives wanting to at least acknowledge

the morality of Jesus without having to acknowledge His
rightful place as the Lord of the their lives, the resurrection
of the body is viewed as a disposable dogma more suited for
less scientific times when the masses of humanity were less
capable of comprehending the harsh realities of life. Often
the believer confronts this kind of thinking in contemporary
academic forums such as the Quest for the Historical Jesus
and the like. However, this attempt to undermine this
teaching goes back even further among beloved historical
figures from the past such as Thomas Jefferson who
exorcised from the pages of the Bible those passages
attesting to the miraculous truth. However, by analyzing I
Corinthians 15, the believer is assured that the Resurrection
is perhaps the most important doctrine in the pages of
Scripture.

In verse 1, Paul points out that what he is about to teach is

not some new doctrine pulled out of the sky but rather a
reminder of the fundamental Gospel on which believers in
the church have taken their stand often without regard to
earthly consequences. In verse 2, Paul makes it known that
the Gospel is not just a set of intellectual propositions but
rather the message through which the believer is saved if
they "hold firmly to the word I have preached to you"
outside of which there is no hope.

Sometimes when confronted with the complexities of both

daily life and raging religious debates, it is easy to neglect
and even forget about the basics upon which our faith rests.
Thus, in verses 3 and 4 Paul provides the Corinthians with a
recap of the basic Gospel message which he summarized as
the following: "that Christ died for our sins, according to the
Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures."

Either in an attempt to lull believers into lowering their

discernment or, as in the case of the Neo-Orthodox to curry
favor with the elites of academic theology, occasionally one
will find that the cultured despisers of the old time religion
will allow those comforted by traditional religious language
to speak of some kind of belief in Christ's Resurrection.
However, these propagandists turn around and insist that at
best the Resurrection be understood merely as a
metaphorical or spiritual event meaning Jesus simply went
on living in the memories of those that loved him or in a
manner outside of verifiable empirical history.

In verse 5, the reader is told that the risen Christ appeared to

Peter and then the Twelve. This is also a summation of
Gospel accounts such as John 20 where Jesus appeared to
His disciples in the Upper Room.
Some skeptics might dismiss such encounters, claiming that
the Disciples were so fraught with grief and so beside
themselves that they imagined seeing Jesus. However, from
verse 6, we learn that Jesus appeared to over 500 believers
and it is highly doubtful you could get 500 Jews to agree on
anything unless they had witnessed it for themselves. And
though it might carry slightly less resonance with us as it did
for the Corinthians, at one time one could ask these 500 if
what Paul wrote was true or not as at that time most of the
witnesses were still alive.

In verse 7, it is pointed out that Jesus appeared to James.

While the testimony is powerful that Jesus appeared to over
500 people, the resurrected Christ is further authenticated by
appearing before his earthly half-brother who would have
been more qualified than the 500 as a family member to
expose someone masquerading as Jesus.

While this report of what others experienced is sufficient to

establish the veracity of Christ's resurrection as a concrete
historical event, in court first hand eyewitness testimony is
considered a very powerful form of evidence. As such, in
verse 8, for that reason Paul claims Christ appeared to him
as well.

But whereas most would consider themselves superior to

others if they had a tangible firsthand encounter with God, in
verse 9 Paul does not consider himself worthy of being an
apostle and views himself as the least among them because
of his past persecution of the Church. This itself has
implications in the life of the average person.

Often, some put off accepting Christ as their personal savior

by claiming that Jesus would never accept them because of
all the wicked things they have done. However, by
accepting Paul into the ranks of apostleship, the average
sinner is shown that, if we confess the error of our ways and
repent of them under the shed blood of Christ, as I John 1:9
tells us, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

In verse 10, Paul admits that his turnaround was not the
result of pulling himself up by his own sandalstraps but
rather as a result of God's own grace. From this, believers
realize that what good ultimately comes about in their own
lives is not the result of our own efforts but rather a result of
God working through us. As it says in Isaiah 64:6, our
righteousness is as filthy rags.

Even in our religiously turbulent times, the denial of the

Resurrection sounds so foreign to our Christian ears that it is
easy to assume that this heresy is a new development.
However, it must be remembered that the Greco-Roman
world was marked by (to utilize an overused phrase)
considerable diversity. Paul writes, "But if it is preached that
Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you
say there is not resurrection of the dead?"

Such an inquiry would indicate that, even at this early stage

in the history of the church, criticisms of the Resurrection
were beginning to creep in doctrinally, possibly in part due
to Neo-Platonic or Gnostic influences. For these
philosophies tended to downplay the role and need for the
body in the quest for spiritual enlightenment. For example,
the Docetics believed that Jesus only appeared to have a
body and was rather a spirit that could not really die or be
resurrected.

In verse 13, Paul begins to expose the implications of just

what it would mean if there was no resurrection from the
dead. Paul bluntly states, "If there is no resurrection from
the dead, then not even Christ has been raised."

Some are so detached from what they believe that they

would probably continue plodding along not caring one way
or the other whether Jesus rose from the dead. It is not until
the implications of certain ideas show up on the doorstep of
our own existential predicament that we begin to sit up and
take notice.

Thus, in verse 14, Paul draws the conclusion that, if Christ

has not been raised, his preaching is useless and so is our
faith. We are shown why this is true for a number of
reasons.

In verse 15, it is pointed out that, if Christ was not

resurrected, the Apostles such as Paul would be false
witnesses about God. And if they cannot be trusted in this
matter, why should they be trusted in others?
In verse 16, the subject is examined from a slightly different
angle. Paul posits that, if the dead in an absolute sense do
not rise in the body, then Christ has not been raised either.

In verse 17, Paul applies the issue of the Resurrection to a

direct personal application by pointing out that, unless Christ
has been risen from the dead, our faith is a waste of time.
For as Christ Himself responded in Matthew 12:39-40 when
asked for a sign authenticating His authority, “But he
answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be
given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas
was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall
the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth.”

Adding to the personal repercussions if Christ is not raised

from the dead, in verse 18 Paul provides an added shock
observing that, if Christ has not been raised from the dead,
the those asleep in Him (a polite way of referring to the
dead) are lost. Anyone that has lost a loved one as a
Christian knows that sometimes the only thing that enables
you to cope with the big gaping hole in your heart is
knowing that one day we will be reunited with them. As I
Thessalonians 4:13 instructs, “Brothers, we do not want you
to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like
the rest of men, who have no hope.” Because of this hope,
we don’t cry because those we cherish have passed out of
existence but rather in a manner more akin over someone
that has moved away that we won’t have any contact with
for what to us may seem to be many years or even decades
to come.

Finally, to end this litany of despair regarding the

ramifications if Christ did not rise from the dead, Paul flat
out says in verse 19, “If only for this life we have hope in
Christ, we are to be pittied more than all men.” As stated
previously, sometimes liberals and progressives think they
are doing a magnanimous thing by enunciating an admiration
for the so-called “ethics of Jesus”. However, if we simply
end up as food for worms as G. Gordon Liddy mused one
time on “The Tonight Show” before his own spiritual
awakening, then turning the other cheek and putting others
before yourself is a rather pathetic way to live if kindly and
devout grandmothers end up with the same eternal reward as
homicidal serial rapists.

Fortunately, Paul does not leave the reader on a decidedly

glum note and in fact becomes markedly more positive with
verse 20. Here it is reinforced that Christ has indeed risen
from the dead as the firstfruits of those that have fallen
asleep.

In verses 21-22, Paul shows how it is only logical that the

Resurrection would be provided through Christ. Paul’s
argument goes something like this: since death came through
one man, the resurrection would also come through one man.

From Genesis 3, we learn that, as the forefather of the

human race, as a result of his sin of eating the forbidden
fruit, Adam brought death to all those to whom his sin nature
was passed on. Therefore, since God the Father sent His
Son into the world in the form of a sinless human being to
live the sinless life we could not yet have to pay the price of
the sins of the world through the shedding of His blood and
being raised from the dead, if we acknowledge our
sinfulness and what Christ did for us what we could not, then
as our newly adopted federal head we are extended the
privilege of enjoying our resurrection life in Heaven with
Him throughout eternity.

In verses 23-28, Paul provides a rough chronology to the

order of events connected to the Resurrection and the
ultimate fulfillment of all things. In verse 23, it is pointed
out that, as we already know, Christ was risen first as the
firstfruits. We will be given our opportunity when He
returns.

However, that will not be the sole purpose of Christ's return.

For at that time, according to verse 24, Jesus will hand the
world over to God the Father after He has destroyed all
earthly power and authority.

In verse 25, Paul informs us that Christ must reign until all
His enemies are under His feet, the last of which, verse 26
tells us, is death. These verses coincide with Revelation
chapter 25, describing the Millennial Kingdom particularly
as that period draws to a close when Satan is released from
the Pit to foment one last rebellion that is ultimately put
down according to verses 7-10. In Revelation 20:14, death
is cast into the Lake of Fire, becoming (as I Corinthians
15:26 tells us) the "the last enemy destroyed".

In verses 27-28, the believer is given a glimpse into the

distinctions within the Trinitarian Godhead. Verse 27 tells us
that, while everything has been put under feet of Christ, that
does not include the Father as it was the Father who put
everything under Christ. In verse 28, Christ the son willingly
subjects Himself to God the Father. This demonstrates that,
while Christ is Himself God, He is Himself subject (though
in perfect accord) to the will of the Father.

In verses 29-34, Paul returns to the theme of why should

anyone even bother with Christianity if the Resurrection is a
fiction. In verse 29, Paul asks, "Now if there is no
resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the
dead?" If there is no future hope for the dead, why should
we express any formalized concern for them?

Throughout this chapter, Paul has primarily analyzed the

logical implications that would result if the Resurrection was
not an actual event. However, in verses 30-33, we can
easily pick up on the emotion and passion the Apostle feels
in connection with the issue.

In verse 30, Paul asks point blank, "And as for us, why do
we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day...just as
surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul is
asking why should he bother risking his behind if its all for
nothing anyway.
Often in Christian circles, it is portrayed that serving in the
Lord's will is all sunshine and moonbeams here in this life,
forgetting that in this life we will have trouble. Paul makes it
known in verse 31 that, even though he found much glory in
his labors on behalf of his fellow believers, he died a bit
everyday as of a result of these hardships.

Bringing this line of analysis to a conclusion in verse 32,

Paul observes that, if he fought wild animals in Ephesus for
merely human reasons, what had he gained and if the dead
are not raised one might as well "Let us eat and drink, for
tomorrow we die." While this quote is from Isaiah 22:13, it
is also a summation of the Epicurean philosophy prominent
throughout the Greco-Roman world at that time. It was the
contention of this perspective that, since this world was all
the individual had, the best one could hope for was to
maximize pleasure, minimize pain, and look to one's own
interests while in pursuit of this goal.

From verse 35 onwards, Paul for the most part examines

what the Resurrected and their bodies will be like. In verse
35, the question on everybody's mind is asked: "How are the
dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"

Since most of us are buried in the ground after we die, in

verse 36-40, Paul likens the process of the resurrection to the
planting of a seed. As such, our earthly bodies that are
subject to decay and death serve as a kind of seed from
which God will bring forth our glorified bodies, each after its
own kind.

Though there will be similarities between our old bodies and

our resurrection bodies, they will also be marked by
considerable differences. In verse 42, it is observed, "The
body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable."
Thus, unlike the old body, the resurrection body is not
subject to death.

From verse 43, we learn this is because the resurrected body

of the Christian will no longer be marred by the stain of sin.
The text reads, "it is sown in dishonor [a reference to
original sin passed down through our parents all the way
back to Adam and Eve], it is raised in glory." In verse 44,
we learn that while the body is sown as a natural body, it is
raised as a spiritual body.

In verses 45-49, we learn that the natures of these are

derived from the federal heads to whom those possessing
them belong. In verse 45, it is stated that the natural body
traces back to Adam whereas the incorruptible body comes
as a result of the finished work of the last Adam, Jesus,
being "a life-giving spirit."

It would be easy from this to dismiss the natural body

entirely as was the tendency of certain Gnostic sects of the
ancient world. However, as Paul points out in verse 46, the
natural body came first before the spiritual. In terms of
human beings, one cannot have one without the other.
In verses 47-48, Paul examines a number of the differences
derived from the natures of the first and second Adams.
Verse 47 informs us that the first man cam from the dust of
the earth whereas the second man, Christ, came from
Heaven.

Since Adam and Christ are the two respective heads of the
human race in terms of representing redemptive states, their
respective followers take on a number of their
characteristics. Verse 48 says, "As was the earthly man, so
are those who are of the earth; and as is the man of heaven,
so also are those who are of heaven." As those, those still in
Adam remain in sin and are subject to the penalties of being
in such a state. Those found in Christ are no longer subject
to the eternal penalty of their sins.

In verse 50, Paul announces that flesh and blood cannot

inherit the Kingdom of God. Thus, we are provided with the
primary reason why we much undergo this transformation
from, to the use words found at the end of the verse, from
the "perishable" and into the "imperishable".

It is usually assumed that one cannot enter this glorified state

without having first partaken of death's bitter taste.
However, in verses 51-52, Paul reveals that, for all
Christians, such will not be the case. According to the text,
in the twinkling of an eye (even quicker than a blink) when
the lat trumpet sounds and the dead are raised, those living at
that time will be instantaneously changed.
Verse 53 reminds us of the lesson learned in verses 42-44
that this transformation of our very nature signals death's
ultimate defeat as it will no longer hold any power in the end
over the redeemed child of God. In verse 55, a bit of a taunt
is rubbed in the face of death when the passage reads,
"Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your
sting?"

From verse 56, it is clarified that the sting of death is sin and
the power of sin is the law. However, as is proclaimed in
verse 57, God gives the believer victory over these things
through Jesus Christ. Since He takes away our sins and
takes them as far as the east is from the west according to
Psalms 103:12, these transgressions do not leave a lasting
stain if we ask for forgiveness.

In verse 58, Paul ends on a note of victorious

encouragement. Echoing words similar to the comforting
truism of if the Lord is for us, who can be against us, Paul
admonishes Christians to stand firm, let nothing move them,
and to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because
of labor is not in vain. Without the Resurrection provided by
the work of Christ, the most anyone could hope for is the
cold sleep of the grave. However, such physical affliction is
ultimately temporary as a result of His triumph.

In “Star Wars”, Obi-Wan Kenobi warns Darth Vader that,

should the Sith lord decide to strike him down, the Jedi
master would become more powerful than could possibly be
imagined. Though a fictionalized scene since as soon as
Kenobi was struck down by Vader’s blade Kenobi began to
instruct Luke in the ways of the Force from beyond the
grave, the sentiment is one echoed in the hope that the
Christian has a life beyond this one not subject to the same
drawbacks, restraints, and letdowns that plague is the few
brief years that we trod this earth.

by Frederick Meekins